Looking at possibly buying a 2002 f350 7.3 Diesel -- Need help! Photos included

[vdog98]

I came across a dealer in my area that just listed a "restored" 2002 f350 7.3 -- 6 Spd manual

I have been wanting to get back into a full size, manual trans, truck for some time -- but was on the fence about getting a diesel as it is not something I could really do any work on myself. I like the fact that these have such a history of being near bulletproof engines if maintained, and I'm not someone who wants the newest, nicest riding, tech advanced vehicle.

I haven't looked at one of these trucks before -- but at the price listed (15k) I could pay cash after a little bit of negotiation.

The ad for this truck says that it has a restored the bed, all new welded panels on the cab, etc. One owner out of the northeast but not commercial use.

Any tips? take a look at the photos and let me know what you think- thanks!

 

[MTVR]

How bad was the crash?

 

[Jimmbobb]

This is one of my all-around favorite packages. I drove this configuration for work (except, sadly, the 6.0) and it could do all we asked of it. That deeeep first gear won't get used much, but it's nice when you need it.
Around here these have a tendency to have rusty oil pans, which can be quite a bit of work to repair. I'd check that carefully.

 

[MTVR]

2002 vehicles don't need to be "restored"- something's up here.

I strongly suspect that this truck is a "rebuilt" totalled vehicle. The patches welded into the frame, the large amounts of undercoating slopped over existing rust, all the bodywork that's been done on it, the front bumper that doesn't fit right- there are a lot of red flags there.

A lot of times they even "wash" the title by re-titling it in another state, so that the title is not branded. They do this to hide the fact that the vehicle was totalled.

At this point, you don't even know if it's safe to drive.

There is no "book" value for "rebuilt" totalled vehicles- they are basically worthless, and the insurance companies know it- they will sell you full coverage insurance if you want, but if it ever gets stolen or damaged, they're not gonna pay you hardly anything for it.

 

[vdog98]

Thanks -- I had mixed feelings after looking at the photos & seeing the description. The big patch was sort of a glaring sign & I see so many dealers around here now just throwing undercoating on everything -- hell I drove over to look at a smaller truck the other day & the dealer had two booths rotating in used trucks and they were seemingly just spraying EVERYTHING with black stuff. Test drove a truck there simply because I had made the drive already & sure enough it shook like a leaf and several lights came on in a 10min test drive (60,000 mile 2006 tundra with "clean Carfax, 1 owner, etc-- they were demanding $16,000 not a penny lower lol).

 

[MTVR]

Thanks -- I had mixed feelings after looking at the photos & seeing the description. The big patch was sort of a glaring sign & I see so many dealers around here now just throwing undercoating on everything -- hell I drove over to look at a smaller truck the other day & the dealer had two booths rotating in used trucks and they were seemingly just spraying EVERYTHING with black stuff. Test drove a truck there simply because I had made the drive already & sure enough it shook like a leaf and several lights came on in a 10min test drive (60,000 mile 2006 tundra with "clean Carfax, 1 owner, etc-- they were demanding $16,000 not a penny lower lol).

Did any of them have a Russian accent, by chance?

 

[vdog98]

I think his name was Igor... maybe Vlad? Kidding of course -- half of my friends growing up were Russian/ukranian (don't ever mix the two up in front of them) and man did they love their Saabs, Volvos, bmw, Mercedes.

 

[twodollars]

I'd pass on that f250. Lots of rust hidden, you can see inside the frame rail how rotted it is. Frame patches!!?? Be scared of that stuff.

 

[eblau]

thats a huge hell no from me on that thing

 

[MTVR]

...half of my friends growing up were Russian/ukranian (don't ever mix the two up in front of them)

We've been all over Europe- we know the difference between Russian and Ukranian- Russian chicks are hot, and Ukranian chicks are hotter. Not to mention chicks from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Hungary, etc....

 

[plainjaneFJC]

Not to mention those old 7.3s are over rated. Sure they were moderately dependable, but at this point they are old enough to have plenty of oil leaks. Heck nowadays an ecoboost has more hp/tq.

 

[Man]

If you look inside the frame hole in pic #3, you will see rust. That extra plate on the frame in pic #8 looks bad.

I'd pass unless you can get them down to ~$7k if it is mechanically sound, but that is a guess I don't know its value. I wouldn't pay much for it. I bet it has been wrecked, has a bad case of cancer and some of it has been covered, removed and hidden.

 

[Marseilles]

That’s a Negative ghost rider.

 

[glock7018]

Nope, wouldn't even look at that truck. You can tell that the frame has some heavy pitting before they slathered the undercoating all over it. I would highly suggest looking for trucks in the southwest where there is no rust, and prices are more realistic.

 

[Grenadiers]

If I were me, search Arizona Craigslist, and set your FB Marketplace to Phoenix, to look for one of these trucks. High mileage on most, but for 15k you should find a 100k miler or less. Flights are cheap!