Pickup trucks

Old_Town · October 26, 2004, 04:53:32 PM

I am an electrical contractor in the Dallas area and we have owned about 25 trucks in the last 10 years. We mainly buy 3/4 ton and 1 ton Chevrolets and Fords. The oldest truck we have in our fleet at this time is a 1999 CK 2500. This truck has 111,345 miles as of today. I have put a fuel pump ($455.00) on it and that is it other than brakes. I sold a 1997 GMC 2500 about a month ago that had 225,000 miles on it and it had the original tranny and motor. We have had excellent luck with GM products, but we only buy gas engines. The two worst trucks we have had have been Fords. We had a 1996 F-150 V6 that the motor went out on at 65,000 miles ant the throwout bearing at 70,000. We also had a 1991Ford F-350 with a 460 , the tranny failed at 45,000 miles. I have had very little luck with Fords.

Furby · October 26, 2004, 07:07:37 PM

I decided a bout a month ago that I wanted a heavy pick-up truck for hauling. Passed up the flat beds and dump trucks I've been looking at.
Currently I have my eye on a 1992 F350 PSD, 4 door crew cab, with 182k and a newer tranny. It's being sold at auction in a couple of weeks.
Any thoughts???
No chance I can go new, but it is a bit older then I'd like.
The higher miles are explained by it being a work truck.

They also have a 1950 Ford F-4 flat bed, 6 cyl. flat head, that I'm going to look at just for fun. ;) ;D

Quartlow · October 26, 2004, 09:14:22 PM

Well I supose I'll get my 2 cents worth in here.. Depends what you want to do with it power wise, Are you going to leave it stock or tune her up a bit. If your going for power buy a cummins and talk to the guys at Diesel injection of Pittsburgh. Nobody can make a cummins talk like these guys and they have been doing it for 20 some years.

I had a friend who worked there as a salesman. the owner had a dodge they did up. I couldn't even begin to stay with that thing between lights with my 70 pontiac Lemans 455 mild build shift kit and 4.56 rear. His pickup consistantly smoked me.

snoop around on the net and you will find guys getting 800 plus HP out of the new chevy's and keeping them together.

the old PSD are getting 800 plus but the new 6.0 just won't make any seriuos HP they seem to be stuck at around 600.

As fo rmy personal experiance with ford , well I'm on my third on and and everry one of them sucked. Oh don't get me wrong I can pile 4000 pound on my F25 and it just shrugs at the weight and it rides nice. But it has been a maintence nightmare every time I turn around it want something. this week its a dipstick tube. Any idea what the fools want for a dipstick tube? 25 BUCKS
They are on drugs, big time.!!!!

When I worked in the rental industry all they bought where fords, couldn't keep brakes on the darn things. At one store out of 6 new trucks only one the F250 super duty never gave us any trouble, the other 5, junk. Brakes, power sterering pump troubles tranny troubles. tire alingment on one so bad it was wearing out steer tires ewvery 16,000 miles and they never did get it right.

My money is on dodge the next time around.

Erick · October 27, 2004, 04:13:56 AM

Furby,
Make sure the 350 is a power stroke I'm not sure if it was in 92 or not I know that in 91 they had the old navastar and it was a dog it only made around 190 HP and wasnt good for much except a boat anchor. I know they switched around that time but I thought it was in 93. Just make sure it is a PSD and not the boat anchor. ;)

jgoodhart · October 27, 2004, 05:58:17 AM

When I bought my 94 it still had the old 7.3, sold it with only 40k miles on it.

