[payableondeath6]

I'm looking to upgrade the F150 for some horse trailer towing, but like most am on a budget. I found a theft recovery truck 06 F350 2wd Crew Cab 6.0L (exactly what I want...except maybe 4X4). Theft Recovery
I don't really know anything about taking a salvage title vehicle and making it into a daily driver (legally that is, I can turn a wrench). So I've got some questions as to what all it would take to make this truck able to pass inspection? It doesn't have to be perfect, just the minimum to be legally registered. I'm thinking it needs (not sure about fitment between old SD and new SD):

4 doors (any 99-06 SD)
4 seats (any 99-06 SD, but could I pass with just front 2?)
hood (any 99-06 SD)
front and rear bumpers (probably stick with 05-06 SD)
grill (05-06)
headlights (05-06)
dash panel (05-06)
airbag (does it have to have one for inspection?)
gauge cluster (05-06)
and finally keys (I imagine the thieves didn't leave the keys in it)


I'm not sure if I missed anything but I'm thinking I could probably round all that up for around $3500-4000 (with odds and ends). So if anyone has any idea of how hard it would be or what all is required to pass inspection. I'm also curious if anyone knows about how banks feel about financing a salvage title vehicle? Truck would be transfering states, so I don't know what effect that has on a title either. Any insight at all welcomed.

 

[fordKTPguy]

I used to work on the IP line and I will tell you that you need more than a dash panel. You will need an entire IP (Instrument Panel). This comprises the entire dash asswmbly. But otherwise the price is good considering the motor and trans alone are worth almost that much. Good luck and If I can be of any technical assistance let me know.

 

[bone143]

I rebuild salvage vehicles, Based on what state you are titling it in the laws will differ. As a general run down pictures of the entire vehicle before fixing it then it has to be completely fixed. you then go to your local court house get the paperwork to file for title. You fill it out have it notarized and then send it in to your state and wait. Now, even though the vehicle is fixed it is not street legal so if you get caught driving it be prepared for heavy fines and possibly it being impounded. Once the paperwork comes back it will tell you if you have to have it inspected or not. If you do it will tell you where you will need to go and when. If not you now take the paperwork to the courthouse and register the vehicle. If you do have to have it inspected they will sign off on it once inspection is complete and you then go register teh vehicle.

The state if the vehicle is passed will send you a Salvage title sticker that must be placed in the drivers side door jam of the vehicle. If you are caught without having it there, it will agian be hefty fines and possibly it being impounded.

As for financing you can almost forget about as most companies will not finance a rebuilt vehicle.

 

[payableondeath6]

[ QUOTE ]
I rebuild salvage vehicles...
As for financing you can almost forget about as most companies will not finance a rebuilt vehicle.

[/ QUOTE ]

thanks for the useful info...although it probably killed what i wanted to do /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gifoh well...
i assume you rebuild the vehicles and then sell them. if so, how do the people that buy them pay for them? credit cards, unsecured loans, etc?

also how completely done does the vehicle have to be to be branded fit? just safe for road use or completely finished. i've seen some pretty rough looking crashed vehicles on the road, probably not salvage titled but they were wrecked and not fixed so that makes me wonder.

 

[AutoJim]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm looking to upgrade the F150 for some horse trailer towing, but like most am on a budget. I found a theft recovery truck 06 F350 2wd Crew Cab 6.0L (exactly what I want...except maybe 4X4). Theft Recovery

[/ QUOTE ]

Yow. That thing was really stripped hard.

[ QUOTE ]
4 doors (any 99-06 SD)

[/ QUOTE ]

Okay, but later ones will have the correct wiring interfaces for the vehicle.

[ QUOTE ]
4 seats (any 99-06 SD, but could I pass with just front 2?)

[/ QUOTE ]

You'll want the '05+ seats. Carpet. Seatbelts (have to buy those new.). Headliner. Interior trim. All the interior fasteners.

[ QUOTE ]
hood (any 99-06 SD)

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep. You'll need a tailgate as well.

[ QUOTE ]
front and rear bumpers (probably stick with 05-06 SD)
grill (05-06)
headlights (05-06)
dash panel (05-06)

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep.

