Best used pick up?

Larry Gude

Strung Out
Looking at an '03 F250 Super Duty, 7.3, 180k.

Also an '05 Ram 2500 Cummins 12 valve, 290k (best I can tell is the 24 valve is more complexity for no definitive advantage)

Older Chevy's don't seem to earn much credit.


Want; used, under $10k, diesel, 4by4, extended cab (not crew, but crew OK) 6.5' bed, 8' is not out of the question.

I think I want 250/2500's and up. Towing dual wheel work trailers regularly and want to be able to tow camper and maybe 5th wheel some day.
 

black dog

Free America
I'm a Ford diesel PU owner for the third time. I have a 7.3 turbo, F350 CC 8' bed.
I will never own another F350 or a CC 8' bed again.
For the cost difference along with the capacity the duallys to me are just not worth it.
Plus when driving the CC 8' bed around is just a hassle to maneuver and park in so many shopping centers and parking lots. And I would suggest just pricing a set of six Michelin's for a dually.
Remember this about driving a diesel. Drive big,, Pay big.
When it don't start bust out a thousand. When it drops a injector or two, bust out a few thousand. And most of that's with doing alot of the work yourself.
If you are interested in buying a 7.3 I would suggest you spend a few bucks and let the guys at Guy Motors in Mechanicsville look at it. The Shop Manager knows his $hit with 7.3's. he was a huge help to me on more than one occasion with 7.3 diesel issues.
But I will say for towing they are the Shizzle, I hauled a backhoe from MD to Mississippi and it had more than enough power to pull it on a tri- axle trailer through the mountains.
 

PeoplesElbow

Well-Known Member
I love Fords, but I know someone with an 04 diesel that has put more into fixing the thing than the truck cost new.
 

black dog

Free America
I love Fords, but I know someone with an 04 diesel that has put more into fixing the thing than the truck cost new.


I bought this one from John Hurry in Clement's with under 50 thou, his wife used it to haul horses and she bought a new one. John also has excellent maintenance schedules.
I'm a believer that how a piece of machinery is driven, operated and maintained is how it will return it's service life to the owner.
Mine has 225,000 + miles on it and other than normal maintenance I had to pull all the injectors at 150,000 and send them out for rebuild along with new glowplug wiring harness's. About 1,500 bucks with me doing the work.
Sometime in the near future it will need a auto transmission rebuild, it doesn't slip it just freewheels now when you back off the gas.

View attachment 118023
 

Larry Gude

Strung Out
I'm a Ford diesel PU owner for the third time. I have a 7.3 turbo, F350 CC 8' bed.
I will never own another F350 or a CC 8' bed again.
For the cost difference along with the capacity the duallys to me are just not worth it.
Plus when driving the CC 8' bed around is just a hassle to maneuver and park in so many shopping centers and parking lots. And I would suggest just pricing a set of six Michelin's for a dually.
Remember this about driving a diesel. Drive big,, Pay big.
When it don't start bust out a thousand. When it drops a injector or two, bust out a few thousand. And most of that's with doing alot of the work yourself.
If you are interested in buying a 7.3 I would suggest you spend a few bucks and let the guys at Guy Motors in Mechanicsville look at it. The Shop Manager knows his $hit with 7.3's. he was a huge help to me on more than one occasion with 7.3 diesel issues.
But I will say for towing they are the Shizzle, I hauled a backhoe from MD to Mississippi and it had more than enough power to pull it on a tri- axle trailer through the mountains.

Ok, so, basically, getting a good, reliable used diesel is not going to equate to inexpensive like a good, used gas? So, if I can get off the heavy towing desire for now, I might be better off with a good used gas pick up?


So, if so, what do we like in terms of < $10,000 used gas 4by4 pick up?


Thanks all! :buddies:
 

Larry Gude

Strung Out
I love Fords, but I know someone with an 04 diesel that has put more into fixing the thing than the truck cost new.

Me, too. I was hanging out with him the other day and he was going over the list of all he'd done to his '04 250 6.0. He does work the hell out of it.
 

PeoplesElbow

Well-Known Member
Ok, so, basically, getting a good, reliable used diesel is not going to equate to inexpensive like a good, used gas? So, if I can get off the heavy towing desire for now, I might be better off with a good used gas pick up?


So, if so, what do we like in terms of < $10,000 used gas 4by4 pick up?


Thanks all! :buddies:

There is a reason I just bought a Toyota.
 

black dog

Free America
Ok, so, basically, getting a good, reliable used diesel is not going to equate to inexpensive like a good, used gas? So, if I can get off the heavy towing desire for now, I might be better off with a good used gas pick up?


So, if so, what do we like in terms of < $10,000 used gas 4by4 pick up?


