Chevy W3500 or Isuzu NPR

Hey guys, posted this on tool talk and tractor transporting but figured i'd try here for some thoughts too...


got rid of my GMC 2500 6.5 a few months ago...was having more problems with the IP than it was worth fixing...
since I drive a car 99% of the time, I havent missed my truck as I have looked for a replacement.
My thought, since mostt of my truck usage is for hauling hay, would be to buy a small dump - f350 sized...so I have been shopping the local craigslist etc...not tied to diesel or gas since fuel economy is not a major issue for me...mostly local hauling.
anyway,
there is a '93 GMC W3500 (which the ad says is the same as an Isuzu NPR) - one of those flat-fronted, engine under cab deals....
looks to be in great shape, it is a diesel, pretty clean looking.
but I do not have a ton of info about this style of vehicle.

What type of engine did GMC use in these diesels?
Is the haulling and dumping capacity comperable to a one-ton pickup?
Is this a quality vehicle that will stand the test of time.

I am looking in this direction as the seller seems to be getting desperate...the truck has been listed for a while but he is suddenly re-listing quite frequently with the price lowering each time...

thoughts?

Thanks in advance

Hi Steve, here's my hay hauler/ landscape truck. It's a 1989 or 1990 3500 Chevy 1 ton dually, with a 350, 4x4 and auto turbo 400 trans. It's got 176,000 miles on it never touched the engine or tranny. One of my best buys for a truck. It has a 9 ft dump rack body, I can put 50 bales on it. I don't know much about the truck you posted about, but these old Chevys are great trucks. I wouldent trade this one for a 2013 model ever!

I've got a buddy/customer that has one of the Isuzu NPR's, and they are basically identical to the Chevy's. His is a box truck that he uses for his landscaping business. I know some of them had a gas engine, and I think there were a couple of different diesels offered. I know my buddies has one of the overhead cam Isuzu's in it. That said, based on his experiences with it, and mine working on if a couple of times for him, they are one of those engines that run good, when they are running, but when they break down they BREAK DOWN, and can be expensive to work on. Right now his is parked with a blown engine, that's after having the head off of it twice, changing out the oil cooler (a job that requires pulling the injection pump, and basically everything on the left side of the engine off as it resides inside the block). Like I said, great engine when it was running, his guys loved it, but broken it's expensive to repair.

I had 4 of those in my old landscaping company. The hawsers were chevy 350's and the diesels were Isuzu 4 bangers with a Turbo. I have been told the newest models were available with the Duramax in them.

I'd buy the Chevy as I don't trust anything with NPR in the name.

Wanna sell it?
That is exactly what I want.

only 50 bales? SWMBO has a 82 Dodge Prospector 6' box and 225 slant 6 and she puts 30 bales on it. Course they only be about 35LBS

Bought one new in '99, replaced 1 injector, at about 4k miles, had a recall on valve keepers, springs (really people weren't adjusting the valves!)and that is all the work I have had to do on it in 100k+ miles. Mine has the turbo 4 banger, with 5 speed stick. I was told back then to stay away from the auto, as the jatco automatic had a few glitches, but I think they got them corrected. Mine gets about 13 mpg, pulling a 16 van box trailer full of lawnmowers. As far as I know, other than the re-badge, the gm is the same as my isuzu.

No way! I've had it since 1998 I think I got it.

Who's got the beefers at highcliff?

The 1/2 owner that's still alive. That's what I was told anyway. There's 54 if them.