03 Ford 4x4 Diesel Ambulance for sale

[NLwestcoaster]

I just wanted to get your opinion on this ambulance. I had chosen a 09 Tacoma DC for the platform for our Pan Am journey, but I came across this today....03 Ford Diesel 4x4 ambulance for $7500. The only thing that really turns me off is the odometer - 250,000km. Not a ton of km by some standards but its been through harsh winters in Newfoundland with lots of salt on the roads.
They told me the conversion alone cost them $25,000. It comes inspected and a fresh white paint job will be done prior to sale. What do you think?

 

[Off Duty]

If the inspection turns out ok, and they're going to do a fresh paint for you, and if the body and frame are rust free, I'd go for it.

Ton's of room in them, already should have the HD charging system, cooling and trans coolers in place, and the high top is definitely a plus.

Which engine?
6.0 or 7.3?
If it's the 7.3, that kind of mileage is break in miles
If it's the 6.0, make sure they have all the receipts for any engine repair.

 

[Eaglefreek]

Does it have an hour meter? I bet it spent a lot of time idling.

 

[NLwestcoaster]

If the inspection turns out ok, and they're going to do a fresh paint for you, and if the body and frame are rust free, I'd go for it.

Ton's of room in them, already should have the HD charging system, cooling and trans coolers in place, and the high top is definitely a plus.

Which engine?
6.0 or 7.3?
If it's the 7.3, that kind of mileage is break in miles
If it's the 6.0, make sure they have all the receipts for any engine repair.

Thanks I'll check into this today.

 

[Ozrockrat]

If it is an 03 it should be a 7.3 in which case even with 250,000KM (158,000miles approx) it is a bargain. There are a couple of extra checks you can get done along with normal pre-purchase inspection.

1. Get hold of the maintenance records if you can.
2. As mentioned previously get the hour meter reading. (I will send you what my hours to miles ratio is for reference)
3. Take it to a shop that can pull all the codes. They will need a scanner that can grab the enhanced ford codes not just the regular ODB2 codes. (genuine ford reader, autoenginuity with the ford enhanced package, snapon with the correct cartridge).
4. Have them run the diagnostic tests. CCR (Cylinder Contribution), Injector Buzz Test, KOER (Key on engine running) and KOEO (key on engine off)
5. Open the dogbox and run your fingers around the junction of the pipes from the exhaust manifold to the turbo. If you find soot on your fingers it is bypassing pressure and you will be losing boost. Best case $20 parts for new gasket (donuts) worst case new pipes $400.
6. Does it have AC???

On the ambo v Tacoma question. I have a guideline that we never take anything into a foreign country that we are not prepared to leave behind if the poop hits the fan. The van will get you anywhere you need to go and with a lot more creature comforts. The ability to live inside if required makes a lot of difference when you are traveling for a good length of time. In the ambo you have a good head start with auxiliary power and wires running everywhere that are well marked and can be re-purposed.

Having lived in Newfoundland for 18 months (Duckworth St, St Johns) I know how hard the winters can be on vehicles. But even the normal inspection for rego change should pickup any safety defects. This along with a good body inspection, tranny check and the tests I outlined above should highlight any areas of concern. Then you have all the way through the USA with good access to parts and technical assistance to get the vehicle sorted before you start the major part of your journey.

And given the excellent hospitality shown to me by all Newfies I would be honored to offer you a place to stay and get sorted before pushing south if you are coming through Phoenix.

Here are a couple of links that may be helpful if you do get it.

http://www.discountvantruck.com/ These guys have a number of different sleeper sofas. Ours was about $800 landed in Phoenix. But there will probably better options for you in the mid west where all the RV manufacturers are.

http://www.autoenginuity.com/ Make sure you get the ford package if you get one. Invaluable for troubleshooting these diesels.