[ QUOTE ]
airbag (does it have to have one for inspection?)

[/ QUOTE ]

Air*bags* as you'll need the passenger side, too. And they aren't cheap. Figure min. $1000 for them, and you'll have to buy them new from the dealer. Any "used" airbag you find is most likely stolen, and licensed salvage yards are not supposed to be able to legally sell them.

[ QUOTE ]
gauge cluster (05-06)

[/ QUOTE ]

Will have to be the right one for a diesel.

[ QUOTE ]
and finally keys (I imagine the thieves didn't leave the keys in it)

[/ QUOTE ]

Frankly, a keyset is the least of your problems with this truck.

[ QUOTE ]
I'm not sure if I missed anything but I'm thinking I could probably round all that up for around $3500-4000 (with odds and ends).

[/ QUOTE ]

Just off the top of my head, I think you're looking at at least $15K worth of parts (labor will be both extra and substantial) to get that truck back to right. Going front to rear, in addition to your list, you'll need:

- the complete grille opening reinforcement (GOR)
- cowl trim
- wiper arms
- radio antenna
- wheels & tires
- running boards
- all the bits attached to the IP: Tow Command, HVAC controls, radio, glovebox, ashtray/cupholders
- steering column trim
- steering wheel assembly w/ controls
- outside mirrors, maybe inside mirror, too.
- interior trim panels for the doors
- center console
- sunvisors
- A, B, and C pillar trims
- stereo speakers
- underseat storage assembly (back seat area)
- CHMSL/cargo lamp assembly
- tailgate
- taillights
- paint to match replacement panels to truck

Plus you'll need to repair any damaged wiring, etc. that got hacked up when they pulled everything out. Most chop-shops seem to use side cutters to disconnect wiring instead of pulling the plugs (which might take, oh, one or two more seconds per operation, but there you go).

This will not be an easy project.

[ QUOTE ]
I'm also curious if anyone knows about how banks feel about financing a salvage title vehicle? Truck would be transfering states, so I don't know what effect that has on a title either. Any insight at all welcomed.

[/ QUOTE ]

Banks don't like salvage titles. As far as transferring the title once rebuilt, be an honest player and, once rebuilt, title it as "Salvage/Rebuilt" or "Rebuilt", depending on what the state calls it. While you can "wash" a title, IMO it's dishonest, unethical, and should be illegal if not impossible in an ideal world (as in, once it's got a salvage title, the cleanest it can ever be is "Rebuilt" and can't go from there to a "clean" or "clear" title), which this isn't.

I'm curious as to how the seller knows it has "8K miles", since the cluster is long gone...

At the end of the day, you're going to have probably close to $25-30K ($7900 purchase price + $15000 parts + $7000 labor/paint, which is probably on the light side and figures on you doing a lot of labor yourself at the standard home labor rate of $0.37/hour) in a truck that's worth maybe $20K with a "rebuilt" title. To me, that's bad economics, but your mileage may vary.

Labor costs: around here (SE Michigan), mechancial labor rates in the shops range from about $65 for the independents to $85 or so at some of the Ford dealers. It'd be real easy to get 100 hours of labor ($6500-8500) in that truck and not be done with it.

For the amount of money you'd sink into this truck (virtually none of which you'd be able to finance except via credit card), you'd be able to buy a very good used truck that hasn't been stolen & recovered, has a clear title, and can be easily financed by a bank or credit union.

At some point, I want to get one that's been rolled but is otherwise intact for a "little" project idea I have to graft a mid-'50s F100 body onto a modern SD truck for a tow rig with some serious style, but that's going to have to wait for me to hit the lotto. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[payableondeath6]

dang...second shot into killed project...lol.
yeah i know there's lots of little stuff that i wouldn't care if it had (for pete's sake i'm driving a 98 F150 V6 w/ almost 200k on it) so i don't need stuff like tailgate and rear underseat storage.

all in all though it sounds like i wouldn't be able to get the money together for the purchase...so guess that one's dead. guess i'll be keeping an eye out for a used Super Duty still. Thanks for all the info.
Still think if anyone's got some extra money laying around that would be a killer deal on the engine tranny.

