Hey guys, I registered for this forum because i've read some really great threads regarding 7.3 and 6.0 diesels here, and I want to start by saying thank you for all the great folks here that contribute to that stuff. This website has been a fantastic resource for info while researching for my future vehicle purchase.

Right now I have a 1993 Ford F150 with a 351 windsor, E4OD and small lift and tire upgrade. It's been a great truck and I really like it. I'll probably have it for a very long time and eventually let my son drive it. But, fuel mileage is awful and I really want a diesel. Specifically, I want something that can tow my 19 foot fishing boat comfortably and my little prowler fifth wheel for my wife and I. This truck wouldn't be towing all the time though, and would have to be my dailiy driver to and from work where I often haul small loads.

I've been looking around at different Fords, trying to find one that suits my needs and fits by budget. To make a long story short, I found one that i keep coming back to and I really want to pull the trigger and buy it. I've talked with the seller and he seems like an honest guy, has receipts for the work that is done, but if i'm honest i wouldn't know the difference between a glow plug and a ... well maybe i would but i don't know **** at all about diesels really, except that they're more fuel efficient and generally have more longevity than a gas motor, and are preferred for towing applications.

This particular truck was listed at 15 k, which is way high I think. I talked to him and he's come down to 13,500 but i think I can get it for around 11. I don't mind putting money in on regular maintenance and would plan on changing the fuel filters etc very regularly.. But big jobs like overhauls aren't something I have the budget for. For this reason I plan on driving the truck to my local Ford dealership and having them inspect it.

Thank you in advance for any replies.. I really want to buy this truck but i don't want to jump in over my head and get stuck with something that might cost more money down the road than i'm willing to throw at it.

I read through a few threads of folks asking the same basic questions, so here's a google drive of pictures of the engine bay and other photos of the truck.


https://drive.google.com/folderview?...EhDdFJlbEJhdmM


Here's a link to the ad on craigslist

https://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/cto/6034207339.html


And here's the description copy and pasted from craigslist


2003 ford f250 super duty (Lariat)
VIN: 1FTNW21P03ED50781
cylinders: 8 cylinders
drive: 4wd
fuel: diesel
odometer: 2134777
paint color: blue
size: full-size
title status: clean
transmission: automatic
type: truck
2003 Ford f250 Super Duty 4x4 6.0 L

Lots of pics available by email upon request.

Your Baby, Your Beast!

This truck is almost new from rebuilding, loaded with options and kitted out perfectly for the right person.

We bought it used in Oklahoma from a guy in Arkansas, beefed it up, and used it to pull 12,000 pounds of fifth wheel RV up to Washington state.

Simply don't need it anymore since we are settled, and it MISSES being used!



•Power everything--locks, windows,

Seats, cruise

•Four wheel drive works GREAT, he's been through some stuff and came out smelling like a rose

•After-market power heated and power folding side mirrors

•Pioneer double din tilt touch screen with Sirius XM module installed

•Back up camera, which works with deck screen

•New windshield

•New driver and passenger window privacy tinted, with sun strip tinted on windshield

•Remote start keyless entry.

•Ford OEM rubber floor mats

•4 channel Arc Audio XDI amplifier

•10" audiomobile subwoofer

•Hertz door speakers

•SCT tuner with a custom tune for long hauling

•Cobra Soundtracker CB radio

•10K pound wireless Bull Dog winch on the fromt

•5000 watt AC/DC inverter

•Swing Case sidekick tool box with an air compressor mounted inside

•All lights are LED: head lights, tail lights, fog, cargo, spot, and backup

•Fender flares and mud flaps

•5 inch wide running board

•Tool box with inverter and LED lights, plus lots of extras like chain,

tow straps, and ****** blocks.

•90 gallon fuel tank on a switch to feed main tank. (A must for long hauls!!)

•BW 2" fifthwheel ball in bed

•BW 2" adjustable tow hitch

•Two 7pin trailer connections; one in bed and one on bumper

•Tekonsha power brake assist

•10 gauge steel custom Iron Cross front bumper

•Diamond plate steel back bumper

•Battery trickle tender charger direct wired in

•Spare tire is mounted on custom rim


Everything locks, have all the keys plus duplicates.


I Have Had Done:

Front and rear pads, rotors and calipers, shocks, upper and lower ball joints.

Engine is almost rebuilt by now:

Alternator/ starter / A.C./ FICM / ICP /turbo /

Deleted EGR / rebuilt head and head studs / injectors / two batteries / oil, filter and the gas filter are recent.


No major rust or body damage except 1 dent on rear bed top corner.

Some minor scratches, dings, and dents.

Tires have some good life in them still.

Interior is in OK condition, driver seat has a rip and center console has some flaws, but all still functions.


Thanks again to the folks that bother to read through this and thank you even more for responding.

 

find where the work was done at and look them up and see if they have any reviews good or bad. next find out what parts were used on the truck for example arp head studs. you need to know everything about the shop and the shops track record on how they repaired other customer vehicles. a good shop with good credentials it should be a good truck. if it is a bad shop well i would stay away from it.

 

If the work was done correctly then that's not a bad truck, but I much prefer the 05-07. If you could get it for 11k then I would do it. But like the post above mine, make sure things were done correctly.

When bulletproofing a 6.0 it doesn't take much to make all the money not worth it. If it's all done correctly then it will be an awesome truck for a long time, but if say one part wasn't right, it all needs to come back apart again.

 

05-07. I would steer clear of the early ones...JMHO

 

I really appreciate the responses. I'll find out what i can about the shop and the parts used. And I'll keep in mind that the 05-07s are better, if i can find one. Although I love how this truck is set up already... Please if anyone has anything to add, keep the responses coming!

 

At auction that truck might bring in $3k.

