1st truck

[mike plotner]

going to be buying my first truck here in a while.there is a 1995 F-150 8 cylinder with a 195,000 on it and 2 wheel drive a 1998 chevy 2500 4x4. both are single cab long bed. ford has dual tanks. wouldnt mind a dodge but would have to be diesel. dont really need anything bigger than a half ton cause i could use dads 7.3 powerstroke for really big jobs. just for feed, wagons, taking hunting, checking pasture and such. dont want any f-150 newer than 1997 or a chevy newer than about 2000. they want $1500 for the ford but i can probely get a good deal on the chevy since my grandpa is friends with the seller. kinda partial to fords but what do you guys think?

 

[Justin SE IOWA]

The 1998 chevy vortec is the best engine Chevy has built. the run super hard and last forever. Just my opinion though

 

[oldtanker]

(quoted from post at 19:19:24 09/21/12) going to be buying my first truck here in a while.there is a 1995 F-150 8 cylinder with a 195,000 on it and 2 wheel drive a 1998 chevy 2500 4x4. both are single cab long bed. ford has dual tanks. wouldnt mind a dodge but would have to be diesel. dont really need anything bigger than a half ton cause i could use dads 7.3 powerstroke for really big jobs. just for feed, wagons, taking hunting, checking pasture and such. dont want any f-150 newer than 1997 or a chevy newer than about 2000. they want $1500 for the ford but i can probely get a good deal on the chevy since my grandpa is friends with the seller. kinda partial to fords but what do you guys think?

I know the 95 Ford is more than likely a gas hog, wouldn't expect more than about 15 maybe 16 to the gallon. They 98 Chevy should be the Vortec engine. That sould pull about the same. So the real decidiing factor is 1/2 vs 3/4 ton and the 4X4. Here you just abour need 4X4 in the early spring if you are going out in the pastures right after thaw. I like the loks of the Ford better but mechanically they are about even. The Ford at that mileage is going to be near to needing some engine work in the near future. Most of em were geared wrong for a match with the engine.

Rick

 

[Erik Ks farmer]

What kind of mileage is on the Chevy and what motor is in it? Do both pickups have auto tranny's? I have a 98 3/4 chevy ext cab long bed 4x4 with a 454, gets 10-12 empty and 8 pulling loads up to 12K. If your not using the pu for a daily driver I'd for the Chevy.

 

[Royse]

I drive a Ford, but if the prices are close I'd go with the Chevy.
I live in Michigan so I have little use for a 2 wheel drive pickup anywhere but on a street.
4 wheel drives drink more fuel and they have a higher maintenance cost but when
I need to get to where I need to be a 2 wheeler isn't going to get it for me.
Being 3/4 ton is a bonus too. Stronger axles and better brakes.

 

[wisbaker]

The Ford's probably a 302 A.K.A. 5 Litre, will probably be better on gas than the Chevy it being a 3/4 ton (heavier) and a 4x4. It's all about what you need, what you want and what you can afford. If I was looking for a cheap 1st truck, chore truck or beater truck I'd look for a 90-97 Ford F 150 with the 300 six and a 5 speed manual if I was using it off pavement or a lot in the winter make it 4x4. But that's my preference. A Dodge with the 318 would also be a good truck but they're heavy the last time I bought a truck (2001) noticed the Dodge was about a 1000 pounds heavier than the Ford. Heavy means more gas and they sink faster in the mud. On the bright side more traction and they dig down to traction in the snow.

 

[MT in Walford]

I have a 1992 F150 4x4 with automatic overdrive tranny. I get about 16-17 mpg on highway driving. Mine has the 5.0 L (302 cubic inch) fuel injected engine. I wish I got better MPG but know that I would regret not having 4x4 in the winter time. All it takes is for me to get stuck with a 2WD and I would say to myself, "if I had just bought a 4x4!" My truck had about 149,000 on it when I got it . I paid 1100 dollars for it. I thought it just had an exhaust leak but ended up being a 700 dollar fix, the exhaust manifolds were cracked...they had to put in some hele coils too...I like the truck. I would not have a 97-2000 Ford as I think they are ugly. Just my opinion. I know some of you guys think they are BEAUTIFUL! My pick up has 179,000 miles on it now. It has some rust but I sure like driving it and I sure like that it is PAID FOR!!!!

 

[Matt VanAssche]

offer 1,000 on the Ford 1500.00 is too much for the mileage and being a 2 wheeler. crawl underneath it and make sure the oil pan isnt rusted through. I work at a dealership and I could buy a truck like your describing for 500$ not trying to be a downer but 195,000 miles is worn out.

