@Cole94 This truck showed up a few days ago...he’s about 90 minutes North of me. If you were willing to pay 10K for the truck in your poll....this one is EASILY worth the extra 5K. But that’s his asking price... doesn’t mean he gets it.

https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/...244544480.html

 

More photos would be nice. Photo of engine bay would tell us a lot about how well he kept it up. Interior photos ? The price of seat covers will scare you...
Anti freeze look good? Any diesel smell to it ? oil look good? Was engine cold started ? or did he warm it up before you got there?
All the door locks work ? Windows all work ? Confirmed the 4x4 actually works ? Original Ford 4x4 locks on the wheels ?? 20 years old... most everyone has changed those.
Buying it just to have a truck ?? Or like some of us.... the last truck we'll ever buy ?

Read my QUOTE.... if you can't do the mechanical work, these trucks will eat your $$$$$$

 

That’s like a $6-7k truck tops. Not a total gonner but you’d be into it for at least that much more to get it into a reliable runner. tires are bad. Brakes are probably trash. Probably due for u-joints.

Re-habbing a neglected old truck can be done but it will test your patience and wallet at times. That is why most people just give up and buy a new one. It’s the easy way out.

 

IMO I'd do whatever I could to find the extra 4k and take a trip to CO...that one @Colorado350 linked is worth every penny of the 15 he's asking in today's market.

 

Just to encourage you.
Last fall I bought the 4x4 cclb f350 centurion pictured in my sig, with thay 5th wheel camper. 74,000 miles on them, in very good condition.

Got them both for $16,000 together

 

No doubt a nice truck, but for $15,000... Of course, the truck is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Perhaps instead of searching to the north where prices seem to go up, maybe he should start looking south like in TX, LA, AL, GA, etc...

Although, he expressed he doesn't want to travel much, which is understandable. Sometimes people post pictures of items they are looking to sell from years ago. I ran across this when we were looking to purchase our 1st 5th wheel. The seller posted images of when it was new and he picked it up from the dealer. A couple of years later, it was not in the same condition. He listed the condition as "excellent", but that description has a different meaning to different people.

Again, I paid $9200 for my truck 8 years ago with just over 200,000 miles on it. It was a LA/TX truck and I bought it from a family friend of the original owner because he died and the family couldn't deal with the truck. I waited nearly a year to find the right deal for the right truck. If someone is in a hurry to buy, well then it is a sellers market.

 

Wise words by Sous. There is always another truck around the corner. Stck to higher expectations ... you deserve it. Patiecne pays off.

 

