Thoughts on 02 F450 dump

[Hay Dude]

Wild range of opinions and experiences here! I can choose from several different realities to live in. I do Appreciate everyone, from those who say I’m going to die a fiery death if I even have another thought of buying the truck to those who think I’m crazy that it’s not parked in my shop right now. Lots to consider.

Crazy, ain’t it?
Usually opinions on matters like this are based on experiences in life.
I am rebuilding a truck right now and all I can say is truck parts are WILDLY expensive.
Like, grab your check book and run away expensive. Like when I call the parts department, the guy at the counter says “are you sitting down”? expensive.

Your own labor is still reasonably cheap. It only “costs” you what you could use that time for in doing something that actually makes you more money than doing repairs.

Parts are a different story. I don’t know what happened in the last 20 years, but even the simplest of parts has gotten to the point where I don’t know how the average small time operator can sustain.

I’m closer to the end than the beginning in my career. I can honestly say at this point, things have really changed. Owning equipment made for construction, landscaping and farming repair costs have far exceeded typical maintenance & repair budgets.

The good thing about what you are considering is the “buy in cost” is pretty low. I would not at all be surprised if you spend 3-5 times that buy in cost in restorations. In my 30 years of experiences, you have to gauge your buy-in costs carefully with your repair/restore costs on things like this.

 

[jjeff]

Imo U pick or other salvage yards the Ford f450s were pretty popular. and I'm sure some of the parts used on f350s and e450s are interchangeable. It is over 20 yrs old.

 

[jjeff]

Didn’t read the entire thread, but I own a similar 1999 F450. Mine has a Boss straight blade plow, v10, and automatic, with about 73000 miles. I bought it at a municipal auction in 2007 for $4500. It was a former Park District truck, and cheaper than F250 pickups in equal condition. The suburb I lived in outs Chicago had an excellent maintenance program.

I listed it on Craigslist about a year and a half ago for $6500. Had second thoughts and withdrew the listing, but my email lit up with interest. One guy drove 350 miles one way to look at it. He tracked me down even though I didn’t give an address. He had a pocket full of cash and was pretty disappointed, to say the least when I wouldn’t sell.

Cab corners, inner and outer rockers are simple to replace. The corners can be replaced using structural adhesive, rockers are simple to mig weld in. Door bottoms are available, but southern doors are available from entrepreneurs in most little towns.

Downsides are the gvwr of mine is 14500, so legally I need a CDL to tow my 14000;lb trailer, and Michigan license and insurance is expensive, since the gvw of an F450 pushes it into commercial territory. Good news is that plates are available in quarterly increments.

I put brakes on it, repaired broken exhaust manifold studs, replaced one battery, a starter, and one tire over the 16 years I have owned it, as well as oil and grease on a sporadic basis.

I had a guy buy my 3500 dump truck sight unseen we both were 500 miles away from it. We met, paid me cash I signed over the title. So many calls of folks wanted to use the truck daily, commercially again for use as a chip truck, landscaping etc I encouraged them not to. Guy who bought it seemed happy as all he and was using it on an occasional basis mostly on his property so I felt alright selling it at my inexpensive price sight unseen. Truck ran drove stopped and dumped. Truck was pretty rusted but fairly safe and reasonably reliable. Initial repairs with mostly used parts and pm seemed key to being able to use it for 5 or so years mostly trouble free.

 

[dodge man]

One thing to keep in mind in a lot of situations is there is no correct answer. I see people thinking sometimes when buying their first tractor they act like there should be a one and only correct answer. It isn’t usually the case.

 

[4570Man]

Crazy, ain’t it?
Usually opinions on matters like this are based on experiences in life.
I am rebuilding a truck right now and all I can say is truck parts are WILDLY expensive.
Like, grab your check book and run away expensive. Like when I call the parts department, the guy at the counter says “are you sitting down”? expensive.

Your own labor is still reasonably cheap. It only “costs” you what you could use that time for in doing something that actually makes you more money than doing repairs.

Parts are a different story. I don’t know what happened in the last 20 years, but even the simplest of parts has gotten to the point where I don’t know how the average small time operator can sustain.

I’m closer to the end than the beginning in my career. I can honestly say at this point, things have really changed. Owning equipment made for construction, landscaping and farming repair costs have far exceeded typical maintenance & repair budgets.

The good thing about what you are considering is the “buy in cost” is pretty low. I would not at all be surprised if you spend 3-5 times that buy in cost in restorations. In my 30 years of experiences, you have to gauge your buy-in costs carefully with your repair/restore costs on things like this.

I wanted to put a bed on a road tractor that typically has way more power. I decided I could live with a 245 hp for what it would cost to put a bed on a truck.

 

[Hay Dude]

I wanted to put a bed on a road tractor that typically has way more power. I decided I could live with a 245 hp for what it would cost to put a bed on a truck.

I can NOT find a used 12’ dump bed for my IH truck restoration project.
New dump beds start at $12,500 then you need a PTO pump and all the other crap.

I may punt, shorten the wheelbase a settle for a 10’ bed. There’s some used ones around.

 

[Deanes]

Buy it and just drive it like you stole it. Would be a great deal in my area.

 

[two_bit_score]

https://www.dot.state.pa.us/public/dvspubsforms/BMV/BMV%20Forms/mv-77a.pdf

NOTE: A farm vehicle must be used exclusively for agricultural purposes and may not be used in other operations such as commercial trucking, logging, landscaping and transporting show horses. Agricultural purposes include produce, dairy, livestock and poultry farming, hay and field crop farming and orchard and nursery operations.

That’s what they say anyway.

 

[Ben in VA]

You buy it for $2K. If you're within 500 miles of central VA, I'll pay you $2500 for an F450 with 4x4 and a 6.8L V10. PM me. I'll come get it.

 

[UncleSam]

Do some comparison shopping and figure out how many tens of thousands you will sink into the rusted out truck.

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