 

[Hal/Eastern WA]

It depends on lots of factors. Probably most important: where do you live and plan to drive? While a 2wd can be driven in winter conditions, in my experience being able to shift to 4wd from inside the cab is a whole lot handier than getting out and chaining up the back wheels. And maybe carrying around 6 railroad ties all winter to get any traction. On the other hand, if you live in a climate that seldom freezes, a 2wd is a whole lot less complicated and less expensive to keep working right.

Another factor: What do you plan to use the pickup for? While lots of people use a pickup like they would a car, and never haul much of anything in it, pickups are large and heavy vehicles that get MUCH less gas mileage than most cars. If you don"t plan to put much mileage on the pickup in a year, gas mileage is irrelevant. But if you plan to drive around a lot, a small car would be more practical. Especially if you can use your Dad"s pickup when you really need to haul something. Remember that many parts on a large pickup will be more expensive than a similar part would be on a small car. You might want to do a price comparison on tires.

Over my many driving years, I have bought and driven lots of used vehicles. Condition of a used vehicle is EVERYTHING! If they salt the roads a lot where the vehicle has been, a 1995 or 1998 vehicle might have bad rust problems, even to the point of it not being safe without lots of expensive repairs. On the other hand a vehicle that has not been salted and which has been carefully maintained might be OK at nearly 200K miles. But if it has not had transmission work done recently, it is probably due, and a rebuilt transmission will probably cost more than the $1500 they want for the Ford. Has the vehicle been owned by the same owner for lots of the miles? Does it appear to be in good condition? Is there ANY exterior rust showing?

If you are young and inexperienced, I would suggest taking someone older and with more experience with vehicles along to look at any vehicle you are considering. If you have decided that you really want and need a full sized truck, either of the pickups you described could be a good buy, or either one could be a money pit that could be the worst buy of your life. You have to choose carefully. But if you get a full sized pickup, don"t expect great gas mileage numbers, even if everything is working perfectly (and with high miles it probably will not work perfectly).

Good luck! With any vehicle, new or used, you pay your money and you take your chances. I hope you make good decisions. Let us know how things come out!

 

[Anonymous-0]

The 6.0 litre Chevs are pigs on gas and would be an
expensive ride for a daily driver. Try to find a
Ford with a 300 6 and you'll have a good economical
truck.

 

[36 Coupe]

Put the truck on a lift.If they salt the roads a truck with 195000 can a rusted wreck.My 96 Ford needed new spring hangers,spring shackles,new gas tanks and a new crossmember that I had to make,Ford wont sell a new one.On the Ford the radius rod brackets and bushings can be shot.The chassis from the rear springs back can be rusted away.The tube crossmembers on Chevys rust away from sand and salt collecting inside.If you buy a Ford with cruise control make sure the fuse wiring has been installed.What looks like a stop lite switch on the master cylinder removes power from the cruise control when you step on the brake.This is the cause of the fire bomb Fords burning up.Took Ford 10 years to admit they had a problem.Last but not least make sure you have a REAL NEED for a truck.

 

[mike plotner]

i live in central ohio were we get quite a bit of snow. the for has only a little rust on the wheel wells and the intrior is perfect. my dad drove a 1990 f-150 2 wheel drive with a strait 6 for years as it was the farm truck. i think i could get by with that but 4x4 would be nice...

 

[Erik Ks farmer]

A 98 Chevy doesn't have the 6.0, it has a vortec 350 or vortec 454.

 

[atlarge54]

I owned a 94 F150 5.0v8 auto 2WD for about 7 years and it was possibly the best truck I've ever owned. When I bought it it had about 175K miles on it. The rear springs were bad so I put on a new set with overloads and the extra frame hangers. Kinda surprised I never ruined the rear end with some of the loads I hauled. With a set of studded snow tires and a row of mullberry across the tailgate it was great in snow.

 

[Harold H]

I personalloy like Fords and would go with it. I have a 96 Ford with over 350,000 still going strong. However lots of prople like Chevrolets. You choose.

Harold Hh

 

[Anonymous-0]

My 1st truck was a 1983 Chevy S-10 pickup and i still have it, I bought 1994 Ford F-150 xlt with the 5.8 liter engine with a 4" lift and 196000 miles. Chevy's and Fords are real good trucks

 

[PopinJohn]

My experience with a 1995 Ford F-150 cost a lot of time, aggravation, and money.
On my way home one day, noticed speedometer quit.
Next morning out the driveway, transmission wouldn't shift right. Had to park it.
Some time later, discovered the root cause was the controller for the seat belt system went bad.
Ford wanted $600, I got a new one off eBay for $100.
I am very dissatisfied with all these computer controlled vehicles regardless of the manufacture.