# Should I buy it?



## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Posted this up in another thread...http://lansing.craigslist.org/cto/5158900053.html

It's 14' box. Right now I have an older Dodge van with 81K on a 318. runs, drives good, but after working out of a cube I'm a spoiled princess. The van mechanically is great, but needs new rocker panels and a complete floor due to rust. I got a good deal on it, enough for needed body work left over.

This new-to me cube is in great shape, just under 62K, new rubber, brought my mechanic with me to look at it. About all he said was to put new shocks in the azz end and maybe a pitman or idler arm in the next 50k or so. Ramp works awesome, I'm getting older, at least feel it anyway. Too much time wasted feeling young, dumb, and full of c** thinking I'm indestructible.

The starting issue, which didn't rear it's head when I looked at it, my mechanic said is probably a valve in the vortex intake, easy fix. Shifts good, runs good, A/C needs to be charged.

Funny thing is I know more about this truck than the current owner. It was owned by the electric motor company I worked for as a three phase winder. After they built the Delta GM plant with another Electric company they shut the electric side down and kept the non-union side (motor shop) open and sold everything. LEM takes awesome care of their trucks! No bolt unturned, no it can wait crap. They sold it to an old couple that traveled buying and selling antiques. The guy that is selling it used it for a year for racing strip cars and no longer needs it.

Downside for me... It's more truck than I need being mainly drain cleaning. My driveway is not very big. Thinking of putting a new driveway on the main drag to park it on, plus for advertising, but it'll be a pain in more ways than one. I'll have to sell my current van, no big deal, but also my baby, a '91 stick 4wd F150 with a 300. I love that truck! But my mech. says the electrical is so screwed up it's best to sell. Did I mention I love that truck?

The master I work for says I'd be a fool not to buy it. My mechanic says it's a solid truck at a good price. But A bigger truck = ins, plates, plus all the SOS (DMV) payments.

I told the guy I'd get back with him monday.

Think I want it, good truck, good price, not much needs to be done to it.

Any advice?


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## saysflushable (Jun 15, 2009)

I sure like that. Tough call on buying it. If you NEEDED another van I would say absolutely.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

I've pretty much sold myself to it. After weighing pros and cons, advantages disadvantages.... it would only work out for the best. 

'96 van= 11mpg, PITA to work out of, easier to fit in college town hard on my back and legs/knees.

'97 cube= same MPG, nice ramp, easy on knees/back, takes up half the driveway, Have to make my own parking spot where I need it, higher cost to employ.... but will do the job of the two trucks I use now.


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## Roto-Rooter (Jan 31, 2015)

OpenSights said:


> I've pretty much sold myself to it. After weighing pros and cons, advantages disadvantages.... it would only work out for the best.
> 
> '96 van= 11mpg, PITA to work out of, easier to fit in college town hard on my back and legs/knees.
> 
> '97 cube= same MPG, nice ramp, easy on knees/back, takes up half the driveway, Have to make my own parking spot where I need it, higher cost to employ.... but will do the job of the two trucks I use now.


Opensights I only do Drain Cleaning also and as you can see. I have a full box and usually need it all. Also good advertising. I do LOVE the Tommygate though. REALLY saves the ole back.


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## fixitright (Jan 5, 2012)

Here we would have more involvement with the DOT. A pain.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Roto-Rooter said:


> Opensights I only do Drain Cleaning also and as you can see. I have a full box and usually need it all. Also good advertising. I do LOVE the Tommygate though. REALLY saves the ole back.


Nice neat and clean! Like a true professional's truck. I do my best, but with a van.... it's much harder. Right now it's a mess. Just did a main, blew up their c/o. Hose is on the floor, old cleanout is in a garbage bucket.... Seems like there is no place for anything.

Hows that truck mount jetter working for you? That's something I'm considering, what worries me is the extra distance from truck to basement cleanout.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

fixitright said:


> Here we would have more involvement with the DOT. A pain.


Exactly! Higher costs for sure. That's the biggest downfall.


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## plumberkc (Jun 23, 2011)

I made a similar purchased about three years ago. It's a 95 GMC 4500 that I picked up for less than $5000. 

I've now invested almost $30,000 in the truck and would've been far better off buying something new even if I had to finance it.


