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Columbo detective work on 1996 F150?


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Gents,

I realize this isn't a Bullnose question, but it is a similar truck (1996 F150), and the question is a generic one that would pertain to all old pickup trucks.

I want to buy a transmission from a 1996 F150 that is being parted out. The truck is hundreds of miles away so I cannot go look at it. There are lots of pictures anyway, so it doesn't really matter.

The eye catcher is that the truck is advertised as only having 18,393.5 kms (11,429 miles). Pictures of the truck certainly don't look like a truck with 11k original miles...

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But as I was scrolling through the pictures, I noticed the interior...and it shows almost no wear at all.

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It was obviously a work truck of some kind...plain white with black plastic grill and mirrors, no A/C, no tach, and not even a CD or taper player, just a plain radio.

What would you think? 11k original miles or cluster swap? Do the clusters fail in these things? Would there be a reason to swap it? 11k is unusually low obviously, and my assumption (if it is a work truck) would be that it probably has 300k on it lol, but the interior doesn't look like it.

Maybe it was at an airport or somewhere like that, where it was only driven back and forth on the same property.

What do the pictures tell you?

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Cory, is there a photo available showing the brake and gas pedals? If so, look at the amount of wear. Yes, I realize they could have been replaced, but often times are not.

Ha! Great minds think alike David! I looked for the pedals also, and the only view is of the brake pedal in the same picture as the steering wheel. It doesn't look particularly worn.

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Does the seller have some maintenance bills, with dates and mileage, about oil change, winter tires swap or that kind?

Windshield, windows, bezels: Should look new, no wear, since no road debris or particles impacts.

One could think that this truck did 90% of its low mileage in a salt mine...

Oh, just one more thing…

:nabble_smiley_wink:

If very far from home, there could be a member who lives close and who could go see it for you?

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Does the seller have some maintenance bills, with dates and mileage, about oil change, winter tires swap or that kind?

Windshield, windows, bezels: Should look new, no wear, since no road debris or particles impacts.

One could think that this truck did 90% of its low mileage in a salt mine...

Oh, just one more thing…

:nabble_smiley_wink:

If very far from home, there could be a member who lives close and who could go see it for you?

The community college where I went to college still has a 1974 Datsun pickup with 35,000 on it.

It's done landscaping duty it's whole life and has only driven from one end of the college to the other, to the dump and to the gas station. The interior is trashed, and the paint is extremely faded due to the California sun, but it's a low mileage vehicle.

The county here still owns a 1948 International truck fitted with a snow blower/thrower with low miles etc, due to it not being used much.

There is a stipulation because these vehicles are government owned, that they have to reach 100,000 miles before they can be traded in. Unless there is some severe defect.

From the look of this truck, I'd say it's possibly the same way. A low mileage truck being parted out due to extreme rust making it fail inspection. Would have to see it in person to get any better ideas,

 

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The community college where I went to college still has a 1974 Datsun pickup with 35,000 on it.

It's done landscaping duty it's whole life and has only driven from one end of the college to the other, to the dump and to the gas station. The interior is trashed, and the paint is extremely faded due to the California sun, but it's a low mileage vehicle.

The county here still owns a 1948 International truck fitted with a snow blower/thrower with low miles etc, due to it not being used much.

There is a stipulation because these vehicles are government owned, that they have to reach 100,000 miles before they can be traded in. Unless there is some severe defect.

From the look of this truck, I'd say it's possibly the same way. A low mileage truck being parted out due to extreme rust making it fail inspection. Would have to see it in person to get any better ideas,

May be worth running a carfax report.

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If very far from home, there could be a member who lives close and who could go see it for you?

It's actually in Quebec...sort of. The truck no longer exists...it has already been parted out. The transmission in question is sitting on a warehouse shelf.

May be worth running a carfax report.

Now that's a good idea...I just don't want to pay for it lol. I must ask around and see if I know anybody with access.

Thanks for the replies guys. Much appreciated!

 

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From the look of this truck, I'd say it's possibly the same way. A low mileage truck being parted out due to extreme rust making it fail inspection.

I am assuming the same, especially with it being such a plain Jane example. I just wish I could confirm.

I am thinking on that Carfax...

 

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It's actually in Quebec...sort of. The truck no longer exists...it has already been parted out. The transmission in question is sitting on a warehouse shelf.

That's a bummer that the truck is already parted out. If not too far from Montreal, I could have go there for you.

Frankly, I don't understand how a truck can be so dented with so low mileage, even here in the Quebec Salt Kingdom. I suspect there is a missing Zero at the end...

There is no pictures of the under frame? If we admit (which is difficult) that the body panels were somehow much more "rust sensitive", a 11400 miles frame (and muffler, and exhaust pipe, and suspension, and brakes, and wheels) should be in relatively good shape.

I admit that the interior looks very clean. But from the exterior, for my part, something fishy is going on with the mileage.

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I admit that the interior looks very clean. But from the exterior, for my part, something fishy is going on with the mileage.

I checked Carfax and it looks like the truck was "retired from use" in 2020 with a reported 217,000 miles on it (350,000 kms). Where the low km odometer came from, I do not know. I think I'll pass on this one. The seller has been very responsive, but I asked him if he knew why the kms were so low and he has not replied. I don't like being out the cost of the Carfax, but I'll take that over paying a premium for for what was supposed to be a low mileage transmission. Thanks all for your help.

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