So I'm in the market for a new truck. I am on a pretty small budget and need it as a daily driver. I'll be driving everyday between home school and work and once or twice a month I will be driving 600 miles to see my wife and kids on the weekends I have free. I found a 1996 f150 with the straight 6 in it for less then 5000 bucks and 89000 miles. The only real downside is its only 4x2 and I live in up state NY where we get a pretty decent snowfall. Any ideas on if the truck would be a good buy. I've never dealt with any of ford's engines smaller then my 302. Opinions are very appreciated

 

Great almost indestructible engine that will serve you well.

 

That should be a very reliable truck. Having said that, it seems grossly overpriced for a base truck that's 21 years old.

 

I personally have never owned one. But from what I have heard the inline 6 is a workhorse of an engine. But as mentioned above it does seem a bit overpriced considering that it is rear wheel drive. I would personally recommend waiting for a 4X4 to come out if you have time. Although it is pretty bad with fuel mileage the 460 is a great engine. But if you are set on a inline 6, I would wait for a 4x4 to come out. You should be able to find a good one that has 4x4 within that price range.

 

... ditto ... for that price you should find a well-maintained 4x4.
the 6 is a good engine.

 

Not to be a party pooper but do ya need a truck now? If you're on a budget & driving that much an awd car or small suv might be the thing. Of course a 150 4wd with a 300 is a good rig too.

 

I managed to find a low mileage (although beat up) '95 F150 4x4 5.0 for $1000. So far it's worked wonderfully, and the 4wd has gotten me out of snow quite a few times.
(that having been said, the truck worked surprisingly well in winding backroads during a snowstorm in only 2wd.)

I too was on a budget and was originally looking for a 2wd manual 6 cylinder, and I'm glad I jumped on this truck when I did.

 

The 96 is OBDII and could be a source for headaches down the road. Make sure the engine light is operable and goes out after you start it. There's an air tube that runs the length of the head with individual tubes running to each cylinder. Hard to check them all but try to make sure all the junctions are solid. It's a bitch to replace. Did mine in 8 inches of snow so that could have just added some frustration.

Also, I bought that 96 2wd in 2003 for "less than $5,000" and it was the nicest condition of all the Fords I've owned yet. Ok that's not saying much but it was actually really nice. Great engine besides the air tube and check engine light that no one could figure out. I remember the code being system lean bank 1. Whatever that means.

Anyway I would consider a 2wd ranger with a good shovel in the bed before another 96 anything.

 

Not to hijack a thread or anything, just curious, why would an OBDII truck be more of a headache than an OBD1 truck?
(also fun fact, my '95 has a dummy OBDII connector on it as well as the OBD1 port)

 

Im stubborn about trucks haha my wife has an 09 impala which isnt bad but i hate being that low to the ground ive only ever owned f150s and am pretty much stuck on a pickup

 

If the actual mileage of the truck is correct and overall condition of the truck is good to excellent, it could be a good buy. That said, I would expect it to be a one owner truck, to see maint records and no issues. If it is just another old truck, that is too much. JMHO.

 

a couple of sand bags, and some common sense on teh road and youll be fine.

I have a 1996 F150 with the 5.0 and mine is a 4x2 and I get around just fine in the MN/WI area, just comes down to slowing down and knowing how your truck handles.

 

A daily driver that is 20+ years old is not a good idea IMHO unless you have a second vehicle to drive. If you need this truck to earn a paycheck I would suggest to get something much newer.

I am an OBS fan as much as anyone on this board, but DD, OBS, Only Vehicle do not mix well.

 

My check engine light was on constantly and in PA that's an automatic fail for emissions. If you don't know an inspector pretty well, good luck. Truck ran its ***** off regardless and I put it through hell. But also spent a lot of time and money trying to chase down the CEL gremlin. Fresh technology forced on the manufacturer to comply with regulations written by folks whose science doesn't stack up. Bound to be a problem somewhere. Sorta like with diesel trucks that have to run DEF and DPFR systems now. People could just die because of the new stuff.

We were all thinking it

 

I am thankful to have OBD-II on my 96' 5.8L. No "gremlins"...it took me some thought to understand but is actually a rather smart setup and makes diagnostics rather simple. 251k miles and counting. A $15 bluetooth device & $5 smartphone app lets me tap into almost everything the PCM sees.