90% about getting a new truck...

VR3

Probally next week or so, will be getting a new truck -

04, Ford F150 EXT Cab... 5.4 L (05 body style)

XLT model...

Test driving it now, really like it -

Any input?

rskarvan

Recommend that you hold off buying a new(er) truck until you can do so without any sort of financing. Nothing worse than being tied to a car payment if you don't have to be.

dane_peterson

My input,
Don't test drive cars while browsing the web. It's dangerous.

Rivrrat

I have an 05 supercab version of the same truck (same motor). I really like mine, and I've always wanted one, but they like gas, I use synthetic oil and they're 75 dollar oil changes (I don't do my own), and look at the battery, it's the size of a small house. I've also heard everything else is expensive to replace.

MillerLiteScott

I have one. 05 Supercab 5.4 4X4 Lariat. They do burn gas like nobody's business. I get @ 11.5-12 mpg but most of my driving is within 10 minutes from my house usually ferrying building materials to a job.

Other than /\ /\ it is a very nice truck. Mine is probably to nice for what I do but I bought it used and I could not pass up the deal I got. I would put it on the level of a Lincoln on the inside. It is very comfortable and quite capable truck at the same time.

I just recently switched to Mobile1 oil, I do the oil change myself, it cost less than $30 for 7 quarts of Mobile1 and Frams best oil filter from WalMart.

Scott

VR3

Not to worried about the gas guzzling part, my current truck guzzles it as well...

I'm trying to beat my truck to the punch on some things...

1) New Tranny
2) New engine
3) New tires
4) General failures

And granted, paying 3,000 or so for all of those things isnt near the investment of a 2004 F150 --- but if I do all those things, I'm still stuck with a 91 F150 that I like and dont like month to month.

I think the true test to this truck I am looking at is the simple fact that I even like it when it is dirty. I absolutely HATE my current truck when it is dirty.

This is basically the truck -

audiobliss

Dang. I want a truck like that.

exalted512

I picked up this today

Different bike, but same thing.

Why do you want another truck? Werent you thinking about a Prius at one point? Why not something like a ranger?
-Cody

lomic

rskarvan wrote: »

Recommend that you hold off buying a new(er) truck until you can do so without any sort of financing. Nothing worse than being tied to a car payment if you don't have to be.

True in many cases - however if you qualify for promotional financing which is less that the interest rate of your investments (5% savings, MM, etc.), especially a 0% offer, it's much better to finance than to pay cash for the whole amount.

dorokusai

From what I witnessed at SC Polkfest II, you should have your license revoked. That being said, the Fast & the Furious re-enactement by Brett22, on my ride home, should be considered a Felony.

audiobliss

I wanna know what happened at SC Polkfest II! :D

VR3

Yeah right...

Effing Brett just... merges off the left... no turn signals, nothing... I had no idea where we were going... lol

PolkThug

Why the truck upgrade, are you buying a boat to pull? Looks like the bed on the new truck is just big enough to hall a flower pot.

Save your coin and act as if you're making a new truck payment and put that money in your savings account.

VR3

Tired of driving a 91, lots of miles, lots of maintence, lots of what ifs and soon to bes...

I want a little bit more security in my ride... I rely on it to get me to school and work and back... I'm putting about 15,000 miles on it a year. Its just a matter of how long until.... comes up. And I want to avoid it. I figure this truck can last me like 10 years vs. 2....

Truck payments not a big deal. I'll have that truck paid off by June of next year, if not sooner.

Not like I have any other bills. hehe

Thanks for the input.

I absolutely loved it, I feel good driving it and I like walking out to it... is more "ME" than my current truck...

And before someone starts talking about why I dont need a full size truck. I like full size trucks. I like the way they look, drive, ride, etc etc..

I can't stand small trucks... they don't drive good to me. Just a FWIW.

rskarvan

Well, it is a very nice truck. The steering system in that truck is made just outside my office door. I think you picked a fine american-made, UAW-built truck. Congratulations and enjoy! Glad to see the coinage staying in the USA.

TroyD

Yeah but here is the dirty little secret of buying new vehicles. In six months you will be just as sick of it as you are your current ride.

