Hows it going guys?

This is kind of going to be a messed up question for this forum. But I have a '96 Crew Cab Long Bed SRW F350 with about 320,000 miles on it. It has a 5-speed manual transmission and the 7.3L powerstroke.

I am kind of wondering if I should put any money into it? Or sell the truck for something else or a year newer and lower-mileage truck?

I have no idea what a rebuild would cost, nor am I really, really worried about the motor, but there is that "what if" in the back of my mind.


Here's the but: it needs some body work and I would like to have it repainted and clear coated. It needs a new headliner, and I would like to line the 8' bed.

As far as the body work, there is a huge dent on the right side of the bed, the tailgate needs to be straightened, and there are some dents on some of the doors (these seem pretty minor, but I'm not a body man), there are also a few little dimples on the roof and front fenders. I figure that I can hide whatever is up with the hood by installing a bug deflector, so its not a total worry.

If I did keep the truck, I would want to maybe chip it to wake it up a tiny bit and I would want to install a lift and some 35" tires.

Like I said, it runs well, doesn't burn oil, there are no oil leaks, and the thing will pull the steep grade out of town in fifth gear and I dont have to downshift. I do this every morning on my way to work.

So, is it worth putting the money into, or would I just be wasting money that I'd never have a snowball's chance of getting back, into a piece of crap truck?

For the body and paint work, would it be okay to get a quote from a place like Maaco and see whats up with that? I'm not looking for a show-quality job, but I can drive and I dont see there being any reason for dings and dents to be in my truck, so finding a place that could just get it done for a reasonable price and not have to pay a body shop over $2000 for the body work alone would be great.

So, just let me know what you think. I have to be honest. None of the newer offerings really impress me, but at the same time I dont really feel indifferent about my truck. I love the '92-'97 body style, and I have one.

Do you guys also know what kind of money we are talking about here for the body work? I know I can get wheels and tires for about $1600, and the lift is around $900 for this truck, but I have no ideal about a chip, and I have a straight pipe lined up already, but if I am going to keep it, Id like to get the body and paint work done first.

 

Heres my thoughts, and I will try to be as objective as I can.

Its a 16 year old truck with a lot of miles, even for a Powerstroke. Though the engine is fine, there are likely other components that need to be replaced or will need it sometime soon.

Body work can get very expensive, very fast. Big dents take time and little dents add up quickly. Painting also can cost an arm and a leg to get it done right. And from family experience, I wouldn't let Macco touch a car I owned if they were the last body shop on earth.

If it were me, I'd drive it as is until I found something newer, in better shape and/or with fewer miles.

That being said, i understand attachment to trucks, and If you plan on keeping this one then it is worth the money to get it how YOU want it. Id try going to a Paintless dent removal guy and see what he said about the truck. He can probably get the dings and minor dents out or almost out, and even the big dents will look much better. This will save you a lot of money over traditional body work, and will leave the painter less work to do. Less work for the/bodyshop = more money in your pocket.

If you do get it repainted, talk to a dealer you trust and see who does their warranty work, or if they have a body shop, ask them how much it would be. The dealer my family uses has a great body shop, they repainted my roof last summer and did a great job.

Good luck, and remember, whatever you want to do it is up to you in the end. Just be ready to pay for it if you decide to get the whole truck redone.

 

By "really big dent" in the bedside, it is probably safe to assume that the bedside will need replacing. That is usually around $1000. Maaco is crap. Don't go there. If you're gonna go to a reputable body shop, you should budget probably $5k for bodywork. Your cheapest and best bet, is going to find a bodyguy who does work on the side, for cash.

 

Alright guys. Those were pretty much the answers that I was looking for.

I'm not really attached to the truck. But everyone I've talked to in person suggest to either get a newer truck, or to leave it alone and beat the crap out of it.

I figure my best bet is to sell it for blue book or something and get some money out of it in the condition its in.

Thanks.

 

Yeah, if youre not super attached to it, leave it alone. Either keep it as a truck you dont mind beating on, or sell it for what you can.

 

truck is a lost cause your better off taking the money you would put into it and use it on a new truck. I suggest you run it till it dies, which at that point it will be worth nothing and you would have spent money keeping it alive, or sell it now for what you can.

 

You want to sell. How far away are you from DE?

Adrianspeeder

 

320k on a 7.3 Powerstroke is nothing - and with that ZF5 in it, you don't have to worry about blowing up the tranny.

If you like the truck, fix it as cheap as you can and keep it.

 

No no no, keeping a ZF, Dana 60, crew cab, and 7.3L would prolly cost him money. Since I'm a nice guy I'd consider alleviating his burden...

Adrianspeeder

 

Ive actually been rifling through some ideas today.

I have to get new tires and an alignment, so I am thinking about keeping it at least for a little while.

The cab isn't in terrible shape, so I am thinking about flat bedding the truck or something like that.


I understand that these trucks are pretty rare built in this combination. Its an XLT with power front and rear windows. I'm thinking that it was custom ordered new too because it has a factory rubber floor mat.

We'll see what happens.

BTW, I'm in California.

 

Other than I like XL with manual windows all around, that is how I'd order it. Too bad 3000 miles away.

Adrianspeeder

 

I'd keep it.
You have the desireable combo for an older stroke. 5 speed, solid front axle crew cab etc.
TS chip, down pipe, lift if you want it and enjoy.
Got pictures?

 

Lets see if I can get this going for you then bud.

I dunno if the forum rules allow more than 2 or 3 pics, but here you go.

For sure not as bad as I make it sound. One of the reasons that a picture is worth a thousand words I guess. Its a great candidate for a cheapy, custom flatbed, or if I was or knew a good body man, then it wouldn't be a problem.

 

Here's the best picture that I have of the right side of the truck-which is the "big dent" that I was talking about.

Like I tried to say, the truck overall is really nothing worth complaining about (that dent aside) until you get up close.

By the way, it already has a 3" Diamond-Eye downpipe on it. The rest of the exhaust is still for now stock, but straight pipe stuff has already been purchased. I'm just weighing some options before I install anything.

 

Looks good to me. If you are on facebook see if you can get on obs addicts. It's a group of obs owners, mostly diesel that are great with this stuff.
It's private so if you can't find it shoot me a pm and I'll see how to add people