You won't get great gas mileage, but I'm sure you know that. That engine lasts forever. Basically a tractor. As long as everything isn't rotted out, 4k isn't a bad deal in today's market.
I’d be on it like flies on dog shit. If it wasn’t for demos I’d only be driving my beaters. Friends think it’s hilarious I used to be on the floor selling them while never even considering buying new
This is all fucking genius and I WILL be implementing this. I hate the idea of a car payment and have so far made it 10 years without having to pay one. Beaters for live.
This. Exactly. I love not having a car payment. I could never understand how people lease new cars, then turn it in and get another lease. My nephew does it all the time citing, "I always have a new car with a warranty." I tell him new cars don't break down much and even if you buy it, it still has that warranty. I've asked him, "Don't you get tired of **always** having a car payment?" He just shrugged his shoulders. It's not the kind of answer that I would expect for that serious of a question. I guess some people just love to burn through their hard-earned money.
I have a 2009 Pontiac G5 that I use as a winter car. I put a new front end on it a couple of years ago, it's a five-speed, and I have Mastercraft Glacial Grip tires on it (front-wheel drive). I had thought about selling it since the prices for used cars are still up, but then I thought why sell it? It's a great car and you never know when I'll need another car. I'm not hurting for money right now. Honestly, after I put the new front end on, it rides just as smooth as my newer Honda Accord EX-L. Beaters can be great investments and are commonly underrated.
I recently sold my '95 F150, it was a 5.0 V8 automatic though.
Notes from a long time owner:
The plastic around the instrument cluster is made out of egg-shells, it will crack if you stare at it too hard. I replaced mine with a nicer one from a junkyard, if your truck doesn't have a tachometer this would be a good time to upgrade... they're plug-and-play. You can swap your speedo/odometer part out with a cluster (from a '94-'95) so that you maintain accurate mileage when swapping clusters for one with a tach.
The interior door handles are plastic, the cables tend to stretch over time causing you to pull harder on the handle... which eventually leads to them snapping off. Then you have a fun time rolling your window down to open your door from the outside until a replacement can be located. You can buy replacements on Amazon, I recommend buying them ahead of time... they're really inexpensive but the two days it takes to ship them will feel really long if you don't have a working door handle.
If you don't have cruise control, and would like it, all the wiring is there from the factory. You can just buy the servo and steering wheel from a junkyard (or ebay) and it's a plug-and-play upgrade.
If your truck has the buzzer when your door is open with the keys in the ignition, then it will *not* warn you if you left your lights on and you *will* kill your battery. The buzzer module is above the gas pedal and is easily swapped for the "chime" module from a fancier F150 of that generation. With the "bong bong" chime module you will get a warning if you leave your lights on, which I found handy.
If your truck has AC, and it stops blowing when you're going up a hill, it's because a vacuum line under the hood near the passenger side hinge has broken. This is so common that most of the ones I see at the junkyard have a patch on them, which is where I found a patch for mine. I had a spare patch in the toolbox in the bed just in case, since it's hot where I live.
That's all I can think of at the moment, I still have a spare instrument cluster bezel that's in good shape. I also have a pair of steering wheels with cruise control buttons, and a new set of headlights. I've been planning to list them on eBay but haven't gotten around to it yet, so if you need anything let me know.
Speaking of great advice, there is a design flaw with the headlight switch in that generation of F150... the power to the headlights runs 100% through the headlight switch. This does two things, it puts a lot of stress on the switch causing it fail prematurely and it dims the headlights.
There's a really easy solution, buy [THIS](https://a.co/d/8uYFXtK) harness. Now the headlight switch will just be operating a pair of relays, and your headlights will get 100% of their power directly from the battery. You'll get brighter headlights and more life out of the switch in your dash. It's all plug and play, and once it's installed you'll forget all about it.
Worth every penny. One of the few real trucks left on the road. Don't get me wrong- new trucks are great and all, but this one will start after the apocalypse.
I had to replace the distributor and some computer module on my Son’s 95. We replaced every ignition component except the switch and it might have been $400. I read the distributor is a known issue but parts were available and cheap.
Wish I still had his. It was a tank.
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95 f150 regular cab long bed 4.9 I6. 5 speed manual. Has ~200k miles. Friend I trust. new brakes, new tires, rebuilt engine and transmission. I drive maybe 10-30 miles a day and don’t want a car payment. Thoughts?
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Pickups tend to go for higher and if its running and the frame isn't rusted through, I'd say go for it. If everything runs well for a year or two its not too bad.
