This post is fairly long, bear with, but I'm looking to jump at a truck within the next couple days and i need as much info as possible.

So i'm looking to buy a 1995 F350 Regular Cab Auto 4wd 460ci gas. I determined axles are front 60, rear 10.25 SRW, as expected, 4.10 and limited slip rear. 52k original miles.

Dude is asking $9250. I've got him down to $7800. He seems legit. Title is clean, Box A miles. All carfax checks out well. 3rd owner. Started it's life in rural New Mexico. It was purchased by a fleet company in AZ. He is selling for a family friend who is sick. I got no inherent bad vibes from the guy. Family friend had main fuel cell cleaned, fuel pump replaced. Runs great. Occasional wobble, that i'm pretty sure is a combo of panhard bar/and tires. I would check for wallowed holes in panhard mounts, as well as knuckles. Dry steering test seemed fine. Light tapping from driver's side exhaust at the engine. Lots of stuff looks in beautiful shape. Front knuckles/ball joints. Rear leafs are nice. New shocks. Interior is immaculate. Body is immaculate. Paint. Etc.

Frame and axles have somewhat of a shiny coating. Like a POR15 type of
coating??? No steering stabilizer. Front leafs only have 2 leafs? They look super pre-loaded, but i don't know F350's that well. Pretty bouncy ride. I can do any work on straight axle vehicles, not my concern.

Here's the crux. VIN starts off 1FDH. The D = "incomplete", as some may know...which feeds into my next concern: the F38 digits 5,6,7..Line, Series and Body Type. F38 = F350, Regular Cab (Chassis Cab), 4x4.

I THINK i somewhat understand what Cab-over-chassis means frame-wise and axle width wise, and that this was a vehicle meant to have a flatbed, or utility accommodations, etc. Unfortunately I did not know this info going in, so i didn't take measurements, look at frame layout/shape/width/length/cab to axle measurements.

A few questions:

1) Does this positively or negatively affect the value of the vehicle? (eg. necessity of commercial vehicle insurance)
2) Does it affect the resale value?
3) Does this typically affect a bank/credit union and financing? (I have cash but i wanted to carry a loan for 6 months just so i don't deplete savings)
4) Does the Cab Chassis classification seems to push the GVWR over 10k, hence the commercial insurance?

I'm wondering if this guy know all this or is playing dumb....

Anyway, I have Progressive insurance for many years, they directed me to commercial policies. Is commercial policy a formality? I happen to have an LLC that's "at rest", so i should be good. Commercial insurance quote was actually cheaper than a personal auto policy on the website (they don't open until 7am ET).

Any and all info is appreciated.

 

I had a 1976 F350 with a grain hauler/dump bed several years ago. Same scenario, it started life as a cab and chassis. My insurance company stated the same thing, "You have carry a commercial insurance policy on it". It was horrendously expensive.

We ended up getting a personal policy just for that truck from another carrier.

The previous owner of the truck had commercial plates and related safety equipment on the truck as well as a CDL. At that time the truck was subjected to commercial truck annual inspections. Keep in mind this was a private individual who used the truck to haul firewood to his house.

I played dumb at the DMV after I purchased it so I could get a standard truck plate for it. No more silly inspections.

 

It has a normal title as far as I could tell. I needed to look closer. There are 3rd party DMVs that are probably gonna miss it. The VIN doesn't matter to them as much as insurance companies.

 

DMV didn't give me any hassle on my '94 cab chassis. Put regular class c truck plates on it after the original owner had commercial plates on it from the day he bought it to the day he sold it to me.

One of the other notable things about cab chassis trucks is parts for back end of the truck are a pain to find. Notably the leaf spring bushings. And as I think you mentioned the frame isn't as wide in back.

 

Your answers to two questions might help answer all your others. First, what bed, if any is on it now? Second, what are your plans/intentions with the truck?

What's the wheelbase?

 

Normal long bed, as far as I can tell.


Plans are daily short commute (< 15mi round trip) and normal personal needs for a truck. I have a small trailer that this truck could whip around.

Didn't take wheelbase measurements. Reference pic above.

 

Is that a pic of the truck that's for sale? If so, that's a pickup bed, and none of the C&C trucks fit a pickup bed directly. One possibility is that the cab was swapped at some time, and the donor was a C&C. IIRC, a C&C would have a Dana 80 rear axle as well, and not a Sterling 10.25.

 

Cab and Chassis F350 should be a Sterling 10.25". The F-Super Duty got the Dana 80.

Could be wrong there.

But for sure the frame is narrower on a C&C with the resulting narrower dually rear axle.

Something is not adding up here....

 

Okay I think you're right about the axle. Indeed, frame width is the key. That and wheelbase. If it's exactly as pictured, unless the frame was shortened, that has to be an RCLB pickup frame.

 

Yes it is the truck. My VIN info is from the dash area. I didn't match up on the title yet. He's sending pic of title.

Axle is definitely a 10.25.

I didn't check for flat vs curved frame. Frame width. Etc.

Could frame have been shortened? I'm gonna have to look for welds, etc. Now I can't see until Saturday.

Rear pic if it helps

 

AZ Title matches up. It's 100% clean. Also, it is "Box A" regarding mileage, which means supposedly speedo and actual miles are the same.

Carfax is 100%, I looked over that last night.

AZ doesn't necessarily inspect a vehicle in order to title it....

 

Even though they're both on the cab, I'd check the VIN on the door jamb sticker. That will also have the GVWR.

The mileage matching may not mean much. Again, since the VIN is in the cab, if that cab went from one frame to another, so would the odo and so would the mileage history.

The other potential red flag is that it's a 4x4, but no decals on the bed. So it's been repainted. Also, those are bricknose taillights, and is that a bricknose tailgate?

 

Door jamb sticker is gone.

This sucks. Truck is in such nice shape. Progressive commercial just quoted me $730/year ($60/month) for $250 deductible comp/collision, 50/100/50 liability, 50/100 uninsured/underinsured. Not horrible.

 

VIN should also be on top of the frame, right side, slightly behind the door hinge area. Truck is a beauty, and clean so you'll probably find the stamping without too much trouble.

 

It's either gonna match, meaning the frame was shortened, or not match and the cab is from a C&C.

Do I still get it? I absolutely love the truck. Does this affect value? I know it makes it harder to resell.