Is this Freightliner a good deal?

there's plenty more, and you can find them searching on here, lots of good advice on this forum. Those are just some of my personal ones I remind myself of when it's truck shopping time. I routinely ignore a bunch of those and always regret it. If you're test driving it and relying upon that experience, make sure you're not just bobtailing. You HAVE to drag a trailer. I bought a truck that ran like clockwork bobtailing, then I got it home, put a trailer on it and it had NO power. Turned out someone had thrown a junkyard ECM on it rated for way less HP. I find it hard to judge power bobtailing, especially since some trucks derate without a load.

 

I think in most cases your going to find people asking top dollar for anything with a 6NZ in it and often getting it. I've seen a lot of "running" motors alone for sale without rebuilds for what they are asking for this truck. You might find a better deal on something else along the same lines but with a 12.7 in it. However if this truck checks out otherwise I would say grab it. Chances are it well sell quick. For the hell of it I did a 1000 mile search on Craigslist and this was the only other truck under $30k with that motor just for a comparison.

http://harrisburg.craigslist.org/hvo/4899723699.html

 

Looks like 1 of my old KWS

 

If you have a Cat dealer nearby go to there parts department and tell them you need an oil sample kit. You will also need the vacuum pump. Probably cost you around $40 for everything IIRC? with the vacuum pump which is reusable. Stick the tube down the dipstick tube after the engine has run around 15 minutes and shut off and siphon out enough to where its specified on the bottle. Seal it up as specified and send it off. The shipping is included in the purchase price. Just a ballpark guess I would give a mechanic maybe $75 to look it over good if he is nearby.