Hey guys, my name's Chris and I'm in the market for an older (probably Ford) truck. I'll first be using it to drive kinda far to my new house and then it'll be used for property maintenance and trips into town.

I've researched a little bit today about pushing the front of the car to check the struts, checking tie rods, looking for rust, and listening to the engine (which seems difficult to know what I'm listening to). I also learned that if the truck is raised, it could have more problems with the transmission and the limited slip differential. Of course I also know how to check the KBB value and get a CarFax.

The biggest problem is my budget (up to 3k) and the other problem is my know-how. I don't know much more than what rust looks like and how to change brakes! I'm 100% willing to do work on the truck myself, but I wanted some pointers for the buying process. What should I look for when I go see the truck? Which engines/transmissions are typically longer lasting? Do I need 4WD? Basically, how can I check for things that might end up costing me too much to repair myself?

Thanks

 

Hey Chris, welcome to the forums! I just bought a 1966 Ford F100 recently, so I can share what I've learned with my truck. Mine has a 240ci Straight-6 engine, which is virtually the same as the 300ci Straight-6 offered as an optional engine, the only difference between these 2 engines are essentially the stroke of the piston. Both of these are very robust, hard pulling engines, not really meant to go fast, but they are very torquey, so see if You can find one with the 300, they are more common. As far as transmissions, You can't really go wrong with a 3-speed column-shift, and if You get lucky, the Borg-Warner overdrive. Or a 4-speed floor shift. What years were You thinking about looking at? Mid-70s trucks have a good selection of options, but the engines are de-tuned slightly compared to the 60s. also, are you planning on using this truck a lot, or keeping it clean and collector quality? As far as maintenance, they are very easy to work on, changing oil, filters, etc. Personally I like carburetors, because theres less that can go wrong with them, although they need tuning every so often. And as far as Your budget, I've seen some pretty nice trucks for $3,000-$5,000, the 1970s trucks will be alittle cheaper however, so You should be ok with around 3k. Anyway, that should get ya started!

 

I would suggest saving a bit more money and get some hands on experience in the mean time. Buy some manuals published in the time frame you're looking at and study them. Find some "old guy" who is willing to take you under his wing. Older cars and trucks aren't for everybody.

An experienced mechanic type can inspect a truck fairly quickly and make a determination. That may be the way to go for you, is run any prospective purchase past an independent shop or "old guy" first.