I've been looking through the boards for about a month now in antiscipation of getting my own f150. This is going to be the first vehicle that is mine. Not a bad deal for just 16 years of age

specs im looking for- 97-98 XLT s/c 4.6 4x2(i begged my parents for the 5.4 but they are paying for most of the gas) somewhere around 30k in miles. No specific coloring. When i finally get it ill change my profile with all the info i have on it.

What I'm saying all this for is if anyone has any suggestions of other features i should look for or anything else to say at all. Thanks


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Soon to be purchasing a 150!

 

Only this.
You can have my F150, if I can be 16 again!

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99 Lariat R/C 2WD 120"WB 5.4 3.55LS Tow Dark Toreador/Gold Line-X
raoul_oba@hotmail.com

 

What a 16?

 

Sixteen??!!??

Sheesh, man (stand by for cliche' older fart phrasing), when I was your age, I scraped together 300 bucks to buy a 14 year old Pontiac Star Chief 4 door. I bought my own gas. I paid my own insurance. I performed my own maintenance and repairs.

I blew the doors off a 79' Pontiac Trans Am (Smokey and the Bandit styling and all) with the Star Chief. The bench seat had no headrests, and if you floored it, you risked snapping your neck.

Those were the days!

Seriously, good luck in your truck search. I recommend going for the 4.6 Triton V8 on the engine...pose it as a compromise to your parents if they're worried about gas bills and insurance rates. And don't tell them ANYTHING at all about Superchips, Airaid FIPK's, Flowmaster or Gibson cat-backs, or anything else speed mod related. You'll probably have to go flip burgers or something to get those (and install them at a friend's place...works okay until Mom asks why your truck is louder than when they bought it).

Unless, of course, you're the son of one of the performance mod freaks we have here on F-150 online! (that would make you very lucky)

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Cam

'98 F-150 SC XLT, 4.6L, Bright Red, Red Spray-in Liner, Extang Soft Tonneau, Ford Bug Guard, Airaid FIPK, Vortex "Cherry Bomb" Muffler, Chrome Exhaust Tip

Future Mods:

a)Superchip
b)Bilstein or Edelbrock shocks
c)Running Boards

"The Big Red Truck with the Huge Grin Factor"

 

Well actually a couple of those mod do increase gas milage so even though i would pay for them, my parents wouldnt mind sticking them in because, they are only good for increasing gas milage Nothing more right?

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Soon to be purchasing a 150!

 

You sure you're only 16?

 

Go for a 4.6 with 4X4!! The resale value of the 4x4 stays way higher!! And remember to tell your parents that these are REAL work trucks so you could maybe haul something for them sometime. Also check out
www.edmunds.com and also www.kbb.com
go through these sites and get prices of 97-98 trucks equiped like you want. Then start looking for yours. This way you will know if the dealer is trying to rip you off. And if your print outs have higher figures than the dealer. You can show the parents what a great deal you've found!! Good luck.


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97F150 XLT SC 4x4 Flairside 4.6 V8 5sp Dk Toreador Red, 3.55LS
ARE tonneau cover, p255/70rx16 tires (came w/235), Superchip
Pioneer CD w/4 Polk Speakers & Clarion APA5240amp, skid plates
bed liner, side window deflectors, reese hitch, K&N air filter
40s-2chamber Flowmaster, Bosch +4 spark plugs, rustproofing
Better Built Stainless nerf bars

 

Thanks Tina.
Ive been researching and observing prices for sometime now, and i have a pretty good idea what certain trucks should go for so i dont get ripped off or buy a truck that seems too good to be true and turn out it was.

I live in Southern Califronia and ive recently been watching some dealers starting to sell the 99's they still have for amazing prices. In some cases for a thousand more i can get a new 99 150 with all the stuff I want. While the prices for the soon to be a year old 99's seem to get closer to the used ones, the used ones have stayed the same. Maybe i can get away with a new truck

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Soon to be purchasing a 150!

 

Crazy C
My first car was a 51 Chevy for $85.00. I think I paid more for insurance than I did the car.



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97 F-150,4.6, Reg Cab, Flareside, Air Aid Kit, TransGo Shift Kit,
Superchips, Gibson Single Cat Back, ******* Bed Cover,
EGR Bug Shield, XL Full Length Running Boards,
Hellwig Rear Sway Bar, Hellwig 2500# Overload Springs

 

FuNuGee,

This is getting to be the good time of year to look for bargains on new '99's, as typically Ford begins production of their next model year (for trucks, and I suppose cars as well) in August. The dealers (as they often hawk in their ads) want to clear off their lots to make room for the Y2k model year.

