Buying Advice

[Oren09]

Hello forum.

I found a truck I'm thinking about buying but I would like input from owners.

It's a 1971 F250 Ranger XLT Camper Special.
It has a 360. Engine compartment looks ok, and the engine runs pretty smooth.
The interior is nice- probably about 90-95% intact.
It also has the factory A/C stuck under the dash- however the belts are off the compressor.
The body is a light green color (might be two tone, but I don't remember) and the paint is pretty faded, but the truck is 40 years old, so that's to be expected. There is a little surface rust on the rocker panels, fenders, and around the doors, but nothing through the metal.
The tires aren't very good and will need to be replaced before winter.

It's on consignment at a cash lot in Libby, MT. The owner wants $1,800 and has refused offers of $1,000 and 1,200 from others.

Do ya'll think this is a fair deal?

[hazelnut]

[fordman]

hard to say really. did you look at the floors from underneath and the front cab mounts. as well as the rear of the cab corners. those are soem of the first places they rust at. the belts off the compressor means something isnt right with the air. the thing to do is find similar trucks to that one and check out the price and condition of them. even if you have to search ebay completed listings and craigslist. that will give yo ua better idea. there was a nice fixed up one in florida that just sold for 2700.00 http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... AUS%3A1123

[Oren09]

Thanks for the welcome. I might be spending more time around here because I love the 70s era Ford truck styling.

I will look at the underside.
I have seen that very large sideways A/C compressor on several other Ford vehicles in junkyards (available parts), so would it be very difficult to fix if it is broken? It's not that big of a deal anyway. I live in Montana when the A/C is only needed about 1/4 of the year.

I did some searching on local Craigslists and $1,800 seems to be right around or no more than $200 over other similar trucks. This one is a Camper Special with the aux gas tank and tow mirrors, and if I'm not mistaken, don't they also have heavier rear springs?
The dealership will finance too. I don't have the full amount, so that is kind of important.
I'm looking to get this truck for work- hauling hay, trailers, etc. I have a 97 Dodge Ram that is fine, but its a 6ft bed with a tool box. I can't carry more than 7-10 bales of hay in the bed and a ton is as many as 30 bales.

Couple of questions for the experts:
What exactly is the rear (bed) cargo load limit? I found the salesman's brochure on this site and it said up to 3,XXX #s with certain springs. Does that actually mean I can carry 1.5 tons in the bed? That seems kinda high.
Also. Would it be at all possible to convert to a 4x4 later? Not critical as my Ram is a 4x4, but just a thought in my head.

[Caseys71]

Well as long as it seems like a fair price compared to similar trucks in your area then I'd say it's worth it! But like fordman said check the bottom of the cab for rot, that is usually the first place to worry about rust. Also just be sure to look over the rest of the truck very well as it is a 40 year old truck and you never really know what to expect. As far as fixing your current A/C compressor I'm not much help there as I've never really messed around with them that much, but my guess is that the piston(s) in the compressor are seized up as that is a very common thing to find on older vehicles. According to the '71 Sales Brochure's chart on F-250/F-350 Camper Special load ratings the F-250 Camper Special's rear springs were capable of a maximum load of 1950-2450 lbs. based on the trucks overall GVW. Here's a link to the 2 pages out of the '71 Salesman's Brochure on Camper Specials:http://www.fordification.com/library/ma ... temId=2456 and http://www.fordification.com/library/ma ... temId=2459. Also you could convert to 4x4 although unless you do a full frame swap it would be a meticulous process and probably isn't worth it with the fabrication needed to re-enforce the 2WD frame, but that is for you to decide as it's your truck. Good luck with your future purchase if you decide to pull the trigger on it, it sounds like a wonderful truck !

