How much do you think it's worth?

[Lannie]

My husband recently got a new (to us) truck, because the old one needs a lot of engine work, which we couldn't afford. The first place he took it (a Ford dealership) said it needed a whole new engine, to the tune of $16,000.00. Uh, no. We're not in any kind of "city," so there aren't a lot of options for getting it worked on. It's a 2004 Ford F-15 4WD super cab with 153,000 miles, in good shape except for the engine. As far as I could glean (I love that word!), one valve cover is cracked, so it leaks a lot of oil, the timing chain most likely needs to be replaced, and oh, there's a short in the wiring somewhere so the driver side electric window won't go down. That's a minor fix, I'm sure.

On the plus side, the interior is excellent, there's a tow package, the body has no dings, although there is a tiny piece of plastic missing off the grille where a pheasant smacked it one day... It's a nice truck, it just runs like crap and needs a bunch of work.

Anyway, there's a guy we know that might be interested, but he wants to know how much we want for it, and neither of us have a clue. If the engine has to be replaced, he can get one that might fit (it's a Triton V8) for around $2,000.00 and then he'd have a nice truck.

Do any of you have any idea what a fair price would be for a truck like this?

 

[MurraysMutts]

Ive been looking for a better pickup myself.
Values are all over the dang place. I will say, to me a truck that needs an engine ain't worth a lot. 20 yr old truck.
But I've seen folks asking 5000 dollars for stuff like that. What they actually get, I don't know...

If I were inclined to put an engine in one (I'm not, I've done those trucks and don't wanna do it again. Lol) that truck might be worth a couple thousand. Providing everything else is in good shape

 

[Caustic Burno]

Not much I just sold an 02 last year with a diesel an everything worked. Had it been gasoline it would have been worth next to nothing in my part of the world.

 

[greybeard]

Depending which engine it is, Triton V8s weren't the most reliable engines to begin with.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Forgot to mention.
I'm looking at an 07 f250 extended cab 2 wheel drive. With the 6 liter diesel.
They want 6500

I have not made an offer

 

[Lannie]

Ive been looking for a better pickup myself.
Values are all over the dang place. I will say, to me a truck that needs an engine ain't worth a lot. 20 yr old truck.
But I've seen folks asking 5000 dollars for stuff like that. What they actually get, I don't know...

If I were inclined to put an engine in one (I'm not, I've done those trucks and don't wanna do it again. Lol) that truck might be worth a couple thousand. Providing everything else is in good shape

Thanks, I was kinda hoping maybe we could get around $4,000 for it (because if we could, I could get my new windows). But I guess not. And this is a good friend (our hay guy), so I sure don't want him to think we're trying to gyp him.

Depending which engine it is, Triton V8s weren't the most reliable engines to begin with.

THAT has become painfully obvious, LOL! I've never had a car that age that actually needed a new engine. I've had them need tune ups, but a new engine? No. Then again, I'm old, and I'm used to old cars, that were built to last. (As in, they were made out of steel and cast iron, not plastic and aluminum... and they had a carburetor, LOL!)

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Unless there is much more than you describe it doesn't sound like it needs a new engine?

Remember now a days most dealers and mechanics are parts changers. The mechanics aren't often given the time needed to properly diagnose issues as there is more money in replacing things and sending it down the road, then figuring out exactly what's wrong and repairing just what's needed.

Cracked valve cover? Couple hundred in parts and labor.

Timing chain replacment? 2-3k bucks.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Not that it matters but you say old cars were "built to last". "Back in the day" I don't remember vehicles going 200k miles with little more than oil changes. I remember rebuilding plenty of engines with less than 100k miles, burning valves up, wearing cam lobes off, rocker arms failing, relashing valves, replacing ignition systems, etc.

Now for the most part these "new fangled plastic engines" go 200k+ miles like its nothing.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Not that it matters but you say old cars were "built to last". "Back in the day" I don't remember vehicles going 200k miles with little more than oil changes. I remember rebuilding plenty of engines with less than 100k miles, burning valves up, wearing cam lobes off, rocker arms failing, relashing valves, replacing ignition systems, etc.

Now for the most part these "new fangled plastic engines" go 200k+ miles like its nothing.

Actually in the sixties if you got 100K out of a motor without a rebuild was something to talk about.
Detergent motor oil was the start of longevity.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Along with better oil we also have much better machining tolerances, better materials, better fuel management, and the list goes on and on.

 

[SmokinM]

Forgot to mention.
I'm looking at an 07 f250 extended cab 2 wheel drive. With the 6 liter diesel.
They want 6500

I have not made an offer

You got to do you but if it was me I wouldn't. Biggest strike is 2wd. Even if the intent is that it will be an asphalt angel that thing will get you hung up somewhere. 6.0 was not great but not all bad.

 

[Dave]

You got to do you but if it was me I wouldn't. Biggest strike is 2wd. Even if the intent is that it will be an asphalt angel that thing will get you hung up somewhere. 6.0 was not great but not all bad.

