Should I buy it?
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Should I buy it?
I need a pickup to carry my tools from my home in Central Florida to Kansas City. I'll also use it to help me remodel a house we own there. I may want to pull U-Haul's largest trailer from here to there a couple of times, rated at up to 4,400 gross.
I found a 1997 F250 XLT with 49,919 miles. It's an automatic with the 4.6L, an extended cab and new tires. Though the topper's clearcoat is peeling, the truck otherwise seems pretty clean.
The owner says that it has the "towing package". There is a receiver hitch and trailer plug on the back. However, it has an obviously aftermarket Drawtite brake control box under the dash.
The owner lives up in NJ and says he kept the truck down here to drive when he is in town so that he could visit various properties he owns. He wants $7500 for it.
What do you think? How can I tell if it really has the towing package brakes and transmission cooler? Should I buy it?
Thanx!
Gary Hancock
Central Florida
P.S.--Can anyone tell me the difference between an F150, an F250 and an F350?
I found a 1997 F250 XLT with 49,919 miles. It's an automatic with the 4.6L, an extended cab and new tires. Though the topper's clearcoat is peeling, the truck otherwise seems pretty clean.
The owner says that it has the "towing package". There is a receiver hitch and trailer plug on the back. However, it has an obviously aftermarket Drawtite brake control box under the dash.
The owner lives up in NJ and says he kept the truck down here to drive when he is in town so that he could visit various properties he owns. He wants $7500 for it.
What do you think? How can I tell if it really has the towing package brakes and transmission cooler? Should I buy it?
Thanx!
Gary Hancock
Central Florida
P.S.--Can anyone tell me the difference between an F150, an F250 and an F350?
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2006
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From: Saskatoon Saskatchewan
Well to check if its got the tranny cooler if you can look into the grille or down the hood by the radiator you should see the radiator then a smaller little thing in front of it like a radiator but smaller with line or two running to it at least mine is like that 49,000 miles for 7500 is a pretty good deal to me and the differnce between the F150 F250 and F350 well basically its just suspension its way beefier so the F250 could tow more than a F150 because its a 3/4 ton instead of a 1/2 ton thats how much it weighs then F350 could tow the most because its a 1 ton
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From: Eastern Ohio
I had a 99 f250 xl w/4.6l and traded in on a used 05 diesel, 99 only had 50,000 on it and dealer gave me 7500 on trade so probably not a bad deal but I will tell you that for a truck that size the 4.6 is WAY underpowered especially with a load and I only got 11mpg city or highway and it was a regular cab standard. Might suggest you look at getting the 5.4 instead a buddy had one and it would move. Not trying to scare you away but if I had pulled with my 4.6 prior to buying it I wouldn't have bought it.
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From: Darien
A 97 with a 4.6l triton? That is one of them light duty buggers. It should have 3.73s with that package I believe, but even still that 4.6 is nothing to right home about. I had a 97 f150 5 speed truck with the 4.6L. It was a slug. An ok personal vehical with very limited capablities towing with that engine.
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To Jake00
I looked at Edmonds.com and it appears that its rated capacity is 10,000 lbs. If I stay below the 75% that most folks say is its REAL capacity, it looks like I'm still well under with the 4400 lb UHaul. I've never pulled one of those with a pickup--shucks, I've never even OWNED a pickup! Am I out of line?
The reason I'm stuck on this particular truck is because I need one NOW. Used trucks seem to be horribly expensive here and they nearly always have lots of miles. His one is well under $10,000 and has relatively low miles. I don't want to make a mistake but I also don't want to sit around dithering and have someone else buy it out from under me.
Thanx!
Gary
The reason I'm stuck on this particular truck is because I need one NOW. Used trucks seem to be horribly expensive here and they nearly always have lots of miles. His one is well under $10,000 and has relatively low miles. I don't want to make a mistake but I also don't want to sit around dithering and have someone else buy it out from under me.
Thanx!
Gary
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From: Darien
Well it does have one thing going for it. It is pretty reliable. My simular 97 never gave me much of any grief. Simple routeen maintenance is all. The biggest thing it would suffer from is the lack of power. Regearing it to something lower would help it out big time.
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From: New York
I agree in that the 4.6L won't have the pull you will need. Sounds like you are going to be using this truck regularly to pull and carry a decent amount of weight. Personally I would go for an F250 with a 5.4 at the minimum. A V10 or a diesel is your best bet. And I would go with a 99 or newer.
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From: Darien
Honestly 4400lbs or so is in the F150 range of towing. A 5.4L and 3.73 gears goes a long way in a truck of lighter weight. Honestly one should be able to snag a simular truck with a 5.4 for about the same price. I spotted a 98 F250LD 5.4 3.73 ext cab off road package captains ect for 7500 a few months ago. It had higher miles than this truck here with 75k, but it would've been a better towing vehical. My 4.6 struggled with an open featherlight aluminum trailer, 3 snowmobiles with 3 adults plus one gear bag each. Fighting a snow storm I used 75 gals to go 250 miles that time. Most of the way I was in 4th because it couldn't do overdrive and even sometimes in 3rd because it was lugging too much. Honestly it was by far the worst towing vehical ever!
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Well--Should I buy this one?
Ok--It doesn't look as if the 4.6 will do the job. Thanx for the advice.
Well, how about this...I also found a '96 with the big 300c.i 6 cylinder engine and 75,000 miles. It checks out well, nothing appears to be wrong. The owner wants $5,500 for it. Will it safely and affordably pull a 4,400 lb UHaul trailer from central Florida to Kansas City?
Decent, relatively inexpensive used trucks are scarcer than hen's teeth here. Bigger-engined F-150-type trucks cost $20,000 here and have 100k miles plus on them. I've been looking for weeks and I've run out of time. I need one NOW. I'm so desperate I'll take a Chevy!
Thanx for your help!
TheHan*****
Well, how about this...I also found a '96 with the big 300c.i 6 cylinder engine and 75,000 miles. It checks out well, nothing appears to be wrong. The owner wants $5,500 for it. Will it safely and affordably pull a 4,400 lb UHaul trailer from central Florida to Kansas City?
Decent, relatively inexpensive used trucks are scarcer than hen's teeth here. Bigger-engined F-150-type trucks cost $20,000 here and have 100k miles plus on them. I've been looking for weeks and I've run out of time. I need one NOW. I'm so desperate I'll take a Chevy!
Thanx for your help!
TheHan*****
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From: Darien
Are you talking 1/2 ton? Only if that 96 has the 3.55s in it. 3.08s limit even the 300 I-6. My 91 pulled without a problem. The entire short box loaded with ice and booze, A very heavy homemade car trailer, 5 quads and 2x motorcycles without a problem 70-75mph up the interstate one summer. Grossly overloaded, but it handled it. Fond memories of that truck. Performance wise I'd take the 300 over a 4.6 any day and twice on Sunday. I got better fuel mileage and it was better all around driver. Too bad that engine has been discontinued...