Hey guys,
this is quite a long question so bear with me.
So, ive moved over to MN from Scotland and am looking for a truck for general farm work and commuting. I learnt to drive in a 1992 f150 so i have always likes them. I have somewhere between $4000 and 8000 to get a truck. Is 1992 - 1997 trucks a good line of truck to have for that money or if i can get a truck for the same money that is newer would you recommend that. So is newer better? Also after that is there any better engines than others? ive heard some had a lot of problems. Im looking for something under 120,000 miles. Is that a good mileage to be under if i want to get years out of it? or am i being too selective and look for vehicles with a higher mileage and it will still have very few problems.

As i said before i live in MN and alot of the trucks in my price range are rusty. would it be better to go south where they dont salt the roads to buy 1. is the rust i see just cosmetic or does it usually cause undercarriage and other problems?

1 last question, is it better to get a vehicle that has had its tranny and engine etc changed recently or look for 1 that has original parts.

If theres anything else i should think of please let me know.

Thanks for all your help in advance.
Tubby225

 

for whats in RED: if you want to work on yor truck one with original parts is fine, but if you don't want the hassle and want to have a trouble free truck/engine then buy one that's just recently been rebuilt/fixed/ect like mine the engine was just redone before i got it

for whats in BLUE in the south your more likely to find trucks with minimal to no rust, up north (rust belt and above) its really really rare to find a truck in rust free form

for whats in FORREST GREEN My truck has well over 208,xxx miles on it and its still giving me reliable and dependable service, as long as you do your proper maintenance routine on it and keep it oiled and replace filters and what not as your supposed to it will last for years, if you don't take care of it and treat it like its junk even if its a low mileage truck you will get low amount of service time out of it, it just comes down to how well you take care of the truck and maintaining things properly

For whats in MAROON Depends, newer is not always better, remember that, an old truck can break down and have problems, just like todays newfangled trucks can also be problematic, its just luck of the draw kind of things really, hit or miss if you will

For whats in PURPLE really depends on what your going to do with it and what gears it has I think, someone who will be better at answering that type of question should hopefully chime in here soon, hope this all helps!

 

I just went from a 2004 F-250 6.0L diesel crew cab to a 1995 F-150 extended cab 5.0L. For me, newer is NOT necessarily better. I did alot of work on the 6.0 myself as it was out of warranty. It was a NIGHTMARE to work on & EXPENSIVE!!! My "new" F-150 has 128,000 miles on it and runs like a top & is a total pleasure to drive. Also don't have monthly payments on it! This generation of truck is really easy to work on yet has the modern conveniences of fuel injection and all the modern ammenities.

I'd say, if you can, travel outside your area to source a truck that is as close to rust free as you can afford. Rust is a real pain to work on and can really wreak havoc on this thinner sheet metal! Once it starts, it doesn't take it long to punch holes all the way through it and then you'll be chasing leaks into the cab everywhere.

Engine and drivetrain wise I'd say it depends on what you need the truck to do. Runs to Home Depot and yard stuff, 5.0L might be just fine. Moderate towing you might want a 5.8L. Heavier work 6.9L or 7.3L diesel might be the ticket. In my mind you really can't go wrong with ANY of the above engines. I've driven trucks with all of them and they all have their purpose and will give MANY years & miles of service if properly maintained.

I just scored my '95 F-150 4x4 extended cab flareside 5.0L, automatic 2 weeks ago for the price of $1600. I had to replace some small ticket items (driver's & pass side windows and electric motors, window weather strip, Ignition control module, tires/ wheels) and now she's running and looking great! Oh yeah, I got everything above (minus the ICM and tires) donated to me from my buddies '95 Bronco he's scrapping so turned this truck around in a hurry for little to no cost! The deals are out there if you're comfortable in doing a little work to them but for your price range I'd say you should be able to source a damn nice truck ready to drive cross country.

 

I agree that this generation of trucks (92-96) look great and are very reliable when properly maintained. A few things to be wary of.

The E4OD (auto) trans in this gen of trucks is a pain, lots of things cause it to shift hard/off. If you are comfortable with a stick, go with that IMHO.

As for engines, I'd say look for a 5.8/351w It'll get about the same mileage as the 5.0 but with much much torque.

The 4wd system on these (TTB) can seem odd at first, but it is smooth and a good set-up.

In short, parts are cheap and plentiful for these trucks. If you love wrenching on a vehicle then, this is your ticket. In my experience most newer vehicles are not more reliable, but more problematic and everything costs more.