Wife thought we should get a 2wd. I gave her 3 reasons not to get 2wd. December, January, and February. A person could throw in November and March too.
It would have to be extremely cheap for me to buy a 2wd. And then I would sell it for a profit in the summer.

 

[Travlr]

this is a good friend (our hay guy), so I sure don't want him to think we're trying to gyp him.

Trade for hay? A barter might net both of you a better deal. 4K in hay to you might be 2K to him...

 

[Travlr]

Actually in the sixties if you got 100K out of a motor without a rebuild was something to talk about.
Detergent motor oil was the start of longevity.

Back in the eighties I was working for O'Reilly's and we would have a lot of guys come in to buy rebuilt engines, almost all of them right around 150K miles. They'd always say, "Yeah, it's getting a little tired."

And we would take that engine he brought in as a core and stick it in a circle track car and win races with a few cans of octane boost.

 

[4hfarms]

06 5.4 f250 2wd 230k. Needs lots of stuff, but starts every time I turn the key.

 

[4hfarms]

What codes do you have? Right about 150k miles I needed coil packs. It ran real hard. Threw a missing cylinder code. Have auto parts store check for free. They will look up codes and tell you what it needs. Coils are cheap and easy enough. You tube can even show you how to fix it. The spark plugs I do recommend be done at the dealer.

 

[Warren Allison]

Not that it matters but you say old cars were "built to last". "Back in the day" I don't remember vehicles going 200k miles with little more than oil changes. I remember rebuilding plenty of engines with less than 100k miles, burning valves up, wearing cam lobes off, rocker arms failing, relashing valves, replacing ignition systems, etc.

Now for the most part these "new fangled plastic engines" go 200k+ miles like its nothing.

I remember when the warranties were 12k miles/12 mos.

 

[Little Joe]

If it truly needs an engine I'd say $2000 and even if not and he's buying not knowing what exactly it needs I wouldn't want to be much more than $2000.

 

[Warren Allison]

My husband recently got a new (to us) truck, because the old one needs a lot of engine work, which we couldn't afford. The first place he took it (a Ford dealership) said it needed a whole new engine, to the tune of $16,000.00. Uh, no. We're not in any kind of "city," so there aren't a lot of options for getting it worked on. It's a 2004 Ford F-15 4WD super cab with 153,000 miles, in good shape except for the engine. As far as I could glean (I love that word!), one valve cover is cracked, so it leaks a lot of oil, the timing chain most likely needs to be replaced, and oh, there's a short in the wiring somewhere so the driver side electric window won't go down. That's a minor fix, I'm sure.

On the plus side, the interior is excellent, there's a tow package, the body has no dings, although there is a tiny piece of plastic missing off the grille where a pheasant smacked it one day... It's a nice truck, it just runs like crap and needs a bunch of work.

Anyway, there's a guy we know that might be interested, but he wants to know how much we want for it, and neither of us have a clue. If the engine has to be replaced, he can get one that might fit (it's a Triton V8) for around $2,000.00 and then he'd have a nice truck.

Do any of you have any idea what a fair price would be for a truck like this?

Go to KBB, carFax, Edmundsons, Autotrader, etc, and get the private sale value of the truck. Use all three and take the average. Then, take the price of the truck, add to it the $2k for that motor, plus the labor costs to change motors. If all of that added together is less than the value, then buy it.

 

[Lannie]

I just realized I said our old truck was an F-15 up in my first post. I guess I have Eagles on my mind. You all know I meant F-150.

Unless there is much more than you describe it doesn't sound like it needs a new engine?

Remember now a days most dealers and mechanics are parts changers. The mechanics aren't often given the time needed to properly diagnose issues as there is more money in replacing things and sending it down the road, then figuring out exactly what's wrong and repairing just what's needed.

Cracked valve cover? Couple hundred in parts and labor.

Timing chain replacment? 2-3k bucks.

I thought the same thing. They just don't want to tear it apart far enough to fix it, they'd rather replace the whole thing. No skin off THEIR nose, right? It's only our money. But we have no idea who to call to do work on that kind of engine. And anyway, at this point, it's moot, since we have the new truck now. I was just trying to figure out a fair price to ask for the old one.

Trade for hay? A barter might net both of you a better deal. 4K in hay to you might be 2K to him...

I actually thought of that. I might ask him if he'd be willing to trade for part or all of next year's hay. We've already paid for all of this winter's hay.

I know he's always complaining about how the banks are bleeding him, so the more I think about it, the more I think he might be amenable to a trade for hay. No money changes hands that way and he's got a lot less headaches to worry about. I think we'll go that way. I'll just tell him $2,000.00. He's a good guy, if he thinks it's worth more, he'll offer more, I guess. He raised the price he was paying (crediting) me for my cheeses this year, because I was still charging what I did way back at the beginning. He's definitely not trying to bamboozle us out of anything. I just had no idea where to start, and he didn't want to put forth the first offer. So now I guess WE can.

Thanks, guys!