I've looked at plenty of Excursion ads through the years and IMO, about 50 pics is a good amount to thoroughly see everything and the condition. If the dealer does any eBay sales, they'll know all about that.

Definitely hold out for a lower price. Aside from the mileage, it has plenty of other issues that need attention. In that condition, I think they should be down in the $4500 area...

 

I'd want to see underneath. That much rust on the back could indicate serious rust problems underneath. And with 230k, on one hand its a "survivor." Its a 6.0 thats either been problem free or been taken care of. Its made it past the point in its life where bad things happen to it, and its still chugging, so maybe routine maintenance would keep it going. On the other hand, diesels aren't bulletproof, and any vehicle with that kinda miles is just a ticking time bomb until something expensive fails. But excursions are nice and if you get it cheap enough you just pocket a few thousand for when something goes wrong. But if its a rust bomb, I think I'd pass, thats just being a glutton for punishment.

 

btw if thats at a dealer it won't be long before they detail it and touch up all the spots on the rear and have the exterior looking pretty spic and span, and once they get it on the lot someone who just wants a diesel ex will pick it up for $6k before too long I'd imagine.

 

All the items that have been mentioned are important for sure, sometimes a way to get an idea of how the vehicle has been maintained is looking at at thinks like the air filter - if you pop that guy open and it has never been changed (or is gone) that is a clue as to how the individual has taken care of the vehicle, if you check the oil and it is like black tar on the stick or not visible on the stick - another clue. The outside stuff can be fixed (sans a frame that has been rusted through, cracked or otherwise "bent") but if the maintenance on that guy has been poor you may want to drive the price down even further or walk away. I hope you find that this is a diamond in the rough and not just rough!

Chances are that if this is at a dealer some of these are moot since they surley would have changed the oil and air filter as part of the clean up so depending on the situation they may not be an indicator at all.

 

Curt , would really klike to hear about your back up camera. Is it part of the license plate frame? I want to use this not just for back up but also for hitching onto my trailer. Any additional information would be appreciated.

 

Again, excellent suggestions. Here's the scoop...I'd love to look this truck over personally but Im in N MN and its over in Wis. and would be wholesaled to my buddy in the Twin Cities so right now this is all long distance figuring.

I must say I'm getting a bit of a soft spot for this truck which starts to break my rule of buying w/o emotion. But still, it seems this truck needs a good home. i like the colors and those pics you guys posted really showed what the truck could look like again ...VERY sharp. Looks are important..help me look after the truck. Honestly, I really like the look of my 96 Sub but principle is principle and I'm buying Ford.

I'm no stranger to the innards of machinery...plenty of engine/ tranny rebuilds and such and it seems you guys have a real good handle on all things Ex so no fears there..just a balance between investment and work to have a reliable work truck.

Oh, yeah and some visual punch when I pull onto a job site...


Dave

More pics

 

i would also want to see the underside of the truck. the rust over the fuel fill has me a bit worried.

 

Mpls craigs list has 4 v10 high milage 2000 excursions for sale, from 7.5 k to 3.9k if a V10 is an option for you.

 

Mblaksley, the camera is bolted to the license plate, its a gentex with 3.5" display & auto dimming replacement rear view mirror

 

the tuner is a bit of a red flag for me... tuned 6.0's tend to go kabloom. But again, with that many miles, maybe its already been kaboom and been buttoned back up right, perhaps with ARP studs.

I'd try to contact the previous owner.

 

Great idea and good resolution. Appreciate the information. Were you able to use the wiring on the original mirror? Thanks again, Michael

 

yeah, that is a cool mirror, I got my girlfriend one that clips over the existing mirror. I'd like to add one to my truck but I already have the auto dimming mirror and didn't want to lose that.

 

I would pass on this Ex. Ex's do not often rust badly enough to be seen on the outside of the body except up under the doors. The rear end also appears to sag to me (nobody else thinks so?). And I'm surprised nobody washed the damn thing before posting it for sale/sending pictures. That shows it is either not taken care of or all the dirt makes the rust less apparent. I do suspect that this 6.0 is a good one though, if it's gone 230,000. But I haven't heard of one with more miles than that before, so I don't know if I would expect it to go another 100-150,000 or anything.

 

Because I had an inside track w/ my buddy who was going to buy it wholesale and the dealer wasn't going to retail it on his lot he hadn't touched it. In any event the deal is off because hes moving it off his lot tomorrow to some other dealer, so case closed. I do however consider this whole thing worthwhile, especially all your input which I'll surely review when another Ex comes up...btw, i do see that V10s are going much cheaper than diesels but I'm pretty settled on an oil burner...been running diesels since the mid eighties when fuel was cheaper than gas. Never kicked the habit.

Dave

 

they are nice, but by the time you pay for the maintenance and the diesel premium you definitely don't make it back up. And for the 6.0, potentially high repair bills too, its a very high strung engine and also very electronic... take a look at that wiring harness on the driver's side of the firewall... yikes.