High-Miles, Low Price, or Lower-Miles, Higher Price?

[BobBarry]

I've been looking for an '00 or '02 Excursion with the 7.3L, and have found the market seems to break down into two groups of trucks:

* Higher-mileage (>150,000mi)trucks for about $15k asking
* Lower-mileage (<90,000mi) trucks for about $20k asking

This Excursion would be replacing the duties of my F-250 Supercab, for towing and for long family trips with lots of luggage or cargo. It wouldn't be a daily-driver; I probably would put less than 5,000 miles a year on it. Still, I don't want it to be a project, but rather, I want to put it to work hauling my other projects. I don't mind overhauling or replacing things, just not all the time.

Given your experiences with PS Excursions, would trying to save $5k in the purchase price come back to bite me in a year or two?

Or would it be the case that those first 150,000 miles would have shaken out any of the weaknesses of the truck, and if it made it this far, it could probably go another 25,000 miles? And that a 90,000 mile truck could be heading me for a world of hurt just as likely as the higher-mileage truck?

[clamgulch]

Mine has 117,000 miles on it. I've blown it up repeatedly due to various mechanical problems which all began with injecting methanol into it starting around 95k miles. If I'd refrained from that stupidity, I'd have 160,000 on it by now.
I think the 7.3 in stock form is too gutless to tow anything. In fact, I think it's dangerous to drive at 230 hp. I could barely make it out of my driveway without worrying about getting clobbered and I live on a rural road.
My point is, find something that has never been messed with, stick with an edge evolution at 80 hp setting, big air intake and maybe straight pipe it and call it done.
In all honesty, if you are only going to drive less than 5k miles a year, I suggest you go rent something when you need it.

[BobBarry]

Given that the abilities of my current tow-rig, a 5.8L/E4OD-powered F-250 with 225,000 miles on it, have been sufficient for my needs, I'm banking that the 7.3L isn't going to be less-powerful. [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img]

I've been reading up on the boards about the best sequence for modifications, and it sounds like a 4" exhaust and NAPA air-filter, VB upgrade and a DP tuner would net me the best results for what I would need. But I would prefer not to deal with anybody else's mods, if possible.

[Finaltheorem47]

clamgulch, I have to disagree with you there a bit. It's stock form doesn't have the power if I wanted to race it around, but it has well enough power to do what I want and not embarrass me when I'm trying to get up to speed and the little sedan next to me that looks like its from the 70's is speeding past me.

Without the turbo I'd say it has no power, but for highway use, passing and stuff, it doesn't have much power to go accelerate faster when its going 70mph already, and makes it difficult if your trying to pass someone.

My other car is a 1994 Camry and a 1999 Dodge Dakota 3.9L though... so maybe I haven't seen what potential is..

[86GLHS]

If it were me I'd opt for the lowest mileage and cleanest 00 X you can find, only year X with forged rods.

In Sept. of 03 bought the X with 104K miles in good shape for $20,400 out the door, it was the cheapest X within 100 miles over three months of looking. At the time most 00 X's with 50-100K miles were closer to $25K plus tax and lic.

Current mileage is 179K and it runs great. My guess is next year when paid off it will still run strong.

If you're looking for a loan you will need to stay under 90K miles with most banks.

[jamminGMC]

my o3 X w/7.3 has sufficient towing abilities as I pull a 10k lb. trailer w/wife and 4 kids and alot of stuff in the X with little effort and I am stock....no tuners or pipe, etc. I just hit 100k on the ticker and it has been a fairly trouble-free auto. good luck with whatever you choose!

[BobBarry]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jamminGMC</div><div class="ubbcode-body">my o3 X w/7.3 has sufficient towing abilities as I pull a 10k lb. trailer w/wife and 4 kids and alot of stuff in the X with little effort and I am stock....no tuners or pipe, etc. I just hit 100k on the ticker and it has been a fairly trouble-free auto. good luck with whatever you choose! </div></div>

My usual load towing is my built '78 Cherokee on an 18' trailer, so probably 7k-8k lbs, usually 200 miles or less. Any other load will be lighter. But my family also takes some 1000-mile trips in the Summer without anything in-tow, which I would also use the X for.

If I was just towing those shorter distances, I would go with a V-10, as the hit for fuel would not be as bad and it would have enough power. If I was just taking long trips, I'd probably get a minivan or something. If I didn't have to carry three girls and their friends around, I'd go for another supercab pickup.

