Newbie wanting a beast

Discussion in 'General Discussions' started by Oddmouse, Sep 15, 2011.

  1. Oddmouse

    Oddmouse Junior Member

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    My wife n I are wanting to buy an f350 4 door long bed 4x4 with the 7.3 in it
    My question to you guys/gals is this : what problems should I look for when buying one used with 150k or more mileage on it? What's the fuel mileage(I know dumb question but wife wants to know) of these beautiful trucks? Can anything be done to increase it(ex: an ecu chip or edge or bully dog etc etc?)
    A decent price for these trucks is around 6-10k correct?
    Is there something I can read more about these trucks?
    Thankyou oddmouse
     
    Last edited: Sep 15, 2011
  2. 97madness

    97madness Full Access Member

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    if you find one for 6-10k, its gonna be ragged out and not worth it imo. Diesels tend to have a decent resale value. Most guys run a chip/tuner and say it helps mpgs a little and what not. Thats about all i can answer for ya. Maybe West, Jake, or a few of the others will chime in for ya
     
  3. General Lee

    General Lee Rammer Jammer

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    a good 7.3 with 100-150k miles will run about 18-25+ grand and a truck with 200k miles and over will be around 8-15 grand depending on the condition. you can increase mileage by adding an exhaust and a tuner/chip/programmer and a block heater will help out a lot in the winter
     
  4. Oddmouse

    Oddmouse Junior Member

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    Thankyou both
    I've found a couple trucks on local craigslist
    One that needed a new front bumper for about 6grand
     
  5. BlackThundah

    BlackThundah Aka LilWhiteFiddy

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    yah we got a 99 7.3 with close to 300k she still runs like a dream, all original tranny and motor. They'll last a long time if you take care of em. But thats about all i can say, cause its dads truck and i dont drive it. But im pretty shure tuners make a big difference on a diesel compared to a reg gas motor, and i know they make specific tuners for the 7.3 to help with gas mileage but still provide you with extra hp
     
  6. Bdons-SD

    Bdons-SD Anti spark plug!

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    If youre buying one with over 150k look out for the tranny. If it hasnt had a tranny rebuild it will very soon unless you get a lucky one like above, or my dads, he has 180k on it with the original tranny. Just depends on if you get a "monday" truck or not ha ha. other than that there arent any real issues to look out for, the tranny is the weak link on these trucks.

    in 150k range youll find anything from 13 to 20k on the price tag depending on options. as far as mpg's, youre looking at about 11-13 stock. a 4 inch turbo back, gauges to monitor your egts, trans temp and boost and an intake should be your first mods. that will help the motor breathe more. These 3 mods are almost necessary if you plan to run a tuner. I personally run the custom dp tuner from dp-tuner.com and I love it. I have all of the above and im running between 18 and 22 mpgs on 35s.
     
  7. rrogers

    rrogers Supporting Member

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    fear nothing these trucks are bulletproof. well maybe the tranny is not
     
  8. Bdons-SD

    Bdons-SD Anti spark plug!

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    Youll just be looking at minor things like brakes, starter, alternator, stuff like that. But thats all typical of every used car.
     
  9. agjake11

    agjake11 Suck my tailpipe

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    no comment haha.

    jk down here 150K 7.3L on good shape will be 15k+
     
  10. KingRanchDiesel

    KingRanchDiesel Full Access Member

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    yea, my advice is too take a test drive first of all! then like brendon said, the engine is in good condition but the tranny will have some wear after so many miles. tuning the engine right will really help you out when it comes to MPG's (exhaust or programmer is one of the first things you should invest in). the price should be around $15,000. like clay said, the block heater is useful when it starts getting into the low 40s or below. the price can also vary depending on whether you get the 4x4 or the fx4 version! if you have any more questions dont hesitate to ask!
     

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