OK. I totally understand your ( excitement ) to get in the game. I'm in my 60's now and purchased many used trucks. What I'm trying to say is that if you have the money, great , just buy it. But you have to realize these trucks are nearing or already 20 years old. Judging from what you already said, there are already some " RED FLAGS " popping up regarding the negotiations on the vehicle you are considering. You MUST budget what you want to do to this truck after you purchased it. You will probably put quite a few DINERO into it to get it the way you want it. And, if your lucky like some of us, you can mitigate the cost of this truck by buying the most you can afford and budgeting what you feel the truck needs to get it to where you want it. What all of us must contend with is the miles and maintenance schedule the truck you are considering already has at the moment we purchase the truck. This is WHERE THE WORK IS and what WE ARE TRYING to help you with. Every situation is different. Too many variables after 20 years and you could very easily get burned . Take me for instance. I purchased a 2001 Ford F350 SD 4X4 XC LB with 285k for 5 grand out the door. It was a 1 owner vehicle and the PO bought a brand new 2019 F350. Also, he was a Ford Diesel mechanic. He got rid of IT because he drove the SNOT out of this truck towing heavy haul for personal and sometimes profit. Used to tow 18-20k trailers. It was a tow pig. BUT, everything he did to the truck was done right. Brakes, suspension, wheels, tires, ,new bed rails, bed, tailgate, shocks, maintenance, interior, etc... BUT and I mean a big BUT, I budgeted the worst scenario what I might to need to replace on this truck ( WORST CASE ) and bought accordingly. I said to myself, why is he selling this in 2001 and buying a new truck if he is a diesel mechanic ? And like my past trucks, I theorized he just wanted something newer and just more reliable. I"m married, and for what that's worth I knew if I told Honey, " Hey Babe, I'm buying a tow pig that I'll also use as a DD to pull our trailer and I'm going to head over to the friendly FORD Stealership and buy a new vehicle for 50k or more, she would have pointed her 45 caliber Colt Government Model at me in my direction. So I traded in my current Chevy Trailblazer to the friend of the FIRST OWNER of this truck ( who happens to own a used car lot ) . I upsold him my 2014 Trailblazer and told him even though it had 180k on the ODO, he would make a quick turnover to a family of 5. So, I got 3k for this vehicle (that I paid 3k for when I bought it 4 years ago) . I kept it very clean and did all the maintenance myself. It looked and drove great. Hi Honey; I found a tow pig that I can use to get to work and pull our dream trailer across the United States of America.... and Beyond???. She said , I want to see it first b/f you buy it. So, she drove the 2 miles to the used car lot to look at it. I had the scanner on the truck to do some calibrations KOEO Buzz test and a few other tests. Was ok with the results, Crawled under the truck to verify what I needed to do. Took it for a ride, Checked blowback, and overall leaks/appearance. She said " OK, I can live in this truck BT trips around the globe, so I bought it. And, 5k cash and 3k trade in value , ( Although the Trailblazer didn't owe me anything since I got what I paid for it over 3 years ago), I bought the Truck. REMEMBER, I said to myself " Why did he want to get rid of this truck ? " Probably knew this pig would need a new engine sometime in the near future and he didn't want to be bothered. THATS WHAT I BUDJET-ED FOR ! That a new engine would be in the near future. PMR and all and a chip with 180/100's and Banks add on's and other goodies this dog was getting tired. I didn't want tired, BUT I just wanted to buy some time to get the wife in the side saddle and show her what it's capable of. Flash forward AND a year later, and one day I was driving a 8k trailer 300 miles and BAM, White smoke , radiator leaking original ( non-ELC ) antifreeze and I KNEW. This dog was dead. Cracked cylinder. Got it towed home. Now just finishing a 7.3 engine built to the specs I WANT. Took longer for the build than I wanted, but well worth the wait. As I waited for a rebuild, I researched the FTE. Took all the Senior users and posting GURU's advice and really went to TOWN ( with the build ). Work was good and I kept budgeting for the Upgrades. Also, I perused the local classifieds and found a similar BLOKE who also recently blew his 01 7.3 and was parting out. WOW, jackpot. Took all I could afford on about 40% on the dollar value. All kinds of things for the build and a few things that I didn't even think of. SPARE PARTS ABOUND. I will cut this thread short at this time and before New Years update my Profile to reflect the build so you know how far I came. ALL IN , probably 18-19k, but 0 miles on engine and a TON of aftermarket or new parts on the rest of the truck. MANY used parts to sell for recoup on build. These Trucks are now becoming a LABOR OF LOVE, and if you are weak , then I suggest you not tread water. No one leaves cheap, you have to be in it for the long haul. For Example , the last 3 years, I have a truck I drive at work; ( a 2001 F350 Stake Body 2wd ) that is ready to be retired at 220k, BUT poor maintenance it's whole life. I wouldn't pay more than 2k for as it's probably going to be questionable on engine due to dusting from original air filter leaks but it's totally stock. Still, I would only look at it as SPARE PARTS. PCM, ICM, Tranny, Short block , ex manifolds, heads, core injectors, etc.. You would be best to WAIT b/f buying until you have the CASH to purchase and a RESERVE CASH to build it to how you want it. UNLESS, you find a great price AND have spare parts you will need to keep it going, it's going to get EXPENSIVE to purchase aftermarket or OEM parts.. Fortunately, for me, I could buy what I could afford at the time KNOWING that it will strand me in the near future and I had another vehicle to drive until I got the truck running. So, in summary, buy a great , low mileage, or reliably maintained vehicle., OR find a UNICORN,( that has RECORDS of work performed ), or go to the Casino and put all your savings on red and hope for good fortune. Or, buy a somewhat new truck for $$$$ and get a warranty. I chose to gamble, AND I STILL don't know if I made the right decision. We are here to help you . Don't rush into buying a old vehicle. Trust me, I know what I talk about.

 

why? Doesn’t sound like the dude is trying to pull a fast one.

I do the majority of my own work also especially the maintenance items. I’m not paying someone 180 bucks to do my oil change.. I don’t keep track of the fluid changes. I have receipts for the stuff I buy but it’s pretty simple. 5k oil, 15k fuel filter, 30k axles, t case and transmission. I buy my fluids in 5 gallon buckets and filters 6/12 at a time because I have 5 cars and it’s cheaper. And I’m not running tot the store so much. Don’t need to. . . Ill gladly show you the vehicle lift and the shelves full of oil fluids filters and parts for the vehicles I own.

