dont let miles scare you, if it was treated right and from the looks it looks like it was... i got my truck a year ago with 226k on the clock,its an I6, still runs great

 

there is a big difference between a 300 I6 and a 460.
a 300 with 300,000 miles on it is most of the time just broke in.
a 460 with 200,000 miles on it is most of the time wore out.

 

my 302 had at least 204 on the clock, but i checked it as best as i could and the truck was a garage kept unit so it was in pretty good condition as far as i know, only thing major so far was the rear end break job i had to do on it, but mostly my stuff was cosmetics

 

Yeah, if the truck was treated right then the mileage doesn't really matter. But check it very closely. EFI 460s have a red line of about 4200, so it's not like they run hard, but check it top to bottom. The chassis could need attention; shocks, bushings, ball joints, etc. E4ODs usually needs a rebuild every 80-130K so see when the last one was done. Check the wheel wells for rust. I bought my 350 from a Ford dealer thinking that they wouldn't sell a rusty truck but after two winters the bedsides stared to bubble. They had just filled the holes with bondo and painted other them. Xl compared to XLT: not as nice but less to break. Your choice. Do you want convenience options, or the ability to hose out your truck? Overall this could be a great truck or a cleaned up basket case. That's going to be your job to figure out which. I will say that the price is about 1K-2K higher than I'd pay for a good truck (though I paid a lot more than that for mine two years ago-but that's with the North Dakota markup for all 4x4 trucks)

Me personally, I'd hold out for a F350. The F250s have TTB just like the 1/2 tons (though a heavier duty version of it). Some people have beat these things and they come back for more but others have broken them driving them around a parking lot. With the 350 you get a solid 1-ton axle and don't have to worry about breakage until you start getting wild with it (big, BIG tires, extreme offroading). Plus, both the F250s and F350s of these years rode like crap so there was no real benefit of having IFS in one of these.

 

Nice truck, but I wouldn't pay that much.

 

Statements like this bother me... a 302, 351, or 460 with 200k miles should NEVER be worn out. Just b/c they are V8's does NOT mean they won't last a long time. I've ridden in several 460 powered trucks with around 300k miles on them. They all ran good. If you don't maintain an engine, sure, it will be worn out by 200k, but theres no reason why it should be worn out if it is taken care of.

OP, I don't think I'd hand over $4600 for that truck.. You could get the same truck with a 7.3L in it for that and have an engine that outlasts all our gassers... I like 460s has much as the next guy, but not that much. I'm thinking more around $3000-3500 for that one.

 

I'd say the price is a little high also..

But, my biggest concern is the rust issue on the bed, I would be checking the rest of the truck for rust VERY close if I were to go check it out...

 

Im going tomarow to go take it for a drive and what not. I honestly might not buy it, but its the style ive been looking for, for quite a while.
I dont want an ext. cab....period. I want a single cab long bed f250 4x4.

Heres my next thing:
I want a truck that looks good, but can still work. With the job im working, i have to haul a good amount of weight frequently and im tired of having to borrow dads truck or a friends truck because my 94 f150 I6 just wouldnt do it.
IF i can find a reg cab long bed powerstroke, id buy it in a heartbeat. But for some reason, i cant. The ones i have found are either ****ed up body wise or have almost 300,000 miles.

I dont need options, sure it'd be nice but your talkin about someone who has been driving an xl with no options for 5 years (with exception of 1 year when i had a 97 ext. cab stroker with all options), not even a/c, so if it has crank windows and manual locks with a/c, thats more than enough for me.

 

The price is high considering the miles and the rust. I have not had a 460 but a friends plow truck has one and it has 180k and the engine is alive but thirsty. Engine has never been apart but trans went at 125k. Try to find out a past history on the truck and what was hauled. Pay close attention to the spring hangers, springs, steering links, and rust on the cab corners, floor, and oil pan.
When i bought my truck it had 185k but it was in great shape, well cared for, and had no rust. Many thought I was crazy to buy it but its been three years and its still my DD.
For that kind of money it should have no rust and about 120k miles or a diesel.
regards
rikard

 

im in the salt belt. Finding a truck this year with NO rust is near impossible unless your willin to drop some serious $$$

 

i agree duct tape that truck would be considered very good shape for one up here in pa lol.... your very hard test to find a truck up here without the wheel wells completely rusted out

 

blue book is valued at 4500 in GOOD condition (private party) and 6,340 in GOOD condition (dealer/suggested retail)

Im really considering this. I guess ill know tomarow. Its a 97...and a truck used for work so OBVIUSLY its not gonna be perfect.

 

first thing i did with my truck once i got it was immeadiatly start improving it for me, the dome lamp and the most important part the frame, I put rust reformer on it to try and (i hope) stop the rust as i think its supposed to do that, then I put a good layer of primer and then farm impliment green (hey I dont care if its pretty it works and thats all i care about) and I put rust reformer on as much rust as i could find...and for a truck with 205k on the clock and living in the rust belt its doing damn fine so far , once I get enough money in im going to paint the bottom of the cab and bed to protect against rusting as best as possible....

so depending on what you do if you get it check for rust in the common places and if possible take a proactive approach at the rust (as applicable) your truck will thank you for it later

 

SO. Took the truck out wednesday.

The Good:
It drove great, no trailing off. Ran down the highway at 70 constant for about a half hour no over heating. Got up to 90 and didnt shake one bit, smooth as ever. Had tons of power, no knocks, no engine codes, oil tested perfect, coolant tested perfect, cases looked like brand new fluids.

The bad:
I noticed that the blinkers worked every once in a while and the fan speed switch only worked on high and had a few other elctrical problems.

Took it to my cousins house and he said "i know that truck, i just cant put my finger on it" so i blew it off and took it back to the dealer. I told the guy that i looked it over thouroughly and took it through some road tests and it was a pretty solid truck and i'd let him know by morning if i wanted to go ahead with it. About 7 pm that evening i got a text message on my phone from my cousin that went somethin like this:
Him:you didnt buy that truck did you?
Me:not yet why
Him:good, dont. I remember the kid that had it and he drove the **** out of it and drove it through flood waters bow fishing and the truck was flooded out in 2009 up to the mirrors.

Called the dealer in the morning and told them to get facked. HAHAHA. Dodged that bullet

 

Good....More money for Ol' Duct Tape......