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## wookie (Dec 16, 2008)

Do it, makes working life much easier. You'll wonder how you ever worked out of a van. Add a lift gate. You might have issues stretching out that ramp with parking.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Going to pick it up tomorrow. I've used a lift gate before... nice for tight spaces, but in winter the darn thing sucked. Everyone I've talked to says I'd be a fool to turn this deal down. I'm going to err on the side of wisdom and go for it.

Breaks my heart... To be responsible I need to sell my 91 F150. But what's more important? Not my dream truck, my families future is.


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## Roto-Rooter (Jan 31, 2015)

OpenSights said:


> Nice neat and clean! Like a true professional's truck. I do my best, but with a van.... it's much harder. Right now it's a mess. Just did a main, blew up their c/o. Hose is on the floor, old cleanout is in a garbage bucket.... Seems like there is no place for anything.
> 
> Hows that truck mount jetter working for you? That's something I'm considering, what worries me is the extra distance from truck to basement cleanout.


THANKS I'm just anal about that. I can get in there in the dark and find what I want. As far as the jetter: it has made cleaning those thick ones a lot easier. Also if I need to go to the basement I take the remote reel with the foot control and work it that way. My Tommygate has NEVER gave me a minutes worth of a problem.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Well, she followed me home today. Hate to say it, but I'm glad to say I have a whole bunch of no work tommorow. So first order of business is getting her legal. 

Hey rotor-rooter, IMHO, a truck that clean is the mark of a true professional. Working out of a van I just feel nasty because I have no room but the floor for a stinking garden hose.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Well, first thing will be to remove this!


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

looks like a very nice truck, 
but the craigs list info has been taken down..
so what were they asking for that and what year was it again.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Master Mark said:


> looks like a very nice truck,
> but the craigs list info has been taken down..
> so what were they asking for that and what year was it again.


It's a '97 with 62k on it. The seller was pretty firm with the price, $3500. However, I do feel it was still a good deal. Being owned by a company I worked for, and what I know about their maintenance practices plus six new tires with about 3K on them.... I couldn't walk. 

List of things that need to be fixed:
Replace drivers side break light bulb, interior light bulb in the box, A/C needs to be recharged, but that can wait till next spring. Battery tests fine, but is older than I care for. the ceiling canvas needs some spray glue. Tail pipe needs to be extended 6" for DOT, and might need new mud flaps. He says it has a hard time starting on occasion, but if the second try doesn't work a squirt of starter fluid and it starts right up. New in-tank fuel pump ($$$$) and new fuel filter begs me to wonder if I need to run some fuel injector cleaner. My mechanic seems to think it's in the vortec intake part, but guaranteed me it would be an easy/cheap fix for me. Speakers need to be replaced... not that that really matters. The bumper has a minor rust hole in the diamond plating. Mechanic says I may want to put some new shocks in the back, and in about 50k I may need an idler arm or drag link.

I got insurance for it today, but work came in and couldn't make it to get plates. I don't think I'll be able to stock/organize it till Saturday anyhow. I'm pretty geeked about it, but to be honest, I think a 12' would be enough box for me... but on the other hand, I have more than enough room to make every day and every job in one trip. No more heading home for the grease trap shop vac, no more "I shoulda loaded this or that this morning."

It's completely legal here to buy a vehicle and drive it home the same day without a plate or insurance, but I was on edge the whole 45 minute drive home 'cause it seemed every State cop, Sheriff weigh master and local cop was out in force! Counted six!


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

OpenSights said:


> It's a '97 with 62k on it. The seller was pretty firm with the price, $3500. However, I do feel it was still a good deal. Being owned by a company I worked for, and what I know about their maintenance practices plus six new tires with about 3K on them.... I couldn't walk.
> 
> !



you are gonna be ok .... I would have bought it if it were in Indy.for 3500.. the lift gate alone is worth around 3k .... Even if you had to throw a new motor in it that is only about 5k. 

I bought a 97 ford for 4800 and have had it for 3 1/2 years.. Just like Kc I have put some money into it over that time but it has so far been much much cheaper than a new box truck for 35k....

Now that I am out of YP, we are flush with cash and a truck payment for a new one does not seem too bad... maybe someday.... .


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

It has the ramp. Might have just been the lift gate I used at my last job, but I hated it. in the winter it would take five minutes to drop. Not 100% on the ramp yet because of the extra parking spot it takes up. In the cities around here you're lucky to have two car lengths to park in. Might invest in a hoist eventually.

