Looking for a reputable diesel mechanic/shop in the area

Hi all, I'm in the market for an early/mid 2000's Dodge diesel pickup and it'll be my first diesel (I know very little about them). I'm looking into a few private sales, and would like a reputable shop/mechanic to take a look at anything before I buy, though I have no local connections. Does anyone have any suggestions that I could look into? I do much appreciate it.

Also, if anyone has any leads on reasonably priced 2500 diesels, let me know as well! Don't worry, the taco is being retired as a weekend toy!

 

No recs on shops as I've been out of diesels for a while.

You looking 2nd gen or 3rd gen? What do you know about them and their quirks/issues?

Are you ready for the cost to buy and cost of ownership? What is the need/use for a diesel?

 

looking into the 2nd gens, the girlfriends old man was a diesel mechanic for years and he recommended pre 2006 if possible (for mileage, not worrying about fuel additives, etc.). The reasoning behind going diesel is we need something to haul our horses. Further, I do a lot of long distance driving for work, and the taco is no longer practical. Between the mileage with the lift/tires/armor and the ride/lack of cab room, it would make sense for us to get something full sized that has at least comparable mileage (if not better) and retire the taco to weekend trips.

 

Yup, early 07s are also ok. Everything produced 1/1/07 had to meet the updated emissions standards. So early 2007 Dodges are still 5.9L, 2007.5 and later are the 6.7L.

Real world with my 2006 regular cab, long bed dually manual, mileage was 16-17 highway and 13-14 towing an open loaded car hauler.

2nd Gen Dodges are rough. My 02 V10 suffered from the cracked dash, driver seat falling apart, and a leaking heater core and it was just under 200k. Was coming due for probably it's second front end and the trans was NOT it's strong suit.

Followed that with a 97 Ford 7.3L Manual which is the closest competitor to the 2nd gen Dodge. Slow just begins to start the story. Sure diesels have tons of torque so they can move anything. But HP tells the story of how quickly it can do that. Your Taco (assuming V6) has more/comparable HP to the diesels of that generation and they weigh twice as much.

I've been through a variety of options and have ended up with a 2016 6.4L V8 gas Hemi in my Ram Power Wagon. I don't have monster maintenance bills. I don't have to hunt for diesel pumps. I have no issues towing an open loaded car hauler with just a little more fuel consumption versus an old diesel, especially given the fact I can exceed the speed limit easily.

I'm only saying really really consider if that is the right choice for your uses. I don't see a need for diesel unless you are towing over 10k almost weekly or a large enclosed rig with a lot of drag.

 

Thanks for the input. Originally, I was looking at the ford 7.3's just because of their reputation. I've since been warned to stay away from any ford diesels other than the 7.3L, and to still be careful. We'll be hauling weekly or bi-weekly, up and down from Payson to the valley, in a gooseneck stock trailer. I'm still open to a gasser, just has to make sense between the mileage, power, and longevity. It's a tough one- I'd rather have the extra power for sure, but getting a truck with 150-200,000 miles on it to fit in my price range is nerve racking, too, diesel or not.

 

I can see the need if that is the legit towing usage.

The best line I've heard in recent past on diesel trucks..."They all have issues, they all have positives. Pick the one you like the most, cause you're gonna work on any of them."

Have to be careful with buying any of them. Likely to need front end and trans work at the lower price points. Knowing the history helps, but so many sellers lie thru their teeth to make a sale.

I miss both my diesels. Wish I had gotten a F350 instead of the F250 to avoid the TTB front end.

The Dodge was freaking awesome until I didn't even have a trailer anymore, then a dually was kinda silly for a DD.

 

I hear ya. Also, I realized I said I was specifically looking into the 2nd gen dodges- I'm actually more looking in the 3rd gen range.

 

That's a good jump from the 24V second Gens and the 7.3 Fords of either body style.