I've learned after buying my truck almost two years ago exactly how much variance there is in trucks, even within the same finish level, such as the XLT. I got one with the 4.6, 3:08 rear end, P235 OWL tires, cruise/tilt/power mirror & window, and Supercab discount. Another XLT truck sitting right next to it had the 4.6, but also had 3:55 limited slip, P255 tires, floor mats, in-dash CD player, and towing package, and that tacked on at least a grand or so, if not more.

I didn't think I needed that much truck at the time, and after two years on the road, I'm still satisfied I opted for a few less goodies and a few more bucks saved. Money to be spent on mods I want, not what the dealer thinks will motivate me to buy his truck. Yeah, I wouldn't mind a different rear end and a CD player, but those are things I can change over time, anyway.

Just some stuff to think about during your great F-150 quest.
Good luck on your search, and let us know what you finally get.

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Cam

'98 F-150 SC XLT, 4.6L, Bright Red, Red Spray-in Liner, Extang Soft Tonneau, Ford Bug Guard, Airaid FIPK, Vortex "Cherry Bomb" Muffler, Chrome Exhaust Tip

Future Mods:

a)Superchip
b)Bilstein or Edelbrock shocks
c)Running Boards

"The Big Red Truck with the Huge Grin Factor"

 

Tellenberger,

Yep, I think in a year's time I probably doled out the Pontiac's selling price and some change in insurance.....it was cheap for liability only in those days! My parents helped me get my own policy with their insurer that they had for ten gazillion years, one that actually paid me a dividend if I didn't have a wreck during the year. Those days are *definitely* gone!

As I read somewhere in a recent Motor Trend magazine, there's nothing on earth in the automotive experience comparable to one's first car.

FuNuGee is one lucky stiff.

 

Hey Crazy C, You wanna know the sad thing. I'm 24 And Married. Live on our own. And I still have to mods at a friends House so the wife don't find out. Parents don't care anymore, They just shake their heads. Wife is a different story. If she don't know, she can't complain !!

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98 F150 2WD,Bright Red, Regular Cab, 4.2, 3.55, Superchip, 3 Inch Bullseye Lift Spindles, Manik Grill Guard,Nerf Bars, Vent Visors, Fog lights, Kc Lights, Alpine CD Player, 2 Kenwood Amps, Tinted Windows. And Coming Soon: 3 Inch Body Lift Kit, 16x8 American Racing Baja Wheels Wrapped With 33's
And Sooner Or Later A Superchips Decal Or Two

 

3.55 limited slip-

Whats the big difference between it and the 3.08? Doesnt it have something to do on how it drives offroad? It gives power to the tire thats on the ground? Please explain.

Im a FuNuGee when it comes to some of this stuff.
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Soon to be purchasing a 150!

[This message has been edited by FuNewGee (edited 08-12-1999).]

 

Best Price is obtained by taking the print out the "list prices" found on edmunds.com to the Fleet Dept.

Ignore all Salesman! Call or walk into the fleet dept directly. If that dealer's fleet group doesn't want to deal with you go somewhere else (and tell them that). Show them the list prices of the internet and see what they come back with. Should be anywhere from $200 to 700 over list, usually 400-500. Besure to compare competing bids from different fleet dept's with apples to apples. Get all you options figured out ahead of time. I found a 200 over deal (very rare).

 

FuNewGee,

Look for a truck with the 3.55 Limited slip rear end. The code on the sticker is H9. What this does is it sends power to both wheels instead of just one. So, if you're on a wet grassy hill, you won't sit there spinning one wheel. Of course, if you give it too much gas, you'll sit there with two spinning wheels.

The 3.55 gear ratio will give you better acceleration when compared to the 3.08. It will cost you a little bit in gas mileage, though. On the other hand, it will make up for it if you do a lot of driving in the hills. Since you're looking for a 4.6L engine, go with the 3.55. You won't regret it.

If it comes with a tow package, so much the better since it will not only have the tow bar, socket, etc., but it will also have a heavy duty cooling system, big alternator and big battery.

Get the automatic tranny. It has a higher tow capacity than the stick. Some on this board have complained about the stick.

If you can get the '99 for just $1,000 more than a used one, go for it. That amount is insignificant when you realize the fact that you're getting a brand new truck with a full new truck warranty.