 

[Shadow_Grey]

Man, that truck would be perfect for someone that wanted to put a older truck body on it if it still has the PCM in it. They could sell the bed, cab, and fenders. Heck those rookies even left the trailer hitch on it. Pull the wiring harness out of it and start with the driveline and work from there.

 

[JimTJr]

Soon as I saw the pictures, I thought, DANG,, they left the motor and tranny? (Must have been in the middle of stripping when they got caught!)LOL, anyway, I also thought well, it would not be as hard to repair as a roll over, or bad wreck, but it also would be great for the same thing as what SHADOW Grey said! Man, perfect for putting it into another truck, even if it is a later model superduty that has a bad motor! OR an older body style. OR even a RANGER!!! MAN That thing would fly wouldnt it????? The possiblities are endless, with the right ambition!

Also another note, if you buy that one and fix it, like mentioned above, salvage title for the rest of its life, virtualy kills ANY resale later on. Now if you took that trucks motor and tranny and put it into another one with a blown motor, then that truck would maintain its good resale value for our Superdutys!

 

[payableondeath6]

not interested in the resale value...i want a diesel cause they last forever...so i can have it forever.

so hypothetically if i found a clean title blown engine Superduty I could transfer everything over straight up??? engine and tranny mounts are the same? (that would be sweet...i could just unbolt the cab and bed and switch 'em over if i found a crew cab)

if so...then another question, if i found this blown engine Super Duty with a clear title do you think the bank would loan on it and the cost of the salvage title? considering the blown engine truck would be well below KBB could i get them to loan the KBB value since they usually just ask for the year make mileage and then take the title once you've got the loan? or am i missing something and this will never happen.

 

[jade97]

Buy the truck & swap the engine, trans & rear into your F150!

 

[payableondeath6]

[ QUOTE ]
Buy the truck & swap the engine, trans & rear into your F150!

[/ QUOTE ]
while it would be a killer swap...the F onefitty has seen it's better days and the swap would probably be horribly complicated.

if a bank would loan me enough for both a blown up 250/350 and the theft recovery then it in theory (i don't know much about the trucks) should be easy as (assuming i get a matching cab) lifting the old off and putting it on the new frame...done...maybe couple thousand in parts and i can make some money back by selling the other cab and then parting out the rest of the blown up truck...money is the problem, can't think of a way i could get the money for the theft and enough for at least a complete crewcab clip. maybe i should start checking those new credit card offers /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[hottip]

Hi, Theres always another opinion so heres mine. From your post it sounds like money is a big problem, so the most economical fix IMO is replace the six in the F150 with a V-8 and you're way ahead on the dollar side. I know a diesel is better but if bucks were tight I'd go cheap. Good Luck, what ever you decide.

 

[payableondeath6]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi, Theres always another opinion so heres mine. From your post it sounds like money is a big problem, so the most economical fix IMO is replace the six in the F150 with a V-8 and you're way ahead on the dollar side. I know a diesel is better but if bucks were tight I'd go cheap. Good Luck, what ever you decide.

[/ QUOTE ]

when the tranny went out we had to decide if we were going to look for a new truck or rebuild, well we rebuilt. figure i'll have to make the same decision when the motor finally kicks, but i'm always looking for a way to get into a diesel (the occasional test drive doesn't help me with wanting one). towing with the 6 is just painful, but she's still going. if i could get into something cheap then why not? i'm always for cheap. the wife just graduated college and i've got another year left, so yeah money's been tight but we're just getting over that (hopefully /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif).

 

[JimTJr]

Well what the bank would loan is a toss up, No offense it depends on your credit, (Well maybe not so much the amount loaned, but the interest I guess) Anyway, My 99 still blue books for 20k with 186k miles on it. 4x4 CC Long bed SRW. So they really hold their value. What is the price on the Theft Recovery? If you found a truck to transfer the body over to that truck, then you DO have a full cab, Fenders, and BED to sell, would bring you pretty good bucks for sale I am sure! ALL IN GREAT SHAPE Too!
I guess you have to find one that is blown for sale, in order to know what you would need to buy them.