Donut Gaskets
Ford F4TZ-6K854-C
Int'l 1816103C1
Felpro #8194

Bolts - Ford W301160
Int'l 1844517C1(BOLT,M8X30 HEX FL HD) (Was 1844044C1)
BOLT-EXH FLGE M8X60MM (manifold-to-up-pipe bolts)
Ford W300013
Int'l 1821640C1

 

[NLwestcoaster]

Ozrockrat....thanks for all the great info! And the offer to stay at your place. I'll swing by today to take a closer look and hopefully find out more.

I'm sold on the fact that the ambulance would be a better option for what we need, but I just want to make sure it doesn't need more work than what it's worth.

Will be in touch. Also let me know what your hours to miles ratio is when you get a chance. Thanks again

 

[NLwestcoaster]

It turns out to be a 6.0 and not the 7.3. It has some surface ruse around the body, but it's nothing too serious on first look. The current owner seems to have taken good care of it and has recently replaced the EGR and it was fully inspected last week at the Ford dealer. It does have A/C.

I'm a little more hesitant now that I know it's a 6.0.

Decisions....

 

[Ozrockrat]

The 6.0 while not as desirable in my opinion is still a great motor. Check Chris's site http://www.ujointoffroad.com/ for some info on making them more reliable. Bullet Proof diesel also has a lot of info. You can still get all the diagnostic tests done as I pointed out in the previous post. There could be others that you can do on the 6.0 as well.

If you could get a peek at the service history it would be very helpful. Ford may be able to tell you about the major work or any warranty work.

Also when you check it out grab a photo of the nameplate details. That can give you a lot of info on the axles etc. and a copy of the new compliance tag if it is there from whoever did the 4wd conversion.

 

[Off Duty]

Unless it's already been done, you'll sink about $3k into upgrades to make the engine "bulletproof."
That said, once done, you'll find them to be a fairly reliable engine, one that is capable of good HP/torque numbers, and you should get better fuel economy from the 6.0 over the 7.3. The 7.3 was never really known as a fuel efficient engine. Simply one that will with routine maintenance, run damned near forever!!

If the maintenance records are intact, and the engine tests out good, I still would not let the 6.0 dissuade me from the purchase.

Good luck on your decision.

Sounds good so far

 

[NLwestcoaster]

Thanks again...will check out the few things you guys suggested. What would be the best solution to get rid of all the roof lights??

 

[Ozrockrat]

Leave the roof lights there. Maybe a perforated wrap over the red ones to hide them a bit while still allowing them to be used as area lighting. Leave the white ones alone as they are great for setting up camp etc. also leave the siren there. I am sure the further south you get the more they use their horns. A quick peep of the siren will stand out a lot more.

 

[cdthiker]

food for thought

its an ambulance, and while those miles are not high,
I promise they were hard earned miles
As an EMT I know how much abuse our rigs get, I would never buy one used. They some times run around the clock, high speeds, heavy loads, lots and lots of work for the motor not to mention the suspension, the electronics etc.
with that being siad, I have worked on a rig that had 290 thousand miles on it, but I have also worked on a rigg that got sold with less miles then they one your looking at because it was a money pit
either way, I promise that truck has been beat to hell and back
I would stay away from it.

goo luck

 

[hobietony]

A quick peep of the siren will stand out a lot more.

It is also illegal. (Not that I would be opposed to using mine if it came with the rig...)

 

[Kaisen]

 

[Ozrockrat]

It is also illegal. (Not that I would be opposed to using mine if it came with the rig...)

Only if you get caught and probably only illegal in Canada, USA and Chile. Besides it is not an ambulance siren sir, it is the siren for my alarm system :sombrero:

I do agree with ctdhiker though in part. While ambulances tend to be well maintained they are driven hard. You can be sure they stepped hard on the skinny pedal often.

Now the lights???? I had only seen a side shot when I made the comment above. Those red lights on the front do stick out like dogs testicles. Might be worthwhile seeing what it would take to fiberglass them in. It would gain a little storage space on the inside.