I am thinking about buying a 89' f150 xlt. The one I am looking at has a 4.9l 180k miles with a 5spd tranny. The truck is not in bad shape. It barely has any rust on it at all except it has some on the rear fender. The guy wants $2,500 for it. Does that sound like a good deal?

 

That 5-speed is made by a Mazda subsidiary. It shifts well and has an easy clutch, but I'll throw some numbers at you. 150,000 miles on the M5OD tranny is great (180,000 is phenomenal). Replacement parts for rebuilding this tranny are pricey. I got a super deal (seriously) on a completly remanufactured (not a simple rebuild) from an outfit called WADE transmission in Dallas, for $999 plus tax. I also replaced the hydraulic slave cylinder priced at $105, made of cast aluminum. I shop around. Keep those numbers in mind to see if you think it's worth it. It probably is, if you are prepared to do the tranny parts swap yourself.

You have up to about 50,000 miles left on the motor also.