 

03 and 04 would be the two years to stay away from with the 6.0
03 with the 7.3 would be a different story.
You should be looking at the v10 also.
I went brand new in 2016 with the 6.2
I was dumping way more money in my diesel than it was worth.

 

I have to agree. Lots of auto repair places claim they can do a bulletproof, and have no clue of what they are doing. Then there are known shops that know exactly what they are doing and know exactly what parts to use and what parts NOT to use.

Here is the first thing I see. This person has a bullet proofed 6.0 with not a whole lot of miles on the truck especially with it being a pullet proof truck.
When guys have invested the cans to bullet proof a truck and do it correctly it isnt cheap to do using quality parts, your still spending a good chunk of change. If your trying to a bullet proof using cheap *** parts and incorrect gaskets etc that is a bullet proof that is going to fail, it's just a matter of when.

What I am wondering is why this person is selling a truck they bullet proofed with not really high miles for a bullet proofed engine and yet even willing to come down more in price yet. I am a little more than curious as to why the owner of this truck wants to get rid of a truck where money was spent to bullet proof it to make it more reliable and now wants out of it.

Here are the two things that jump out from this guys ad:

#1 We bought it used in Oklahoma from a guy in Arkansas

So this guy isnt the original owner and is now owner # who knows

------

#2 I Have Had Done:

Front and rear pads, rotors and calipers, shocks, upper and lower ball joints.
Engine is almost rebuilt by now:
Alternator/ starter / A.C./ FICM / ICP /turbo /
Deleted EGR / rebuilt head and head studs / injectors / two batteries / oil, filter and the gas filter are recent.

- The things that would worry me with the work that was done that this guys states : "Engine is almost rebuilt by now" This is telling me that this guy has poured a lot of money into parts and having this done correctly or has poured money into using substandard parts and has been having issues or this thing has been a money pit and he wants out now or this thing is still having problems and is a money pit and wants out now.

This also worries me "Deleted EGR / rebuilt head and head studs / injectors" So I have a few alarm bells going off. Re manufactured heads is heads that have been repaired, not new REPAIRED, that screams to me someone who may have tried to do this on a budget, now I get it isn't easy to find new heads, but there are guys making heads for these trucks, so I would be concerned by that, They also dont mention how many injectors were replaced and once again new or remand injectors.

There is a lot of stuff that has supposedly been replaced, and even re manned stuff it still wouldn't be cheap and if it was FORD parts, it definitely wouldn't be cheap
So this concerns me to the fact that I would pull a car fax and see how many owners this truck has had, and the documented mileage and see if it is noted on there where this truck went in for any work done to it. You need to use the carfax to confirm when this guy bought bought this truck ( month / year ) and see how long he has had it and how much cash he has put into it since he owned it.

Poeople do get tired of money pits and want to dump them on some poor sucker, happens all the time, but you want to make sure your getting the straight good from this guy, to me it doesnt make sense you'd sell a truck after dumping all this cash into for a bulletproof and then skid it out the door cheap. Something doesnt add up in my mind
make sure this isnt some auction special that this guy isnt curbing

You definitely need to find out where the work was done and look at the receipts for the work done, what parts were replaced during the bulletproof, what brand of parts were used in the bulletproofing process. Ask to see the work order and the receipts. Call the shop that did the work and ASK them what brand of parts were used, what was all replaced, when was it done, has it been back with any issues since the bulletproof was done ask how much of the bill was parts and how much was labor ( this will help give you an idea of what the "parts " budget was )

I would crawl under and over this truck look for leaks from the front to the back, make sure you take a good strong flashlight and some coveralls and get all under the truck, check and see if it was DPF deleted, and EGR deleted

check all over than engine for coolant or oil leaks. then crawl on top of that engine and look all over that truck and once again look for leaks. 6.0's love to leak at certain spots check it over well.

Next if your still interested in this truck, take it to a Ford Dealer and pay them to go over it from top to bottom get them to run an engine compression test and a power balance test, get them to USE THAT IDS to test it out and have them go over and under the truck

It may cost you a couple hours of shop time for Ford to look it over, but it could save you thousands down the road. Dont take it to joe shmoe's auto who knows nothing about diesels, that will only cost you money in the end

6.0's can be good trucks, if they are taken care of and bullet proofing done right, but if they havent...they can be a very expensive hit to your wallet if you have to fix **** the last guy didnt or didnt have done correctly

Just my two cents

 

current owner states:

> Lots of power and this truck will haul ***.
> I get a tire spin for about 100 yards


I'd keep looking !!!

 

In my opinion a modded truck is probably a hot rodded truck, he even admits to it. It is also way overpriced, and it is a 6.0, and also it still has 215k miles on it, and it was used to haul a heavy trailer-- lots of red flags right away. Since you say you don't know much about diesel trucks I highly suggest you do some research on the 6.0what the f is broken now? For that kind of money you should be able to find a better deal easily, maybe a good 7.3?

 

ditto!!!! Left my 06' 6.0 dually for a new 15' 250

 

I'm not a diesel guy but all of the electrical do-dads added EVERYWHERE scream wiring nightmare to me. I would venture to guess that behind the dash looks like a wire and crimp connector disaster. Just imagine trying to problem solve under there...... I'd listen to the pros here and keep looking. Buy with your brain, not your heart.

 

Thanks fellas. I wanted it for the wrong reasons and thanked him and ask now continuing to look. Keeping my eyes out for an 02-03 7.3 as i can't afford a new diesel.

Really appreciate all the responses!

 

I would pressure test it {coolant system} and if rest of the truck checks out brakes, tires, not burn oil smoking , body was it in a major wreck ect , general condition . were heads done? I would think you can find a 05 plus for around same bucks, Newer interior as other members have stated