A nice-looking truck like this 1983 Ford F-250 with a 460 V8 and 4-speed manual seems like it should be $10,000 at least, doesn’t it? Nope, this one is posted here on craigslist in Portland, Oregon, and you already know how much the seller is asking if you read the title: $3,950. Nutso, nothing this nice or cool is $3,950 anymore. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Curvette for the tip!
How cheap is cheap in 2026? As you all know, vehicle prices aren’t what they were, what seems like not that long ago, but was most likely two decades ago at least. I know it’s that way for me. I remember seeing nice first-gen Ford Falcons for $2,500 to $4,000 in the early-2000s and thinking, man, I’d love to have one of those. Or, a Jaguar XK-120 in nice, driver-quality condition for $25,000. Not anymore, the same with nice trucks like this one, at least until now.
This isn’t a show truck. You can see that, despite the freshly-washed look, the paint appears to be a bit faded where it’s drying, but I don’t see really any dings or dents, other than the tailgate. And being from Portland, there may not be a lot of rust to worry about. The seventh-generation F-series was made for model years 1980 through 1986 here. This is a rear-wheel drive truck, so that’ll hold down the value a bit. That drivetrain combo, though. Nice.
The seller says they bought this truck nine years ago for moving large items, and they just don’t have a need for it anymore. I don’t have a need for it either, but I want it. They mention that it’s “super solid” and stock, but there are a few cracks in the dash, a small tear in the driver’s side of the bench seat, and the brake booster recently started leaking, so that’ll need to be replaced. Still, this one has a third pedal and that’s fantastic.
A weekend of detailing and this truck could look almost like new, I bet. The dusty engine is Ford’s 460-cu.in. OHV V8, a monster that had been toned down to 245 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque, but those are still very respectable numbers. Backed by the four-speed manual sending power to the rear wheels, they say it runs and drives great, has a new muffler, new tires, and a new battery, along with a new digital MP3 stereo that looks like a factory Ford radio. I love this one. How would you use this F-250?
It’s…….gone…..Jim.
Very cool, really good price, sumpin might be fishy..
Good write-up SG.
In a few days might it show up for sale at twice the price?
$6 bucks a gallon, coming your way soon,,,I know, what’s the “wet blanket”got to say on this one,,hey, I wouldn’t be so “wet”, oh, never mind, nice truck, when trucks were trucks, probably the best before they made the slide to a “car with a box”. I say gas concerns, as the 460 was the best at the worst mileage, but hopefully, you wouldn’t use a truck like this where that would be a major concern, still, I think many may have forgotten what it’s like to feed a vehicle that gets 8 mpg. Someone scored a great truck from a reasonable seller, apparently, there are a few of those folks left.
Wow, that looked like a solid truck, for a good price. Good luck chasing down a vacuum leak in that thing. I had a 1984 F-150 and it must have had 13 miles of vacuum hose under the hood. I remember looking for a vacuum leak it had and thinking, it would be easier to light the truck on fire, than find the leak.
if the ad was legit, they gave it away. left at least 5k or more on the table. i bet the buyer could not get the cash out of his pocket fast enough.
This looks like a solid honest old workhorse. My old neighbor where we used to live had one in the same color, except a half ton, 300 and a 3 speed on the column that was geared ridiculously high for gas mileage, then you have this 460, total opposite end of the spectrum. These trucks pulled great, both with a stick, or an automatic. Once again, great find and write up Curvette and Scotty!!! Thank you.
Well of course it was located In the Pacific Northwest. The good deals always are. Meanwhile I am located in the Eastern Seaboard Middle Atlantic region. And never the twain shall meet. However even with a couple of thousand dollars added for shipping; this would still be a good deal. But I don’t need a pickup. FWIW, my 1999 Dodge with the 318 ci/5.2 liter V8 gets about 14 mpg at best. But that beats a car payment any day of the week. You don’t buy full size trucks for their gas mileage ability.