Thanks all! :buddies:

For most people gas is definitely that way to go. I believe even more so when used with high mileage. Gas is easier to work on, parts are cheaper, more places that will work on them and so on. With diesels you have to be diligent with your maintenance, if not it will catch up with you. Plus with gas no winter time issues with plugging it in at night and sometimes blocking the radiator to get more cabin heat.. gas is just easier. IMHO
 

black dog

Free America
Cummins.

Easier to work on, less cylinders, more torque, more power.

Yes they do, along with a horrible oil pressure system. With high miles in the lite truck line 6 cylinders when you get some good wear on the lower end and oil pump oil pressure tanks. To many of them need complete long block rebuilds way to early in the life of a diesel truck. JMHO..
Working for Denison I drove a Chevy 3/4 ton diesel with a Allison. I never towed with it, but it would definitely smoke the tires.
 

Larry Gude

Strung Out
That would definitely be my choice. We've got an '02 F-450 7.3SD and three earlier model 7.3 IDI trucks. 180K miles is nothing unless it was very poorly maintained.

Found a '99 F250, 7.3, 175k. Dude bought it 3 years ago with 140k, says it was in good shape then but that he spent 12k on stuff that needed doing, new tranny, replace fuse box, has receipts. Says he didn't do injectors or any fuel pumps. I thought those HAD to be done at 10 years or so?
 

black dog

Free America
That would definitely be my choice. We've got an '02 F-450 7.3SD and three earlier model 7.3 IDI trucks. 180K miles is nothing unless it was very poorly maintained.

Good Maintenance,,That's the key for sure.
With the cost of over a grand to rebuild a set of injectors ( doing the work yourself ) that will do alot of maintenance and repairs on a gas truck for the average owner.
When I bought the Black dually from Mr Hurry I walked over and looked at his heavy and farm equipment and every zirk fitting and bushing had bright red synthetic grease around it. John takes care of his stuff.
 

black dog

Free America
Found a '99 F250, 7.3, 175k. Dude bought it 3 years ago with 140k, says it was in good shape then but that he spent 12k on stuff that needed doing, new tranny, replace fuse box, has receipts. Says he didn't do injectors or any fuel pumps. I thought those HAD to be done at 10 years or so?

At 175 I'm shocked it hadn't been done already, I almost would bet money it's running on 7 cylinders and no one realises it. With the cubic inches of a 7.3 and driving around with no heavy load it's tough to tell with a 400 + CI engine.
When I did this last truck it blew me away how much power I had lost and never realized it had happened.
I lost two or three cylinders before I noticed it.

And I picked up about 5 mpg with all eight banging away.
 

Larry Gude

Strung Out
At 175 I'm shocked it hadn't been done already, I almost would bet money it's running on 7 cylinders and no one realises it. With the cubic inches of a 7.3 and driving around with no heavy load it's tough to tell with a 400 + CI engine.
When I did this last truck it blew me away how much power I had lost and never realized it had happened.
I lost two or three cylinders before I noticed it.

And I picked up about 5 mpg with all eight banging away.

The guy says he always asked his mechanic to do whatever needed doing. He was trying to sort through his notes as I asked questions over the phone and is happy for me to look through them myself. I'm with you; they had to be done. So, maybe they were and he forgot?
 

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
Found a '99 F250, 7.3, 175k. Dude bought it 3 years ago with 140k, says it was in good shape then but that he spent 12k on stuff that needed doing, new tranny, replace fuse box, has receipts. Says he didn't do injectors or any fuel pumps. I thought those HAD to be done at 10 years or so?

On our '02, I've replaced the HPOP and both high pressure oil lines and the engine lube oil pump. The HPOP didn't fail, it was damaged by a previous owner's hack mechanic and had a crack in the housing. The truck aas about 170K miles on it now but only about 30K since the work was done.
 

black dog

Free America
On our '02, I've replaced the HPOP and both high pressure oil lines and the engine lube oil pump. The HPOP didn't fail, it was damaged by a previous owner's hack mechanic and had a crack in the housing. The truck aas about 170K miles on it now but only about 30K since the work was done.

Have you had to do any injector / glow plug wiring harness replacement or repair along with those awesome wiring through valve cover gaskets. :dye:
 

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
Have you had to do any injector / glow plug wiring harness replacement or repair along with those awesome wiring through valve cover gaskets. :dye:

Not yet...but I know it's coming. I had Hills replace one weak injector and told them to replace the harness on that side but ...pardon my pun....our wires got crossed and it didn't happen.
 
Last edited:
Best used pick up?

Hey baby.... come here often?
You must be Jelly, cause jam don’t shake like that.
I seem to have lost my phone number. Can I have yours?
 
Top