After trying to balance 2000 lbs of wood on my tailgate I find myself shopping for a new one. I went to a junkyard but they only had beat up ones left, so my search went online. I found the following tailgate online and it seems too good to be true. Is this a tailgate that will fit and be complete once I swap my hardware over to it?

Discount Body Parts - 7764 - 1989 Ford F-150

 

My experience has shown that when it comes to the import body panels its hit and miss. Sometimes they are dead on the money, other times the fit and finish leaves alot to be desired (thinner gauge metal, body lines dont match, etc.) FWIW, I paid 40 for a complete T-gate here at the PAP, no dents, rust, or any other damage, even had a good XLT aluminum panel on it.

 

well...not too seedy...LMC Truck sells 92-96 tailgates for $999 for an original, or $99 for a reproduction...wtf?....anyways $55 is still cheaper than $99...

 

wow. i guess it would be true. theres only one way to find out. but if i were you, i would try to find a louvered 5th wheel tailgate. the junkyard be me has a lot of them for cheap.

 

Keep looking for a used one. The jap ones are GARBAGE. Look on craigs list. a 87-97 gates are interchangable

 

When you add Item to cart on that web site, that $55 tailgate
turns into $179 total. $55 tailgate + $100 shipping + $24 handling.
I wound keep searching the junk yards.

 

I found a bed with tailgate in Greensboro 2 yrs ago. As Brad says check craigslist. You might try whitesautosalvage.com They do have a lot of trucks and parts. If you really get desperate I could bring one with me when I come down to Stuart, VA next month.

 

The cheap tailgates are not garbage...I've ordered no less than 4 in the last 5 years (from Fitmaster) and once you swap over all the internals (very, very easy job) you're good to go. The weight is the same or very close and as long as you rustproof/oil up the inside of the gate while you're swapping internals, you'll have a decent 175.00 tailgate that will last. There is NO WAY I'd spend a grand on a T/G from Ford. Now hood or fenders, that's a different story...YMMV
Roger

 

if you live near Mass I have a real nice 95 XLT black one in great shape.
regards
rikard

 

The Aftermarket gates are GARBAGE heck I got one here now that is brand new I litterally painted it and put it on the truck and after opening and closing it about 5 times all of the spotwelds holding the skin to the framework broke loose and if it werent for the fact they the skin is rolled over the edges of the framework it (the skin) would simply fall off!!! save your pennies and look for a good used gate.....