Distasteful as it may be, you will be financially better off fixing your current truck (which is a damn nice truck)

BDT

bobman1235

TroyD wrote: »

In six months you will be just as sick of it as you are your current ride.

Just like any new toy - it's amazing how cool things are when you first buy them, and then within a few months they're just part of the noise of the stuff in your life.

VR3

There is a huge possibility that I wont completely like the truck 6 months from now.

The only reason I don't see that happening is pretty simple.

The reason I don't like this truck when it is dirty...

When it is dirty, it looks like a farm truck. It sits low, it has that two tone pain, diamond plate bed caps, big ol mirrors attached to the doors, no real design except boxes...

The under body coating is incomplete and inconsistent....

Thing makes more noise than anything should be allowed to make...

But when it is clean, the paint is shiney, all the diamond plate is shiney, wheels, tires, very clean. It looks like a pretty good truck, but at the end of the day... this is not my truck. We bought this truck because out of all the trucks I had the choice between, this one had the best finish and ability to run without problems. There was nothing to do with looks or anything.

Then of course, I may keep fixing the truck, but when it is all said and done... I still have a 1991 Ford F150 with 180-200,000 miles. And while I can replace the tranny and engine a hundred times, every other moving part that isn't involved in that replacement is still there.

A year and a half later, I have the ability to get something I want, something that is a bit more what I would call me.. "me". I like the newer style of full size truck, its alot bigger than the previous. I would call my current truck a 7/8 truck. Respectively in comparison of the new ones.

The new interiors are PHENOMINAL, jesus. I absolutely despise old interiors over the new ones.

Hard to explain, maybe I'm the only person on earth that has this outlook... lol

Maybe I'm the only person that wants a vehicle that I feel is "me"? LOL

Go figure...

Do I NEED a new truck? No...

Do I need a stereo system for a 20x20x10 den? No... lol

I make pretty good money, and save alot of my money.

Could I buy this truck outright? Not really your business, but yes. But I don't want to deplete myself to nothing either. So getting a loan, while putting me in debt -- is not something I can't rid myself of in just a few months if needed.

But thanks for the preaching on keeping my current truck. And you are right, it is a great truck and runs great. However, I just don't feel like investing the money into fixing it.

And for those that actually gave me input on the truck I am looking at, thanks for staying on topic.

madmax

rskarvan wrote: »

you picked a fine american-made, UAW-built truck

I was liking it until this point was brought up. Might want to check out some vehicles made on the other side of the planet too.
madmax

PolkThug

Vr3MxStyler2k3 wrote: »

There is a huge possibility that I wont completely like the truck 6 months from now.

I predict you'll get the Tundra fever again.

Jstas

I've had my truck for 6 years now...well, officially in 5 more days it will be 6 years. It's got over 88,000 miles on it and looks a little worn. Sometimes I want a new truck but then I get in mine, mash the go pedal and that blower whine just starts asking me "WHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYY? *gear shift* WHHHHHHHHHYYYYYY? *gear shift* SIIIIGGGHHHHH" and then I'm usually well past the speed limit. Yeah, you get the truck you really want and you won't get tired of it in 6 months. Sometimes I wish I didn't have to go to work and I could just burn an entire tank of gas driving.

My dad just got a new 07 F-150 extended cab, long bed with the heavy duty 4x4 suspension (not the weenie FX4 stuff) and that pig is bad on gas with the 3V 5.4L but I think it tips the scales at just over 6,000 pounds so I would expect it to be bad on gas. But it's got a ton of power and it is honestly very nice. Rides like a car but will still yank 8500 pounds behind it or load almost a full ton in the bed. For a "1/2 ton truck" that's pretty damn good.


MillerLiteScott, the Mobil 1 oil is fine but seriously, ditch those Fram filters, they are junk. Even the "good" ones. You should be using a Motorcraft filter on your truck. They are honestly one of the best on the market and consistently ranked in the top 5 by every study I've seen done. They are usually cheaper too. The AutoZones near me have them for about $3.14 with tax. That's pretty cheap and since it's a Ford part, warranty issues are not a problem. My truck takes an FL-820S and I give it a steady diet of Amsoil XL-7500 in a 5W-20. My oil changes cost about $40-$45 a pop and I do them myself.