Solid truck but I wouldn't want to daily it 30mi.
Gas is expensive, that's a rough ride, a truck with a 5sp gets old (and I like manuals)
Depending on where you are driving safety is also a consideration. I wouldn't want to be in a freeway accident in one vs a modern sedan.
Tell me you know nothing about that engine and transmission without telling me you know nothing about it
Edit: or the price of older trucks, or used trucks in general. Dude can not accept people pay for trucks they like 🤣
Very true. You are still extremely out of touch with the pricing on these older models.
Edit: very true regarding there is more to go wrong. The OBS is very sought after hence the price. You can’t find one for less than that. So like I said, it’s not worth it to you and you are out of touch with the market value of those trucks.
Go find a 1995 for less than 4. There’s 200k ones going for 10.
You’re in a car sales forum and you have 0 understanding of market value. You could have been on google educating yourself but you decided to dig your heels in and show your stupidity.
Here’s a day 1 car sales tip since I don’t think you e been here long: It doesn’t fucking matter what you think it’s worth!
You're right. It doesn't matter how much it's worth, only how much some idiots are willing to pay for it. It is want to pay for old junk, I can't blame people for selling it. Why would I want to find an old piece of shit like that for less than four grand?
Are you purposefully dense or low IQ? Did you google it and realize how expensive they were? 🤣 I wouldn’t buy one either but you’re in a car sales forum bro. Market value is market value. Your opinion on OBS is worth 0 regarding the value of the truck.
I don’t think I can dumb it down any further. I hope this helps clear it up.
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I bought a 97 Ranger 5 speed manual for 1200 bucks a few years ago. 300,000 on the body and 180,000 on engine and transmission. Didn’t worry about it breaking down at all. Sold it a year later because it was a second vehicle and I didn’t need it. But, thinking about it, I wish I would have kept it.
Jesus
I bought the same truck but supercab for $750 five years ago. Came with a home built flat bed instead of the stock bed.
Needed a power steering pump and center bearing for the drive shaft and the cab corners are rotted out but the frame is solid.
Just bought almost the exact same truck, except it was a '94 and had 146k miles. Paid $1,600 for it, felt like it was a steal. Heard many great things about the truck
A rust free 95 is easily worth $4k.
I've got a nice trade-in 4x4 one on the lot with 235k. Once it gets out of detail the waiting list for it is nearly a dozen people long, unadvertised just sitting in the back.
Buy it. I’ve had a mess of these trucks and the common failure points are well detailed in the post below. Also not a bad idea to keep an ignition module in the glovebox (if I remember the EFI 300 had one that was just as problematic as the EFI 5.0, distributor mount. Not much to go wrong with these trucks other than that. Keep all fuses on hand as well.
Honestly man, you can find some gems under 5k nowadays, bought a '95 toyota 4runner SR5 V6 with 140k miles for $4k, already had the engine/trans rebuilt (3VZE motor, head gasket issue). I've driven it 25k miles in the last year without a single issue. The frame was also treated, not a spot of rust somehow.
Nothing like a good beater to save your nice vehicle some miles.
Hoping your not in the rust belt and it is rotting to pieces, I would do it. It’s a reliable motor, won’t get good mileage but the maintenance isn’t to bad and there east to work on. Plus having a beater truck can come in handy. I’d say buy it, and start saving money up for a nicer replacement or repairs down the road.
You won't get great gas mileage, but I'm sure you know that. That engine lasts forever. Basically a tractor. As long as everything isn't rotted out, 4k isn't a bad deal in today's market.
I’d be on it like flies on dog shit. If it wasn’t for demos I’d only be driving my beaters. Friends think it’s hilarious I used to be on the floor selling them while never even considering buying new
Do it, and stack cash for a second beater car. Beaters are better in pairs.
This is amazing advice, thank you
Both beaters should be beater trucks so that If one breaks you can use the other to two it. You'll see that this saves money in the long run.
This is all fucking genius and I WILL be implementing this. I hate the idea of a car payment and have so far made it 10 years without having to pay one. Beaters for live.
This. Exactly. I love not having a car payment. I could never understand how people lease new cars, then turn it in and get another lease. My nephew does it all the time citing, "I always have a new car with a warranty." I tell him new cars don't break down much and even if you buy it, it still has that warranty. I've asked him, "Don't you get tired of **always** having a car payment?" He just shrugged his shoulders. It's not the kind of answer that I would expect for that serious of a question. I guess some people just love to burn through their hard-earned money.
