Advice re: mileage - what to look for over 200K
 

Hello - new to the truck life and am actually just shopping at the moment. I have some specific needs starting with purchase amount (small as possible) and I need a Supercab/Crew cab, as well as a split bench or buckets up front.

And an automatic transmission. Yeah - I'm not picky ;)

Fortunately, there are quite a few choices available but when the odometers are over 200K, I kind of worry about what I should look for as obvious immediate problems and what will likely happen soonest. There's no point buying a cheaper priced truck if it's going to mean thousands extra in repair in the first few months.

I've seen a number of 1990-1995 F150s available. I just don't want to make a lousy/uninformed choice.

Thanks!

Howdy and welcome!

Well, with these being 15-20 year old trucks, yer standin' a good chance at spendin money at 50k to 300k miles anyway.

All the simple things are what add up.

Adrianspeeder

Thanks for the welcome!

I've never had a vehicle get beyond 120,000 miles before it's been sold or been abused by someone else. Usual stuff like tires and starters and batteries don't bother me in the least. Head gaskets, compressors, transmissions - those kinda scare me in the wallet.

Whatever I get, I hope we'll be roaming around together for a long time. If there is anything you'd spot and say flat out "Nope! Not gonna buy it!" that's the information that will definitely come in handy. I like to be armed and dangerous with information :)

Aight, whats the needs of ya?

4x4?
Crew cab or Ex cab?
Towing?
Automatic for sure?
You like the '92-'96 body style?
Where are ya in the world?

Adrianspeeder

I'm in north Texas... kinda got my eye on these babies...

http://tinyurl.com/6hca6d

and

http://tinyurl.com/67sl7r

I suppose I should give a rundown of the needs. I have to transport a power wheelchair. I guess a van would be alright but I'm more interested in a truck. We had an E150 converted van and I've been a Mustang junkie since I was 10 years old. So Ford just seems like a natural choice.

I'm short, DH is unshort so a full bench seat won't work up front. I need an automatic because if he's able to drive again some time, he can't drive manual. We have a young'un so I want super/crew cab. Those flipdown seats just don't thrill me. Plus if Hubzilla needs to stretch out, a bench - even stiff and uncomfortable - would be good to have.

4x4 isn't necessary although there seem to be plenty out there. I'm caught in that space where I really REALLY do not want to take on a monthly payment right now, have enough to buy either of these outright but have nerves over any serious breakdown potential. They've both got some body rust so my little warning lights are blinking slowly. But I'm more concerned with big things breaking right away. That would be painful.

Thanks for all your help!

Anychance you know a mechanic you can trust?
If so a:
-compression check
-vacuum check
-timing check
-visual check under valve covers and inside cylinders (spark plugs out)

would be worth 50-100 bucks to eliminate obvious engine concerns.

With the tranny, if it works without incedent in all positions -under different throttle applications that's about all you can hope for. Fluid level, color, and smell check are free.

My 95 turned 182,000 today. I bought it at 165k for 400 dollars. I've probably spent 150$ on replacing all ignition components, fluids and filters. I thought the tranny was going but it turned out to be an engine miss - new ignition stuff solved the shudder.

I know the tranny has been rebuilt once, but the motor has never been opened. It still gets 20/21mpg on highway (5.0).

Good luck!

Depending on where it's from, rust could be an issue to watch out for. One spot to look carefully at is the radiator support. I imagine if it's a Texas truck, and not originally from another state, that's prolly not going to be an issue.

I've seen some really rusty old Ford trucks still out there on the road - it's hard to totally kill one of these things. Have a mechanic check it out to determine if any of the critical structural components are affected, if they are, best to take a pass.

The 5.0 is hard to kill and the 5.8 is almost as reliable - E4OD and 4R70W trannys are strong, AOD's are ones to stay away from.