Calling all diesel truck enthusiasts/experts

[roberth]

A few observations off the bat.
1. It is owned by a young gentlemen in the country
2. After market air filter
3. After market exhaust
4. Lifted
5. STI
All of this add up to work and ego, this truck has been rode hard since he has owned it. They have a great drivetrain but if something fails it gets expensive. With the above five reasons if you like it bring it to a garage so they can check the fluids for metal shavings and give it a full check. Personally i would be a little put off by it because i know there are plenty of older gentlemen that buy a diesel to move their camper and/or boat around a few times a year. That is just me though.

Exactly.

The 7.3 motor and the axles are great. The transmission will be as good as it was treated, if it was abused or neglected (more than 15k-20k b/t fluid/filter changes then stay away, very expensive to fix.

I would say NO on this truck because of the lift and other mods. Find a clean stocker and do your own mods.

Look for the kind of truck rabid said and I highlighted, it'll cost more but with proper care should go 400K miles.

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

I'm definitely no expert, but something of a mild enthusiast.
The reason I own diesel pickups is because I worked as an EMT in college.

ALL of our ambulances were Ford 7.3s. They were SO beat on, and we had the world's laziest / chittiest mechanic on staff.
I seriously could not tell you what sort of a maintenance schedule any of the rigs were on but it seemed like never. $0.02 We destroyed bodies in crashes (ambulance bodies, hopefully not patient bodies), we tweaked transmissions, I personally had a driveshaft u-joint go on me which was exciting, but I never saw a blown motor. And because I worked for the cheapest ambulance company in all of the ghetto, we'd have 3, 4, 500k on these things. (edit: with a ton of city miles / extra idling) They'd always die in crashes before being "used up."

It was back then that I decided when I got older and had some money, I'd own a diesel truck. I always wanted a 7.3 - but have owned only a couple of cummins since.
Last for-what-it-is-worth thought - people rag on the 7.3 as "slow" compared to the competitors / newer stuff. These ambulances were WAY heavier than my empty pickup and i don't know if it was gearing or what, but I sure don't know where that "slow" thing came from. I'd definitely say "comparable" - if not quite as fast. You're not missing out there, again, IMHO. If I could find a really clean one, a 7.3 Expedition would be my dream truck.

[Irving]

With a camper on the back, this would be a badass bugout vehicle...http://cosprings.craigslist.org/cto/3864680392.html

Anything over a 350/3500 will have to be insured on a commercial policy FYI.

[rockhound]

i can tell you my 2000 f250 would go through brakes like they were Lays potato chips, like every 6000 miles

by contrast my dodge ram 3500, DRW gets 80,000 miles out of a set of brakes

[killianak9]

Whatever you do, don't consider a 6.oh-no.

Just my two cents and experience. Only get into a diesel if you have the money to spend. Unless your doing maintenance yourself, it can get spendy. You get what you pay for
I bought my first stock 2004 f250 Crew Kingranch 6.0 in 2008 for $26800. Had a 2002 f150 before this one. It had 82,000 miles. at 120,000 I had to replace the FICM, EGR valve, Cooler and a few other things. $2600 in repairs two years after purchase. All OEM Ford Parts.
That was Since then I installed a Edge CTS programmer (about 18k mi on it with the Edge, no issues) and now pull a 10K enclosed car haul and a 12k 5th wheel camper with same truck and so far, NO issues. I do all planned maintenance, oil, filters, sensors ect..... The Edge made a huge difference for towing, which Is why I got it, and I do a lot of.
Take your time, do your research and get what vehicle will meet your needs. Good luck , keep us posted

[soldier-of-the-apocalypse]

Buy a 12v cummins and be happy

[soldier-of-the-apocalypse]

Just my two cents and experience. Only get into a diesel if you have the money to spend. Unless your doing maintenance yourself, it can get spendy. You get what you pay for
I bought my first stock 2004 f250 Crew Kingranch 6.0 in 2008 for $26800. Had a 2002 f150 before this one. It had 82,000 miles. at 120,000 I had to replace the FICM, EGR valve, Cooler and a few other things. $2600 in repairs two years after purchase. All OEM Ford Parts.
That was Since then I installed a Edge CTS programmer (about 18k mi on it with the Edge, no issues) and now pull a 10K enclosed car haul and a 12k 5th wheel camper with same truck and so far, NO issues. I do all planned maintenance, oil, filters, sensors ect..... The Edge made a huge difference for towing, which Is why I got it, and I do a lot of.
Take your time, do your research and get what vehicle will meet your needs. Good luck , keep us posted

Don't buy a Sick point slow like this guy. It's the biggest peice of shit ever built by ford

[enthusiast]

Thanks for all of the replies! I have started looking at Dodge now as well. My brothers work for Dodge so I can get stuff at cost and they will stop making fun of me if I got one as well.

[sabot_round]

All advice given here is good. If you are gonna steer away from Power stroke to cummins, just make sure that you get a stick tranny. It will take you further places than an auto.

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

All advice given here is good. If you are gonna steer away from Power stroke to cummins, just make sure that you get a stick tranny. It will take you further places than an auto.

I agree. My 2500 was auto. It was much faster top end and off the line, I'm sure because of gearing - and mostly axles at that.
My 3500 is standard. I'd do this again in a second with as many jeep auto transmissions that I've had. Treadlightly on Chrysler autos.