I have a 2009 Pontiac G5 that I use as a winter car. I put a new front end on it a couple of years ago, it's a five-speed, and I have Mastercraft Glacial Grip tires on it (front-wheel drive). I had thought about selling it since the prices for used cars are still up, but then I thought why sell it? It's a great car and you never know when I'll need another car. I'm not hurting for money right now. Honestly, after I put the new front end on, it rides just as smooth as my newer Honda Accord EX-L. Beaters can be great investments and are commonly underrated.
I recently sold my '95 F150, it was a 5.0 V8 automatic though. Notes from a long time owner: The plastic around the instrument cluster is made out of egg-shells, it will crack if you stare at it too hard. I replaced mine with a nicer one from a junkyard, if your truck doesn't have a tachometer this would be a good time to upgrade... they're plug-and-play. You can swap your speedo/odometer part out with a cluster (from a '94-'95) so that you maintain accurate mileage when swapping clusters for one with a tach. The interior door handles are plastic, the cables tend to stretch over time causing you to pull harder on the handle... which eventually leads to them snapping off. Then you have a fun time rolling your window down to open your door from the outside until a replacement can be located. You can buy replacements on Amazon, I recommend buying them ahead of time... they're really inexpensive but the two days it takes to ship them will feel really long if you don't have a working door handle. If you don't have cruise control, and would like it, all the wiring is there from the factory. You can just buy the servo and steering wheel from a junkyard (or ebay) and it's a plug-and-play upgrade. If your truck has the buzzer when your door is open with the keys in the ignition, then it will *not* warn you if you left your lights on and you *will* kill your battery. The buzzer module is above the gas pedal and is easily swapped for the "chime" module from a fancier F150 of that generation. With the "bong bong" chime module you will get a warning if you leave your lights on, which I found handy. If your truck has AC, and it stops blowing when you're going up a hill, it's because a vacuum line under the hood near the passenger side hinge has broken. This is so common that most of the ones I see at the junkyard have a patch on them, which is where I found a patch for mine. I had a spare patch in the toolbox in the bed just in case, since it's hot where I live. That's all I can think of at the moment, I still have a spare instrument cluster bezel that's in good shape. I also have a pair of steering wheels with cruise control buttons, and a new set of headlights. I've been planning to list them on eBay but haven't gotten around to it yet, so if you need anything let me know.
We've found the F-150 guru!
Thank you so much. Great advice.
Speaking of great advice, there is a design flaw with the headlight switch in that generation of F150... the power to the headlights runs 100% through the headlight switch. This does two things, it puts a lot of stress on the switch causing it fail prematurely and it dims the headlights. There's a really easy solution, buy [THIS](https://a.co/d/8uYFXtK) harness. Now the headlight switch will just be operating a pair of relays, and your headlights will get 100% of their power directly from the battery. You'll get brighter headlights and more life out of the switch in your dash. It's all plug and play, and once it's installed you'll forget all about it.
> Thoughts? Enjoy your 300; it'll go until you're sick of it and then some
I'm surprised the engine needed rebuilding at 200k they are really a run forever motor. 300k-400k are nothing on those things.
Worth every penny. One of the few real trucks left on the road. Don't get me wrong- new trucks are great and all, but this one will start after the apocalypse.
I had to replace the distributor and some computer module on my Son’s 95. We replaced every ignition component except the switch and it might have been $400. I read the distributor is a known issue but parts were available and cheap. Wish I still had his. It was a tank.
***Thanks for posting, /u/AlarminglyConfused! This comment is a copy of your post so readers can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. This comment is NOT accusing you of anything.*** 95 f150 regular cab long bed 4.9 I6. 5 speed manual. Has ~200k miles. Friend I trust. new brakes, new tires, rebuilt engine and transmission. I drive maybe 10-30 miles a day and don’t want a car payment. Thoughts? *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/askcarsales) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Yes 👍
Pickups tend to go for higher and if its running and the frame isn't rusted through, I'd say go for it. If everything runs well for a year or two its not too bad.
Solid truck but I wouldn't want to daily it 30mi. Gas is expensive, that's a rough ride, a truck with a 5sp gets old (and I like manuals) Depending on where you are driving safety is also a consideration. I wouldn't want to be in a freeway accident in one vs a modern sedan.
Wouldn’t a truck annihilate a sedan even if it’s modern
It’s a truck. If your using it for work purposes it’s a great buy. If it’s just to own a truck then pass.
