I'm looking at 2001 F250 V10 4x4 for about $4,000. Is this a good vehicle to buy and how much longer do you guys think it will last? It's in pretty good condition with nice interior, just a couple of big dents in the right side of bed and the tailgate. Could I get some opinions from those more experienced than I?
Thanks!

 

I think so. I have a 2002 2WD with 167k Lariat CC that I was trying to sell for 5500 but looks like I will be coming down to 4000. Typical Ford rust on wheel wells, dent in side of bed but nice leather interior. Just watch for the spitting spark plug thing. If you hear a small exhaust leak, retorque all sparkplugs. Good luck. If you want a great 2wd one that is excellently maintained, drive on up to Michigan to get mine.

 

Id say so, bought mine for 4500 two years ago. Barring anything obvious that's a good price. Second to what dramirez said about the spark plugs, its not a good time if it surprises you.

 

yup. I always leave a ratchet, extension and spark plug socket in it just in case. but its a really strong truck and you cant beat what you get for the price

 

Thanks for you guys feedback. Recommend buy? Any other feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

Well you didnt put the mileage but these trucks are workhorses and have been known to go up well over 300k without any major issues. Depending on what you use it for they are extremely great trucks. Gas mileage is notoriously low so dont expect much there but all in all the price sounds right so yah i would buy.

 

Cool, thanks. Yeah, its at about 172,000, running good. Do you have any tips for ironing out big dents or keeping an older engine running well?

 

Well dents i cant say much on other than depending on where it is a pop-a-dent tool might work. But for me if you have the ability i would go ahead and give it a full 100k workup. Change the oil, use a synthetic from now on if possible, change all filters,clean your PCV, i suggest spending the money and gettin a cleanable air filter. Check all your fuses replace any that look older/faded. I woul put new spark plugs in. Consider a transmission service at 170k it would be good to have a new tranny filter and seal. Maybe run some injector cleaner through your next fill up. After all that you would only need regular maintenance to see see 300k plus. (None of this is 100% necessary its just what i would do) oh and inspect your belts. They are prolly fine but it doesnt hurt to check. Good luck and congrats

 

Thanks for the help! Do you have any ideas for like the rust on the wheel well or how to get the rust out of the dent without a new paint job? Thanks for the help so far! Hopefully first truck! Also, do you have any tips on how to negotiate? Its been on for about 70 days, so I would say it should be negotiable. Thanks!

 

not much to be done as far as removing rust without a good amount of work. to my knowledge (which is admittedly little) all you would have to do is scrub the area with a wire brush, probably one attached to a drill, sand lightly, maybe wet sand, a light coat of automotive primer, and touch up with a rattlecan of factory paint. wont be a perfect match but will seal in the rust and prevent spreading and would probably take a lot to notice it.
On to negotiating. As a person who owns a repair business (on appliances) I am quite familiar with this area. first thing to remember is to not act desperate. If you go to meet this guy and he is pushy, talking fast, or generally rubs you the wrong way, walk away from the deal. There will be other options to come across you. Look over the truck in a very detailed fashion. If anything looks odd, ask about it, an honest man will tell you the truth or say he doesn't know. Most people that are out to get you will make up something and it almost always sounds just plain wrong. Take your time, to the point of it being uncomfortable for you. Just remember if he has to wait on you and he is desperate he will begin to negotiate himself down. More likely than not he has a price he wants to settle on and with enough patience and kindness, you will hear it from him. I never suggest a price only problems, such as "the dent really looks bigger than I thought it was, what exactly happened here?" he will likely tell you and then begin to doubt his own price. don't come off as rude, but slightly disinterested. Also let him know you found a truck similar in another area you were considering looking at as well and say a feature or two it has and this one doesn't, but its price may be a bit higher. these tips will help you negotiate with an inexperienced seller. a man who has done this before will see right through them and remain unmotivated. Just remember 4000 is still a good price for the truck.

As far as an onsite inspection, step back from the vehicle and look that it sits level. some people put larger tires on the back so that would likely be ok but left and right should be pretty even. look at the tires and look for even wear. stick your head in the wheelwell and look at the inside of the tires as well. this will tell you if there are alignment issues these could only be minor problems but could also indicate an accident. Remove the oil filler cap and look for a white or milky residue on the inside of the cap. this would indicate a headgasket issue or water in the oil. if this is present walk away you don't need the headache here. If you can lay down and look under the vehicle with a flashlight. look for oil on the bottoms of the transmission and oil pan.

Ask for a test drive. When you do this find a decent road with few cars or a decent sized empty parking lot. make hard right and left turns listening for any bumps or knocks, these would indicate joint issues. run the engine and listen for any ticks. these engines are deep and rumbly but shout not have a ticking or knocking of any kind. speed up and brake hard to ensure that you don't have any slipping in the brakes. gas it on a highway and try and get a high rpm shift. this should obviously be quite smooth (I am assuming its an automatic) Since you said it has 4x4 ask him to show you how to engage it. I think that year has the old wheel lock styles so try and make sure they aren't seized.
After all that I think you've got a pretty good deal on your hands.

 

Sweet, thanks for the advice! I'll make sure to incorporate these tips! Thanks a bunch, Jim!

 

Sorry to be such a bother, but do you have any more tips for me? I need to delay the purchase of the truck for about 4 weeks, do you know how without the seller selling the truck or sending it to auction or forgetting me?

 

Ooh that's a tough one. If it's been listed for 70 days as you said he might not be inclined to wait much longer. I think your best shot here would be to let him know, be honest and hope for the best. If he really needs to get it gone you're kind of screwed here. Sorry

 

The truck I'm looking at is a 2002 V10 and it is loaded with all the goodies. Extended cab, 147K on it and never done any towing before. For seven grand, is this a good deal?

 

What kind of goodies?