I was hoping to ask the ford gurus in this forum regarding the good and the bad, pros and cons of the F 150. I was planning on getting one soon. I found a 97 /ext cab /4x4 /5.4 /v8 /316,946km/ no rust/ auto / cloth int. power windows and door locks etc... for $4500. There is another one I was looking at 97 /4.6/ v8/ 260,000km/ slight rust at left rear bumper/auto/ leather/ power windows and door locks etc../4x4/ ext cab /one of the rims is different from the three stock F150 rims for $3500. And my last choice was a 98 250,000km/ext cab/ 4x2/ v6/ no power options/ one of the rear right wheel stud is broken/ a few scratches/ no rust/cloth int for $3000. is 316k too high for a 97 and is it over priced? It is the best in appearance, it worries me if it is not the same mechanically. What should I watch out for? Please any recommendations is greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

It depends.

1. Is it a one-owner truck?

2. Has all Ford maintenance schedule been followed (and documented), and do the fluids look clean?

3. Does the transmission and the transfer case engage and shift smoothly?

4. Are there any unusual noises (ticking, chattering, etc.) when the engine is idling, or is there hesitation or loss of power while accelerating?

5. Are there any squeaks, rattles, vibrations, shudders, groans, ticking sounds or other odd noises when you drive it on a variety of road surfaces?

If the answers to 1,2 and 3 are yes, and to 4 or 5 is no, I'd take a chance on it. Otherwise, it would be a good idea to have a competent mechanic check it out before you buy.

With that many KMs, I wouldn't spend money for a Car fax report.

 

Check to see when the oil, transmission, t-case and rear axle fluids were changed. For the miles the 97 4.6 is a good price.

 

$4,500 for a 12 year old truck with over 190,000 miles (316,946km) on it is not a good price...

 

I figured...Its just that the exterior and interior is in immaculate condition. I was thinking that It might be the same mechanically. The problem is I'm new to the truck scene. I don't want my first truck to be a nightmare. I don't know to identify as a problem. A friend of mine told me that this generation of F150's has sparkplug blowout issues. People recommend me to get the 5.4 starting from 04'. I would love to but can't afford to get one of those at this moment.

 

Those have spark plugs that stick and break and noisy cam phasers. The 03 and earlier 5.4 and 4.6 blowout issues can be eliminated by using only Motorcraft SP-series plugs, torqued to 28 ft/lb with NO antiseize.

The 4.2, although kinda slow, is bulletproof as long as the engine was built after 1/15/98. The build date is on a sticker on the driver's side valve cover.

 

One thing I do is to open the oil fill hole and see if I can see or using my finger wipe up significant sludge. If it has a lot of sludge in it, the oil wasn't changed often enough no matter how many miles are on it.

 

I'll keep that in mind...anything else you can recommend? Thanks for the input

 

I have found that the cleaner the truck the better maintained it is. I would rather have clean 150k truck than one abused with 80k on it. The first one sounds like the winner but I would say you need to get them down on the price. is it a private owner or dealer? $3800 or so would be a good deal if it checks out mechanically. Have it looked ovee first to make sure there aren't major issues.

 

The first one converts to 197k miles. That's a lot. Although it could last many more miles, you may have major repair bills in your future with any of these trucks. I'm sure you know this.

 

my dad just picked up a 2003 f250 with the 5.4 in it gasser and it has all the maintence done regularly and it has 275,000 miles on it and still running great. all it needed when he bought it was the plug connectors to the spark plugs and thats it, he makes 3-5 hour trips one wat on most weekends with it and runs perfect.

 

It is a dealer. I know the price is a bit too high for its age. I'm still shopping around and taking my time. Any recommendations on anything that I should be looking and inspecting?

 

Put it on a rack and give it a good look underneath. May reveal some stuff like body/chassis repairs. If it has mud stuck everywhere, you know it has been off-roaded. Check for unacceptable leaks and rust while you are under there. Beware of any evidence of modifications or emissions equipment removal.

 

While I agree that well maintained high mileage vehicles are more than likely better than low mileage poorly maintained ones, the things you can't maintain suffer wear every mile that can't be undone.

Looking for both my f150 & mustang I ran into vehicles with 20 thousand miles that I wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole. I've been conditioned to think that anything over 100k is stealing time, and once you go over 200k, I'm happy I see them out there because it gives me hope for my own vehicles longevity, but starting out there or above gives me the heebs.

I think the advice about skipping the carfax is ill advised too. It's good to see where a car lived for long periods of time. It may not tell you much of anything, but some of them will reveal quite a bit.

Also I've almost always had vehicles professionally inspected by people who don't have skin in the game.

 

Carfax is worthwhile as it can let you know things like if it had been flooded or salvaged. It can also let you know if the mileage had been tampered with.

Obviously it has more value on a newer more expensive vehicle but still a $20.00 investment is one where you can't go too wrong.