Lifted trucks (actually , modded vehicles) definitely have a smaller market available to them. Think about it like this. Who installed it? What did they do with the truck after the lift kit? Was it wheeled really hard? I'm sure yours is all quality, but that's the thought process that buyers have. Years ago, many years ago, me and all my buddies were into VW's. We lowered them, built the engines and transmissions. Couldn't get jack for them when we tried to sell 'em. Put them back to stock and the value was much higher. Sold all of our aftermarket crap to other guys who were going to mod their cars, at a loss, btw. When I look to buy used, I never look at modded vehicles. You probably can get more for your parts individually if you take the truck back to stock and sell it separately from the parts. Stock, it will appeal to a whole lot more potential buyers. Otherwise, it'd be great if you can find a spoiled kid who wants all the goodies and has parents to pay for it. Good luck!

As far as the economy and cars go, a friend passed some wisdom on to me a long time ago:

The smell of a new car is the SECOND most expensive smell on the planet.

 

Yeah that would probably be my line of thinking as well. The only thing that got me was the dealership was reducing the value of my truck because of the lift, yet they were going to turn around and sell it at an increased cost because of the lift. I just refuse to allow them to turn a profit off of a lift that they weren't giving me anything for.

They were willing to give me less than $2k over what the trade-in value was and I have more than that in just the wheels and tires alone.

 

Honestly, I'm gonna hold on and just keep it. I don't want to sell when I'm this close to being done with College. It's a perfect truck. It looks just how I want it to. And all this new fangled stuff on trucks today is just not apealing to me. We seem to forget what trucks were made for. To haul and do the grunt work. I like trucks but not as much as I like Ford Mustangs. I'd rather keep my 04 for 15 years knowing if I maintain it like I do know, it'll last that long. So I can then use my spare nickels and dimes to have my prized COBRA back. thumbsup:

 

The problem with a lifted or modified truck, is that you dont know the history. Most guys who lift their trucks never take them off road. But some need the lift with the off-roading you do. Non the less, no dealer wants to have that liability or a history questioned.

But dont be fooled. If you do trade it in, they will list it for more than a non-modded one. This way wen some sap looks at it, they can discount is so much it seems like one heck of a goooood deal to him..

I work at a dealer, and I see it all the time. We also sell Mazda and VW. Kids love to hook up their VW and Mazdas with cold air intakes and rims. All of which dont hurt a car, but they get nailed on trade in time..

My buddy just cracked a pistonon his Mazda 6 (yes, from driving like it was a Porsche) He took it in with aftermarket 18"s, cold air intake a bnch of other mods. They would not fix it under warrenty because they said all those mods added to the problem. He went home, took everything off, brought the car back a week later and no questions asked, dropped a new motor in it.

Basically, every one looking for an F-150 wants one for what ever use. Not many people want one lifted. They dont want to sit on a black elephant.

 

I think we're all saying the same thing here. Mod it for you. Enjoy it and drive the sh@@ out of it. Turn it close to stock to sell and save the parts or sell them. I won't even call on modified vehicles, whether its a car, truck, dirt bike, jet ski, etc. Hypocritcally, I mod. ( usually very slightly) everything I own.

 

I worked my way through high school and college working for a wholesaler. When we bought cars or trucks, we deducted the cost of returning them to stock to the price we paid. We even removed all aftermarket trailer hitches. The purchaser of a used vehicle is afraid of a modified vehicle because they don't know what else had been done to it or how it had been treated. We sold almost all of our vehicles at the auction to other dealers but occasionally we would get a modified vehicle that we bought cheap and one that wasn't easily returned to stock. We would put it on the lot, overprice it and hope somebody could come along (usually a young man) who would be foolish enough to pay a premium for it. Most of the banks we dealt wouldn't loan money on a highly modified vehicles.

 

Hypocrite!



Well said.

 

Yeah.... at least I'm honest