Salt, Rust, and the value of a diesel engine

ShinerBock wrote:

Perrysburg Dodgeboy wrote:


If you find a super clean truck you can be sure the owner also took care of it mechanically also.

This is not always the case. The contrast between my brother and I is a prime example of that.

He keeps his truck spotless at all times both inside and out washing every week and even sometimes twice a week. When it comes to maintenance, he will constantly go over the recommended interval and use the cheapest thing possible. He does not care about the mechanical side because he usually trades his trucks within 100-150k miles in before the problems from neglect arise. All he cares about is how pretty it looks in the mean time.

Heck, he even had a clamp missing on the intake box after the filter when I looked at his engine on one of his old trucks. I asked how long its been like that and he said for at least the past six months. I immediately went to one of my parts stores and got a new clamp for him thinking he will put it on. Nope, it was another month until I put it on because it bothered the heck out of me even though it was not my truck.

I, on the other hand, will go months without washing my truck, but you better believe that everything mechanical is in tip top shape and I am strict on maintenance intervals. I keep my trucks for the long haul, and being a utilitarian I care more about usefulness of material things than how they look. I feel sorry for anyone buying his truck paying extra because it looks clean thinking he took care of it.

Buying from a stranger, you never really know, so you use this type of info statistically to suggest someone who takes care of the body and interior is more likely to have taken care of the drive train.

While there may be exceptions, the truck that looks really clean is more likely to have been maintained.