Later today i'm going to look at a 1978 ford truck and i'm fairly sure it is a 150 ranger the guy is asking 7000 jsut looking for a little advice on what to look for here is the web sight for yall to take a look 1978 FORD 4X4 SHORTWIDE

 

any help would be greatly appreciated, this is my first old model buy!

 

Nice rig! it definitely looks like a 5K plus truck, for 7K I would expect near perfection, both mechanically and cosmetically.

I really don't have any words of wisdom other than to go over it with a fine tooth comb like you would any other vehicle of this value.

Use any and all defects/flaws to your advantage to negotiate the price more in your favor, my guess is you won't find much wrong with this truck.

Be certain to check out the 4 wheel drive is operational and functions as it should, if you have any specific questions after you look at it feel free to ask...

 

thanks they guy says he drives it every day and the tires are almost new also has new headers and new window and door seals. the only thing i recall him saying was wrong was a cracked dash. so i dont know we will see i plan on taking cash and hoping he comes down and it works out for me its been for sale for a little over a month now!

 

Cracked dash will be the pad that covers most of the top side, pretty easy to replace. You can still find used ones on E-bay that are better than the reproductions and a lot cheaper . I picked one up that's like new for $65.00 .

 

One trick to test driving is to let the owner drive the truck and see if you can get him to hot rod with it. The rougher he drives it the less you want it, or if he seems nervous when he steps on it. If the owner doesn't respect his own equipment you probably don't want it. Be careful though, I've pulled over and told passengers to walk or catch the bus for complaining that I drive like an old man, I'm a Mark Martin fan.

 

if you know of a good mechanic or garage have them √ it out, compression etc. or if you have a tester do it yourself. he shouldn't mind. you drive it and listen closely when making sharp turns at slow speeds.sounds tell you a lot.

 

Looks like it needs paint. This alone brings the price down to earth to around $5k. All the other little discrepancies are good for another $500 off. Otherwise it looks straight. Just be really critical.

If the seller is not gonna let you poke and prod a little then take a pass. He is either an @ss or hiding something.