OneWithWood · October 27, 2004, 10:38:14 AM

I currently have a '86 F250 with a 460 in it. Mebbee someday I will post a pic on the ugly truck thread. I am lusting after an F350 PSD 4x4 but can't find one without an extended cab and I don't want duallies. I need to be able to get around in the woods and I want an 8' bed so the extended cabs won't get it. My experience with duallies off-road is that they get stuck and make really big ruts!
Unfortunately for me I cannot justify two trucks and this F250 just won't give up the ghost. I try and I try to work it to death but short of purposely neglecting the maintenance it just won't quit. :

redpowerd · October 27, 2004, 11:03:44 AM

86 F250 extendo cab four wheel drive dually flatbed with a 420 IH
diesel. :D primer grey and guaranteed to be uglier than OOW's ford.

once i replaced the fuel pump in her, shes driven me all over the state for equipment and back, a few times over

Minnesota_boy · October 27, 2004, 11:49:19 AM

I bought a new truck once. 1979 F-250 Sti8ll have it, runs fine. Had to replace a water pump, and a fuel tank and several oil pressure senders, but it still has good oil pressure and will start anytime I wqant to go someplace, including when it's -30.

I also have a 81 f-150 4X4 that someone else needs as it is getting old and has carburetor problems, but it hauled my mill around for 3 years now. Just replaced it with a 94 F-150 4X4.

Norm · October 27, 2004, 01:03:30 PM

About the only thing bad that I can think of for my F-250 PSD is that it starts hard when really cold. I didn't get a block heater in mine and have had it not start twice when really cold. It sits outside in the cold with no protection so that's probably why, never having been to NH I'm not sure what your winters are like but something to keep in mind.

MrMoo · October 27, 2004, 02:27:59 PM

Well I just came back from another Ford dealer. He had an F250 with the regular cab and a gas engine. The price was right so I went ahead and bought it.
Last night the wife and I drove an F350 with PSD. Wife said the diesel was too loud. I didn't disagree with her. Since she drives the truck more than I do I had to consider this and we passed on the truck.
Ford is doing a giveaway on a pair of Timberland workboots if you buy so I told the wife she can have the boots.

OneWithWood
The F350 we test drove has a regular cab & single rear wheels. Its an XL with long bed. Kind of a long ride for you though.

Thanks to everyone who contributed. You were all a big help. Its a great asset to have.

MrMoo · October 27, 2004, 02:32:36 PM

Oh ya one more thing.

Rebocardo yesterday mentioned doing a carfax on the used truck I was looking at. He was right on.

I did the carfax and found out it had been in an accident. Not a serious one but it seemed odd the truck was traded in 3 months later. I passed on that.

Thanks Rebo, if you ever come back up to Barrington look me up.

shopteacher · October 27, 2004, 02:41:25 PM

Carfax can't tell you about an accident that hadn't been reported, but it sure worth checking out. Every used car any of my family is thinking about buying at least gets a check on carfax. Lets you know if the milage is real also.

Furby · October 27, 2004, 09:16:10 PM

This 1992 is listed as a Power Stroke, don't know if they have it right or not.

If I want to go off road, I'd rather take my old probe. Lots of fun! ;D
Last Fri. night it started to rain. Rained all morning Sat, heavy non stop. I spent 5 hours out in it at an auction. I knew better then to park in the hay field like everyone else.
By the end of the auction, a couple of guys and a tractor had been stationed to pull the 4x4 trucks out of the field. A few made it by themselves, but most needed a tow. One small front wheel drive car made it out with no problem. Across the field, through the mud hole, up the wet grassy hill and between the telephone pole and big sign. Never got stuck, not even when it stopped to wait for a truck to "try" to make it out. It was pretty funny. ;D

ScottAR · October 27, 2004, 10:36:16 PM

The powerstroke started in '94.5 and up. The 92 was just the 7.3 which is a decent engine, just underpowered compared to the PSD.

Weekend_Sawyer · October 28, 2004, 05:47:49 AM

I have a 96' F350 4x4 with 5.8, I wanted a disel but got a great deal on this truck. I haul my 7000lb skid steer 120 miles between home and the cabin in West Virginia a couple times a year. It doesn't do bad, I'm right there with the truckers on those steep uphill grades. I haul rocks, gravel, firewood whatever, this truck works hard .

