Howdy all, I'm usually hanging out in the 73-79 forum, but I've come across another truck that I'm considering buying. Here are the details, and I'd like to get you all's opinions:

-It's a 1970 f250 4x4, current owner says it's a highboy.
-The current owner purchased it 2 years ago from a relative who owned it for 15+ years.
-It appears to have been very well cared for and all the normal wear parts are in good shape.
-It had a totally new 390 put in about 30K miles ago, and it has 85K original miles.
-It has a 4 barrel carb and a 4 speed manual.
-At one point, he thinks there were some body parts swapped in from a 71. To me, it looks like the bed was the part that was swapped. It's a camper special and has the dual tank switch on the floor, but it only has the in-cab tank and no auxillary tank.
-There is a slight sag in the rear, not sure why. The owner says it's always been that way. Not sure if it's related to the springs or if something was botched when the bed was swapped.
-Decent paint, all trim in place and nice shape. But there is one small rust hole in the bottom of the passenger side front fender.
-Interior is in great shape, and has been well cared for

-He's asking 5 grand or best offer which is really high for this area. I'm thinking closer to 3 grand based on my experience of buying and selling trucks in these parts.

That is the basic info. I drove by the truck during the day, but the owner couldn't meet me until after dark. I plan to meet up with him again later in the week, during daylight hours so I can see the finer details better.

Sorry for the long post...Any suggestions on questions to ask would be appreciated!

 

Hey there,
All pre '78 f250 4x4's are highboy's the only differences are in max GVW which has no effect on ride hieght. $5000 is pretty high for a truck with rust in the fender and a sagging rear. $3000 is pretty fair. the body parts for 70 & 71 are exactly the same with exception of grill inserts so I wouldn't worry about it. The places to look for rust are the front cab mounts, radiator support, cab corners, and bed front crossmember. AFAIK, 4x4's never came with aux. tanks so that fuel valve was an add on. A factory aux tank truck will have the guage sender switch located below the key switch.

 

I am currently swapping engines in a 69 F100 4X4 camper special for a neighbor. It has a factory aux tank with a swithch on the dash. An ex neighbor also had a 70 F100 4X4 with a factory aux. It is posible that these tanks were added but they both looked dead stock.

$3000 sounds like a fair price here in AZ.

 

I bought a 1970 highboy two years ago with 58,000 original miles on it with a 360 2bbl and 4speed. All of the parts were original and it ran great...a little bondo here and there but not a real big deal...i paid $1900 for it but the guy wanted to get rid of it pretty bad (was a tow truck and didnt want to liscence it and pay isurance anymore). The truck NEVER left me on the side of the road and has been the most dependable truck i ever owned...BUT now it has a 4'' inch lift, 38.5" boggers and is in the process of a rowdy 460 swap. If it were me i would not buy it for 5gs...talk him down to at least 3000.

 

Thanks for the info guys! I plan to get the VIN number and see if I can decode it. I'm really having a tough time with this one. I've owned a 73, a 76, and I recently sold my 78. I've always wanted one of the 70 - 72 trucks.

I'm seriously thinking of a low-ball offer. I'm pretty sure the guy got the truck for next to nothing from his father-in-law. He just bought a brand new Chevy and really needs to sell the old Ford... it's almost a crime to have those two parked next to each other!

Still have to convince the wife that I "need" an old Ford in the driveway to keep my sanity...

 

Just an update... finally had a chance to go over the truck in detail. The underside is not good. The frame supports under the cab are rusted away. There are also two spots in the bed floor that have started to rust through. Then, when the guy went to make sure the 4x4 was working, the rear wheels started to lock up. He said he bought it for $3500 from his father-in-law 2 years ago. The truck has possibilities, but not for that price. It's off my list for now.

Thanks again for the advice!