I don't blame you for dropping YP. When I was running the show for the one company that used them we hardly ever got new customers through them. He didn't even go hog wild and still was spending $32k a year.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

I'm starting to wonder if this* is* too much truck... Haven't had time during the day to get a plate yet, but have had to move it around every night. Not parking it on the road overnight, that's a $20 ticket. So with this and three other trucks, two are going away once it's road ready, but the only way to park it is in the way of most everything else.

I had thought about putting in a new driveway in the front, but one bumper would be six inches into the sidewalk plus it would be over my old clay M/L. I'm going to talk to the city and see if I can put in another driveway on the side road next to my current drive, but that would make it almost 40' wide by 30' deep at the extreme points.... it's oddly shaped.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

I'm use to a 12' box, don't care for driving the Masters 16.5' box. (We measured it last night.) 14', yeah only two foot more.... just need to get use to it....


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

OpenSights said:


> I'm use to a 12' box, don't care for driving the Masters 16.5' box. (We measured it last night.) 14', yeah only two foot more.... just need to get use to it....



The 12 footer box is the best one around , trouble with anything larger is you have to park it out away from everything and cant pull into some places to get food and stuff....like with the vans.
I worry more about the height of the box more than the length... My ford truck is 13 foot long and a slight bit too high for a lot of older bridges around town...... squeeseing under some of them have been hairey

remember that you cant take a 11 foot tall box under a 10 foot clearance...:laughing: ..


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Master Mark said:


> The 12 footer box is the best one around , trouble with anything larger is you have to park it out away from everything and cant pull into some places to get food and stuff....like with the vans.
> I worry more about the height of the box more than the length... My ford truck is 13 foot long and a slight bit too high for a lot of older bridges around town...... squeeseing under some of them have been hairey
> 
> remember that you cant take a 11 foot tall box under a 10 foot clearance...:laughing: ..


Very true! There's one bridge in Lansing like that with a 12' clearance. Probably a dozen times a year a semi gets a haircut, and much more often they notice it and end up holding up traffic for half an hour backing up.

Back in CT I worked for a plumber in the summers when in high school. Got a delivery one day where the driver hit a low bridge in Hartford, didn't realize it and drove all the way to Avon! Been awhile, but guessing half hour drive give or take?


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## plumberkc (Jun 23, 2011)

Have to watch those low bridges.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2...reet-bridge/DhnRwG1QUx1cx8IfgTQ5IL/story.html


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Got ta tinkin yesterday about this truck and the whole four back to back parking space issue with it, so I have a question for you other box truck guys. Harbor freight has hoists that mount to the bed of a pickup, kinda like a cherry picker. I've seen one guy who runs a drain cleaning business out of a full size pickup with a cap out here who put one in to hoist his M-100 and M-300 onto his tailgate. I ran out of a '91 dodge long bed with no cap when I worked in SoKal... doesn't rain much down there and when it did, I just tarped them. I couldn't even imagine working like that out here!

To give you an example, last night I had a main to run out at a MSU rental and used my van. (Been too darn busy to get plates for the cube. (Good/bad problem to have I guess.) My standard cargo van barely fit in the driveway! Had to have all the kids move their cars in as tight as possible, almost touching for me to fit and not block the sidewalk and get a ticket. Closest street parking was three blocks away. 

Obviously this 14 footer would require me to park a ways away anyhow, but if I can't use the ramp, might be best for the back. Only thing to go a bit cheaper would be putting in a 4x4 beam supported by 4x4 beams with a good hook and a come along or something. Once I use the ramp, I'm going to push it back in when parked on the street to avoid damage from idiots and cone the length needed off.

Yeah, liftgate uses much less room, but I have what I have.

Thoughts?


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

plumberkc said:


> Have to watch those low bridges.
> 
> https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2...reet-bridge/DhnRwG1QUx1cx8IfgTQ5IL/story.html


Gotta love those old railroad bridges....:laughing:

We have one near here that is very close to scalping a regular full sized van with an empty ladder rack with a 9' 6" clearance...

Despite a Height Detection System with flashing lights, flashing signs, bells & whistles, with a well marked truck bypass route, has been the scene of numerous scalpings over the years with many visible scars on the bridge.:laughing:

There is another one near there without a height system that got me one day with my old '69 chevy van, I could fit under there normally but one day I went through there with the hinged crank open roof vent open and it whacked the bridge...:furious::furious:

Whadda Dumbazz!:laughing:


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