Advice for buying this 86’ f250

Hello all, im looking at buying my first bullnose, but am not sure what to do with this specific truck. The truck is an 86’ with the 4.9 and a manual transmission- exactly what I am looking for. The body is exceptionally clean as well, making it hard to walk away. Here’s where the problems start… The owner says the truck got a full tune up but has been sitting for 2 months since. BUT, the radiator fan and assembly needs to be replaced (says he hasn't been using the truck not wanting it to over heat). He's asking 7500, but says price is pretty negotiable.

Now, the truck is 2 hours away and I have no trailer to go grab the thing, I could borrow a friends. Do I take the gamble and drive all the way up there and pray I can fix the damn thing for $500 and have it run? Or is this just too big a risk for 7500 and I should walk? That is what I would do if the body didn’t look so damn good. I would post a picture but I don’t know how to. Thanks for the advice.

Welcome!  Glad you joined.  

But before we get to the advice bit, let's talk about our guidelines.  You may have missed the email that Scott sent you which asked you to go to the New Members Start Here folder, read the guidelines, and then introduce yourself there.  We ask that because we hold everyone to the guidelines so want you to have had a chance to read them.

So have you?  Once you have and have indicated so then we can move on the your questions.

Ok, now that you've posted in the NMSH folder, lets get on with the recommendations.

I think $7500 might be a bit high, but it is hard to say w/o pictures.  So can you post some of them?

Having said that, these trucks are getting harder to find so a straight one that hasn't been molested is worth some money.  So let's see the pics.

I agree with Gary, if you can drive it, all the better to check things out.

2WD or 4WD?

Depends on where you live as far as pricing. Seems high to me. But also as noted, getting harder to find straight, rust free vehicles of this age.

My bullnose in my signature was sold several months ago. I was asking $6500. Not a lot of bites in my area.
I sold it for $5500 for a couple of reasons. One, I was getting impatient, two, a good young man graduating from high school wanted it, and his grandmother was buying it for him. I should say three reasons, the price of gas was affecting selling it too. IMHO.

Ran good, everything worked and I had manuals and a lot of parts to go with it.

Let me know if those show up. Mind you, I have not seen the truck in person, as it is in north jersey and I am in northern delaware. That is the main route of the problem. Do I drive that distance and gamble the sellers stated issue not being the only issue.

The first and third pics showed up.  But that looks to be a nice, clean truck.  The engine compartment looks unmolested and even has the jack, which is unusual after all of these year.

I'd go up there and take cash.  I think you can get it for $6K or so.

Does look clean from those photos. Interesting rust pattern on the core support/engine so I'd really want to look at the floor pans and frame. Looks surface only but I haven't ever seen it on the core support like that personally. Maybe regional/salt?

For that price I would really think about not trailering it. That's at a price range where it should be able to be driven home without any concerns. Whether that means you do the radiator/fan install repair in his drive or he trailers it to a shop, I'd be pushing for a way to give it a really good and long test drive.
Again, regional prices apply but anywhere close to his asking price I'd want there to only be optional fixes and nothing preventing it from driving 2 hours

Also, go into it knowing that there is always going to be something that comes up which the seller didn't disclose, whether intentional or not

Don't mean to be discouraging but at 7500 asking, I'd have pretty high standards.

I agree, the price is high. For one, the hubcaps aren't stock (and to be brutally honest, on a bullnose they look like ). Looks to have been poorly de-smogged; the smog pump belt is missing and looks to have been gone for some time; running an otherwise complete smog (thermactor) system with no belt is a great way to fry the check valve which causes other problems.

Being an '86 radiators shouldn't be hard to find... on my '84 I had to modify the (replacement) core support when I had to replace my radiator (as part of a much larger deer collision repair) to accept the '85-'96 radiator which can be found unlike the older design. Liland Global (RockAuto) makes a welded radiator for the 1985-1996 4.9L setup... much better than the crimped plastic tank garbage most places make/sell these days. I think it was only $200 or so... not that much more than a plastic tanked unit. Knock on wood but other than the usual bent brackets (which seems to be par for aluminum radiators shipped from a warehouse), I haven't had too many issues with mine and would recommend it as a budget upgrade.

 

This makes total sense to me. Going to talk to the guy over the phone again and basically say what you’ve said here. He seems to not be getting many bites as its been listed for a little while, so maybe he will consider spending a couple hundred to get that radiator issue fixed. I hear you for sure when you say for 7500 I should be able to drive the thing 2 hours home. Thanks for the advice.

Just wanted to jump on the band wagon.  Great looking truck, price seems high, especially for not being able to do a long shakedown drive. Just as a point of comparison to maybe help your argument, here are some comps from the marketplace section of the forum:

$6,500.00 :: 1986 F250. 460 (7.5), C6, 4x4. Super Cab. XLT Lariat 164,000

~$5,500 :: 1985 Ford F150 XL 4.9L I6-2WD 4-Speed 137,500

Don't forget to reconnect the under hood light.  Best of luck, and hope to see you on the forum with your new truck!

the biggest issue i see is the location. if it has been anywhere north of maryland for its life then i would heavily scrutinize the frame, brackets. exhaust, floor pans, heck even the chrome bumpers. i have seen many that were so rusted that the chrome was practically all that was left. another place to really inspect is the core support ( the front wall that the radiator is bolted to) behind the battery and look deep with a flashlight. this area is known for rotting out along with the battery tray ( which on this model goes under the fender liner and NEVER gets cleaned of any salt) . needless to say northern trucks are a worry.  if its spotless then it may be a good buy at 6k. but if there is rust where they are showing it then there is more! believe me!