Posted: 9/12/2026 6:28:12 PM EDT
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XLT with the 460 gas engine and automatic transmission, 230K miles What else should I expect from a truck that sat in a field for 3 years? Seized brakes? All the gaskets dried up and rotted? So far: -New battery and alternator -Topped off oil and coolant (but now radiator has a leak) -I guess there was a leak in the transmission because there is only intermittent power to the wheels It’s only going to be used for getting firewood and as a cube fire truck, and I like working on it. |
A Man's Home Trailer is his White Castle!
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FL, USA
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Those were built strong and easy to work on. Plenty of new parts available too. It's a win. Cast iron block and heads. Last forever. You'll probably need new front end, ie ball joints, tie rod ends, etc |
"Once Open AI is good enough we will ask it to find a way to become profitable."
- Sam Altman
- Sam Altman
| Easy to work on and boringly reliable. Years ago there was a recall on the switching valve on the dual tanks. It would bleed fuel into one tank from another and over fill the tank.. Ignition switches on the column die. I own a 90 F-250 that I bought new. I also just picked up a 95. |
RIP Jeff Reed. Tennessee Squire, Ga. Carry member, NRA,Non-puking 72 ounce drinker 2 of 6 Norcal call sign, Forgotten.
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Originally Posted By John-in-austin: Do they put salt on the roads up there? This is what it would have looked like originally; Colonial White/Smoke Poly. Funny enough, there is a younger kid in town who drives a doppelgänger for his daily driver, same patina. I grew up in MN, way less salt used here, so I think maybe there was a factory issue with the paint?  |
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ID is a place where it snows. I'd check for the usual rust. Dual fuel tanks means more fuel lines, double the fuel sending units, pumps, the valve, and each tank has its own "shutoff valve" inside it. That prevents the front tank from pumping its fuel into the rear tank and vice versa. Everything related to the fuel system is suspect from the pump assemblies to the fuel rail and regulator. The bolts to remove the bed may be fubar, in which case, to service the tanks you could end up having to drop them from under the truck. I agree with the front end. Ball joints, tie rods, I-beam bushings, brakes, (everything inside the rear drums including the wheel cylinder), brake hoses, pitman and idler arms are all dirt cheap for these trucks. You can do it all over a weekend. The big kick in the balls if you care is on these 90s fords, the bodies were made of a handful of panels basically glued together. By now, the glue has started failing. The only way to fix it is to disassemble the whole truck down to access a bunch of the cab like the cowl and firewall. Otherwise, don't be surprised if you get leaks between the panels. There will also be handfuls of leaves and pinestraw that have fallen into the corners of the cowl and hold moisture to rust them out. |
We are the Knights who say Fuuuuu!
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TX, USA
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"I guess there was a leak in the transmission because there is only intermittent power to the wheels" That's the part that would be of concern - especially with the milage. Bigger_Hammer 
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LIFE'S JOURNEY IS NOT TO ARRIVE AT THE GRAVE SAFELY IN A WELL PRESERVED BODY,
BUT RATHER TO SKID IN SIDEWAYS, TOTALLY WORN OUT SHOUTING "HOLY $H!T...WHAT A RIDE"!!
BUT RATHER TO SKID IN SIDEWAYS, TOTALLY WORN OUT SHOUTING "HOLY $H!T...WHAT A RIDE"!!
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I had the same basic truck, but a 1987 model. First year for the bricknose, and last year for the carbed 460. Mine was a HD 3/4 ton (8800 GVW) and had the camper special package - engine oil cooler, power steering cooler, transmission cooler, overload springs, etc. C6 automatic and 3.54 posi rear axle. Got anywhere from 7 to 10 MPG, loaded or unloaded. I bought it in 1997 and sold it in 2017. I found out about a year after I bought it that the original owner was a friend of my father, who bought it new when he retired from the Army in 1987. He pulled a fifth wheel camper with it. E10 gas kept eating accelerator pump diaphragms in the carb, and eventually got to the in-tank fuel pumps and transfer valve. I sold it to a mechanic because I just simply didn't have the time to fool with it. I estimate that i had around 200K miles on it when I sold it. Before the fuel issues, it was a good running truck. |
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New radiator, and I'm not sure where the transmission is leaking, but it's working good enough to haul firewood 10 miles & 1,200 vertical feet. Attached File |
| I joined your old truck experience. I just bought a neglect 95 F-250 with only 111,000 miles. Cruise through the Rockauto closeout section for cheap parts. |
RIP Jeff Reed. Tennessee Squire, Ga. Carry member, NRA,Non-puking 72 ounce drinker 2 of 6 Norcal call sign, Forgotten.
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Originally Posted By whiskerz: I joined your old truck experience. I just bought a neglect 95 F-250 with only 111,000 miles. Cruise through the Rockauto closeout section for cheap parts. Rock auto is my go-to. Especially their close-outs with no warranty. Those have always been cheap and great parts. |
"Once Open AI is good enough we will ask it to find a way to become profitable."
- Sam Altman
- Sam Altman