Dum mods. I guess I'm getting old.

[Chris142]

I'm looking to buy a 1990-1996 Ford F250/350 with an extended cab, 4x4 and preferably a stick shift. Seems like every one I find in my price range has stupid modifications.

Weird paint jobs or no paint but Rhino lined instead, huge lift with huge tires etc. Or $2000 in back registration fees due.

I just want a stock truck with 200k miles and normal wear and tear.

Frustrating!

 

[daves87rs]

At least they are not rusted out like they are here...

 

[Scorch]

Those don't even exist in Michigan, cancer got them years ago

 

[Chris142]

So far this one seems to be the best deal except that it's An automatic. http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/2792345721.html

 

[dparm]

Expand your search radius. Look for one a bit farther away and consider it a mini-road trip to pick it up!

 

[bradepb]

wow thats unbelievable to this Michigan boy. A white 1993 truck that still has the body on it!
My 2004 Escape is starting to pop at the rear wheelwells.

 

[01rangerxl]

Pickup mods, especially in the 3/4 ton and 1 ton class, have become a bit flashy for my tastes as well.

Open up a Diesel Power magazine and you will see what happened to all these good work trucks. Thug life wheels that probably don't have the load capacity of stock wheels, a bunch of external/electronic engine mods that hammer the engine, absurd lifts/tire sizes that limit the truck's capabilities, etc.

I'm all for building a custom vehicle, but I have a hard time understanding why you would take a perfectly capable truck and then limit its capabilities and potential longevity just to make it look like a Transformer.

 

[TooManyWheels]

Wow, things sure do vary by location. In this area, that would be extremely easy to find - you could almost walk out your door and stumble over one, although perhaps not quite at that price. And it wouldn't have appearance mods, it would have utility bumpers, a tool box, maybe a winch, etc. Heck, one of the nicest trucks I bought for my wife came with a tool box!

Are there any dealers who specialize in good used work trucks? I know of one in this area who built his reputation by buying and reselling ex-fleet trucks. One of those might be in better shape than one which has been through who-knows-how-many private owners.

 

[01rangerxl]

You mean an Optimus Prime Cybertron truck doesn't work on a ranch? Who would have thought!

Now this is a work truck, even with an IDI 7.3...

 

[Chris142]

Originally Posted By: dparm
Expand your search radius. Look for one a bit farther away and consider it a mini-road trip to pick it up!
I have looked but the farther away I look the more they cost. This $2k truck is $7k in Vegas!


Originally Posted By: bradepb
wow thats unbelievable to this Michigan boy. A white 1993 truck that still has the body on it!
My 2004 Escape is starting to pop at the rear wheelwells.
I guess I'm spoiled in that area. I've never seen a rusty car and never had to use a torch to get a rusted nut loose.

 

[TooManyWheels]

Originally Posted By: Chris142


This $2k truck is $7k in Vegas!


You may have found a side business opportunity. How many pickups will your Peterbilt pull?

 

[SLCraig]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
Originally Posted By: bradepb
wow thats unbelievable to this Michigan boy. A white 1993 truck that still has the body on it!
My 2004 Escape is starting to pop at the rear wheelwells.
I guess I'm spoiled in that area. I've never seen a rusty car and never had to use a torch to get a rusted nut loose.

God that makes me so mad, LOL!
I hate working on cars here. My buddy's 2002 Protege5 is essentially scrap it's rusted so bad. (He just got $900 for it, probably because it still runs)

 

[exranger06]

A huge lift and tires are no big deal. I bet someone would be more than willing to trade you their stock suspension and wheels for those. They'd probably give you something for them too, since it's not really an even trade.

 

[Chris142]

Originally Posted By: exranger06
A huge lift and tires are no big deal. I bet someone would be more than willing to trade you their stock suspension and wheels for those. They'd probably give you something for them too, since it's not really an even trade.
Often a lift involves cutting and removing some parts of the frame. I don't want to get involved with that.

 

[exranger06]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
Often a lift involves cutting and removing some parts of the frame. I don't want to get involved with that.

That's not the case with a 90-96 F250/F350. They have leaf springs front and rear. A lift kit usually consists of bigger leaf springs in the front (with drop brackets for the axle beams, and a drop pitman arm), and blocks/add-a-leafs/bigger leaf springs for the rear.

To go back to stock, just swap out the drop brackets for stock ones, swap out pitman arm, and swap out front springs. For the rear, remove blocks or add-a-leafs or swap out rear springs.

 

[hattaresguy]

Cause most truck buyers don't use them as trucks, just big cars.

Don't worry as fuel prices go up this will change.

 

[JasonC]

Cash for Clunkers removed a ton of solid, cheap vehicles from the marketplace. I saw plenty of late 80's-mid 90's trucks that only needed minor work to be a daily driver at dealerships marked for destruction due to CFC.

 

[SteveSRT8]

^^^Agreed^^^

What a waste of nice parts cars and easily repairable ones.

 

[Hollow]

Originally Posted By: SLCraig
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Originally Posted By: bradepb
wow thats unbelievable to this Michigan boy. A white 1993 truck that still has the body on it!
My 2004 Escape is starting to pop at the rear wheelwells.
I guess I'm spoiled in that area. I've never seen a rusty car and never had to use a torch to get a rusted nut loose.

God that makes me so mad, LOL!
I hate working on cars here. My buddy's 2002 Protege5 is essentially scrap it's rusted so bad. (He just got $900 for it, probably because it still runs)


Same here. My 2003 has more seized/rusted bolts that I like to think about...getting the ATF and differential drain bolts out took PB Blaster, a hammer, and a breaker bar. Friend's 2001 Saturn just got totaled due to frame rust and failure.

 

[Jarlaxle]

I needed a 4' breaker bar to get the filler plug out of my Cherokee's front axle! I have been hosing the rear diff cover bolts with penetrating oil in preparation for changing the axle oil...hope I don't snap any!

I hate SALT!