Thoughts on 02 F450 dump

[tlj87]

This has been an interesting thread. Comments ranging from buy it to run away. I appreciate everyone’s prospective and understand that we all have different levels of comfort and acceptance of equipment condition. I generally buy older but well maintained, low hour stuff and keep it in very good shape. This truck obviously fall outside that category.

At this point in my life, I couldn’t justify a $15-20k used dump in good to very good used condition.

But, I have to look hard at this opportunity, even if the condition is less than what I would normally accept.

I’m trying to look at it on the positive; this is an opportunity to gain equipment capability/capacity; an opportunity to practice welding and fabrication; and opportunity to practice/learn body work/painting.

This is also an opportunity to spend a lot of time and money over time that some might say should just be spent up front on buying something that doesn’t need work!

Decisions, decisions… … …

 

[spitter]

My son drives my old one like that only his has 450 k miles on it and is a daily driver. We have been looking for a replacement and they are asking 10k for trucks that are in worse shape than that. With only 50k miles on it I would buy it in a heartbeat. Where is it located.

 

[Hay Dude]

This has been an interesting thread. Comments ranging from buy it to run away. I appreciate everyone’s prospective and understand that we all have different levels of comfort and acceptance of equipment condition. I generally buy older but well maintained, low hour stuff and keep it in very good shape. This truck obviously fall outside that category.

At this point in my life, I couldn’t justify a $15-20k used dump in good to very good used condition.

But, I have to look hard at this opportunity, even if the condition is less than what I would normally accept.

I’m trying to look at it on the positive; this is an opportunity to gain equipment capability/capacity; an opportunity to practice welding and fabrication; and opportunity to practice/learn body work/painting.

This is also an opportunity to spend a lot of time and money over time that some might say should just be spent up front on buying something that doesn’t need work!

Decisions, decisions… … …

Without knowing your upper budget limit, you could buy a complete cab for it as another option. Cabs are routinely removed from those trucks for engine work. Seeings that its a 2 door “reg cab”, it’s not a big deal.
If you can get the truck for 3K and a cab for 5K, it would then become a solid, low miles dump truck for under 10K investment.

Just have to be “creative”. The only way I can farm and run my other business it by cobbling things together, making good decisions on equipment deals and doing a lot of the work myself. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. I am winning about 75% of the time.

 

[Hay Dude]

I just bought a tractor with a few rust issues that the seller covered up with paint.
I was running bales from the field to stack them and the warning lights on the dash lit up like a Christmas tree on me and tractor started shuttering.
Took a while to figure out, but the battery isolator switch ground wire had rusted badly where it connects to the cab, causing all kinds of electrical issues. Crimped on a new lug and all is good.

What I’m trying to say is, it won’t just be rust, it’ll be wiring issues that will haunt you for a little while (grounds, wires, terminals).
New cab will give you a chance to resolve a lot of that.

 

[jjeff]

I bet if that truck gets put on the market for 5k it will be sold in a day, goes to auction maybe 10k. Especially if it runs, drives,stops, and dumps. Put my old one ton on cl there was a line of perspective buyers discouraged quite a few who wanted to use it daily in a small commercial operation, sold it sight unseen 500 miles from location with a host of problems I knew of (minus disclosing possible"pet" snake in the hood lol) for over 1k in a day. With 130k on odo 5yrs ago as you can see it wasn't used in the winter anymore and was sitting more than being used in the end of my ownership. Last thing I hauled with it was all the 2xs and decking pulling my old 16' trailer for deck and balcony over 100 miles round trip from Marquette, flawlessly.

 

[jjeff]

I just bought a tractor with a few rust issues that the seller covered up with paint.
I was running bales from the field to stack them and the warning lights on the dash lit up like a Christmas tree on me and tractor started shuttering.
Took a while to figure out, but the battery isolator switch ground wire had rusted badly where it connects to the cab, causing all kinds of electrical issues. Crimped on a new lug and all is good.

What I’m trying to say is, it won’t just be rust, it’ll be wiring issues that will haunt you for a little while (grounds, wires, terminals).
New cab will give you a chance to resolve a lot of that.

Lol electrical problems on rusty cabs, my old dumper had a cab strobe on top would randomly turned on with left and right turns.

 

[crashz]

I think most of you know me by now and the way I'd vote!