[mlheppl]

from New Mexico

Where in MT are you? I lived in Lewistown for a while. The price seems to be about $500 too high to me IMO. I gave $1500 for my 71 highboy when I bout it in Lewistown back in 91. Then again if the body checks out and is truly rust free except for surface rust, the other things like the ac are just a matter of time and money

Converting a 2wd to 4wd is a serious undertaking. It would be much easier to buy a 4wd chasis and put the body onto the 4wd chasis.

Let us know how things turn out.

Mike

[R.Smith]

Rust is always the biggest issue with me. Fixing mechanical problems is easy compared to cutting out rot. The bad spots on a bump are usually in the door corners, cab mounts, radiator frame, behind the hood hinges where they mount to the fender well and rocker panels under the door hinge. They're may be other areas but these tend to be the most common and hardest to fix.

As for load, I've had a ton of coal in mine several times with no trouble. It actually rides kinda nice. It does take a bit longer to stop though:)

[Oren09]

I'm in Libby, MT. Waaay up by the Canadians and Idaho.

I went back to the lot to take pictures and check it out more.
There is little rust under the truck- mostly where some paint has flaked off. Also some in the bed.
I used the VIN decoder found here: http://www.fordification.com/tech/VIN71.htm
This truck is a normal F 250 with a GVW of 7,500#. (BTW, how much do these trucks weigh unloaded??)
It was built in San Jose, CA and sold in LA, CA.
It has the 360 (the air cleaner told me that, though) and transmission G just says auto. Is this the C6?
It has combination paint of Seafoam Green and Boxwood Green.
Ranger XLT Medium Green cloth and vinyl interior.
Rear axle is a 5200# Dana 60 w/ 3.73 gearing )
Net HP says 170, but I have seen spec sheets stating 215HP. Is the 215 crank HP and the 170 wheel HP? (Also, what is the RPM redline for 360 engines? And how do you know the top speed on the highway without a tach? V8s aren't as easy to judge RPM as 4 bangers.. for me anyway)

What is this?:
It's a switch beside the seat. There is a switch for the gas tanks mounted under the dashboard...

Pictures: http://s1004.photobucket.com/albums/af1 ... ger%20XLT/

[Oren09]

Nevermind on the switch. I figured it out. The floor switch changed the fuel; the dash switch changes the sending unit.
I'm used to my mom's old 70s (76?) Ford that had the one auto switch.

[fordman]

being a 7500 pounnd truck. it is a heavy duty truck made for heavy duty work. it will haul alot of weight. if you intend on lowering it. it will be harder to lower the rear because of the number of leaf springs in the pack. even after a hanger flip the truck will be a very stiff riding truck and not good to ride in once totally lowered. The F250 could weigh empty around 6000 pounds. i am completely unsure. of exact weight. i cant tell in the one picture if that is undercaoting coming off or holes in the floor. that switch on the floor is part of the two part tank switching valve. you have to turn that valve to open the fuel line. the second switch under the dash only switches the fuel gauge tank readings. so you have to turn both valve to switch tanks. it is probably a C6 i say that because the truck is a F250. if i were to buy it i would offer 1500.00 and see what they say.

[Oren09]

Thanks, fordman.
I do not plan to lower the truck. I see no point in lowering ANY truck. It renders them useless as a truck and just looks ugly.
Heavy duty is what I am looking for. I have a Ram 4x4 for casual driving and off road. I like this truck's frame, springs, engine, and 8ft bed for hauling and towing.
If I get the truck I'll roll over the local weigh station and see what the scale says

[fordman]

i am the same way with lowering. it doesnt make them look good to me. and a turck is a truck not a sports car. but not everyone ahs the same opinion. that is why ford made enough for everyone to do what they wanted with their trucks.

[cep62]

I'm used to my mom's old 70s (76?) Ford that had the one auto switch.

Your MOM has an old Ford ,how cool is that?

[Oren09]

I'm used to my mom's old 70s (76?) Ford that had the one auto switch.

Your MOM has an old Ford ,how cool is that?

She did about ten years ago.
It was a two tone brown extended cab Explorer with dual tanks and a rebuilt 390.