I'm going to check out a 97 F350 7.3 Diesel crewcab longbed. It's the original owner, truck looks great in the photos, 2WD 144,000 miles.$7800.
Automatic transmission was replaced at 8000 miles when truck was still under warranty. Has "towing package with stabilizer bags in rear" .
I was planning on picking up a bottle of the nitrate test strips from NAPA and testing the coolant. Any other tips on what to look for in this vehicle??

 

If this isnt a dually, its priced kinda high unless its imaculate

 

see if it still has stock tranny cooler. If it does, that would be THE FIRST thing that I would scrap and replace, RIGHT after I drove it home. Does it still have the stock crappy airbox? Those are prone to let tons of dirt in, what about the turbo fins, are they dusted? Check valley of motor for diesel and oil leaks after running it for a bit. Replaced tranny without changing tranny cooler is a waste of a new tranny. They were garbage from the factory. So put as much into that rebuilt tranny thoughwise as if he said he just put a new brake light in it...LOL

 

it's not a dually. I'm in San Diego and yes it looks to be in VGC, but it also looks to be priced lower than most other similar vehicles in my area. Also lower than pricing on KBB.com.
What can you typically expect to see mileage wise with the auto transmission on these trucks. The seller says the transmission is good, but what would a tranny rebuild end up costing?

 

Ya, $8k in california for a 97 aint a bad deal- if its a good truck. that's a big if.
pull the intake off the turbo and look for a sandblasted look. watch for smoke at startup, listen to the idle... there are quite a few things to do before buying a truck like that.
Welcome to FTE. An auto tranny can last a good long time if not abused. most start to go at 200,000... mine was replaced pre-emptively(SP?) at 245000.
Btw KBB usually doesnt know crap...

 

well I am now the proud owner of a 97 F350 crewcab! Yahoooo!! Very nice truck interior and exterior in excellent condition. Final price $6850. Tires will need replace soon and 1 front rotor needs machining. but all in all a very nice truck and drove great. It is completely original, so I'll need to replace the air box and tranny cooler asap. Now I need to sell my RV and find my 5th wheel!!!