I put an aftermarket dump kit on it a while back and man do you get a lot more use out of a truck with one of those

My first truck was a 62 F100. I'm pretty much a ford truck guy. I did own an 80 Dodge power wagon, not bad, and a 82 chevy 3/4 ton 6.2 disel that was a rolling pice of junk, worse truck I ever owned.

Minnesota_boy · October 28, 2004, 07:04:47 PM

Last week I bought a 1994 F-150 4X4 to tow my mill. Today I had it ready and took the mill out with it for the first time. Hit a deer! :(

I was driving about 50 on a blacktop road when a deer came out of the ditch as fast as it could run and I hit it dead center. Killed the deer of course, but I couldn't find any damage on the truck except for a very small reverse dimple where the bumper had impacted a bolt on the backside. Whew!! 8)

Paschale · October 28, 2004, 07:51:32 PM

Hey Furby,

What's the auction you're talking about it? It'd be fun to see that 1950 truck... ;)

Dan

gmmills · October 28, 2004, 07:54:05 PM

I've got a 2002 Dodge 3/4 ton Cummins 6 speed. It's a 4x4 Quad cab with an 8 ft bed . This truck replaced my first Dodge. A 1991 4x4 12 valve Cummins reg cab. When I sold this truck it had 210000 miles on it. The most reliable truck I've ever had . A friend of mine bought it and it still runs great!

rebocardo · October 28, 2004, 08:44:51 PM

Yea, I can tell you why it was most likely traded in three months later. It was badly damaged, probably a fairly rare part like a frame rail or bed was needed or extensive frame work and welding where each step and its cost required insurance company inspection and approval.

It was basically totalled, guy needed it for work, went and bought another one at the same dealer. The hulk was basically sold back to the dealer by the insurance company or traded in to the same dealer by the owner for its wholesale value.

Sometimes a dealer body shop will allow the insurance company to "forget" to contact them if the adjuster is an idiot. Then after a month of $20-$40 per day for storage they use that as leverage against the insurance company.

Once it was finished (once traded in it might have taken lower priority on the bodyshop to do list) the dealer took it back and is trying to resell it.

Sounds like you missed buying a problem truck for sure.

Furby · October 28, 2004, 09:32:30 PM

Paschale,
It's the same distance as last time, just got to make a turn. ;)
I'll IM you the info.

They sold a 1929 Ford doodlebug last Sat., kinda cool.
Got $900 for it I think.

Ironwood · November 02, 2004, 06:03:02 PM

I've run mostly older used vehicles. Dodges (bad) and Fords(WOW). I just replaced a 1985 F-250 4x4 extended cab 351 4 barrel. Incredible truck, used the hell out of it. Bought it with 100,000 miles. It now has 200,000 and compression checks good and balanced, runs excellent. Pulled pushed and plowed more than any truck should have to do in it's life. The only reason I'm selling is due to my need for a 12' one ton flat bed. The darn thing is still standing tall and looking good and is going to a demo. contractor. Unbelieveable, pulled huge, heavy, windsock of a trailer last year for a thousand miles for a rustic furniture event in the Adirondack's. That motor screamed the whole way, 6 MPG. It never blinked! I purchased a 1996 F-350 last Nov. Thing had 18,000 original miles and was in great shape. 460cid 4 speed (recommended for heavy hauling in the mountains) I put a 2 1/2 ton army bed on it with flip down sides, and with several removable log cranes, as well as a custom tarp system to keep the goodies dry when necessary. Great truck, love the big block, many have told me to avoid the diesels due to maintaince costs and initial cost, personally I just hate the noise, smell and cost. Not to mention I know what all the noises are coming from under my hood. If I want the thing to sound like a deisel I just bog the engine in lower gears as I pull away, sounds just like a deisel!!!!! at no extra cost. The other issue is the cosst of deisel, it's very volatile, sometimes cheaper than gas now it's much costlier, which eats up the arguement of fuel effieceny, not mention the up front cost of the deisel option. LOVE FORD PRODUCTS, Good luck. Reid