7.3 diesel

[highgrit]

Piedmontese, I don't know how handy you are. But adding 4 wheel drive is a easy job. I did one years ago in less than a weekend. Just look for a wrecked F350 4x4. It will have a mono axle, get the whole transmission transfer case, springs and steering components. Torch the rivets off and bolt it back together. The rear drive shaft is the only piece we had made, because it came out of a regular cab went into a crew cab truck. Any model truck up to 99 will work for you. The truck we did my friend still owns and is his daily driver. He's put over 200k on the truck so far in the last 10 years.
Your paying a lot for the truck, but I think you're getting a lot of truck also.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

In September I bought a 1994 7.3 4x4 dually with a deweze bed that was worth 3500$ if it had been off the truck by itself. it had 130k miles and I paid 5000$ for it, no rust, good tires, clean inside. that obviously makes a 89 2wd 3/4 ton look a little high at 4500$. And 3 months after I bought that truck I put in on CL and sold it in 3 days for 8900$, I've never seen another truck comparable for 5000$, so if you wanted to wait and look hard and everyday you could probably find a little better deal, but it could take a long time.

 

[Nesikep]

I bought a truck that's 5 years newer, 6 years ago, that's an 11 year difference... And as you said, on a farm truck you don't put that many miles on it. I did need a dually.. Also, there a difference in currency of 20% right now.

I'm with denvermartin though, there are better deals out there if you have the time to look.
I'm looking at an *old* dodge farm truck, gasser, 4x4 with a flat deck for $500.. figure it would do me well when our chevy dies

 

[piedmontese]

I'm not real mechanically inclined so adding 4x4 is out for me. Thanks to everyone for the helpful info. I did see a sale bill today for an upcoming farm sale with several trucks so I may wait. It would be nice to have a truck with a bale bed. Now we feed with a bobcat or load n the pickup throw it n rev and hit the brakes. It helps to have a couple strong young sons along n case it don't slide out.