97 F350 Powerstroke

Yeah yeah, another one of these threads. I'll get started!

Someone wants me to look at/get running a 1997 (10/96) F350 XL (Automatic, crank windows, original radio even) etc. It's a single cab, but a dually.

This thing takes "cold slumber" to a whole new level. Tires are all shot (all 6) even glancing at them makes it shred more. 7.3 is covered in dust underneath. Service body (stake bed of sorts, put on by Morgan? iirc) needs work also.

I think it's neat. But, as with anything, cost spirals out of control. $960 shipped +/- would give me new firestones (LT 215/85/R16) to toss on. Heaven knows what else. Think it was owned by a water company, judging by their maintenance barcode below the vin sticker on the door frame.

Batteries are probably flat f'n dead. Blowing/wiping dust off reveals Triple A (replacement?) batteries. 850 cca? Forgot.

Basically it's a basket case. I know it's vastly different with the CPS, injectors and other stuff then mine. IE horribly expensive to repair if one thing is wrong.

What should I look for? Figure the first order of business is pulling batteries and getting them tested/look if they have sulfated plates under the caps. Then trying fuel/crank/fuel filter replacements.

Any idea of offers to make? I'm thinking toss $300 or less at them (would rather chuck 150 even) slap/cobble together different tires on it and get it over to my place for more work.

It's for the rescue I work for, so they are trying to squeeze top dollar out of it for cash flow. But i'm not chucking $2k or more at something that looks like it was jettisoned off a flat bed and left to die.

Curious what anyones thoughts are and what to tackle for getting it running/gotchas to look at!

I'd be tempted to toss the utility bed off and bolt a regular one on if possible, but not sure if that is doable. It's a incomplete chassis built in mexico

Batteries first, cps (if tach doesn't move while cranking), fuel filter, oil and filter.
Pretty much that order. Should get you busy for a bit.

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Where is the cps? And with diesel fuel, all I know about is algae. Does diesel go sour like gasoline (varnish, varnish plugs, etc etc) or it's more stable?

Assuming the worst with the fuel

It won't usually do that.
Cps is easiest reached from the bottom. Passenger side next to the crankshaft pulley. You'll see the wires.

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Thanks for your help jasper. $2k is a real tough sell on this vehicle. Unknown if it runs, oil filler cap appears to be broken off (lord knows if dust is in the engine/oil at this point) flat dead batteries, 6 shredded tires, etc etc. I'm figuring $1100 alone in tires to make it even move down the hill...

Still not a bad price even to resell it.
With the oil cap off. I would just dump some oil through to flush anything out. Few quarts should work.
Can you run retreads in your state?

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There are some retread companies in town here, but their prices didn't impress me much for what amounts to mystery quality

Check out www.treadwright.com
Seem to be good pricing.

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Interesting. Last time I was on the site it was a POS. everything was out of stock or the pricing was closer to a actual new tire. Seems to be a good price to get it down the road

Personally I haven't ran them, just heard good reviews.
Also cooper discoverer at3's aren't bad. Those I have.

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It's insane how out of reality the market place is. 3-4k on the low end for these trucks, especially a basket case one? good god. It's like i've stumbled into the twilight zone of overpriced stuff.

Around 2002? or so, We got a 1965 Dodge A100 van for $750. Bad engine (needed new main bearings/etc) and some comestic work. Long after it was sold, I started seeing their value sky rocket. Junk buckets crammed full of the legendary dodge rust problems looking like they got dumped out of a C-130 from 30,000 feet, run into by a locomotive and then smashed by kids with hammers started fetching $2k,$3k,$4k, etc.

That 70's show with Kelso and his was partly to blame, but it's like values on vehicles just went in complete reverse. Any vehicle, the more I see it. There was a time when the Volkswagen Rabbits (with the diesels/other volkswagen body styles, even the trucks) started trending below $1k or less. Then around 07, *wham* up the prices went. Horribly also. I saw several $9,000 ones even sold by greedy a**holes racketeering off high fuel prices "50+ mpg! get yours today!"

Even spare parts/engines are such greed fests now also. $3k-$5k for 3.9 cummins, and you know the jacka** bought the bread van it came out of dirt cheap, stripped the engine/trans out, dumped the body for $$$$ in aluminum scrap and then turned around and marked the flying fudge out of the engine...

It's sickening. The disgusting practices that stayed in the narrow halls of wall street are now oozing out all over... All for greed!

Going to see what I can do to get the vehicle running for them so they can squeeze max profit out of it at this point to assist their end goals

Yep.
Good deals can be found though. I paid $850 for the 88 f250 eclb 4x4 7.3 zf5. Paid $1800 for my 94 f350 psd 4x4 zf5.
Cummins are definitely the most over priced thing I've seen, 2nd would be the gm 6.2/6.5's.

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Blame Obama with his Cash for Clunkers. Thousands of good vehicles went to the J yard. That sent used vehicles skyrocketing. Lot's of Poor people could no longer afford a used vehicle.