Hello,

I've been lurking here for a week trying to learn as much as I can. I've now decided to join the community and ask what ya''ll think of my prospective purchase:

1997
F-250 XLT HD
Extended Cab (SuperCab not CrewCab)
Short Bed
4x4
Manual Transmission
3.55 vs 3.73 vs 4.10 Gears?

This truck will mainly be used in South Texas for weekend ranch trips (not daily driven) and cross country towing twice a year with a 7,220lb enclosed trailer. A little about me. I worked at an International dealership for a year and have a familiarity with the T444E (7.3L PS). I've never worked on the ZF5 but it doesn't scare me. I know getting a truck this old means I'm going to have to learn it inside and out because of the failures that will be coming but that's half the fun anyways right?


My questions:

Is this truck going to be hard to find with these specs? Seems like most F-250's have a long bed.

Should I also look at model years 1994.5-1996? Or is 1997 considered the best?

Do you see any problems with the specs I listed given my application?

What do you think of this truck: http://www.ebay.com/itm/222047016968?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AITTo me it looks like the bed is painted a different color indicating body work to me. Its also missing the bump strip on the side of the bed lending credence to my bodywork theory. Also, anyone else notice that the bed is at an angle relative to the body?

 

SuperCab short bed is the rarest of all the cab/bed combos. So yes, it'll be hard to find. There were changes/improvements over the OBS generation, but nothing you can't deal with. Availability, overall condition, maintenance history, etc. are all more important than the exact model year when buying one of these trucks.

No access to eBay from here, but a different color bed probably means the bed has been swapped, rather than painted.

 

looks to good to be true if you ask me...plus I would never buy a vehicle off ebay with out seeing it in person first...the buy it now price of 19,800 is way steep..... plus with the non distinct location of the pictures...makes me think scam!

 

Thats probably the rarest of all, ive personally have only seen 1 yes 1 ecsb 4x4 f250 in my area, and ive lived here all of my life. Good luck with your purchase, consider a crew cab, those came with short beds and are easier to find. Also consider a Super Duty.

 

Priced to high