I'm new to the site and would appreciate all the help with a possible purchase of:
1997 Ford F-250 Super Duty Power Stroke Diesel Legand Conversions 4x4 DFF ROAD Crew Cab SB 4WD
It appears there is no lift and the dealer has very little to nothing on the previous owner, but I'm working on that.
I really like the truck so I'm planning on driving there (150 miles) to test drive and look over the truck. I plan on finding a mechanic to take it to while in town but would love some advice on what to look for while test driving and how to best check for MODs.
350 horsepower and earth shaking 650 pound-feet of torque),XLT PACKAGE, 3.73 Rear Axle Ratio, Skit Plate, Automatic Shift On The Fly, Keyless Remote Entry System, Air Conditioning, Factory Premium Sound System with AM/FM/CD and Auxiliary Input Connection, Audio & Climate Control On Steering Wheel, Towing Package With Tow Command, Traction Control, Power Pedal Control, 4 Wheel Anti-Lock Brake, Cruise Control, Captain Chairs, Center Consul, Leather Seats, Dual Front Airbag Restraints, Intermittent Wipers, Power Brakes, Onboard Trip Computer, Front Seats, PTC Supplemental Heater, Engine Block Heater, Dual Climate Control, Tail Gate Assist, Factory 16" Polished Alloy Wheels, Power Steering, Power Windows, Power Door Locks, Rear Arm Rest, Tilt Steering Wheel, Tachometer, and Much More... ,Air Conditioning, Factory AM/FM/CD Player, CREW CAB Cab, Anti-Lock Brakes, Dimming Mirror, Cruise Control, Dual Air Bag Restraints, Camper Mirrors, Intermittent Wipers, Trip Computer, Limited Slip Differential, Power Brakes, Power Door Locks, Power Steering, Leather Steering Wheel, Power Windows, Tachometer, Tilt Steering Wheel, Tinted Glass, Fold down Center Consul with storage, Power Rear Sliding Window, Clearance Lights, Towing package, Custom Clear Bra On The Hood And Fenders To Avoid Rock Chips, Custom FORD Striping ( Pictured )and Much More... This beautiful Heavy Duty truck is in MINT ( true definition of a MINT truck ) condition inside and out!! This is a very sharp looking, loaded, hard to find and very power full truck with 7.3L 8 Cylinder Diesel Fuel Turbocharged Engine

 

I don't think there was such a thing as a 97 F-250 Superduty. the 97 powerstrokes said 'Heavy Duty' under the F250 emblem, but superduty F250s didn't start until 1998.

and with all the extras listed, it sure sounds like this is a Superduty and not an OBS (Old Body Style truck), as a 97 powerstroke would be.

i'd ask the dealer for some pictures and to confirm the year of the truck. not a good sign if he doesn't event know the correct year of the vehicle...

that said, 211k on the 7.3 powerstroke is probably average miles. depending on what maintenance has already been done, it could need some new expensive stuff, or most of the high cost stuff could have been attended to already - though i'm sure that'd be reflective in the price.

one of the sticky threads (top 3 in the active thread list) should contain a buyers guide and checklist on buying new trucks. I didn't know about that thread when I bought my truck, but wish I had.

and welcome to FTE - lots of great info here if you do wind up in a powerstroke - or any ford truck for that matter...

 

OldWoodsDiesel,
Much obliged! I'm including some pictures to validate the truck. I believe, but not sure, that all the extras are due to the Legands conversion.


What do you think?

 

your prob right. that's definitely an OBS truck. maybe the conversion company called it a super-duty as a result of all of their upgrades...

off the ford factory line it'd have been a F250 Heavy Duty, though.

looks like a nice truck, though.

definitely ask the dealer NOT to warm the truck up for you ahead of time, though. I think its mentioned in the new buyer checklist (in the sticky threads), but you want to see how it starts cold. put your hand on the turbo before you start the truck up and make sure its dead cold. if its not, tell him you'll have to come back 6 hours later to check it out cold. alot of possible glow-plug starter/battery issues can be hidden by a seller warming up one of these old beasts ahead of time.

