Anyone in Missouri have a decent rig for sale?

[nelstomlinson]

I have a daughter who's in Missouri until June, and she wants to buy a truck down there and drive it back to Alaska. Her budget is about $6k. The truck has to be solid enough to get here from there with no issues. She's going to want me to help with maintenance in the future, so an IDI would be ideal...

Edited to add: she's looking in Overland Park, Kansas, too, so I guess Kansas or Missouri or whatever's close.

 

[FrozenMerc]

That is a tough ask on only a $6K budget. It may be tough to find something that is dead nuts reliable for the 3300 miles from KC to Alaska. You can probably find something cheap, but the question is how much are you willing to stick into it to prepare for the journey? Plus, the 80's and early 90's where not exactly Ford's best years for quality...

I would have her keep an eye on Purple Wave Auctions. They are an auction company based out of Manhattan, KS that deals in alot of fleet, ag, and construction equipment. A good place to find IDI powered stuff at reasonable prices. Here is link to a current 1994 F250 (351W powered) that is for sale.

https://www.purplewave.com/auction/...ps_and_Vans-3/4_or_1_Ton_Pickup_or_Van-Kansas

Or an IDI

https://www.purplewave.com/auction/...ps_and_Vans-3/4_or_1_Ton_Pickup_or_Van-Kansas

 

[nelstomlinson]

I've been trying to tell her she's going to be taking a big chance buying a rig with no way to fix it up for 3000+ miles.

 

[KansasIDI]

Yeah tough on that. You’ll need 4WD, I’ve contemplated driving up there in my Dodge. Looks like a land chock full of really cool opportunities. Plenty of jobs available from what Ive seen online, guessing that’s less than half of what’s actually available. I’ve heard the cost of living is super high, but Kansas is cheap living so that will depend on perspective. I hope to visit there someday within the next couple of years. I would get a decent gas powered truck with 4WD, and be prepared to spend lots of money on fuel and a week or two getting there. If your glowplugs fail, you forget to plug it in, or your fuel system leaks, you’ll have hell getting an IDI to start in really cold weather. Carbs will ice up at those temps. EFI gasser would be your friend. Probably still want to plug in? And non liquid type batteries that won’t freeze. I work in Scottsbluff Nebraska during the summer, in the winter it can get very very cold… was snow on the ground all winter long this year up there… and the wind is always so strong…

 

[Cant Write]

I recommend a 1996-2006 suburban. Large enough to sleep in safely, starts well in winter, much much better than TBI. I’ve owned multiple of all 3 generations.

And if she needs a pickup box, redneck trailer solves that!!

3/4 preferred but not required.

 

[nelstomlinson]

The IDIs start and run all winter, long as we plug'em in. We use stadard flooded lead acid batteries. Long as they're charged, they don't freeze. We put a trickle charger on the battery, a heat patch on the oil pan (another on the transmission oil pan for automatics) and the block heater.

If you get up this way give us a shout.

Edited to add: what do you do for a living, KansasIDI?

 

[FrozenMerc]

I will back Nelstom up, IDI's get a bad rap these days for being hard to start in the cold, but with 30 / 40 year old components, that is true of many different vehicles. If the glow plugs all work, you have two good batteries, a good injection pump with no fuel system air intrusion, and follow Ford's recommended starting procedure (mash the pedal while cranking!), they fire right up in minus something degree weather. I lived in the NW corner Minnesota for 35 years, and never had a problem getting mine to light off, even in -20 or colder. The bigger winter problem I had is that a 1 wheel drive dually is beyond completely worthless on any surface other than dry pavement... I carried around old shingles and kitty litter just to get out of parking lots.

I always enjoyed going to Alaska for work, but we only went up there in the winter to chase snow. One of these years I need to get up there in the summer.

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[Brian VT]

No problem cold starting here down to -10F (so far). And I only have the original block heater for winter temps.
I didn't know about "mashing" the pedal. I just push the pedal down once to activate the high idle and let off, hold my glow plug button in for 8-10 seconds, and she usually fires right up. If not, I give it another 5-6 seconds of glow and it starts that time.
If I do hold the pedal down when starting then I get a big puff of exhaust when it starts.

 

[Rdnck84_03]

I have never had any cold starting issues including a couple -25 nights we had a few years ago. Mine is an '83 with the block that is said to be prone to cracking around the heater so I never plug it in. Only time I had it not start was when the alternator died and the batteries just wouldn't spin it fast enough.

I have 5- 7.3 powerstrokes and only 1 of them will start in those Temps without being plugged in.

James

 

[Cubey]

I have my 87 F250 in SW Arkansas (extended cab, long bed, 2017 installed all tertian tires with under 15k miles on them) I need to probably sell, but I'm in Arizona right now. I am considering going back out there around June actually, but that might be too late? It's not perfect but it was running good when parked late 2020. But I realize that's further from Alaska than you already are. Figured I'd mention it anyway.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I’ve heard the cost of living is super high, but Kansas is cheap living so that will depend on perspective.

It and not just compared to Kansas either.

I work in Scottsbluff Nebraska during the summer,

Man. Scottsbluff is a long drive from here. Wilsey is just that much farther.

One of these years I need to get up there in the summer.

I have never had any cold starting issues including a couple -25 nights we had a few years ago.

At those temperatures, I don't want to start. I'm not sure how my truck feels about it.

I have 5- 7.3 powerstrokes and only 1 of them will start in those Temps without being plugged in.

No surprise there. I've known a few guys who swore that their glow plugs were good, but their 7.3PSD wouldn't start under 40* without being plugged in. I just climb in my IDI and smile as I drive away.

 

[Rdnck84_03]

No surprise there. I've known a few guys who swore that their glow plugs were good, but their 7.3PSD wouldn't start under 40* without being plugged in.

Truthfully most cold starting issues with the 7.3psd is usually injector related. My one that will cold start now wouldn't start below 50 when I first bought it. Biggest improvement I got was by switching to synthetic oil.

James

 

[KansasIDI]

Out there in Scottsbluff our Cummins have trouble. Staying in an RV in -40 sucks, so does trying to start a Cummins that somebody forgot to plug in. We have an old Case trencher, not sure what engine it has, but it hates to start. We have never gotten it stsrt below 45. Pull a generator over there, get a super awesome battery charger, a full can of starting fluid, and it still won’t start below 45. Still have to have all that stuff if it is below 70ish. And we have replaced the whole fuel system, preheaters, everything. It’s just a cold blooded piece of ****

 

[Cant Write]

My best cold starting diesel has always been my ALH TDI. (17) F or worse without being plugged in, and 2 glows.

Dad always said his 5.7 Olds Diesel always started in 1980’s SD winters. DX Block, but he was always worried he would twist the shaft off the vacuum pump/oil pump on the cold thick oil. I’m talking out of my league but I think the vacuum pump was where a distributor would go, which was turned by the cam and that shaft also connected to the oil pump. Like a SBC.

 

[Cant Write]

Out there in Scottsbluff our Cummins have trouble. Staying in an RV in -40 sucks, so does trying to start a Cummins that somebody forgot to plug in. We have an old Case trencher, not sure what engine it has, but it hates to start. We have never gotten it stsrt below 45. Pull a generator over there, get a super awesome battery charger, a full can of starting fluid, and it still won’t start below 45. Still have to have all that stuff if it is below 70ish. And we have replaced the whole fuel system, preheaters, everything. It’s just a cold blooded piece of ****

Sounds like an Evinrude!!