Is it worth it?

[ReaperIDI91]

Bought a '91 7.3 IDI F250 SC LB 4x4 3/4 ton with an E4OD a few weeks ago. When I looked at it and drove it, it didn't seem so bad and the guy told me that there were a few problems that I saw and knew right away. It's been a few weeks and I'm begining to wonder if this was a bad buy. I paid $900 for it. Here are what I know is wrong with it. The driver's side cab corner is rusted out so bad the floor has a whole and the door won't shut right because of it and the cab sags down on that side, the front is rusted to. The motor is strong. The E4OD is not working right, it doesn't want to work very well in reverse, which is better than when I bought it, cause it didn't work. The transmission filter was laying on the pan, replaced the filter and gasket and started to work, but not all the time, and most of the time I have to give it some throttle before it will even move. The 4x4 sensor on the tranfer case is bad I'm guessing. The rear and front diff both leak. There is a full exhaust, but all straight pipe with no muffler, which makes this thing super loud it could wake the dead.

So my question is with the fact that the the diffs leak, the whole body needs replaced, the transmission is possibly bad, there is no muffler, it needs an alignment, the leveling kit on the front needs to come off, and several other things wrong with it, is this truck worth fixing it up or is it a very bad investment of $900.

I would really like to know what you guys think, cause I am torn between fixing it up and dumping loads of money I don't really have to fix it up or if I should part it out.

Also there are rebuild tags on Motor Transmission & Transfer case, but no paper work to prove it or to prove the mileage on it, and there are no service records on it at all.

 

[Diesel_brad]

Keep it as parts or part it out and buy something that is a better starting platform as a project.

I wouldnt of paid more than scrap value for the truck you described(4-500)

 

[jonathan]

Keep it as parts or part it out and buy something that is a better starting platform as a project.
i agree with that

 

[ReaperIDI91]

Yeah I was kind of afraid people might say that. I kind of felt like I made a bad buy. Thank you both.

 

[94turboidi]

I dunno I think sometimes people want a lot for the money. 900 isn't that much when it comes to buying a truck. If you could get a few years use out of it, not knowing what you want to use it for I don't think that would be that bad. Its probably not a steal or anything. I bought a 90 f250 4x4 5 speed ext cab long bed for 580 but it had no title and was used for parts. I bought it as non running basically for a 5 speed conversion. Well I am using almost every part of that truck today.

You could drive it how it is and slowly add to it if the frame and everything is in good shape. You will spend a lot more than 900 in parts on the truck. If it needs tires there is 600-800 or more. Ujoints, balljoints, hoses, glow plugs, coolant, who knows. It all adds up. I know it has on my truck but I look at it like this when I replace a part. I don't have a vehicle payment and that part is newer than a similar part that is on a newer vehicle someone is paying high payments, registration, insurance, etc. on. These older trucks are a lot cheaper all the way around and if a person put even a fraction of the cost into them they would probably be like brand new.

If you do end up keeping it and go through the rebuild process on that e40d get a shop that is familiar with them! I found out the hard way. I paid several times on the one I used to have because the guy didn't know anymore about them than I did.

 

[rjjp]

I'm not sure about where you're at, but round me that's about right, I was at the scrap yard today (taking in some copper) and checked the prices, my standard cab would bring 750-800 in scrap, seeing how that's an extended cab and runs it should be worth more than scrap.

 

[ReaperIDI91]

You do have some valid points, but also with times being the way they are it's hard to put alot of money into an old vehicle that needs lots of work to be able to become a daily driver. I kind of got screwed when I bouught it cause it didn't show signs of trouble when I drove it, but know it's showing alot of problems, expensive problems. The motor is very good & is very strong. The rear & front diffs are good, the frame is good as is the transfer case. The body is junk from the front to back, and the transmission is junk as well, that is a bad combo, body & transmission, cause it's not cheap to fix/replace either one.

 

[ReaperIDI91]

I'm in indiana.

 

[94turboidi]

I don't think you got screwed though. Thats a 4x4 diesel, extended cab. The body could be rusted out but you don't have to rush out and fix that right now. With these old vehicles it might be running fine one minute and wrenched on the next. If you got a giant hole in the cab throw some spray foam in there to seal it up for now and maybe a few years down the road you can get a good deal on a cab and put it on or pass it a long to someone else and get a nicer truck. A few years ago when my truck was down I needed something in the middle of winter for selling firewood. I looked all over and ended up driving quite a ways to get a 91 f250 extended cab long bed 4x4 gas truck for 500. It was sold as needing a water pump. I had a heck of a time getting it home it was freezing out and we got caught up in a storm and had to leave it part way from home and come back to get it. I got it going and it had rust holes in the frame, there was a lot of rusted spots on the body. Nothing glamorous but it hauled firewood. I used it all winter and more than paid for the truck with selling firewood. Then the engine went out. I sold a few parts off of it (got stiffed by a guy on the transmission!) then scrapped it for more than I paid for it.

 

[rhkcommander]

You can find a nice truck with a tossed gasser engine, and swap... C6 t19 Are both inexpensive and with the right gasser you might be able to adapt the old tranny.. IDk for sure on that though

Or swap cabs

 

[Fordman75]

I'm not sure about where you're at, but round me that's about right, I was at the scrap yard today (taking in some copper) and checked the prices, my standard cab would bring 750-800 in scrap, seeing how that's an extended cab and runs it should be worth more than scrap.

You've got much better scrap prices then I've got here! Here I'd be lucky to get $500-$550 out of one if I cut it into 3' pieces.

 

[Dieselcrawler]

we scraped a 92 f150 flareside a week or so ago. full bed sull of scrap(which wasnt much being a flareside shortbed) and got 550 for it. weighed in just a hair over 5400 lbs.