 

alot of great info already. but as said, if you get a truck of this vintage, be ready to wrench on it. they are very reliable, but age takes its toll, and if you have to bring it to a mechanic for everything, your going to be broke lol. pretty much every motor is good, depending on what your doing. the 5.0 and 5.8 seem to have much more aftermarket upgrade availability than the 4.9. not that anything is wrong with the 4.9 (i have one myself)

 

Get a Flare Side F-150. Nothing else matters. :P

The inline 6 and the 5.8l V8 are great engines, the 5.0 is ok but it's not the best to be honest. If you must have automatic, get a truck with the AOD transmission, the best way to find out is check the shifter thing, if it has P R N D D 1, that's the AOD, E40D's have P R N D 2 1 and the shifter stick has an over drive button the end.

 

I have a 1997 F250 with a 460 and love every time we are together. Great trucks. The only thing I would trade my 460 for is a 4.9. I love the 6cyl as much as the big block. In my heart I think these are 2 of the greatest motors Ford built.

 

One more thing I have had several Ford trucks well over 200,000. I even had an 84 4.9 go 300,000 then the frame broke.

 

The 92-96 are the best of a line that actually goes back to 1980. They have all the refinements from the prior 12 years, and are now very inexpensive to own and repair. I have a plain 1995 F150 XL, bench seat, 5 speed manual, and a 300 cid 6 cylinder. It has been relatively trouble free, and even returns decent mileage for a truck. My current best is 20.5 mpg straight highway, unloaded of course. As with any older vehicle, buy the best you can, (lowest clean mileage) and plan to spend some more to repair any problems. The manaul transmissions are very reliable, easily getting over 175,000 miles with clutch and slave cylinder replacement. I have 185,000 on my Mazda designed 5 speed (the only manual in the 92-96 F150) and it's just starting to show signs of synchronizer wear. At the rate I drive, it still has a lot longer to go. I could buy a rebuilt 5 speed for about 800-1000, but I found a low mileage replacement on craigslist for $250. It's waiting until I feel the transmission is bad enough to replace. Good used parts are easy to come by. I would look South, below the US "rust belt", south of Virginia, places like Texas, North/South Carolina, Georgia, Arkansas, Louisiana, Arizona, Nevada, California. Plan a trip and bring a rust free truck back to MN. Since you are from Scotland, you must be familiar with cavity way and similar rustproofing. With a little care, and proper rinsing underneath, a rust free truck can remain so.

If you had a budget of $6000, you could very easily score a clean rust free truck, and have some money left over to do the inevitable repairs.

 

agree on the Flareside portion and the engine statements.

but the trans point i totally disagree.. i have now had both.. and this AOD in my new flareside has crapped out at 159k miles. the old E4OD in my old red Flareside didnt crap out and but it was pulled at 220k miles for a complete new drivetrain.

 

First off you will need to decide what YOU want to use the truck for. Why are you buying the truck? By general farm work do you mean towing wagons, heavy loads in the bed, putting a plow on it? There is more info needed. Do you prefer manual or automatic trans. This is your truck so make sure you get one that fits you!!!! Know what you must have in a truck and what you can skimp on. Is a working A/C a must? With these trucks getting this old a lot don't have a/c anymore. Yes the 92-96 are great trucks. If you can afford it look for a clean truck. If you find a truck I'm sure somebody would be willing to look at it for you if it's out of state ect. Also look into the areas that rust out on the truck you want. Sure the body may look good but what about the frame? These trucks are known for having certain areas rust out, like the rear leaf hanger. Not trying to scare you but do some searching on this site. See what others are doing to their rigs and having issues with. One last thing is be picky!!! Don't just settle for the first truck that catches your eye. Good luck and once you have figured out what you want then start looking. Ask questions here or do a search. Just remember if you want to know about something 9 out of 10 times somebody has already asked it.

 

thanks for all the replies.
the farm tasks will not be anything too taxing on the truck. if the pulling is too much i have the ford 8n tractor. So stuff like hauling firewood and trailers with garden tractors etc. I will also be using it for hunting so is the extended cab long bed a bit on the long side for this or not? I would like a manual but theyre not as easy to come by as autos. A/C is a must and so is a working heater due to the differences in summer and winter weather up here. Is there much difference in the performance for the 5.0 and 5.8l engines. I mean since i wont be doing too much heavy hard work with it will i notice an difference in the truck or will it just suck the fuel down without more benefit to me.

 

go 5.8 or 4.9 I6... only go with 5.0 if never pulling much and if its reg cab short bed..

 

I have a 91 F-150 long bed 2wd 5.0, with overloads on the back, I got this truck for 100 bucks ran and drove just had to do work on the engine and the tranny(E40D) is starting to act up, you should be able to find a good farm/work, and daily driver truck for your budget, it all depends on what you want, the 5.0 is a solid little motor no doubt, I have to disagree with guy saying the 5.0 and the pulling power of it, I have had 22ft car trailer with an 89 chevy dually on it, truck was squatted alright, but she pulled through, the motor wasn't having much trouble either. If you do decide on a truck in these years, you probably will be doing some wrenching. But these trucks are really solid, and they made a lot of them. Hope this helped.