philh wrote:
Beginning to look for a truck... some owners are crazy in what they think their trucks are worth.
First F250, about 20% ABOVE KBB high retail. Granted it "looked" in good condition, it was still a 2003. It sat for another 60 days after he absolutely refused my KBB average stating he already had an offer $1k above my offer.
Second one I looked at last night, another F250, used extensively in snow plowing, 2008 gas with the bad plugs that had never been changed, and tires all the way down to the wear bars and accident history. Owner selling it for 15k, I offered 11.5. He stated even the dealer offered him 12.5. Dealer acquaintance suggested sight unseen, he'd offer 9.5 as a dealer purchase. It's already been sitting for about a month. Wife had a bad feeling about either the truck or him. She couldn't articulate the feeling, but I've learned to trust her gut feelings.
She did offer that a co-worker's husband recently died and she can no longer make the note payment on a more recent F350. She suggested a price that is just a little under avg retail for gas, and quite a bit under if it's diesel. So maybe this will work out anyway.
This is all coming about 18 months before I was going to buy a new truck, but we're talking about taking some longer trips with the trailer. One thing to haul with my car on level reasonably good roads in good weather, completely different thing to be crossing mountains in the winter ๐
/rant
Yeah, high prices are kinda disgusting when a guy's buying. But a product is worth what the market will bear. I believed that, both when I had a business and when I worked for a union and had to participate negotiating fair wages. Not to grease my palm so much... but for my family.
The oil boom in ND is the worst thing that has happened to the state. 'Course wages finally went up, but now I'm retired, all "buyer". But besides my taxes, the boom drove the price of trucks up too. Like my buddy lamented, "We're getting frack'd here.".
I reluctantly paid north of $15k for a 2000 7.3L CC truck. I figured with new tires, balljoints and condition, it was actually worth about $13.5k, so I overspent by $1.5k, driving up the market price for the rest of you "pre-own" guys.
๐ But then again, it was still bone stock, had good service records, low miles and spent most of it's time in a garage. I coulda had a same year 7.3L for $8, but it was 2wd and sun-faded, needed tires, probably joints. The price was tempting. Anyway, I hardly ever need 4wd and don't intend to drive it in winter. Hey, what's a few bucks one way or the other?
The 2000 truck I bought steered bad on the test drive, but I could visibly see that it was misaligned by wear already starting on the new tires. I figured a quick tie-rod wrench in the driveway but, while that corrected the wear, it still steered bad. Turns out the balljoints were installed wrong. Whoda thunk? And I had a heck of a time finding a shop (incl 2 Ford dealers) that was willing to recognize the problem, even though I had a Moog service bulletin describing it and Ford also has a TSB out on it. Go figure.
The shop that originally did the work initially seemed like a good bet for repair since I like to buy tires there myself. But the service manager insisted all the F-250 trucks steer like that and his own did too. I knew better, I own another 2000 truck with the same OEM steering that has smooth factory joints yet. His tough luck I guess. And my tough luck to the tune of $350 to re-install ball-joints and correct it elsewhere. Very knowledgable shop, knew exactly what I was talking about, it's good now.
What's wrong with a "snowplow" truck? Salt? HD front springs? Tranny shouldn't get too hot in winter. Maybe a lot of shift cycles, though.
Lastly, what kind of "rare cream puff car"? Inquiring minds want to know.
๐ Wes
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Days spent camping are not subtracted from one's total.
- 2019 Leprechaun 311FS Class C
- Linda, Wes and Quincy the Standard Brown Poodle
