I have found a 1986 F-250 4X4 for sale and I would like to know if y'all think it is worth the money. First the good stuff about it: 460ci (comes with an extra 460), 4 speed, air, 4x4, body is quite solid for it's age, just a little rust around the wheel openings, tires about 40-50% tread life. Now the bad stuff about it: motor doesn't run-supposed to be blown head gasket but not sure. The truck has been sitting for 5 years. The air is all there but the guy said it needs the compressor replaced to be working again. There is a very little "jerry rigging" evident on the truck but the wiring harness and all that appears to be mainly spared. It does not appear to be hacked on too bad at all. The truck was used every day until the timing went bad and he replaced the motor with a 78 Lincoln 460. He said he drove it about a month when it lost "a lot" of compression and started to get water in the oil and a lot of smoke in the exhaust. Rather than fix it he decided to buy something more economical. He did cover the carb with a plastic bag and appears to have used some care in storing it. My big question is; is this beast worth $1,000 like it sits or should I move on. Just guessing I think for about another $1,000 I could make it into a pretty nice truck (not counting wheels/tires or an extravagent engine rebuild of course). What does everyone think? Is this truck worth the investment or not? One more question real fast. It is a 460 with a 4 barrel carb. Did they use electric fuel pumps on these trucks in 1986, because it has a decal on the radiator support that talks about a fuel pump reset switch inside the truck. I thought only the EFI trucks had an electric fuel pump.

 

Some of the 460's did have electric fuel pumps. They where in the tanks. It was a special system for hot weather to avoid vapor lock. It has a special fitting at the carb, which lets some of the fuel recirculate back to the tank.

I would crawl under the truck and look at the frame and the crossmembers. If it's getting pretty flakey, I would pass or talk him down. Go to kbb.com and nada.com and look at the value of the truck with a good motor. Then subtract how much it's going to take to fix the motor. That should be a ballpark figure.

 

Thanks for the information. That makes sense since I know it is an Arizona truck.