New owner of KW T660 ISX15 CM2250

[Waterloo]

If I had to do this again, and man, what a crap shoot... From my own experience, talking to owners of newer used trucks, a few trusted mechanics and here on Rawze.com, I would be very leery of purchasing anything from a dealer that is used. That is where the problem trucks go, as the dealers are one of the few places these rolling abortions can be safely disposed of.

I have my local International dealer here in Jackson MI, they know all of my issues, they know what I did in regards to the mandate, and they know what a money pit my truck is. They did the in frame too, post mandate removal.

Jeremy the salesman occasionally lets me know of good used trucks that are for sale locally from private individuals or small companies. He knows I can fix the mandate, and he has directed me to a couple of really nice trucks, with low miles that have not been destroyed yet. These trucks have regular service records and have been taken care of by responsible owners, not these fleet trucks with 50,000 mile service schedules. Also, Jeremy is a Master Diesel Mechanic, and has helped me with issues on my truck when I have had questions fixing things myself. He is a really good guy, and I do trust him, known him for more than a few years.

I won't pull the trigger with Jeremy, but have been very tempted a few times, as my 2008 ProStar is paid for and is loaded with accessories, like the TriPac, steerable lift axle, locker, 18 spd, wet kit, factory 600hp, and everything works. I only have a few more parts to replace and some paint work and she will be pretty much new. The major work has been done.

You need a Jeremy, or a trusted mechanic that can really give the truck a look over. And don't waste your money on a warranty. My truck went tits up soon after rolling off of the dealer lot. I thought I did my due diligence too, this was before finding this site and Rawze. I was taken to the cleaners and have the stack of receipts to prove it. This ain't twenty years ago, the real problems are what you cannot see or even hear. And when they bite you in the ass, it ain't pretty and is normally very costly.

If you do go with one of these dealer trucks, first thing to do is get rid of the mandate, do not even hesitate, than you will know what you have. More than likely if there is damage, it is already done. Keeping the mandate will just mask the real internal issues until it is to late. So instead of just replacing the head, or fuel pump with the ceramic plungers, you are stuck doing an entire in frame or boat anchoring the motor when the lower end fails or you blow a rod out of the side of the block. This is not a game, unless you have a money tree in your backyard. These new trucks will bankrupt you quickly.

I have drivers ask me about buying a truck, I tell them to look for an old series 60 or ISX pre EGR, preferably with a fresh in frame. Then put the truck to work and just start replacing parts as you go. These older trucks are so less prone to catastrophic failure than a newer used truck. Trust me on that. This ProStar is my 7th truck, I never turned a wrench until I bought this truck, because I never had to. Now, my garage looks like a dealers mechanic bay. I'm down right now with a blown sleeper cab airbag, it will be here Tuesday.