Opinions on older diesel trucks

[Lineman North Florida]

I found me a 2006 Chevrolet 2500 HD with the LBZ Duramax engine and 6 speed Allison and it was still bone stock which is exactly what I wanted, didn't get a 3500 flatbed but this will do just fine for what my needs.

 

[Hay Dude]

I found me a 2006 Chevrolet 2500 HD with the LBZ Duramax engine and 6 speed Allison and it was still bone stock which is exactly what I wanted, didn't get a 3500 flatbed but this will do just fine for what my needs.View attachment 3680997

Love it.
LBZ?

 

[Hay Dude]

Just missed a 2017 3500 Duramax with a flatbed yesterday off of Marketplace for $9k, the lady said it ran but had an emissions light come on and she was tired of it and was going to buy a gas truck, I was the first one to message her and told her I wanted it and would be there in just a little bit to make the deal as it was about 50 miles from me and she says okay, well before I get there she sent me a message that it was sold, which pizzed me off but that's just how things work sometimes anyhow I told my wife I bet the truck would show up on marketplace in a day or two for sale for a much inflated price, sure enough today the flipper had it on there for sale. Did I say I hate flippers? LOL.

Here’s “one that got away” from me. It was gone in a few hours…

2004 cab/chassis. 4WD. Allison. No emissions. Only 75,000 miles. 12’ steel flatbed w/ toolboxes & hidden GN hitch. Twin fuel tanks. Ranch hand front bumper. Rust free southern truck. $12,500.
I kicked myself for a few weeks for being too late.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Here’s “one that got away” from me. It was gone in a few hours…

2004 cab/chassis. 4WD. Allison. No emissions. Only 75,000 miles. 12’ steel flatbed w/ toolboxes & hidden GN hitch. Twin fuel tanks. Ranch hand front bumper. Rust free southern truck. $12,500.
I kicked myself for a few weeks for being too late.

View attachment 3681005

View attachment 3681006

Yeah those sweet ones seem to always get away, the one thing I have learned is sometimes you have to strike while the iron is hot and pull the trigger which basically goes against everything I was ever taught. I missed one to, was actually first one to call on it and told the lady I would take it and that I was on the way with the money, she said okay then calls me back and says she just sold it, I was ticked but the Lord puts us right where he wants us at any given time, so it just wasn't meant to be.

 

[Joel/ak]

The newer wide axel Fords are probably the sharpest turning trucks on the market. The old leaf spring trucks are laughably bad. I have no idea how the engineers screwed that up so bad. The medium duty trucks turning sharper.

Our 2008 f350 needed bow thrusters to help it turn, what a pain.

Wife totaled it out and whoever buys it at auction is gonna get a hell of a deal. New 6.4, turbos fuel pumps studded with aftermarket heads, radiator, transmission. New driveshafts and shocks. All with less than 35k on it. Chassis had 233k but but was really clean.

They got to 10grand just on left front and that was it.

Still drove and sat straight so frame isn't bent.

Ended up just walking away from it and picked up a 2019 f150 xlt.

 

[neilpaku]

I've seen a lot written about the 6.0 but I suspect that someone posting about their negative experience tends to get an oversized exposure relative to the number of units out there on the road getting the job done without someone posting about it. I have an 06 6.0 Supercab 8' F350 and the engine has never given any problems in the 20 years I've owned it since new. It is stock and other than a warranty turbo and the usual consumables (filters, glowplugs), the engine's never been touched. Doesn't leak, always starts, hasn't ever thrown codes. I've never had any interest in modifying it. There's been a lot of 6.0s produced and not nearly as many posts about how bad they are. It doesn't match my experience with it. I really can't fault it for anything other than I agree the steering, from new, has been what I'd call "vague". My '67 Kenworth has less wander : )
Anyhoo, the only problem with this vehicle is the rust. It needs a full rebuild to derust it, including removing the front spring towers. The dealer who's a buddy told me it's basically worthless from a sale/trade perspective so it's either going to be put in the shed or sold as a whole

 

[POC]

I found one today that seems too good to be true. 03 Chevy 2500HD with 6.6 Duramax, 86k miles, $10400.

 

[paulsharvey]

IMO, the ‘07 Duramax is the best older used diesel you can buy. Plenty of power, Allison trans, 11.5” rear diff. Just a great ride.
BUT 95% of them rusted out bad.

Not so much rust, but finding a "cat eye" that hasnt been molested by a 16-20 year old kid named Bryce or Landon, is gonna be hard in FLa or S Georgia.

 

[Tomtint]

Everyone is going to be brand loyal, but I used to have an RV Logistics business and had pickups delivering RV trailers all over Canada from the factories in Indiana. So I was putting on minimum 5500 KM's a week. I had a Dodge 3500 with a Cummins and Ford Superduty's with 6.0 Powerstrokes. All in the 2007 model years. The Cummins was reliable, but I found it harder on fuel than the Ford's and I got sick of the front ends falling out of the Dodge every 50,000 KM.
I preferred the Ford chassis, and if left stock and you GET RID OF the Motorcraft Gold coolant my 6.0 Powerstrokes were trouble free. BUT, as soon as I added a bunch of power to them, they blew head gaskets. My F550 was studded and tuned and no problems other than one time I had it towed because the IPR valve failed.
One negative I have on the older Ford's is their steering system has always been kinda of.......well not the greatest.

But anyway, here's my take on it. The current new pickups have way nicer interiors in them now and I like the newer body styles. But I would take ANY old diesel over the new emission motors.

My first diesel truck was a 1997 F350 7.3 dump truck.. It was loud, smelly, and compared to today's trucks.. a dog. I also had a 2001 7.3 F350 for a few years that was traded for a 2004 F350 6.0.. and after that I had another 5-6 6.0s .. First 6.7 Powerstroke was in 2012 and that motor was a huge upgrade to the 6.0 in power. Current 2020 6.7 is in a F450 that pulls a 20K 5th wheel and is a beast. The older 7.3.. won't hold a candle to the modern diesel in power or comfort..But the downside is cost if/when something goes wrong. I always got rid of the other trucks before the factory warranty was up so there was no worry about costs.. My 2020 is out of warranty in Nov of this year but it only has 29K miles on it ..So I'm not sure if Ill keep it or not.

 

[Hay Dude]

Not so much rust, but finding a "cat eye" that hasnt been molested by a 16-20 year old kid named Bryce or Landon, is gonna be hard in FLa or S Georgia.

Up here, it’s rust.
They don’t call it the “rust belt” for nothin, right?