I have sold the 89 Ford. It finaly ticked me off. I have replaced it with a C20. This 89 Ford has left a bad taste in my mouth and I will never agian buy a Ford made after '86. The EFI was the worst thing they ever did. This truck I just got rid of has been nothing but gremlins since day one. Good work FOMOCO. You just lost another fan. My next truck is already bought. But the one after it will be a Chevy if things keep as they are going. The local Chevy dealer has brand new '08 1/2 ton pickups for $13,999. That's $3,000 cheaper then a Ford 1/2 Ton.

 

Your pissed at ford about a 19 year old truck?

I think of it this way, anything from around the early '80s is going to have emissions problems, and anything after that is going to have electrical problems.

All brands have problems, you talk about cheby, my first car was a '84 cheby celeberty, what a POS. I spent more money fixing that car than any other car I've had. I parked the thing with 120k on it and started driving a '77 Nova with 150k and rust holes so big you could not keep the jack in the trunk because it would fall out of the quarter pannel when you turned to fast.

What I'm trying to say is don't dump on ford just cause you had a bad one that you bought used and don't know who did what to it before you had it. When I was younger I loved Fords like my dad, untill he had some problems with his '83 with a 6.9 and 350k on it. Cheby must be better, I found out that A: I did not like the chebys as much as the fords and B: they have their problems too.

So buy what you like to drive and put up with its problems because they are all machines, and like all machines they will break, thats what machines do.

 

how many miles did it have?

 

u do realize that was the first model with fuel injection, look back at the first models of anything. they all had bugs

plus, the truck was as old as hell anyways

 

It only had 150K I never been around Dodges of this era so I ain't going to say. But the Fords and GMs of the late 80's were the worst POS trucks I have ever seen. Something tells they did not im[prove much after 1990. I'm looking very strongly at a '84 F150 as a DD once the dust settles on the C20. I will have the wait and see where the dominos fall.

 

Excellent post.

 

A pal of mine bought a new 1988 F250 460. It now has 175,000 miles on the clock, and has had exactly ZERO warranty or other repairs. Even the ignition module is the original.

I bought a new 1988 F150 Scab. Traded it for a new 1992 F150 Scab. Drove that truck till 1999. Neither one required anything other than normal maintainance.

I've purchased 7 new Ford pickups since 1965. The only one that had any warranty repairs was the 2004 Lariat Screw.

Your truck: It's all about how well it was cared for before you bought it.

 

agree number, ive always changed oil every 3k give or take a few, and the only 2 issues ive had in 4 cars is an air fuel sensor (tacoma 180k miles), and an ac compressor(corsica 175k miles)


it starts with the oil, if the engine doesnt have to work hard, nothing does, is how i was brought up

 

I think it has more to do with buying an old junky truck, than it does buying a great condition, well maintained old truck.

 

Especialy if it says fix or repair daily on the tailgate.

Oh and one question I never did get to ask you. This stems from other threads you've posted in. How many of your trucks with bought with cash and how many were bought on credit.

 

Considering the hints you've dropped in several posts, its very apparent to many here (others in this thread have said the same thing) its the trucks you're buying, not the brand you're buying. Never cheap on yourself when you have to depend on a vehicle.

Well, although its really none of your business:

1967 F100 - cash
1975 F100 - cash
2000 Ranger financed because they offered 0% interest (you should not pay cash when financing is lower than what you can earn in a money market account)
2006 Roush F150 - financed because they offered 0% interest, but then decided to pay it off in full when money market rates dropped.
2004 F250 - cash

 

Maybe learning to really fix the root of the problem, rather than gloss over the symptoms is what is needed.
Newest vehicle on the lot right now is an 81 Courier. I threw $400 on the table for it. Yes it has problems, but I expected that. My 69 F250 has been a daily driver off and on for four years. I paid $250 for it. Yes it had problems, but I expected that.
I have found that Fords can take way more of a beating than about anything else, though. Case in point, my 86 S10. Brakes sucked. Upgraded brakes sucked. Gearing was horrible, too tall of a first gear and not enough of a fifth gear. Weak clutch with no warning before failure- drove it home, it was fine, went to leave for work the next day and it wouldn't make it up the hill out of the driveway.
Regardless of the make, though, if you're scraping the bottom of the automotive barrel, you aren't going to get a creampuff.

 

thats an awefull question. we borrow the money for all of our vehicles when we can pay cash, because there is opportunity cost elsewhere (LIKE LAND) and with low intrest ag loans, its better. ken worked his butt off for this forum and its paying off and im extatic for him.

me on the other hand, i borrowed money at 15 to buy a ranger and i paid it off in 4 years, turned around and borrowed 3/4 of the money to buy my f150 and i havnt made a payment on it yet and its been 7 months. i feel i got a heck of a deal and a nice truck

Matt

 

Jarad,

Funny what you said about working on vehicles, and not being capable. I learned on an old POS Dodge truck many years ago that I had to be good at repair, or it wasn't going to get me from point a to b. It was an $800 truck. Prior to that I had a Ford, and learned my lesson, went back to Ford and the rest is history (well, only have years of 80+ hour work!). Nothing wrong with an old truck, I've had plenty and still want another one! Just gotta know what to pick, how to maintain it, what kind of TLC it needs. If I recall correctly my 67 was about $1500, and it lasted me years unti it finally died under the weight of a 25,000 lb construction dumpster accidendly being dragged over it.

Buying a diamond in the rough is great.... but buy a POS and it will never make you happy! I learned that the hard way, as do many. Rust Bucket, seems you're learning that now..., but its taking more than 1 try.

 

Talking about POS, i had a dodge omni a 1985.. that was a POS that wasent worth the wrenches working on it so i kicked it to the curb.. my 70's fords have always been trouble free.. i know hot to tace care of them though..

Ray