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Should I buy this truck?

794 views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  X JBM X 
#1 ·
Greetings everyone,
I have been shopping around for a 7.3L for awhile now. I really would prefer a manual transmission so the choices are few. I found this truck on ebay: Ford : F-350: eBay Motors (item 150479094573 end time Sep-01-10 16:01:45 PDT)

The truck looks clean, fairly low miles for the year and the seller said he would accept a bid of $9,000 (I would prefer to stay under $10,000). He has 100% feedback on over 200 vehicles sold, which is a good thing. I spoke with him yesterday and he said the truck has no issues and runs and drives great. Now I know most people on here would probably not recommend making a purchase like this without driving it. My situation is unique in that I live in the US Virgin Islands and don't have the option of test driving. I was planning on going to Florida next month to shop for a 7.3L with manual tranny, and then test drive, but I am having a hard time finding any for sale.
So what do you think- too risky? Is it worth hiring someone to do an inspection on the above mentioned truck? Does anyone live in Houston, Texas that would want to make $100 bucks and check it out for me? Or do you know of any states or dealers who has 7.3L with manual trannys. I like the feel of shifting gears, plus the roads here are quite steep so it helps save wear and tear on brakes. Thanks for the help!

One more thing- in the pictures, the front end looks a little low to me, is it just my imagination?
 
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#2 ·
It's low because it's 2wd...

A couple things to notice...

It had a gooseneck in it, so it probably did some heavy hauling. It's also got a K&N Intake.

Don't know if those things mean it's bad, but I'll tell you that I paid $8700 for my '99 4x4. Granted, I have an auto, not a manual. But I'd say the price is a bit high.
 
#3 ·
Price is a tad high for a 2wd with a manual.

Because of your situation I would definately have someone do an inspection before you buy.

Plenty of members in the Houston TX area. Im sure I can get in touch with someone to peek at it if you would like
 
#4 ·
I paid 9800 for my late 99 f250 supercab 4wd. I bought it in the diesel crisis so the price was actually low. I got it with 204k and now I have 225k on it. Only problem was left balljoints and the starter solenoid. I assume that is a good price but it looks like someone smoked in it, mine was that way as well. Overall my truck was disgusting but it has come a long way. I am jealous because yours has a manual, these autos suck bad.
 
#5 ·
Ok, thanks for the replies. I kinda thought $9,000 was a little high. The gooseneck and the smoking are good things to know about. I guess maybe I will hold off a bit longer until I find a well cared for manual in my price range. I found this on Craigslist 2000 Ford F350 XLT 7.3L DIESEL CREW CAB LONG BED 6 SPEED MANUAL. Looks nice and clean but the 200,000 mile scare me. Seems like 4wd justifies the $9,000 price a bit more and could probably talk the dealer down some. But I would need to fly to Texas to check it out or have someone do that for me.
I just don't know why there are not more manuals out there. Seems like with diesels, people would want a manual transmission even more. If anyone knows of any manuals in the $10,000 price range or a good state to look for one, I would appreciate it.
 
#6 ·
I would definitely look around in the classified section on here, Powerstroke nation, and ford-trucks. Among the 3, you're bound to find what you're looking for.
 
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