F-350 Donated to YouTube Channel Will Benefit a Good Cause
TFL Truck has a lot of good mods in store for this 1989 F-350, which they’ll auction off to raise funds for children’s charity.
On the used market, diesel trucks usually command higher prices than their gas-powered counterparts. They have durable engines, but that longevity doesn’t come free. This 1989 Ford F-350 is about as close to free as you can get, though. The guys at TFLclassics got it for $1.
Its previous owner, a man named David, was looking for a camper to put on the back of his vintage GMC pickup so he could drive up to Alaska. He found what he was searching for attached to this 1989 Ford F-350. TFL Truck had previously done a video on his Cummins-powered GMC so David reached out to co-hosts Tommy Mica and Andre Smirnov to see if they wanted to take this particular rig off of his hands. Of course, they said yes.
The guys already have mods for it in mind. Mica says, “The plan is, we’re going to do our usual thing – a video series around it, comparing it to new trucks, old trucks, take it off-road, maybe Moab, fix it up a little bit.” David agreed to hand the title over under one condition: “The stipulation is once you’re done with it, then we’re going to auction it off for Mountain States Children’s Home,” which helps families and kids who have experienced abuse, neglect, and abandonment.
The channel’s newest purchase has a naturally aspirated 7.3-liter International IDI (Indirect Injection) diesel V8 under its hood. Although it lacks the grunt of its turbocharged successors, the good thing is that it’s “super under-stressed,” according to Mica. “It’s super under-engined for horsepower and torque [185 and 338, respectively, according to PowerStrokeHub.com], but it means you’re never going to break it off-road.” That’s connected to a 5-speed manual gearbox, four-wheel drive, and a 4.10:1 rear end.
Before Mica and Smirnov can start modding their new F-350, they have to take care of its basic parts first. It could definitely use some fresh springs, shocks, wheels, and tires. Then there’s the block lift. The diffs at both ends are open so at least one locker should be on the list, too. And some TLC for the rusted and faded body wouldn’t hurt.
On the other hand, the interior is in much better shape. There aren’t the major rips or cracks you might expect in a 31-year-old truck. The radio is all original. Even the heater works – which is a good thing because the IDI needs to warm up for four or five minutes before it stops smoking.
Mica and Smirnov have their work cut out for them, to say the least. But they won’t mind. David tells Mica, “I think you’re going to be happy with this truck.” And we know some unfortunate kids out there will be happy once they auction it off in its upgraded, finished form.
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