Well, the time is soon at hand. I'll be buying my first truck soon. (That is, if I can ever sell this damned van. )

So I'm looking to spend $4500 or less, and I'm considering an F250/F350 Diesel, preferably 1999-2003. I don't really have any knowledge on mechanical matters, especially when it comes to Diesels. So, is it a good idea to have a diesel for a first vehicle? Especially something as strong as the 7.3L?

 

Id have to say no.... BTW, how old are you? a 99 or newer for 4500 or less would be a very low price. You would be getting either a very low feature truck at a good deal or a truck with alot of problems. Also, if you are only spending 4500 I would guess you wont have much for repairs? $90 oil change, 2500 for ball joints and bearings, and the list goes on.... These trucks are for working and for rich people to look like they are working

 

I would say if you can find a truck for a low price like that and it’s in relatively good shape, then go for it! I would say that anything with more than 300,000 miles might be too used up. At that mileage, a lot has been worn down. The 2001 trucks had a mechanical diode that went bad, if you can stay away from that year I would. A 30 minute test drive would be the MINUMEM I would take, the longer the better. High and low speed driving is necessary. Once you have test drove the truck, park it and keep the engine running. Pop the hood and take off the oil fill cap off, there should be a “little” white smoke coming out of there but not a lot like a train. You want to ask as many questions as you can to get a feel of what you’re getting. Take your time on the inspection as you don’t want to miss anything. Look for excessive rust, and dents to the frame. Look at the engine bay and engine, lots of dirt and oil can be a bad sign. Take the air filter cover off and look down the turbo air intake pipe, dirt is a big stop sign. Look at the turbo wheel, there should be no chips in it at ALL! Oil will be in the tube and that’s normal. Once you think you found a good truck, post here and with some pics. We are here to help, happy buying!

Some web site to help

Welcome to guzzle's Ford PSD Web Page

99-03 7.3L PSD Trucks

Th!nk Parts Guy

https://www.motorcraftservice.com/pu...20/S2OMAIN.HTM

Home

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/5...nfusion-2.html

 

I bought an F350 as my first vehicle... Well i had a little more than $4500 to work with.. I would say youre best looking for a 94-97 with that price range.

$2500 for ball joints and bearings? Hell i'd do it for $2000

 

I am a college student, and I recently got my first car. I would have to agree with Futuresweets-10 on this. These trucks are awesome (my dad has one and I learned to drive in it), but they have their place. For me, I don't do any type of work, and I have no need for a truck apart from just liking trucks. Even though the PSD's get better fuel economy than the same size work trucks with gas engines, they don't get anywhere close to the fuel economy of a small car. I got a 2006 VW Jetta with the TDI diesel engine, and it can get close to 50 mpg (driving really slow on the highway). My dad's truck gets 15-18 mpg. Since I don't need a truck at all, there is no need for me to be spending that much extra money on fuel, so the car is a better option for me.

As for the whole diesel vs. gas issue, yes, I think diesel is better. Especially for your budget, a diesel engine with say 200K + on it will probably have much more life left in it than a gas engine with the same mileage. Diesels are more fuel efficient than gas engines, and they last longer. They are also really cool.

If you actually need the truck to work, then I think a Ford 7.3 is a great truck, maintanance issues for an older vehicle aside. If you don't really need the truck, then you should probably consider some small car for better economy and savings. I would suggest an older diesel VW.

That's what I know...however I don't know a whole lot about all of the maintance implications of buying a $4500 vehicle. Just listen to what the other guys tell you. This is a great bunch of guys/gals, and they are all really helpful and extremely knowledgable. I have gotten some really wise advise from some of them, even with stuff about my car which is sort of OT.

BTW, welcome to FTE!

 

I did it myself, but if I were to have taken it to a shop after alignment and tax they told me it would be about 2480. Point being, if this guy is a 16yo kid looking for his first vehicle he needs to understand how expensive it is just to keep up with a truck like this.

 

Are you on Vortex?..... My brother is a mod over there...

 

Welcome to FTE! Everyone's got you on the right track here.... I guess one option not mentioned would be a repo or seizure vehicle of some sort... Have to do some searching, but i bet you could find some 94-03 7.3 with decent mileage with a good price tag. Do some digging and let us know what you find.

On the OT... i'll do the ball joints for $1900 lol

 

I paid about 840 for the parts and did it myself!!! If you will do it (parts and labor) for 600, youve got the job!!

 

here is a link to when I asked about the same question, it has some good info in it, and my bad, Welcome to FTE

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/7...ar-to-buy.html

 

Haha I was just one-upping Kris... I try to give him a hard time lol. I've never done BJ's or bearings so I'd not tackle it lol

 

I am registered on Vortex, but I don't really spend any time over there. I spend most of my time at TDI Club, and then I also spend time over here. I don't even have a truck, I just like FTE. Besides, there is a whole lot of really good general vehicle and diesel info in the 7.3 forum.

 

I'm a low baller, $1500 for a ball joints/hubs
You'll be hard pressed to get into a 99 or newer for $4500 unless you can latch onto one at an auction or get extremely lucky. You need to read up a lot before commiting to a 7.3L, there are a lot of little things that can add up to big $ if you don't know what to look out for. Click here for a good starting point for buying used. Also be sure to check the other major items- brakes, ball joints, u-joints, etc. And like others have mentioned, the PSD is not a poor man's rig to have- $150 for batteries, $60 glow plugs, $16 fuel filter, and then if something really takes a dump like a turbo or injectors you're looking at a big repair bill. Take your time and shop smart, ask lots of questions because there is a lot of knowledge in this forum.
BTW, the weak link in these trucks is the auto trans. They WILL go out at some point, and then you're looking at another big $ bill.

 

Chase, that's a good link, but I can not rep you sorry

 

$2500 you can get the warn premium locking hub kit for about that much... New axle shafts, Serviceable bearings, and Warn premium hubs...