Around here the dealers wholesale out the beaters pretty quickly, being a military town that we are there are tons of crooked used dealers that will buy the beaters from the dealerships at wholesale, clean them up and then sell them to young sailors on a buy here pay here basis

matt

 

If they are less likely to deal, then walk away. If they don't want you to take it to a shop, walk away.

Dealers are hit and miss. Here in CO, they charge sales tax on private sales of vehicles which is total b.s, but that's another conversation. I have found some pretty good OTD prices on trucks. Just never pulled the trigger on them. Patience is key.

I bought my 90 for $1,700 w/ a slide in bed camper a few weeks ago. It's not the prettiest thing around and needs some work but it's still a better buy than what some of these other guy's were trying to sell.

 

Okay, you need a plan.

First, negotiating can be fun. Second, they don't always end in a sale. Also, poor negotiators substitute anger for negotiating skill. The seller can simply say " I can't do that". Price marked on the window is the seller fantasy price. They want you to counter offer this fantasy price. Instead, ask "what do you have to have for it?" exactly that way! This will be the starting price you'll counter offer. If they stay with price marked on the window, time to low ball. Bravely review the issues with the seller and your estimated cost to repair. This list could include tires, interior, body, and mechanical repair. The point is to justify your counter offer.

Seller says "My price is on the window...$1900"
You say...."It'll cost $200 to get the exhaust fixed, $500 to get the interior decent, and another $300 just to replace the front tires" "I can offer you $1000". Seller will respond with "no way I'll let it set and rot for that price" or something like that. But it's his turn now to counter with a price. Seller "I can do $1700" You say "it needs a lot of work but I'll go to $1200". Now be prepared to get stuck here and be willing to walk away. I mean it, don't let desire make you act foolish. If he's reasonable he'll drop to $1500. This is called bracketing by the way. Now it's your turn to pull out the big guns...."look.... I'm ready to lay down cash right now ...1300 bucks! Deal?" At that point quickly extend your hand...as that's very compelling. Once you handshake you just bought a truck.

Most of the time the question "what do you have to have for it?", will
result in a much lower price. Just adjust from there, with same above method.
You can also explain and use a real comparison truck at a lower price you've seen
just add that you like the seller's truck better. You can also ask for a "walking around price
to keep in your head while you're shopping". Use this if your just
shopping.

Remember you only get ONE time to give your lowest price. You can't go back and rewrite history, ya know. Be sure you want that truck. Take your time.
If that deal doesn't work out a better one is waiting. I've done this many many times. Have fun!

 

went to the store today, the escape was gone

 

Yup, that will happen. A lot. Just chock it up to "It wasn't meant to be".

And I'm not kidding. I sold my Chevy p/u in March and was drooling over two CC Superduty's with V10's. Both under $7k. By the time my truck sold, they were gone and there wasn't crap out there. I ended up buying my wife an Expedition. Then, when I was trying to sell her Sport Trac, there were two Dodge Ram's I was drooling over w/ Cummins engines. You guessed it, sold hers and both of them were gone and once again, there wasn't crap out there. Then I stumbled on this beast and I'm really beginning to like it. I was all geared up for a OBS Ford PSD or Dodge Cummins and now I'm rolling in a 90 gasser.

Bottom line, as I stated before, be patient, keep your chin up, and don't get in a hurry. You get screwed when you're impatient. You'll know the right deal when you see it.

 

that escape wasnt even there for a week. for as many different people that've owned that particular lot, it sure seems good for these people.

 

Check the frame too. They sometimes crack around the steering gear mounting bolts, and the front crossmember/engine cradle. When I was lookin mine over before I bought it, I checked the frame out but failed to stick my head up past the skid plate in the front. If I did, I'da seen the cracked-then-hacked crossmember. Luckily, I cut and welded the bad section myself, but you may not have the time or desire to do things like that.

Watch for signs of water leaks into the cab. Negotiate lower price if found.

Look at all the electrical harnesses under the dash and in the engine bay. Depending how comfortable you are workin on electrical and how bad the hacking is, if they show signs of major tampering it's either big price drop or no deal.

 

i'm ok with welding (even if all i have is a cheap flux core mig) and i stay at home with my grandpa all day, so i'm not busy and if the mechanic doesnt see that, i'll be sure to avoid that shop like the plague. as far as electrical, i'm knowledgeable but i'd probably leave it to a pro (that way i can blame someone else if something happens lol)

 

I got my 1990 F150 when I was 15. So here's my 2 cents for what it's worth.
-take the oil cap off and look for coffee/puke colored creme or sludge: that's a blown head gasket or a neglected engine
-don't expect the ac to work
-Look at the suspension: my truck needed ball joints for inspection and that's a pain in the keester and costly
-look at rust on the body, frame, driprail and cab corners
-make sure the transmission engages all gears
-make sure the steering doesn't have too much play
-make sure the odometer looks accurate to the condition of the truck
-make sure the cooling system works: I didn't check and test drove the truck and took it home with no coolant, bad idea
-tires, especially all terrains are costly, so if they are bad, use that to lower the price
-look for smoke from any area
-smell the truck (really!) for gas or exhaust leaks
-make sure the truck is clean: an owner who can't keep his car presentable sure isn't going to take care of the engine
-make sure the truck is presentable: If you can't be bothered to take your beer cans out and empty your ashtray, you're not worth my time or business
-if you can't trust the seller or feel uncomfortable, don't buy it

but the bottom line:

You're buying a 20+ year old truck. Don't hold it to the same standard of a 5 year old truck. But don't buy a clunker

 

I'm 15 and it took about 3 1/2 months of serious looking for a good truck on craigslist. The one I got was from the original owner, 149,000ish miles and very well taken care of. If I learned anything from those 3 1/2 months, be patient and watch out for transmission problems if you are looking at a higher mileage truck. Good luck searching for a truck.