Say you had 20k to spend on a truck....

[oregon-mike]

OK folks,
A friend from the barn where we board our horses is looking for a horse hauler. They're moving to Austin TX next summer and would like to have it before then for tax purposes and for use while they're still in Oregon.

She'd like to spend up to, say, 20k. Hubby would like to spend more like 2k.

I talked to her a bit about things tonight...."would you change the oil or take it to a PitStop kind of place"...."would you change the glow plugs"..."could you/would you replace a starter"...etc

She thought she'd be OK with the oil & glow plugs, not so sure about the starter.

I have a '93, another friend/boarder at the barn has a '99. I paid 2.5k for my truck. Rose paid 10k for her 99 (same basic specs as my truck but a powersmoke).

Based on her responses to me wrt the mechanical work that *would* be involved with an IDI, I'm guessing that's not in the picture. I don't think she feels like she *has* to spend 20k on the truck, but unless she bought something from somebody here that had just done a ton of work to it, I don't think she'll realize the savings (of an IDI vs PS/Dmax/Cummins).

So, that said, even though this is the IDI forum, if any of y'all had 20k of someotherbody's money to spend on a truck...what would you buy? Keepi in mind that she'll most likely be taking this to a shop for any/all repair work that I can't help her with via email.

They have no kids at this point. Coupla dogs. I told her extra cab at the least, crew is only about __________ longer, may as well get the crew...

Any years of the powerstrokes to stay away from (first year or two of the 6.0 maybe)? How about the Dmax? Cummins? I know the 12v up to 98 is ideal for conversions and ease or working on but, remember she's probably not going to get too far into working on this thing.

I don't want to start any kind of ford/dodge/chevy war here. She doesn't care what badge is under it at this point, just wants a diesel horse hauler that's good & dependable. She only has one horse at the moment, that will change I'm sure.

Thanks for any insight, we'll be starting to look at trucks as I find the ones that fit her criteria and that we can get to see fairly easily.

Mike
PS-that/this was *way* longer than I thought it was going to be to start...didn't mean to write a novel

 

[tonkadoctor]

I'd avoid the early '99 superduty because ford made a lot of changes that year and people often have problems finding parts. My 2000 was a good truck and when I bought the '06 I was staying away from the '03 & '04 when I was shopping.

For $20k she can get a pretty nce truck and if she's into comfort she'll like the ride and refinement of the SD vs the OBS trucks.

If she has kids or rides with more than 2 people often definatly spring for a crew cab.

 

[lotzagoodstuff]

Don't rule out the Excursion

Is she pulling a 5th wheel or does she just need to pull a regular reciever?

My buddy is on his 4th Ford diesel, and I have driven all of them and I've got to tell you I liked the 7.3 Excursion he had the most. It had a BDS lift, 35 BFGs, 4" exhaust and an air intake kit. It tow'd well, rode like a car, got routinely 19+ mpg, with the huge single fuel tank had almost 800 miles of range, and believe it or not it the turning radius was a lot (like very noticeably) better than either of the crew cab short boxes he has had since.

The power of the 6 liters are awesome, but both of his (2005 and 2007) have been really bad on fuel (like 12-15 all the time).

His 7.3 had enough power, even with the 35s and enough creature comforts to do anything. My buddy likes new stuff (writes them off for work) but he really misses the Excursion. I also think there are lots of nice Excursions out there as lots of people use them to haul all their kids to soccer as opposed to hauling heavy stuff and/or taking them hunting, etc.

If your friend needs a bed for a 5th wheel, I would buy a crew cab 7.3 F250 or F350, as it the same rig with a bed behind it. There are lots of them out there for $20K, look for a really nice one and pay more for it.

Good luck

R. J.

 

[FordGuy100]

I would say a 99-03 F-350 CC PSD. Then drop a couple grand into tranny mods, like some tranny fluid coolers, a towing torque converter, shift kit, have the tranny gone through and rebuilt. Then take a couple more grand and do some engine mods, a chip, gauges, exhaust, bigger intercooler, maybe some turbo mods.

Or you could build up one nice IDI .

 

[big jake]

it took me a while, but look what I just got for $12k........


www.nwbombers.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=33271


big jake

 

[oregon-mike]

BigJake,
That's a damn nice truck but, she's going to be doing, at most, oil changes on the thing. Can you imagine (yes, she is blonde) going to the local NAPA and asking for an oil filter for a '97 Ford diesel with a 6 cylinder?