A diesel X would be one of the few vehicles that could do all the above, have more power, and be something that would last me the next 15 years (that's about how long I end up keeping things, as long as they don't wreck).

But I may start lowballing the dealers with high-mile diesel '00's on their lots, as they seem to not move very quickly in these parts. At some point, there may be some dealer who just wants to move that big thing that takes up space, and my &lt;$10k offer might sound good to him at that time... [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif[/img]

Otherwise, I'll keep waiting for the lower-mileage X's to fall to around $15k; asking prices seem to be about $4k above that right now, but I think that's going to soften up by the Spring, and I've got time on my side. [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img]

[James2]

Good luck, Bob. Sounds like you have thought this through pretty well. I just ended up picking up an X myself, and like many others, was looking for a family vehicle that can do it all.

[Bruce1954]

For the same truck figure only about 15 cents or less a mile for low or high miles. I would set a price for an X at 100K that you are willing to pay then when you look at a truck you can add or subtract the value above.

Miles do not hurt these I think of my 05 with 73K on the clock as brand new and just broken in (breakin takes 70K of light mixed driving from my experience) So I don't think 250K is much to ask of these trucks with some repairs. But then I have a 95 TC with 193K on it and wondering why she wants a new(er) one since it still drives fine and it has had very very little ever done to it.

[BobBarry]

That's not a bad forumla. I'll run those numbers.

See, high-miles don't really scare me. I bought my F-250 about four years ago with 205,000 miles on it, and just now have 226,000 on it.

I figure if something was going to break, it would break in the first 110,000 miles. [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img]

[Bruce1954]

To bad I don't still have my 02 it would have 185K on it and still looked close to new, You can look at a well taken care of 3.5 YO X from the picts I took of my 02 when I sold it.

It had 110K on it and was not garage kept

Look under 02 X for sale pictures, Keep looking you will find what you want, Via Ebay AutoTrader or the others.

With auto trader you can be very specific as to what the search will return just push the "more search criteria" button at the bottom.

[BobBarry]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Bruce1954</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> To bad I don't still have my 02 it would have 185K on it and still looked close to new, You can look at a well taken care of 3.5 YO X from the picts I took of my 02 when I sold it.

It had 110K on it and was not garage kept

Look under 02 X for sale pictures, Keep looking you will find what you want, Via Ebay AutoTrader or the others.

With auto trader you can be very specific as to what the search will return just push the "more search criteria" button at the bottom. </div></div>

I have a system now; I created bookmarks of searches on both Cars.com and Autotrader.com, plus the Craigslists in the area, and every day I click on those bookmarks in sequence to see what's been added. A few interesting ones pop up every now and then, and I'll use the e-mail link, if available, to get more info, and then print out the ads. Some decent-priced ones, but no killer bargains yet. When they do, though, I'll pounce. [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img]

[mykidsarebrats]

I love our 01 X, she has about 175k miles. We bought her in Atlanta (TX truck) a year and a half ago with 146k miles for 14k.
I spent 1 day doing preventative maintenance shocks, u joints, rear diff cover from 08 super duty, mobil 1 in rear diff, pinion seal on rear diff, fuel filter, belt, belt tensioner, oil change, air filter, front/rear brake pads, grease front bearings, flush coolant with delo ELC coolant, and flush the 8qts of ATF in the pan with Mobil 1 ATF once when purchased, and again a couple months ago. Oh yea and the updated cps.
Spend a day in your driveway and a couple hundred bucks and youll be good to go.

If I bought another it would be an 02+ for the electric climate control and the radio control steering wheel.

[wally392]

picked up our 2002 7.3 ltd as a demo from dealer. regular maintenance, started using lucas oil additives, flushed front/rear diff @ 105xxx, added rancho 9000's set at 5, and up'd tire size to 305 on stock rims.....riding smooth @ 125xxx miles. stock power and we tow 10xxx lbs from time to time - seems plenty of torque to get rolling. wife asked me if i wanted to trade in for something smaller and "less noisy"....how would you guys answer that? i told her...."heck no - you'll never see me driving a mini van."

what age/mileage do you consider replacing glow pugs?

[stargazer]

Just posted my 04 in the 4 sale forum.