Hello all I am looking to buy my first diesel truck and need some serious (or close) input.

I have a mechanical background, worked in the automotive repair business for 12-15 years, owning my own shop for about 5, now I am in a different line of work, so I do know my way around a truck. I have worked on diesels in the past, but not to in depth and I have not turned a wrench on a customers car in over 10 years, just on my own stuff.

So with that said, you can know a little about my background to help answer/input on my questions.

I am looking to buy a diesel truck, I want a crew cab, short wheel base, I would also settle for a super cab, but want to replace my car with the truck as I already have a 97 350 gas that is my beater truck, it don't leave the county very often. I would like to have another F350, I guess I should mention it.

Truck must be a 4x4, 2wd to me are useless, and it must be a Ford as no other truck on the road that is less then 30-40 yrs old even interests me to be a practical everyday driver.

SO I am looking at trucks online, I would prefer to buy a 97 back 7.3L as I really like that body style and I know that he 7.3 are a very good motor. My problem is that all the ones that I find are either junk, over priced (I am kinda cheap, but do not mind to spend for a good truck) or someone has modified it with lift kits, tuners, chips or stick pipes through the bed.. I do not want all that.

So I have been looking at the 99-03, but I have ran into the same thing with them as well, as well as the trucks having 200k or more and still priced at 15-20k. I understand that a diesel motor will last for many miles if taken care of, but come on the rest of the truck is the same as a gas and more or less (to me) is worn out.

SO I have been looking at newer (07 back as I hate the 08 up doghouse) but they all have the 6.0L in them that I have heard nothing but bad about them. I have also read that you have to change a bunch of parts on them to make them last or not have issues. I do not want to spend 10k on a truck to work on it.

I have found a car lot in Co. that has a few old state trucks that have about 150k or less on them, all are in my price range. They are 05-06 XL models with the 6.0L some are STD some Auto, all 4x4, a couple are super cab and a couple are crew cab.

Oh I guess I should tell you what I am going to do with it.
Drive it around, use it for work, which will include taking it off road ( not rock crawling or anything like that, but old logging roads, farm roads and places there should be a road) and pulling a trailer. I also want to get into remote camping, so I want to build an off road camper, not to heavy and no longer then 18 or so ft.


SO I would like some input about the 6.0 fords as I do not want to spend a bunch of money just to hate my truck or be sick due to having to work on it all the time.

Oh one other thing, do the 99-03's sit higher stock then the 06's as the pictures look like they sit lower then the 99 v10 I used to own. ( liked that truck but got tired of it puking plugs)

Thanks in advance....

 

I'm kinda in the same boat you are in.

the 2008 and newer are just out of my price range.

the 2005-2007 6.0 are the same price, if not less than the older 99-2002 7.3 liters.

the 2003/2004 are the cheapest, since they have the older body style, but the 6.0 engine.
I'm kinda torn about it.
They say the 7.3 is a workhorse that just won't stop, but they are getting lots of miles on them, the trucks themselves are going to need upkeep, and even if the engine is still running strong, it is leaking oil all over the place.
The 6.0 has a really bad reputation, but there are entire groups of people that love them. They say they are easier to work on. And there are lots of people that have 150K on them and their trucks are totally stock.

Based off of my personal experience with auto-manufacturers, I would venture to say that the newer 2005-07 trucks would be a more safe bet since A) they had a few years to fix some of the issues and B) the engines were revised anyway.
But, the flip side to that is, that if you can find a little bit older 2003/04 truck, with over 100K on the clock, with a decent history, and the truck itself is still in good shape, then maybe that would be the way to go since that was probably one of the good ones.

more research needed.

 

What's your budget? Im sure you know but if you want a nice decent powerstroke your gonna have to pay. I've noticed it the past few years as the diesel sport grows anyone who has a diesel especially certain motors trans etc. Think they have a gold mine and want top dollar. What's ridiculous is people asking twice what the truck is worth all because it has " the motor everyone wants" or low miles. You can hardly find a diesel around here that's 98 or newer for less than 11 grand in "good" condition and typically they have high miles or body damage or even rebuilt titles guys are still asking big numbers.

