My grandson is taking shop this next year and is interested in getting an older model Ford truck to work on and gain some experience. (My first car was a simple straight 4 cyl (1966 Chevy II with std. tranny) that I learned to repair almost everything on.)

I'd like to help find / suggest something in that line - few if any electronics, std. tranny, etc. with a good engine model. Any suggestions on years or models I should help him look for? (he'll be buying it himself). He's located in Ventura County, CA. Thanks!

 

I personally like the '93-'97 F-350. But for his 1st car I would look for something like an '93-'97 Ford F-150 4x4 with a 5 speed tranny. They are simple to learn on and still have the power to move/tow if needed. I would say go with a single cab, they are a little easier to maneuver than extended cabs and super cabs.

 

Thanks for the suggestion! The 1993 to 1997 F150 models have good KBB ratings and are in the right price range for him.

 

I gave you your own thread, much better than being tagged on to someone elses questions.

Remember, anything from model year 1976 and newer must be smogged.

DO NOT ALLOW ANYONE TO BUY A VEHICLE WITHOUT A SMOG CERT. If the guy has an old cert, have him take you with the vehicle to a smog place YOU select, and watch the guy smog it.

So many people get taken to the cleaners accepting a vehicle without a good cert, and find that there is no economical way to make it pass.

Vehicles from the '80s to late '90s--in other words anything with any kind of computer controlled carb, anything OBD I, and even some early OBD II vehicles are old enough to have electronics issues. Parts are hard to find, troubleshooting requires more than mechanical knowledge, and a lot of them never did run all that good and are in some cases way down on power, have small brakes, eat gas.....

You have to balance the experience and learning angle of this vs. saddling a young person with a time consuming money pit at a time when they should be paying attention to school and some social stuff.

JMO......

 

I wouldn't turn down a 1999 to 2003 5.4L F150. Enough electronics to learn that angle of it, but no too much IMO. The front ends need rebuilt often as ball joints were garbage, but other than that surprisingly solid vehicles. My youngest son paid $2,300 for a 1999 F150 4x4 supercab with 150,000 miles on it, fixed a couple rusted out brake lines and has been solid since (four years now?).