OP - If you can get it cheap enough, I'd take it to the the local Technical High School (that offers bodyshop and welding) and let them have at it. The V10 in early years was a plug spitter, but I think they resolved that by 01 or 02. Otherwise its a nice rugged drive train, easy to service and drive. The 6 speeds can take a bit to get used to as they are normally pretty loud at low speed (called gear rollover).

I'd closely look at the frame. Top of the rails (between the dump body subframe and truck frame), spring hanger area, and front spilt (yes, they are two piece frame rails). Mine looked great until I had it sandblasted. I just saved it. If the frame is gone, it's just a pile of parts.

Have your menchanic check the trans for cracks. The housing do crack when abused.

Any older dump truck will take time and money. I spend a few weekends each year working on it, most years much more. But it has been invaluable at home and towing the trailer. I couldn't imagine NOT having that truck.

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To do list on the truck this year:
- Annual Inspection Pre- Inspection
- New fuel tank (done)
- New lift pump
- On board charger (almost done)
- Oil Pan (gulp!)
- Passenger side rocker (easy when the body work standard is Dump Truck!)

The list of repairs is extensive but highlights include:
- new dump body, hoist and subframe
- sandblasted and painted frame
- new brakes all around (calipers, pads and rotors)
- new clutch & trans housing
- new seat
- new mishimoto rad
- new turbo, up-pipes, seals gaskets, etc

 

[AnotherBueller]

I have an opportunity to buy an 02 F450 Dump. V10, 6 speed, 4x4, engine driven hydraulics for dump, plow, spreader. Unit has about 50k miles. Cab is very rough on door bottoms, rockers, cab corners, floor. The frame and dump are ok.

I realize that I would have significant body work to do. It seems most panels that I would need are available after market.

If I could make a successful offer and get it for say $2000-3500, is that smart or should I just (try to) forget about it?

This would be for personal use on our 100 ac property, and include on road use to get materials, etc.

Insurance for limited use is quoted at less than $250/yr liability only to be added to our existing policy.

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Take a look at 'LMC Truck' for replacement body, interior, lighting etc. parts, They have a lot of stuff for older trucks. I have bought parts for my '94 F350 and no for my new '06 F250. A local body shop gave me my first catalog years ago.

 

[aczlan]

Without knowing your upper budget limit, you could buy a complete cab for it as another option. Cabs are routinely removed from those trucks for engine work. Seeings that its a 2 door “reg cab”, it’s not a big deal.
If you can get the truck for 3K and a cab for 5K, it would then become a solid, low miles dump truck for under 10K investment.

Just have to be “creative”. The only way I can farm and run my other business it by cobbling things together, making good decisions on equipment deals and doing a lot of the work myself. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. I am winning about 75% of the time.

I was going to suggest that, find someone like this guy: Parting out multiple F250 & F350 Super Duty trucks - auto parts - by... and see if you can get the cab and front clip off the same truck if he has them, then it will be the same color and you'll just have to swap over the dash VIN tag and get a replacement Vin sticker for the door
If he has it, you might also see about getting the wiring harness, a truck that's spent it's life spreading salt is pretty much guaranteed to have wiring issues and dropping in a replacement harness might be the simplest solution.
If you do end up swapping the cab, while you have the cab off pull the dump box as well and replace the brake lines and fuel lines from one end to the other (unless you can get at the brake and fuel lines without taking the dump box off).
That way you don't have to do it in a snowstorm or some other inconvenient time where they decide to break.
The other thing I would highly recommend doing if you pull the cab is to replace the studs on the exhaust manifolds, when we bought our 2002 with 70,000 miles on it a couple years back I think it had four or five intact studs on each side.
Aaron Z

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

If the plow came with it, and you have snow removal needs, I would say definitely. Even if not, it’s still a good buy for occasional use.
Rust bothers me, so I tend to buy trucks with mechanical issues and solid bodies, but that’s just my preference. Once rust sets in to that degree, it’s a pain to fix.
The Ford V-10’s were known for spitting out spark plugs from the heads. Check for that, too.

I only drive Ford's. Daily has 250,000 miles on it. Never seen a spark plug blow out. Parents drive Ford, brother drives Ford. Brother has a V 10 bucket truck also, drives it as a work truck. I have seen the glass part spit out, but that can happen to any gas engine. Sisters family Ford too.