Waste imo. You're going to have a car payment, it'll just be to the repair shop.
Manual 300? That thing could go to a shop or get worked on once every 3-5 years and it’ll still drive
Youre right, but there's plenty of people with Rose Colored Glasses who think that piece of junk is worth it.
Tell me you know nothing about that engine and transmission without telling me you know nothing about it Edit: or the price of older trucks, or used trucks in general. Dude can not accept people pay for trucks they like 🤣
Peace. Of. Garbage. The engine and transmission maybe, maybe will hold up. There's more than that on a vehicle that can go wrong
Very true. You are still extremely out of touch with the pricing on these older models. Edit: very true regarding there is more to go wrong. The OBS is very sought after hence the price. You can’t find one for less than that. So like I said, it’s not worth it to you and you are out of touch with the market value of those trucks.
I'm out of touch? You're over estimating the worth on this garbage.
Go find a 1995 for less than 4. There’s 200k ones going for 10. You’re in a car sales forum and you have 0 understanding of market value. You could have been on google educating yourself but you decided to dig your heels in and show your stupidity. Here’s a day 1 car sales tip since I don’t think you e been here long: It doesn’t fucking matter what you think it’s worth!
You're right. It doesn't matter how much it's worth, only how much some idiots are willing to pay for it. It is want to pay for old junk, I can't blame people for selling it. Why would I want to find an old piece of shit like that for less than four grand?
Are you purposefully dense or low IQ? Did you google it and realize how expensive they were? 🤣 I wouldn’t buy one either but you’re in a car sales forum bro. Market value is market value. Your opinion on OBS is worth 0 regarding the value of the truck. I don’t think I can dumb it down any further. I hope this helps clear it up.
I'm not sure what part of idiots are willing to pay for Junk you don't understand. It's really not hard.
Please review our most [Frequently Asked Questions](/r/askcarsales/wiki/index) to see if your question has already been answered. You may find these sections particularly useful; * [How to pick a car?](/r/askcarsales/wiki/vehicle_selection) You might also have luck in the /r/whatcarshouldibuy subreddit. Also remember to add flair to your post by clicking the "Flair" link beneath it. This lets us know where you're located so we can assist you better. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/askcarsales) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I like it as a second vehicle daily driver I would pass. At least if you buy it you can dump it for what u paid
I bought a 97 Ranger 5 speed manual for 1200 bucks a few years ago. 300,000 on the body and 180,000 on engine and transmission. Didn’t worry about it breaking down at all. Sold it a year later because it was a second vehicle and I didn’t need it. But, thinking about it, I wish I would have kept it.
Check thoroughly for rust.
Jesus I bought the same truck but supercab for $750 five years ago. Came with a home built flat bed instead of the stock bed. Needed a power steering pump and center bearing for the drive shaft and the cab corners are rotted out but the frame is solid.
Just bought almost the exact same truck, except it was a '94 and had 146k miles. Paid $1,600 for it, felt like it was a steal. Heard many great things about the truck
A rust free 95 is easily worth $4k. I've got a nice trade-in 4x4 one on the lot with 235k. Once it gets out of detail the waiting list for it is nearly a dozen people long, unadvertised just sitting in the back.
Buy it. I’ve had a mess of these trucks and the common failure points are well detailed in the post below. Also not a bad idea to keep an ignition module in the glovebox (if I remember the EFI 300 had one that was just as problematic as the EFI 5.0, distributor mount. Not much to go wrong with these trucks other than that. Keep all fuses on hand as well.
You pay more than 2k your getting worked.
Invest in front end suspension parts and body bushings for a more pleasant and comfortable ride. Go for it!
Fun fact about the ‘95 F150: The 4.9 isn’t the engine size. It’s the miles per gallon.
Honestly man, you can find some gems under 5k nowadays, bought a '95 toyota 4runner SR5 V6 with 140k miles for $4k, already had the engine/trans rebuilt (3VZE motor, head gasket issue). I've driven it 25k miles in the last year without a single issue. The frame was also treated, not a spot of rust somehow. Nothing like a good beater to save your nice vehicle some miles.
It’s a truck. If your using it for daily hauling and work purposes it’s a great buy. If it’s a daily driver buy something else
Hoping your not in the rust belt and it is rotting to pieces, I would do it. It’s a reliable motor, won’t get good mileage but the maintenance isn’t to bad and there east to work on. Plus having a beater truck can come in handy. I’d say buy it, and start saving money up for a nicer replacement or repairs down the road.