Hello,
I have very little knowledge of autos (especially trucks), so take it easy on me. :)
Right now the only family car is a '93 Mazda Navajo 4x4. Though it's served us well, we're thinking it's time to invest in a more sturdy vehicle with higher clearance and power for hauling and being the car we beat up on pretty good and a 2nd economy car w/ great mileage for toting the kids and groceries around.
I found a '72 F250 at a local lot. It has "Sport" or somesuch description on it (didn't write it down). The only obvious cosmestic problems are a little rust and the tailgate will not open. Called the owner. 134k miles (on origial engine), 4-speed manual. Says he spent $5k on it 2 years ago, the former owners promising the engine had been rebuilt. I guess it wasn't (or was done very poorly), so he replaced the engine with a rebuilt one (don't know the type), then they pulled
*that* out and put in a 460 (didn't give year or other specs on it). Says it runs good, but put on only 200 miles on it before putting it up for sale. The truck was for the seller's son, who is now leaving for a mission (we live in Utah), and he wants to just get what he possible can out of it. He says they put $10k into it. It has a new-ish radio/tape deck, is fairly clean and tidy and well maintained on the inside. He's asking $4500.Kelly Bluebook online only goes back to 1984, and the '84 F250,
4-speed with a 460 in "fair" condition is rated at $1055 (or close to that). Assuming the car has no major problems, is the seller asking a fair price given what he's done? It *seems* high to me, though I can understand his desire to recoup some of costs on the truck, but I'm very unfamiliar with the used truck market. The guy sounded really anxious to sell, and *offered* to be flexible on the price (I hadn't pressed the issue yet). I was thinking of maybe offering $2500 or $3000 if it checks out okay.I have a few other questions about this truck. It has two gas tanks, but the capacity is unknown to the owner. Any ideas what they might hold? Would both be stock tanks, or did someone add on a 2nd one during it's life?
I tried searching on the 460 engine. I could find that it's a V8/7.5L engine. Correct? And searching further, I see that I can expect gas mileage in the range of 7-to-12 MPG, with the lower range being much more common. Sound right?
I'll probably test drive it, and if I like how it runs, I'll take it to the local shop and see if it'll pass the safety inspection.
Oh, that reminds me. In Utah, some counties require that cars/trucks pass emissions tests. Any chance this car would pass, or would it be grandfathered and not require emissions?
Also, I didn't see any seatbelts, but I didn't get a chance to get inside the cab. Did these cars even come with them? If not, would it be grandfathered from the requirement to use seatbelts in places with such requirements?
I'm looking for an affordable tough truck that will hold up to moderate abuse, but which doesn't need to be pretty and is old enough to have Utah's lowest tax rate ($10/year on cars 12 years or older). This is the first car to pass through the local lot that appeals to me. I like its simple, modest look (it's either dark gray or faded black -- can't quite tell). It's got good, large wheel/tires and much higher clearance than my Navajo.
Opinions? Was this a good truck in general? I assume that something as old as that is fairly simple to repair, as compared to today's cars. Are there problems that this truck was known for?
Any and all advice would be greatly apprecieated.
Oh, I think my hotmail account is toast. I can only get replies via this newsgroup. Thanks.