Jstas

exalted512 wrote: »

Why not something like a ranger?
-Cody

I was thinking that too but Ford is killing itself on Rangers. You can get a decently equipped F-150 for the same price as a fully-loaded Ranger. Unless size is a big deal, the Ranger offers no incentive. The truck hasn't been improved upon in years with nothing more than face-lifts. They are completely indestructible with a better track record than even the venerable Toyotas everyone seems to leg hump. They are solid trucks and look good IMO. But when a fully loaded Ranger comes with about the same amount of stuff as a mid-market F-150 but has less than half the power, hauls 1/3rd the weight and tows less than half what an F-150 can tow, why pay $26K for a loaded Ranger when you can get an F-150 that out-performs it for less than $24K?

The only things the Ranger has over the F-150 is gas mileage and size. But the size can be a detriment too. Looks are purely subjective. I think they are both good looking trucks and both have equally long and impressive track records for durability and reliability. Even if there seems to be a ton of people out there with problems with their F-series trucks, you gotta remember, Ford builds and sells over 1,000,000 F-series trucks in one year...in North America alone. Your odds of hitting a dissatisfied Ford owner Vs a Chevy or Toyota owner are better because there are just more Ford owners, period.

Either way, Ford F-150 or Ford Ranger, you are not making a bad choice at all.

Willow

My wife and I like to change our vehicles every 3 yrs, that's just us. I say Eff what peeps say, if you like it get !
I can't comment on a truck as they are not my style of vehicle.

VR3

All IMO -

I think the Frontier, Tacoma, Ranger, S10, ETC ETC

Are ugly. I just don't like the way small trucks sit. I like space and size.

Would be better on gas mileage.

My truck has been a good truck, but I got it with basically 165,000 miles and I take much better care of stuff than the previous owner ever could.

I am spot on with oil changes, monitor fluids actively.. clean it every 2 weeks...

Thanks for the input...

TroyD

Trey,

Do what you want, broham. There is nothing wrong with wanting a new truck, hell, I've had mine 9 years and I'd like one too. However, writing that check every month to remind myself how cool a new one is.....well, that's just not me.

MX and upkeep is a fact of life on a new or used vehicle....

BDT

VR3

I know that upkeep is part of having a vehicle.

Trust me, I enjoy upkeeping my vehicle.

But as I said, my current truck is not me and I don't want to throw money into something I dont totally like.

This truck, I wouldnt mind rebuilding the tranny and engine in 10 years...

All this truck needs is dual exhaust and I'm golden haha..

Serendipity

Buy the new truck. It's not worth investing money repairing your old truck (especially when the engine and tranny may not last much longer) and then spend even more money repairing everything ELSE in your 91.

I think going with the new truck is a very wise thing to do. Go for it!

petrym

Buy the new truck already!

Rivrrat

I say buy the new truck too.

Yup, the new interiors are phenomenal, I have a friend with a 01 Lincoln that says my truck is almost as quiet and smooth riding as his car. The engine goes when you step on the gas (a novel thing for a previous Nissan owner). The premium sound system needs a bit of work to really be premium, but at least the speakers don't say Bose on them.;)

And the real bottom line is if you don't buy it, we'll be having this conversation again within a year, since you've already made up your mind it's time for a new truck.

Serendipity

Rivrrat wrote: »

And the real bottom line is if you don't buy it, we'll be having this conversation again within a year, since you've already made up your mind it's time for a new truck.

By that time you would've probably spent a lot of $ fixing up your old truck, you don't want that to happen...it's definitely time for a new truck now.

rskarvan

Here is some more advice:
1. Find a buyer for your existing truck.
2. Contact your audio friend in Indy and ask about him extending his "friends and neighbors" X-plan discount to you (I'm allowed 4 per year). I think this saves you an additional 5% or so (possibly more).
3. Buy a brand new truck at a discount with rebates and low-cost financing.
4. Enjoy both the new truck "smell" and bumper-to-bumper warranty.

There is a bonus to buying brand new. The brakes aren't worn. The tires are new. The suspension is new. The vehicle has not been abused by anyone. Etc.