6.0 f250 first car

[6.0f250firstcar]

Hey. In the near future, ill be in the market for my first car. I'm a car lover and have always loved trucks,muscle cars etc. And I'm a ford man. So I've decided that if possible, I'd like a 03-06 f250 with a 6.0 PSD. And so here my questions are:

1. How practical would this truck be for a first car (as far as insurance costs, everyday drivability, etc.)

2. As it would be my first car, obviously I will be on a budget. I wouldnt be able to have a truck I'm constantly having to fix and it will have to be reliable. Would I be able to count on a 6.0 psd? I reallllllllllly want a diesel but if they're unreliable or expensive and time consuming, I might consider a V8 or V10.

3. How expensive would it be to buy? The most I could probably spend is about 15k.

4. Would you suggest this truck? I live in NJ and we see some heavy snow in winter and I'd like to do some light off-roading (obviously I'd get a 4x4). And I would have a commute of about 30 miles round trip to school everyday and just use it for crusing around on the weekends. Would this truck be a good fit for me?

Thanks in advance for your help and I look forward to your responses.

[skooter]

I have had a lot of vehicles in my day and I can tell you that for what you want to do you should consider a half ton. Everything is a little more expensive on these thing and the 6.0 is finicky. I have a 6.0 and it's a daily driver (torn apart at the moment), and the cost of what it needs to fix it is about twice what it would be on a typical gas engine. And on a typical gas engine it probably wouldn't blow head gaskets like a 6.0 does. I love my 6.0 but for me it's been a very expensive truck to own, drive and maintain. If your not towing I'd say stick with a gas powered truck. I don't want to sound like I'm bashin the 6.0 I've just had a lot of issues with mine. An it's cost me a lot to keep on the road. A lot of guys have a lot more luck with there 6.0s I think it's a luck of the draw when buyin one that will stay together the way it should. The mileage is not as super as its made out to be and gas powered trucks can usually tow anything the average guy will throw behind em.


Sent from my Autoguide iPhone app

[colo_dually]

The 6.0L isn't the perfect first-car, but it can be an option if you find the right truck.

Make sure if you are going after a 6.0L, get a monitor and hook into the OBII port before purchase. Here's a couple of key threads to get you started down the 6.0L road:

Here's a thread about bullet-proofing these trucks, so you can address the MY weaknesses after purchase:
Write Up: Bullet-Proofing the 6.0L PSD.

And things to look for with the monitor:
Write Up: Monitoring the 6.0L PSD.

Any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

[20046.0]

The 6.0 is an expensive beast to maintain and repair if/when it does. Not the best first vehicle.

[6.0f250firstcar]

Maybe i should rephrase this. I dont mind working on my truck. In fact i would enjoy it. I just cant have a truck that i need to be constantly dumping money into. And I've already considered a half ton and it would work prefect for what i want however I really had my heart set on a diesel.

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using AutoGuide.Com Free App

[colo_dually]

The key is that monitor, and having it on the truck when you test drive it.

Take a look at those threads I linked, learn as much as you can about the 6.0L and you'll be ok with it as your first truck. Just make sure you don't buy a lemon.

If you want to feel better about it, narrow your search to the '05+ trucks, or better yet those built after Jan '06 when the last updates were made. And get the service records to make sure the MY weaknesses have already been addressed. No paperwork, and you assume it wasn't done right, hope this helps.

[Tj Krawler]

I was in almost the same situation... Insurance will probably vary a lot based on mileage and where you live. I would guess $2k a year. As a DD, they're not bad. It might take a while to get used to, but it's no reason to buy something you don't really want.

If you're looking to spend less than $15k, I would go for a nice lower mileage 7.3. Whatever you buy, be ready to put $1k+ into it.

[6.0f250firstcar]

That article on bulletproofing the 6.0 really helped. I also read the article on what to know about a 6.0 and it sounds like if you fix the bugs this engine can be reliable. My only question is how hard is it to do those things and how much could i expect it to cost. And i would also look into those monitors. Because my only serious reservation is that i want to be able to explore some back roads or go out for a day in the pine barrens and not have to constantly be worrying about my truck leaving me stranded.

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using AutoGuide.Com Free App

[6.0f250firstcar]

Also I've been doing some research and the trucks with what I want are around 20k. However since I'm new to diesel and these trucks could you guys give any input on what I should be looking for? I want something with a nice interior and 4x4. I saw a 2006 f250 lariat 4x4 with 160,000 miles for $18,000. Is that a good price? Is that too many miles? The interior was a bit worn and a bit rusty underneath but other wise it was good.

Honestly what I want to do is get a truck for hopefully under 20k. Then I would bullitproof it. Then if there was still money left over I would like a cold air intake, lift kit, then maybe some 33" tires. Could you guys tell me what this all would cost. I reallllly want to be part of the diesel world!

P.S. A 7.3 would be nice but I was looking for a newer truck.

[Old school stroker]

I wish I had my 99 f350 psd back! It was the best truck I ever had! Almost 400k on the clock and nothing major to fix!