Well, this is my first post here so please bear with me.

I am looking to purchase a 1982 Ford F150 XLT Lariat. It has the in-line 6 300ci, 3 speed manual with overdrive and four wheel drive. The truck was very well taken care of and the engine was recently rebuilt. Everything works well (heat, AC, 4WD, etc) and the engine seems to be a strong runner. The paint is faded and getting bare in a few places, but the truck is 27 years old.... As far as I can tell, there is absolutely no rust. After I test drove the truck I was about to make an offer but noticed a leak in the transmission which ended the deal. The guy I was going to buy it from has since claimed to fix the problem to the tune of $800 and has agreed to still sell the truck at the asking price.

I just want a truck that will be dependable, cheap and easily repaired so I think I am looking at the right truck.

Now that I have all of the exposition out of the way I have a few questions.

What are some known trouble spots on these trucks? Are there any special tests to identify these issues?

The guy is asking $2800 for the truck. This seems reasonable but it is hard to compare prices on these trucks. Is this a fair price?

Thanks in advance for any help and sorry for the long post.

 

On these trucks, the cab corners like to rot and the blend door in the heater box likes to break. If the heat and A/C can be selected to come out the location you choose, it still works. When the door breaks you only get air to the floor. It sounds like a nice truck, but $2800 is a bit steep compared to what those trucks go for out here. The 300 will run a long time, even longer if you take care of it.

 

Thanks for the reply. I agree that $2800 might be a bit steep but, like I said, I have no idea how much these trucks are going for right now.

I guess my other big question is would I be better off putting that same money into a slightly newer truck with higher mileage? I don't have a ton of cash right now but want to get the most bang for my buck. From what I can see, the same amount of money would get me a late 80's or early 90's f-150 but with high mileage (125k plus). The appeal of this truck is that it might be a bit easier to work on and it has the engine/transmission I am looking for.

Here is a link to the truck if anybody cares
1982 Ford F150 4x4 4-Speed w/ rebuilt engine - Nice!

Thanks