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Ford pickup - what to look for?

I've been offered an early 90's extended cab, 2wd Ford pickup for what I think is an excellent price. It's an F-150, 300 straight six, automatic (not nuts about the last, but whatever.) Current owner is not a car guy. I haven't seen the truck yet, are there any typical "issues" with these trucks that I should be specifically looking for, or just check for general condition/function and if it seems OK, buy it?

I'm just looking for something for a backup vehicle and occasional haulage of lumber and/or bulky car parts. Maybe towing a trailer occasionally but I certainly wouldn't make a practice of it.

Is this combo sufficient to tow a car trailer for short trips? I'm guessing no, but if it could, that would be a bonus.

thanks,

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel
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I'd buy it for the engine, but then I'm a Ford guy from way back, the 300-I6 is one of Fords best engines. The tranny could be one of the downfalls, but if it's an E4OD, there isn't much outside of the torque converter that goes wrong with them...

I haul about 1100lbs of tools and equipment with mine, doesn't complain too much, I just keep it out of OD most for the time...

If it's properly geared, the 300 will pull a house around the country without too much trouble, you won't be going too fast, but you'll get there... I had an old F350 with the 300, 4 speed, anformer Bell telephone service truck. I bought it at 200K miles, drove it for 12 years, and only put 2 clutches and a valve job into it, it was running poorly when I sold it for $500.00

SteveL

SteveL

Reply to
pakeha

The 300 six is more capable than you may think. I have had several but, like the 5.0L better. The 300 will tow a car trailer "OK" for short distances. It's biggest problem is that it does not accelerate quickly but, it can pull hard all day with no problem. IIRC, all of the '90s 300's came with either a 5 speed manual or the E4OD auto trans. In either case, do not tow in OD. The manuals were iffy when pulling hard in 5th - they tend to eat the input shaft bearings this way. The E4OD will simply hunt back and forth. If the price is right and the truck is in good condition, it should do the job you describe just fine. BTW, the 300 is not a fuel miser - it is more of a work horse even if it is a bit slow.

Lugnut

Reply to
lugnut

Thanks guys. I could care less about gas mileage, this will probably see only very irregular duty anyway. I'll have a look at it sometime next week.

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel

I have owned a few pickup trucks before.One of them was a 1967 Ford V8 half ton long wheel base pickup truck I had traded another vehicle in on.I drove it around for about three years and then I traded it in at a local Ford dealership on a big 1954 one ton Ford ex farm truck,it had a V8 engine in it too.A few days after that,a guy at the dealership phoned me.He said the 1967 Ford pickup truck had two cracked pistons.Honestly,I didn't know it had two cracked pistons. cuhulin

Reply to
cuhulin

Do you ever post on-topic?

Toyota MDT in MO

Reply to
Comboverfish

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