Thanks to all members for the extraordinary amount of information I have received from this site since becoming a member... I have a couple of questions:

1. I plan on buying a Lariat Screw sometime next year, probably around July... Regarding the specific options I want/don't want, I'm wondering if I would be better off ordering... However, I'm also wondering when does Ford stop making the 04? By July of next year will they only be making the 05?

2. Which brings me to my next question, Maybe I'd be better to get the 05, but would there be a big price difference? Lack of rebates, etc...

One of my concerns is there seems to be a lack of Lariats on dealer lots at this time, I suppose its early, but will this change as we come into the new year...?

Thanks.

 

Come on guys... No one knows when they stop making the 04, and start the 05??

 

if I was to make a guess it would be in august. if you ordered in july you might be able to get a 05 the 05 might have some improvements and ther might be a minor increase in price but my guess is not much as it has already had the price jacked up for this new model. if I were you I would do alot of research in the spring and early summer and see what if any changes were going to be done to the 05 and deside if those changes are worth risking loss of any incentives being offered on the 04. or a possible slight price increase. if you want to get a 04 becouse of incentives being offered at that time I would order a month or so before I was ready to buy. as you don't pay untill it gets here. I am not sure any one will know when ford plans on starting the production of the 05's till next spring there should be more info out there by some time in feb. or march.

 

My bet is a Lariat will be offered with the flare side. Then I shall hope to find a wrecked one and do a bed swap. Lariat plus Flareside = really cool truck...oh hell...they are all pretty damn cool.

 

I believe the switch to the 05 is the end of June or the first week of July. I believe the latest you can order a 04 may be late april early may. Yes there will be less incentitives on the 05 over the 04. It has been that way always as manufactures like to make extra profit on the early sales of a new model year. Just take a look at this year as an example. The 03 is offering way more incentives than an 04. I'm in the same boat as you looking into buying in late summer 2004. If the rebates pick way up in the spring I may order an 04. If not then I'll wait for the 05's to come out and maybe buy a left over 04 for a big discount. A truck is a truck when it really comes down to it. Nobody really cares what you are driving other than you. An 05 will probably look just like the 04, so go the best route price wise. I hope this gives you a little different outlook... I was the one always wanting the new model by the way...

 

I ordered my 04 in July 03 and waited till the beginning of Sept to receive it, I ordered through the internet so I got exactly what I wanted, the order was sent to a local dealer and they emailed me a quote $2,000.00 less than the MSRP. the almost 8 weeks I waited for delivery seemed like an eternity but I am 100% satisfied with the truck I have no " I wish I gots" only " I'm glad I gots" and ended up with a 2k discount in the process.... which I was told that it would not happen when going to a dealer in person!! GG

 

UAW summer changover shutdown is typically the first two weeks of July.

Your other questions are general model year expectations. No one is informed enough to know what the rebates will be by then or what changes Ford may have. In general, rebates are pushed heavily on model year closeouts the summer. For instance, most people were paying $8-10k under MSRP for 2003 F-150's starting in May. Now, it is more like $5-6k for 2004 F-150's.

 

Thanks for the replies... I'm thinking that buying an 04 in late summer is probably more fiscally responsible, I'm just worried that I won't be able to find the exact truck I want on a dealers lot:

Screw Lariat 4x4
Monotone Green/black interior
Power sliding rear window
3.73 LS
Skid Plates
Heated Seats
Tow package

No more, no less...

 

I haven't seen anything in print yet, but I'd guess that July will be too late to order a 04. I suspect that they will still be building them, but for "build out" (last orders of the year) they take a large quanity of orders and do the last month (or so) of production in one week instead of weekly scheduling like normall.

I expect that the model years may overlap slightly also. I think the new plant is supposed to be up by July, so I forsee them building 05's when the other 2 plants are still finishing building the 04's. Just a guess though.

 

What about ordering the exact truck you your specs in May for delivery in July?

 

more than likely no changes for 05. After all, its only the second year of production. Expect the bigger changes for 06 with the mid-model redesign.