Soliciting thoughts- 2019 DRW F350 stolen (salvage but clear title)

GON said:
Fla, had buyer regret when I won the auction. Having driven almost 2,000 miles in the truck, I could not be happier with the buy.

All the issues are simple fixes. Had no idea this truck was super optioned. I like but don't care about things like a heated steering wheel, cooled seats, panoramic sunroof, even a power rear window. But I love all the towing features to include a light and a camera for hooking up a trailer, even Tps monitoring of the trailer tires.

This truck I suspect new today is about $115k out the door with tax and dealer markup. No way could I ever justify that purchase for a trailer hauler. This truck has 54k miles, one owner, never saw a trailer or a oil field. The interior is actually immaculate after a vacuum and a wipe down.

I budgeted $7500 to bring the interior back to original. I have revised my estimate for all parts for the truck to be 3-4k. Guys are paying 3k plus for black Chinese rims and Asian manufactured tires for these.

Truck will never be cosmetically perfect. But at 115k, it would be a full time job protecting the truck from scratches, etc. I can use this like a truck, yet have a interior so nice and beyond my wildest dreams. All with a clear title and pennies on the dollar.

Not trying to sound bravado on this, I was much more lucky than smart on this one. But blind squirrels sometimes find a pecan.
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My BIL had one like it and he loved that truck! But the high price of diesel finally got to him and he sold it.

What are you planning on doing about the paint finish? Or are you just going to keep it and use it as is?
 
Fla said:
My BIL had one like it and he loved that truck! But the high price of diesel finally got to him and he sold it.

What are you planning on doing about the paint finish? Or are you just going to keep it and use it as is?
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What I found out is dually beds are not very sellable. Guys pull off the dully beds to make flatbeds, etc. Nobody wants to replace their dully beds. SO I just have to find the color match, and a bed can be easily had for $1k. I had planned to but a charcoal colored bed with both led tail lights and tailgate for $1200 all in, in Bentonville, AR. I backed away because of logistical issues.

In Elco, NV right now someone has a bed with tail lights and tailgate for $2k. He originally asked $4k. I bet he would take 800. Near impossible to sell a dully bed I am told. Normal beds sell all day long.

I actually think I can fix this bed without a big issue, until I find a replacement bed. The top that is tore up has a missing rubber full length strip. That stip can hid the repairs under the strip. I can make a "kick plate", painted in oem color to then hide the hole.
 
loneryder said:
Did you ever get your MB ML to your relative? does she like it?
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It is actually a friend's daughter in Arkansas. I needed a new rear latch, it came in late last week. Need to install the latch, test drive for a week, have the MB go through "salvage" inspection, and then it will be done.
 
I am following since I buy and repair on a smaller scale than you. I’m stepping up on my work this summer as I step away from my day job (I have many projects slated). Day job has become very toxic and health sapping, per my physician. 😐

I tend to agree with the suggestion that the thieves likely ripped the satellite radio antenna out believing it to be a gps tracking system. Probably much of the damage is because they’re searching for whatever they think might be tracking them. High dollar, high spec truck is probably more likely to have anti-theft electronics they figure.

The bed damage is unrelated to the gps device search and in my estimation is probably from inexperienced skid steer operators loading something into the bed and damaging it. Why would they care?

Inexperienced could also be “messed up on something” too. 🫤
 
My view would be to get the truck home, fix it up to my satisfaction, and then worry about the bed. It seems to me that the old bed needs to be removed before you consider hauling a new bed home. If the old bed is removed, then the purchase of a new bed and having a body shop install near the place of purchase would be the way to go. Just my 2 cents from the peanut gallery.....
 
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Hour from home. Stopped in a construction zone.

The biggest unknown. Why are the rear seats headrests still in the truck? One likely needs the headrests to sell the rear seats.

Next would be why is there a patch at the left tail light wires. Makes , zero sense. And no words damaged whatsoever when the center pulled.

I have speculation on this, would enjoy your thoughts on these three items.
 
Just picked up the floor console. $400. Not in perfect shape, but works.

PXL_20230619_202949889.webp
 
RhondaHonda said:
I still think this was stolen to smuggle people across the border. Remove the rear seats and get 8 instead of 4 or 5 in the back.
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RH, seems very likely and feasible. I think everything that was taken was so the vehicle could not be tracked, allocate more space, or disguise the vehicle (shows a F250 instead of a F350).

All fascinating...... would like to know how the vehicel was discovered a theft and recovered. There were two different texas plates in the loose in the bed of the truck.
 
Final update for the day. Made it home. Zero issues with the truck. Blown away on this truck in so many ways, It would be fun to find the story of how stolen and then how it was used, and finally recovered. Even wonder how the insurance company did not write off the truck. But to the adjuster's credit. Truck runs awesome, interior less the console and rear seats is perfect, and the truck structurally (frame) is immaculate, and only 53k miles (now 55k). hmmmmm
 
GON said:
RH, seems very likely and feasible. I think everything that was taken was so the vehicle could not be tracked, allocate more space, or disguise the vehicle (shows a F250 instead of a F350).

All fascinating...... would like to know how the vehicel was discovered a theft and recovered. There were two different texas plates in the loose in the bed of the truck.
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Maybe the plates come back to a F 250 (and same color) so they were disguising it. Preventing it from being discovered as stolen. Although a truck person could tell something was up.
 
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