Congrats on the purchase, that'd be a great truck!

Mike

 

[towcat]

If they are moving to TX, they're gonna need a CC dually. They're much better suited for the roads in TX. Whatever they do, don't put off buying one before moving out to TX. Why? Most TX used trucks have had the stuffing kicked out of them already. Texans WORK their trucks and it shows. Here's my choices if I am building one for a customer.....
Third.....
'00 to '02 CC dually with 5 or 6 spd. Everybody's got one....
Second.....
'96 or '97 OBS PSD CC dually with 5spd. With powerplant upgraded to '99 and up specs. IC incl'd.
First....
'92 to '94 OBS IDI CC dually Turbo'd, IC'd, 5spd, hydro'd. '99 e-series disc rear, Kelderman front and rear air ride. Why? simple, bulletproof, easy to maintain, bubba can still work on it, can still get aftermarket body goodies.

 

[towcat]

it took me a while, but look what I just got for $12k........


www.nwbombers.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=33271


big jake

congrats.
imho you got yourself the holy grail of domestic diesels
just one request.... don't dump the IDI.

 

[big jake]

Calvin:

I'll have one IDI plus my Benz that I will be unloading, but keeping the truck that you know of.

The 97 is currently on "lay-away", I will be picking it up in early December when it is fully paid for.

big jake

 

[Agnem]

Well sad as it is to say, I can't recommend an IDI to somebody who doesn't want to do all their own maintanance, simply for the reason that outside of the members of this board, and a select few professionals, it seems that finding qualified people to work on them is impossible. That said, and given my limited PSD experience, I'd still want a 7.3PSD. The Excursion has been a great truck so far, and my experience with it mirrors what the previous poster said about another one. The golden rule with Ford's diesels seem to be "get the last year that they made any particular engine" By then, they got all the bugs worked out and the best parts in em. I realize there is that PMR issue with the later 7.3's, but if your not obsessed with horsepower, I don't see that being a factor.

 

[creighta]

hands down late 99 to 03 PSD, F250, though. Similar performance and cheaper tags here in OH.

look out for rust, though. before I bought my 93 I looked at 00 and up trucks and all of them under 20k were rust buckets, especially the doors and oil pans!!

 

[oregon-mike]

hands down late 99 to 03 PSD, F250, though. Similar performance and cheaper tags here in OH.

That brings up a point I hadn't thought of....is licensing in Texas based on load capacity? It's not here in Oregon, $54 for 2 years for my Honda and $54 for 2 years for the F350 dually.

I've found her a few 99-03 duallies already. Found an '01 crew cab dually with the Lariat package, 6 speed tranny (waiting on an email from her of manual is OK) with only 41,000 miles for just over 20k. I think that she's planning on a gooseneck trailer so that rules out the Excursions.

I see that some of the '03s came with the 7.3 and others with the 6.0. What year was OK to start getting the 6.0? I know Tonkadoc said he was not looking at the '03s or '04s and that sort of implies to me that an '05 or later would be OK. Don't know if we'll find anything in her price range that new.

Mike

 

[rubberfish]

What to buy eh?
I'm not sure on the prices of these,
but for a Ford? '99 - '03
for a Dodge? '94 - '98
and for a Chev? I guess '05 and up.

 

[Fordsandguns]

That brings up a point I hadn't thought of....is licensing in Texas based on load capacity? It's not here in Oregon, $54 for 2 years for my Honda and $54 for 2 years for the F350 dually.

I've found her a few 99-03 duallies already. Found an '01 crew cab dually with the Lariat package, 6 speed tranny (waiting on an email from her of manual is OK) with only 41,000 miles for just over 20k. I think that she's planning on a gooseneck trailer so that rules out the Excursions.

I see that some of the '03s came with the 7.3 and others with the 6.0. What year was OK to start getting the 6.0? I know Tonkadoc said he was not looking at the '03s or '04s and that sort of implies to me that an '05 or later would be OK. Don't know if we'll find anything in her price range that new.

Mike

My 91 F250 runs about $62 a year for registration here in Tx.

 

[Russ]

BTDT see sig for my suggestion. I'm not going to knock the IDI, but being as the last one rolled off the line in 1994 and the aftermarket is starting to stop making parts for them, I'd have to go with a PSD just because of the availability of parts.

BTW registration cost me $198.00 a year here