'85 F250 with Meyer plow questions

Hello Group!

I'm a car guy, who would really appreciate a little truck advice!

I have an opportunity to buy an '85 F250, 460 4v, 4WD ext. cab, 4spd with

4.11s, NM vehicle, with 80k on it, in nice shape from a family member. It has a year-old Meyer plow (don't know the details, but new it was $6000 installed). I know the truck to be in nice shape; it has a new clutch and slave cylinder and has been taken care of. It's been used for plowing for one year.

Since they are very soon moving to AZ, they won't need this vehicle, and are offering to me for $3000 - with the plow. They know I've been drooling over this truck for a few years, being mainly a Ford fan and liking big blocks, so I've got first dibs. This would not be a highway cruiser, esp. with

4.11s, no overdrive and gas prices where they are (!). It would be a utility and winter vehicle and be used now and again for towing. I have no use for the plow, so I'd be selling it, and have no clue where to begin, there...

Some questions, if ya don't mind....

- taking this at face value, do you think it's a good deal?

- are there dealers I could just go to and sell this plow, and have them remove it?

- would you think I could get a dealer to pay me $1500 or $2000 for a nice used Meyer plow?

Many thanks. I am facing with needing to make a decision about this in the next 24-48 hours, so any honest input would be greatly appreciated.

Reply to
Wound Up
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Do a search on cars.com.

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Lots of Ford trucks to compare. You know the condition of the truck, if you want it and can use it, go for it. If gas prices end up where they are headed you might have a problem if you need to sell it in the future. 460's are not known for economy:) I would be darned sure you can use it.

About the plow. I would advertise it in the "for sale" newsgroups and small local newspapers in close areas where it snows. Like Flagstaff, Williams, White Mountain area, Albuquerque, and so on. You could remove the plow, put it in the back and deliver it. Too bad it's the wrong time of the year to sell a plow.

Al # 35

Reply to
Big Al

Even for a truck that is 20 years old, that is not a bad deal. If you are not going to be plowing with it, you PROBABLY could change the differential gears for a more advantageous ratio for not too much money (Good gears from a junkyard are still good gears).

You probably can...but I am not sure that they would give you that much (I have a great respect for the dealer's ability to buy for pennies and sell for tens of dollars *smile*). The cost of removal WILL be deducted from the amount you get too, I suspect. Think about removing the plow, though...If you get enough snow that it is useful (and I suspect you do, considering it *IS* on a truck), then, how much time does it take you clear YOUR driveway? Also, if you are a church member...It would take about 20 minutes to clear the parking lot at the church, and, would save a couple hundred dollars (as well as generating good will).

This is a good point. Fuel prices are getting to almost profiteeringly high levels...(amazing how that happened with an oil man in the white house, isn't it?) and are not likely to go down soon (at least until the cost pressures us to open up Alaska for drilling *smile*) On the other hand...If your life is such that you need to carry heavy or large loads on a fairly frequent basis - often enough that RENTING a truck of appropriate size is too much of a pain in the butt - then, I would say go ahead and get it. For that amount, and since you feel it has been well maintained, it should not be too bad a deal. Also, you MIGHT want to go over to

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and post to the gasser forum, to see what those folks think. It is pretty hardcore over there, and, they DO have freely available opinons about trucks in general and Fords in specific.

Ya, but it is a great time of year to BUY a snowplow *smile*. Shucks, if I were not halfway across the country, in Tennessee, *I* would be interested...but, too much hassle to get it here, and, if the last winter is any indication of future performance, we may never see enough snow to be fun again (I ascribe this to recently acquiring a nice, 1999, F350, with new tires and 4WD *smile*). In any case, it should not be a big issue to pull it off, and, if it is already removed, that can be a positive selling point. There is, of course, Ebay, if you would be willing to crate it up for truck freight. Put a reserve on it, and remember that the buyer pays ALL shipping costs (I just paid $40 to a guy to crate up a Rockwell Hardness Tester for shipping), and you will be ok. The freight company will, typically, pick it up at your doorstep so that should not be a problem either. Regards Dave Mundt

Reply to
Dave Mundt

"Wound Up" snipped-for-privacy@your.disposal wrote in news:sDR4e.8379$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr11.news.prodigy.com:

I have been watching this and here is my thoughts. First off it really doesn`t make since for you. You really aren`t going to be using it enough to be worth the hassle of getting it home. It is a ok deal not a great deal. You will maby be 1000 bucks ahead when it is all said and done and still have a low mph (ala 4.10s) gas hog the rest of the time. You will get much more use out of a good small block overdrive 2wd F150 for 99.5% of what you want, and it will get 15 mpg not 9. The resale on that plow will be ok "IF" you can get it to a snow area in the fall not now. And more than likely you won`t find a dealer interested in it unless you almost give it away. If you have any specific other questions give a hollar. KB

Reply to
Kevin Bottorff

Interesting I have a 1983 F-250 converted to a flat bed that I get 12.5 MPG if it is pulling a trailer or not. If I had to choose between an F-150 and a F-250 I would pick the F-250. With only 80K it is a very good deal.

Kev> "Wound Up" snipped-for-privacy@your.disposal wrote in

Reply to
user

snipped-for-privacy@domain.invalid wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@domain.invalid:

is yours a 4 wheel drive?? they usually only get 11 mpg at the best and that is with a manual trany. a 2 wheel drive will get better milage (we are talking 460 only here) and would be the difference, unless you only drive 45 mph all the time. fullsize pkups are very speed senceitive to mpg. KB

Reply to
Kevin Bottorff

I am not sure what rearend but it is 2 wheel drive and an automatic and I drive it on the highway around 65 to 70 MPH. If I am pulling a trailer with 7,000 lbs on it it will drops a little to around 11.5 MPG.

Reply to
user

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