are we the only ones (2)
 

I just got the 2003 XL 4X4. It has manual windows and locks, vinyl floor, manual tranny. It is battleship grey ("Darkshadow"!).

Without all the power options there is less to break. No carpets to get soaked with mud. I never was crazy about the color matched fender flares and grill on the XLT - I prefer the black plastic and chrome grill on the XL. I like the manual tranny because it is fun to shift and it seems less likely to have hard-to-find/fix gremlins than the auto.

and, oh my god!, it is a regular cab long box! remember those pickups from the 70's?....

and I got a REAL good deal - it was like half the price of the loaded XLT's on the lot - very very cheap truck when not loaded with options. Drives great! seems lighter, not loaded down with all the gizmos.

ANYWAY, who out there also likes a simple truck? they seem very rare. my dealer had to bring this one in from over 300 miles away. Ford must only make about ten of 'em like this every year, I never see one like it on the road. When did the concept of a pickup truck change so much?

I bought mine used and it has more bells and whistles on it than I need: and of course those are the things that give me trouble.
Bad door actuator
6 disc CD player jammed
etc

NEXT TIME plain Jane for me too. The last truck I had didn't have A/C, power steering,power brakes, FM radio, carpet, etc. Not only was it cheap to buy, the most expensive thing I ever put in it was a tank of gas.

Keep It Simple Stupid. (I need to write that down and take it with to the stealership next time):banana:

Re: are we the only ones (2)
 

I think it changed when everyone started buying them and use them as the family car.

posted subject
 

I bought a 98, the only option that cost anything was the A.C. I have done a few thing to make it more personnal, but not a lot. I plan to keep it until, well, whenever. Guess what, the next one will be the same. You are so right, Going to different sites, I read about about this and that problems, I just smile, change my oil regularly and keep going. My truck has over 100 thou on it and still runs as good or better as the day I bought it. I got a sweet deal on it and because of the bottom line I only had to finance it for 2yrs. God I love cheap trucks. :banana: :wave:

I had no idea that you could still get a manual trans, you are probably right, when you say they only made 10:)

hell yes, that's the way I would buy one, and will by one when the time is right. I've got a 93 F-150 xl I use for all my work, and a 99 ranger completely loaded power everything, and i'm afraid to do anything real hard in it, afraid to break something. I need to use my trucks for work, and I just can't do it if it feels like a Lincoln....

Hey Radar,
If you don't mind me asking, how much did you pay for you truck? I am curious, someday I am going to have to replace my old 76 with another 4x4. Only I dont think the 04 are available with the stick. Its unreal how much ford makes on just "pretty things". Such as power locks, power mirrors, seats and heated mirrors.

you can find out what you would have to pay right on the Ford website. it lets you build a truck and tells you the MSRP as well as the dealer's invoice price. you should never have to pay more than $500 over invoice. dealers make money even when they sell at invoice. also the Ford website will tell you what factory incentives/bonus cash is available. when I bought, it was $3,000! right now it is 2000. can go up or down after each offer ends. is probably best right at the end of the year. also, don't let the dealer add a bunch of set-up, documentation, or "paint protection" fees.

so, first things to ask a dealer are,
1) will you sell at 250 over invoice and give me all available factory incentives
2) will you locate and bring in the truck I want without all the expensive options like the ones on your lot

I just tried one out on the ford site:

a 4x4 XL with a V8, 5-speed, and standard equip, which is pretty good these days including A/C and cassette:

invoice = 20,624
current rebate = 2,500

let's see, 18,124 + 250 for the dealer = 18,374 plus tax and tags

sounds about right!

:smoke:

work trucks
 

I bought a 2000 4X4 xl 7700 auto and air for 18 and change. Its been awesome no problems other than the door crack. The only thing I have to do is keep the oil changed and gas in the tank oh and wash it. It is great to drive a truck and not a car(XLT). :D And with all the snow we have had i dont have to worry about carpet.

Re: work trucks
 

Please help me out here, I'm confused. I wasn't aware that just the trim level that was on a truck determined whether or not it was a truck or a car.:confused:

So I guess with your logic then an F-350 dually (lariet) with a 4000+ pound bed rating isn't a truck. Hmmm, I'll tell that to all of the farmers and horse owners that I see at conventions and state fairs and we'll see what they have to say.

It's just amazing the idiotic things that some people will say.:rolleyes:

Re: are we the only ones (2)
 

Uhh, yeah, I remember those trucks. I think I have one. I just wanted to defend the XLT owners. I have a XLT & love it. I still use it as a truck & that's why I don't have an ext cab (the ext cab with the 8 foot box looks like *****). As far as I'm concerned, the short box is about useless. I use my truck for everything. I use it as a every day driver and I use it as a truck. Yes, I do have a CD changer in it, but why not considering I spend more time in my truck than I do at home (I don't even have a CD player in the house). I also chose to have A/C, cloth seats, and cruise for comfort purposes. As far as the power windows, I could handle having one just on the pass side, but hey, thats not available. I also chose an auto tranny just because I dumped way too many cups of coffee in my '93 XL. Yup, it was easy to clean up on the rubber floor, but I was still out a cup of coffee. I have added a remote start (which came with a keyless entry and a security system) due to the extremely cold weather around here & the fact that I don't like to get up too early in the morning (5 am). I did install it myself.

:devil: i've got like both ends of the spectrum. a stripped 85 F-150 XL with the only upgrade being the explorer package (heavy duty suspension) and then a 00 HD F-150 limited edition "sport" truck.

love em both and woudn't have them any other way. my work truck is very basic, cloth bench, vinyl floors, no ac, no power windows/locks/seats, regular cab and 8 foot bed.
my 00HD is a completely maxed out top of the line truck for 00. couldn't get any other F-150 above it, got all the goodies :D

but both trucks are for different purposes. my 85 is my work truck and does an awsome job at it, and my 00 is my show truck and weekend cruiser and i love that too. don't really like cars that much, so the HD is kind of like my car and the 85 still a true work truck :thumbsup:

..
 

I love basic models on vehicles. It just makes me feel so poor, which is the truth. I have a 2001 XL 2wd manual. My friends think that it is so weird without a tachometer. But lately I've just gotten used to it.
I can feel my arms getting stronger from rolling down the windows manually and reaching over to the passenger door to un-lock it.

When I ordered mine I asked for 5 things.
V8, 5 spd, SuperCab, Air and cruise. It was cheaper to get an XLT than a Work or XL model. Must be a Canadian Thing.

Oh I forgot the rear slider and remote ;)

Oops, did I include the LS diff and 4x4?

My point is that the XLT is cheaper if you want Air and Cruise in Canada. Weather an XLT is a car or a truck They both have
the same powertrain.

Regards

Jean marc Chartier