Truthfully depending on where you live the truck could easily sell for 10k or probably more. Out here So Cal where I’m at 10k that thing is cheap and it would be snapped up as is. But we’re rust free and 7.3s demand a premium price. If I was selling it for 10k and you offered me 5500 I wouldn’t even bother meeting with you. At 10kmi may be taking off a few hundred if you bought it as is.But then I dont make deals over the phone. Only face to face. I learned a lot time ago that over the phone deals fall apart for one reason or another so i don’t waste time doing it. It’s pointless imo to make over the phone deals.

last year i was looking to sell my 99 F250, low miles great condition never abused. You can eat off the bottom no rust no accidents. After dealing with pretty much every scam out there I just decided to keep it. I had one guy who wanted to buy it but we could never meet up. He called a few months ago but by then I decided to just hang on to it so I told him it’s no longer for sale. With the market the way it is today you’re lucky if you can get a sale that’s not a scam. Most sales out there are unlicensed dealers/flippers and just scuzzy people selling just absolutely trashed vehicles.

 

Thank you sir! I do what I can, which is sometimes the right decision and sometimes it is not. Live and learn...

These are some very wise words as well. I don't keep a history of oil changes for any of my vehicles, but I do keep a running current log as seen below.



I too try to buy filters and oil in bulk, because I live in the country and it is cheaper that way. Since being on a fixed budget and having to stick to it, I try to make smart purchases and that money saved can be applied other places.

As for modifications and repairs, I have a running list on a Word document that is 8 pages long double spaced. I keep all receipts for anything I buy online or in person that has a warranty attached to it. I have online receipts back to 2000 in some cases, not for the truck, but other purchases. I can speak to any of those modifications or repairs quite easily and am comfortable in doing so. Some of the items on the list are stupid little things like "chrome tailgate handle cover" or "headlight bulbs". This list doesn't really serve as a log, just a reminder for me and for a potential buyer one day (probably not though) that I can speak to them about.

Again, as 2001F350dualwheel said, I don't make deals over the phone, text or another chat method. In person and eye to eye. When selling our last 5th wheel for $28,000 we had several buyers lined up. One coming from AK to visit family in NC. I told him I was more than willing to meet him it was still available when he arrived, but I could not hold it for him. We had too many other interested buyers and by the time it sold someone was offering higher than asking price to try and snag it from the buyer that I accepted the offer from.

All that said and what everyone else said doesn't make a hill of beans difference unless you feel like it is a good deal and you are at peace with it. These trucks are only getting more expensive and older as each day goes on. The right truck will show up for you.

 

Holy Moly bsilani ... paragraph breaks are your friend Sir! Reading your post is like trying to gobble down on a 16 oz. steak in one bite. It can be done but it loses something in the process.

 

Yes, I agree. I just reread my response and perhaps I should go back to grammar school. It's very hard to read and I should have not posted after a long day. I accept any and all criticism as I feel comfortable on this site. I just wanted to share some of my experiences in buying a used truck. I also wanted to try and help cole94 with his decision. We all have to decide what's right for us in the end. I will try harder next time I post a response, as we all have to start somewhere and I usually don't post anything, but feel a need to respond sometimes. Even if cole94 did ALL of the work himself, there is still a cost of parts and time invested AFTER he buys the truck. I just wanted to express that we all have a cost to pay on 20 y/o trucks whether we buy a unicorn or the best we can afford.

 

I couldn’t read the wall of text. This should help


Most people buy used trucks because
new trucks are expensive.
they are on a budget
Some people don’t see the value on buying new when they can buy a used truck and rebuild it how they want it. Or simoky don’t want to spend a ton of money on a truck
they don’t want to deal with new trucks and harder more expensive to work on vehicles old diesels are pretty simple and cheaper to work on if you compare them to new trucks.

 

Simply blame it on COVID…everybody else does.

 

Hi sorry but I want to ask whats wrong with the stock air box being on a truck? I have the heavy duty version Motorcraft air box uses a thick oval’ish filter . But prior to that I had the factory air boxes. I swapped them early on when my uncle who was a ford shop supervisor told me the heavier duty ones allow longer filter changes and seal better. I didnt think there was anything wrong with the old normal ones but with his discount I got them cheap so I did t mind. I think I paid $160 each. .. The filters in the old square type were cheesy but I never had a issue with them.. I know that the regular air boxes can leak when they get older but mine seemed to seal just fine. Is that your concern?

as far as records I keep records as to the parts I bought, fluid receipts, hard parts like the hub bearings tires ball joints etc. but as far as the maintenance record it’s 5/15/30 k. I buy my fluids in bulk in 5 gallon buckets. It’s cheaper than buying by the quart. I have 5 vehicles. Two of them 7.3s. I do the same fluid schedule. The filters are once a year or two depending how much they get driven. My daily driver is a crown Vic which gets oil changes every 2 months and transmission drivetrain and air trans and fuel filters once a year as I drive it 36k a year.