Hey all, I am looking into getting a Diesel truck that I don’t really mind working on.
I found a 1999.5 Ford F-250 Powerstroke 7.3L with close to 300,000+ miles on Craigslist that is really close to what I am looking for. The person is asking $5,000 for it, and there are some problems with it:
Throttle is hit or miss. Seller mentioned it might be the whole pedal assembly. (The truck is 2.5 hours away, so I’d need to fix this there to drive it home.)
Front four-wheel drive shaft is broken at the pumpkin (likely at the axle, not the transfer case).
Passenger side window is broken.
On the plus side, the owner added a small lift and airbags in the back.
From what I’ve read, this specific year of truck is really good in terms of the engine, but I know very little about diesel engines.
I’ve done some research and THINK I’m looking at $600+ for repairs and another $400 for registration.
I plan to use the truck to tow a 5th wheel, so I think this might be a good fit. However, with all the problems, modifications, and upgrades I’ll need for towing, do you all think it’s worth it? Do you think I could talk the owner down to $3,000? That’s all I’ve saved so far, but I’m hoping to keep the truck budget under $5,000 including repairs.
Let me help you learn your first hard lesson about owning a diesel: whatever you think the repair cost will be, double it. The bigger concern with that truck is the transmission (assuming it’s an automatic)—they’re not reliable in stock form. Lastly, try to tow the truck home instead of driving it, because if the throttle assembly or something else fails, you’ll have a bad day. Getting it for $3,000 might be tough, but good luck negotiating. Just make sure to budget enough for repairs and maintenance.
@Ori
Thanks for the advice! I’ll keep the repair costs in mind. It is an automatic. My plan was to try driving 100 miles, and if it doesn’t work out, I’ll get it towed back. Do you have any recommendations for what I should look for within a $5k budget? I like Cummins, but they’re way over my price range.
The 7.3L is a solid engine, but $5,000 is steep for a 22-year-old truck with that many issues. KBB says it should be closer to $2,000 for a private trade.
Jess said:
The 7.3L is a solid engine, but $5,000 is steep for a 22-year-old truck with that many issues. KBB says it should be closer to $2,000 for a private trade.
Exactly! That’s why I was hoping to negotiate down to $3,000. I’ll keep looking if it doesn’t work out.
If $3,000 is all you’ve saved, this is a hard no. Trucks like this often come with hidden issues, and the seller might not even know about all the problems.
Sawyer said:
If $3,000 is all you’ve saved, this is a hard no. Trucks like this often come with hidden issues, and the seller might not even know about all the problems.
The $3,000 is just my current budget. I plan to invest more over time, but I wanted the truck to be the “cheapest” part of the project. Any recommendations for a reliable used diesel?
Just a heads-up: older Ford odometers can’t read beyond 300k miles, so it’s probably higher. Mine rolled back to 300k after hitting 400k. Sounds like this one is pretty worn out and might not be worth the trouble.