Lightning:

Hello All,

I have the opportunity to pick up a Ford Lightning for 27k.

It is a brand new 2004. I guess trucks are moving slow right now. A local dealership, and this dealership is kind of large, had a red tag sale last weekend and sold only 1 truck off of the whole lot.

I would be trading a 2002 F150 sport SC, 4.6, 4x2, stepside; sort of a larger, slower lightning. Yeah right, in sort of looks only. They offered me only 13k for trade in. I would be taking a major bath. Edmunds lists the trade in value just over 14k. I owe 8 on this truck.

So I guess it goes like this 29k tax and tags, I would ask for 14 to put 6 down. Finance 20 to 23 for 5 years with a payment from around 325 to 400 depending. I would love to get this truck. I would have to give up some things, like coffee and other money wasters I blow money on, and maybe pick up a little OT when I could get it, but damn I would love to drive this truck.

Can any current Lightning owners make suggestions? How is this truck to drive day in day out? What type of gas does it use? Prremium only? Can any savvy guys think of a way that I can get a better deal? It's the end of the month, how bout if I go in tomorrow ie Friday the 30th and just tell them my truck and

20k, not a penny more. Anyone think I could have luck?

I do want this truck but don't want to take anything from my kids etc........ I know if I say I'm getting it it will be wwiii, but sometimes a man's gotta do what a mans gotta do. She'll get over it.

Anybody got any suggestions on why I should or should not go into debt for this truck? I was looking FX4 but the cost on that truck is 2k more than this one.

You only live once. I need help.

Neil

If you gotta ask, you probably can't afford it.... But if you really, really want it, then walk away from that dealer. They're gonna rob you blind.

Visit autobytel.com, put it *exactly* what you want, and wait until a dealer contacts you. Last time I did this, I ended up buying a $28K van for $26K, with no hassles and 0% financing for 6 years. Seriously, the whole 'negotiation' was via phone; we agreed on a fixed markup over the sticker, we told the guy what we wanted, and he located it for us. We did have to pay something like $100 to have the van delivered (it was a couple of hundred miles away) but so what....

Don't assume it's the only truck of its kind in the world. There are other dealers with inventory; they will sell to each other. SO, negotiate the markup above the dealer cost first. Something like $200 is probably adequate. Then look for the car. If the dealer does the usual time wasting crap (I gotta check with the manager, etc), just tell him that you bill at $30/hour, and every hour you spend waiting, your offer goes down by that much. And stick to it - the saleman comes back after 30 minutes of 'talking to the boss' and says he fought for you and all that bullshit

- tell him thank you very much, but your offer just dropped by $15. And if he balks, drop it some more.

Be ready to walk out. Heck, do walk out - if it's as slow as you say, they need to sell that truck far more than you need to buy it. There's nothing like having a salesman chase you into the parking lot shouting Mr. xxx, Mr. xxxx, wait a minute, please! :-)

Also, treat the sale of your current truck as a separate transaction. Don't give it away at $2K below what it's worth. Either sell it on your own, or negotiate the selling price separately from the "trade". Again, last time I did this, I sold a car for $1K more than the dealer trade-in offer, and it was still $700 below Blue Book's 'private party sale'. So I got a better deal, and the person who bought it also got a good deal. The dealer has to give you close to the 'private party sale' price or you walk from the deal.

--Kamus