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yeah, I've noticed a lot of "subjective pricing" in the diesel world.
You get on the local craigslist (pinellas county Florida) and you can see prices below 10 grand all the way up to 18 grand for pretty much the same truck.
earlier tonight, I saw an ad for a 2 door, base model, 2003 f250 for 13,500
a little bit further down the page, there was a 4 door, king ranch 2005 for 10,999
Then a 2001 4 door, long bed, cloth interior, for 16 grand.

personally, I have my F150 to sell/trade in. Around here, my truck, 2003 F150, supercrew can be sold private party for up to 9-10 grand or as low as 6-7.
Rough trade in value is around 6.5 grand.
So I have my truck, and a few grand saved up, looking to finance the rest.

Don't wanna go newer than 2007, don't care for the newer trucks, and I really don't wanna go over 15 grand. less would be better. If I could get everything I wanted for under 12 grand, I'd be happier than a pig in ****

 

Yeah saw a single cab 97 12 valve for 11000 had 380, on the body and 50xxx on "rebuild" no recriptsto prove it.

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My budget is less then 10k, obviously I would want to spend a lot less, but would spend up to 10k on a good truck.

It seems to be a trend that the price of the truck is about the same as the mileage, I have seen many trucks with 150k+ on them and the price is 15k, seems to me that they take the mileage and just move the comma over to the left LOL.

Yeah, I think that people think there truck is made of gold when they have the diesel, expectancy the 7.3L and I guess it does not help that a new one is 40k....

There is a couple trucks locally (central KY) that have 330k for 7k and 250k for 5k but there both regular cabs and beat to death, to me there $2500-3500 or less trucks.

Was not a couple years ago I bough my 97 F350 4x4 for 2500 bucks. Its in good shape, except for over the rear wheels like most all of that body style. Its a 351 auto XLT regular cab, long wheel base with (when I bought it) 112k. Only thing wrong with it was the vacuum line to the AC flap was broke and the rear spring hangers were rusted in two, I fixed both for less then 200 bucks, I plowed with it one year and got all my money back for it and the plow I put on it...

Seems that I can buy the same truck in the same shape as mine but a diesel and its 12,500 not 2500, there the same dang truck other then the motor..

I am not even sure why I want a diesel, some of fords gas motors are just as powerful, get the same mileage (gas is cheaper) and last just as long.. I do not need a diesel, I just wont one....LOL

I have seen that on Craigslist trucks are a little cheaper out west, like in Mt, Co, and the SW states (sometimes) but dang that is a long way to go for a truck...

I was thinking the same thing about the 6.0L that have 150K on them, they must be the good motor or they would had not lasted that long. I also figured that an old state or federal truck would had all the upgrades, recalls etc done to make them last 150k since its not there money....

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I forgot to add, I thought about trading in my car, 02 crown vic police car w 125k but the dealer ships wont even give me 1500 for it, but they ask 4k+ on the lot for one just like it.

that ol car of mine I have for about 6yrs and not had to replace much of anything on it, I think the pitman arm and an egr valve (other then tires and normal maintenance). I know the thing is good for at least 250k, I have seen old cabs that have 400-500k on them, smoke like a chimney but still going...

 

Yeah man I live about an hour and a half from Lexington and have searched everywhere in Kentucky and Ohio no ones reasonable in their prices. So I just kinda gave up for now my truck is doing just fine

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What fords are those?

I can't get over 14 mpg in my 2003 F150, 4.6 liter supercrew. and I drive conservatively. Like, I've hypermiled the truck and the best I got was 14.3 mpg.

That was part of my whole reason for talking myself out of a diesel in the first place.
I thought to myself, "the smaller truck has to get a little better mpg, i could live with 17 in town" Yeah, I'd kick a baby for 17 mpg in town.

thats part of the reason why I'm really looking at a diesel. With the f150, it seems like the Mpg range from 12 to 18 according to the internet forums. But from what I've gathered with the diesels, 17+ mpg is pretty average.
that 3 more mpg would be about an extra +/- 100 miles to the tank. That would work out to being about one less tank of gas a month, at least.

 

I get 10 mpg in my f150 supercrew 4x4 four door with 35's. My 99 powerstrome got 16-18 in town no matter how I drove it with a chip intake and gauges and 35's

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I would stay away from the 6.0 engine full of problems you will never be happy with it.