Hi everyone,

I'm in the market for a super duty pickup. I'm currently stuck deciding between two different ones on Craigslist. Just so you know, I don't plan on too much heavy towing, but I'll be living in a large city soon and like the idea of a large truck for safety in the event of a collision. The 7.3L PSD gets better mileage than the gassers of the same size trucks, from what I've seen. They also run longer from what I've read. I've got a wife and three kids under 8 years old, so I'm looking for some room for them as well. I'm a developing do-it-yourselfer, so I'm planning on doing most of my own maintenance.

Truck 1:
2000 F250, manual transmission, extended cab, 7.3L, 160k miles, asking $3500, good carfax report.

Truck 2:
2001 F350 automatic transmission, four door crewcab (or supercrew?), 7.3L, 270k miles, asking $4000.

Assuming both trucks have mostly highway miles, which would you all choose? Truck one has fewer miles and costs less, but also has less room. I also read that the 99.5's and 2000's broke down less often and went farther than the 2001's. Truck two has more room and is a little newer, despite more miles.

Please let me know what you all think.

Marshall

 

The 7.3/6.0 like to RUN and run hard. They are really not designed to be just used as a daily driver with no load. You'll end up sooting up the EGRs etc.

If your not planning on towing or hauling anything - skip the diesel and get a Gas V10.

Maintenance is far cheaper on the Gas trucks, and the mileage difference isn't as great as you'd think unloaded. Loaded fuel economy is where the diesel shines. Diesel is usually more expensive then regular (not turning this into a fuel prices thread) as well.
And again - maintenance on the Diesels is EXPENSIVE

If your truly getting it for "safety" reasons - understand these things can't stop or turn(handle) worth a damn, and the rollover ratings are pretty poor. There is a lot of mass which can help you in some situations, but hurt you in others.

 

I'm also looking at the7.3s for longevity, though. I've read that the v10s have expansion issues with spark plugs blowing up, shooting out, etc. This is what turned me off to the v10s before. Can you use a tuner on a gasser to improve mileage?

Thanks in advance!

 

Does the 7.3 liter PSD even have an EGR? I thought that was a new feature on the 6.0.

 

Only you can decide what would work best for you..

Based on the info you provided I'd be all over truck #1 provided the box wasn't rotted out and the suspension was tight...Be sure to drive both before you decide or have an independent mechanic that you trust do a PPI..

No worries with EGR on a 7.3

I can't speak for the V10 never owned one...Keep in mind no matter how easy you are on the skinny pedal you are still feeding a V10.

 

The spark plug issue with the V10 is due more to improper torque specs than anything. MY's 99 and 00 have 4 threads for the plug to bite. Ford made more threads in the head for the plug to bite on, but the most common issue for plug blowout is due to a low torque spec. 11-14 ft/lb is OEM spec, but 20-25 ft/lb is what most people torque them to here without issue. Other than that will be exhaust manifold stud breakage that is common across most of the Triton engine line. The V10 is no diesel but has and still continues to be a highly dependable workhorse. Thirsty, but will get the job done without having sphincter spasms wondering if your diesel will take a crap on you. If you are looking for a V10, search for a '05 and up. They have 3 valves per cylinder and a much better transmission. Still gonna be thirsty and there is not much you can do to change that. Mine pulls to whatever side the gas station is on I am trying to pass ALL the time. I won't sell it or trade it.

 

I like the7.3s because, dirty as they are, they're simpler and easier to care for than the latter engines. I like doing my own work, so it'll probably cost me about the same as gas. Think I'm leaning toward #1. Then I can buy a decent tuner and okay for the oil and filters to make sure it's up to spec.

Thanks again!

 

Speaking from experience with kids, you will want the room with the larger cab, also if you are moving to a city and will have to drive in traffic I would also go with the automatic, so I guess that would be +2 for the second one.

 

Justus6.0

that's good advice regarding the room. However, this won't be the main family vehicle. We have a Sequoia for hauling the family around to different places. At most I'll have the kids and my wife in the truck a couple of times a month. You don't think at nearly 300000 miles, the transmission might be a little tired? That's one of the reasons I wanted to go with a manual and lower mileage.

it is a shame that I haven't found a larger, roomier one with a manual transmission and low miles. My dad had one of those when we were teens, he still does. Its great! At the moment, my kids are all less than 80 pounds each. I'm hoping that in a few years when they're bigger, I'll have upgraded to something a little bigger as well.

 

From everything I have heard is that the transmission is the least of your worries, the trannies in these trucks are rock solid. But it is user preference, a manual should last longer of course.

 

I just got the vehicle history report. No accidents or major issues reported to Carfax. It was a rental vehicle for the first 60,000 miles of its life, and that was over a period of 2 years. After that, somebody bought it and put another 40000 miles on it in two more years. Over the last 12 years, it has been driven another one hundred and seventy thousand miles. That's not much per year, so I'm tempted to think those may be City miles. that, or it's set in a lot for much of its life. I can't inspected in person to determine whether or not those are City miles, but has anybody else been in this position before?

 

I'd buy truck 1. Miles and transmission being my two reasons.

 

If the manual transmission is a ZF6 then I would buy that, they get fantastic mileage on a 7.3.

If my memory serves me:
R13O
L24

Has internal oil pump, uses external Cooler, reverse actually works.

On a ZF5 you have to keep your hand on R otherwise it walks out, no internal oil pump or Cooler.

 

OP,

I would look closely at #2. I know you said you have a 2nd car for daily kid transport. If you think you will *ever* have passengers in your truck at all, you're going to want the crew cab. I have an extended cab, and honestly the back seat is about good for carrying cargo, tools or personal items. Even little kids will outgrow the back seat really fast.

As far as the transmission(s) goes, at 270K on truck #2, if it hasn't been out yet, plan on putting a transmission in it. You may not have to, but if it was me, I'd be budgeting for it when I bought the truck. As far as the manual trans of truck #1, you still have to hope that whomever drove those 160K miles in it, actually KNEW how to drive a stick and work a clutch. I've seen a bunch of guys that "love manuals" that can't drive a stick. Especially a truck stick.

Plus big city + stop and go rush hour traffic + manual truck transmission = may not be as "cool" as you remember. And if your wife has to drive the truck, say EVER (like if her car breaks down, gets a flat tire, dead battery, whatever), she may not be able to manage it, or be happy about driving it. It doesn't take long to destroy a brand new clutch and transmission if you don't know or can't drive one. My wife destroyed a brand new Dodge truck trans and clutch by driving it while I was deployed overseas (many years ago).

TL;DR,

May want to pass on both of these trucks and keep looking. Especially if they're not super clean inside and out. Trucks in this age and miles come up fairly often for sale, especially in a big city area.

 

Thanks for the input. Great points all around. I was considering the cost of a new clutch as a way to drive the price down a bit for truck 1.

I need to keep considering what you've said. I've since seen some better options, but have yet to hear back from the seller.