 

Again, much appreciated. Looking forward to checking her out. I'll give an update after it happens.

take it easy

 

Well those certainly aren't "camper mirrors". Other things that would have to be from the conversion:
* 3.73 diff gears
* factory radio with aux input
* steering wheel controls (other than cruise)
* air bags
* Trip computer
* Tailgate assist (wtf is that?)

The "custom clear bra" is actually just a tinted bug shield. Nice looking brush guard, though. Are those some kind of retracting steps that come out when you open the door?

All that bling, and they couldn't keep (or slap on) the hub caps?

 

The truck in those pictures looks really nice, but there are some things in that description that are either some pretty in-depth modifications or are incorrect information. The 3.73 axle ratio was never an option in these trucks, so either that is wrong or someone re-geared it. There was also never an on-board trip computer on these trucks and adding one after the fact is not impossible, but it would be a major undertaking to do it right. Automatics shift on the fly? I guess you could call it that, you just reach down and shift the 4x4 on while you're moving, but the "automatic" part seems fishy unless they mean that it has auto hubs in the front axle, which is a 50/50 benefit since they're trouble prone.... (and the truck in the picture looks like it has manual locking hubs on it). I can guarantee that the "factory premium sound" was never offered in an AM/FM/ CD with an auxiliary input. Power pedals, climate control and audio on the steering wheel, it goes on and on. Either those pictures and that description don't go together, or that is one seriously custom truck.

The way the description goes down about half the way and then repeats itself makes me think that it's a typo. The second half (after the ... ,) sounds somewhat believable for that truck, but the first half of the description is way WAY off...

That being said, it looks like a really nice truck.

If you're not afraid to post how much they're asking for it these guys can help you decide whether it is a good deal or not. The values tend to vary by region, but around here that is easily a $10k+ truck.

 

Thanks guys! Their asking $12,900 (too in my opinion) and currently I'm waiting to see how much their going to offer me on my existing trade-in - 2008 GMC Sierra 1500 Crew Cab with leather, NAV, Heated Seats, Power Mirrors with 61K miles.
I also believe they have mixed up some descriptions for this truck, it was definitely a Legends conversion (See pictures below) just not sure exactly what was all done at this point and don't know how it has been maintained or run since. If I had to guess the original owner did not use it as a working truck (good for me) due to the fancy conversion package and lack of hauling mirrors. Your thoughts?














I've been spelling it wrong....LEGENDS CONVERSION







I really want this truck but I'm worried about all the Legends Conversion, does anyone know anything about their company and if their conversion were done correctly/properly?

 

Great looking truck but as has been said there are a few fishy things in the ad. Ive seen where smaller dealerships just kind of copy/paste info from KBB into their ad. Perhaps they did that with the wrong model truck, that's kind of what it looks like to me.

Price is a little high for what I would pay, but I would imagine your trucks should be worth a good amount too.

I've never seen a legends package but it looks similar to a centurion or a roll-a-long conversion. Those were aftermarket companies that outfitted the trucks with their equipment. Usually quite well done.

 

Not a whole lot of "conversion" there. Seats are fancy and nice enough if you're into the whole dead cow thing, but they're not exactly color-matched to the rest of the interior. Console looks almost out of place, but if it suits you, cool. No fancy interior panels. Steps are, well, nice. I would inquire into the extra light on the right side of the dash, and the wires sticking out between the dash and the console; those butt-connectors aren't the most reliable (solder and heat-shrink are preferred). Bumpers add value; automatic subtracts. Everything under the hood looks stock. The truck has 3.55:1 open (not LS) diff gears. Looks like LT275 or 285/75R16 tires. Stock rims, which again scream out for stock caps.

CCLB F350s in this shape are $10,000+ trucks. This being an F250, if you consider the "conversion" bits (bumpers, seats, steps) of value, I'd say it's worth $9-10k.

Ad was obviously cut/pasted. Just go by what you can see in the pics, and ask questions on the rest.d