I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but green has some back in a big way. It used to be that it was the color that was everywhere, as it was especially popular in the middle 90s. After it fell out of popularity, green seemingly went into exile, hardly being used on modern day vehicles. Now, it’s come back with a vengeance, and if you find a survivor-grade 90s vehicle in forest or hunter green, I’d wager you can add a bit of a premium to the price tag. This super clean 1997 Ford F-250 is offered here on eBay with a 7.5L big block and under 70,000 original miles.
Bidding currently sits at $14,600 with the reserve unmet. Full-size Ford pickups from the 90s have been on a tear lately, with prices and interest both escalating over recent years. These trucks have gone from everyday workhorses to mildly collectible rigs that you dare not use as intended. Of course, the real money is in the diesel-equipped variants, as those combine classic 90s style with engines capable of racking up huge mileage. The seller’s truck is equipped with the stout 7.5L 460 big block, so it’s certainly no slouch, either, and with miles this low, it has plenty of life left.
The interior is in beautiful condition, especially considering its light coloring. The tan cloth upholstery is nothing fancy but these are supremely comfortable rigs. The carpeting is in great shape as well. The truck has the XLT package along with all power options, a sliding rear window, air conditioning, a tilt wheel, manual towing mirrors, and automatic locking 4WD hubs. The mileage suggests this truck was used as an occasional daily and certainly looks like it was loved based on how clean the cabin in.
In 1997, this engine made 260 b.h.p. and 410 lb-ft of torque, which was certainly nothing to sneeze at. Fortunately, it benefits from all sorts of recent maintenance by the seller, including a full brake job, tuneup, new belts, cap, and plugs, an A/C service, a transfer case service, and apparently, a history file that shows evidence of oil changes every 3,000 miles. The market for desirable pickup trucks likely won’t cool off anytime soon, because even if they stop being collectible, 90s pickups will always be one of the best combinations of simple, comfortable vehicles with bulletproof mechanicals.
I had a 92 F250 with the 460 engine. Truck let me sit one time in the 6 years I owned it. Starter quit in the Home Depot loading area. Across the parking lot was a PepBoys. 30min later I was back up and running. Sold it when gas hit $5 a gallon while I was working in California. Driving in town you could literally see the gas gauge move as you drove in the city. 7mpg and that was a 2wd truck. That’s why people like the 7.3 Powerstroke.
One look at this hideous thing, and then I remind myself…. this is small compared to today’s pickup trucks. I sure miss reasonably sized pickups. And I especially miss compact pickups. Unless you’re pulling a horse trailer or a large Airstream, there is only one reason they’ve gotten this big… and we all know what it is.
Go buy a Maverick if you want a modern 4 door car (Pickup) with a bed.
I did and like it a lot.
Great addition to my personal fleet of 18!
When I worked for the trencher dealer, as the delivery driver, it was run by 2 brothers. One ran the trencher biz, and the other ran the local Bobcat dealer. He had this exact truck. He would come in daily, usually with a trailer, box full of attachments and a machine, of some sort, all heavy stuff, and the truck handled it with ease. These mostly led a rough life, when trucks were still used as trucks, not bags of dog food from Walmart. The gas job is unusual, as the big thing was the Powerstroke diesel then, but some held dear to the gas motors. With the popularity today, this won’t be around long.
I still have my 1997 F250 460 extended cab that I bought new. Great truck runs great. installed a utility box. I like my 1995 f250 4×4 diesel better. I finally fixed the fuel like on filter housing. I had to refix the housing drain valve. otherwise, a great truck. I tow trailers with it. 200k miles. I will keep it forever. 15mpg no matter what. I am semi-retired and don’t have 80k for a new one.
👍 good call Dean. The headaches ive seen w the D.E.F and computers on the new stuff is nuts, and expensive.
I had a 1992 F350 crew cab long bed with the 460 and i had a 1995 F250 super cab 5 sp with the 460 Both great trucks. Neither ever let me down and i wish i kept one or both of them. The gas mileage was terrible but i didnt buy them for gas mileage !
I knew of a guy who bought one brand new in the 80s. F250 4WD 460 5 speed. Gas mileage was horrible, no matter what. But he didnt care. I believe he had well over 300K miles on it, pretty sure he had the 460 rebuilt once, but with those kind of miles thats to be expected. It ran great with that 5 speed, tons of power. Unfortunately it just simply rusted away. Thats what stopped it in the end.
I wonder if anything might have been replaced in front because the bumper with the openings in it beside the license plate usually was used on thev7.3 diesel and the front bumper on thev460 gas was a solid bumper with no openings,just saying
I wonder if anything might have been replaced in front because the bumper with the openings in it beside the license plate usually was used on thev7.3 diesel and the front bumper on thev460 gas was a solid bumper with no openings,just saying
These F250’s seem to command more attention than similar Chevs and GMC’s….not sure why because I’ve had all 3 and they all performed about the same. Loved my ’86 F250 with the 460….easily pulled our 4 horse trailer even at our higher Colorado altitudes. Would take this green ’97 in a second if I had a need for it.
Funny the attitude some folks have about larger trucks. Here in the antiseptic sterile suburbia I live near I’ve a number of people ask why I have our ’12 F250, as if it needs to be justified. At a stop light a young girl asked why I drove that “stupid truck” and if I was embarrassed. After explaining the horse connection I asked her if she tried to sound ignorant or if it just came naturally.
As an aside, I enjoy Barnfinds very much….thanks for putting it out there every day and providing a momentary diversion from every day life!
I’m under the impression that the bumper holes were for the transmission cooler on 4×4’s. They could sit lower and get airflow on 2wd models.
I’m about to install a transmission and new cooler on my 97 7.3.
I’m open to other ideas too.
Thanks fish dawg ,my 97 F350 has the bumper with the holes in it. I ve owned it since 98 and I have the 460 gas and it’s a 4× 4. Your logical explanation makes more sense to me.
This truck is proof that gas mileage isn’t everything, last year of the factory daul tanks and still looks better than the new Ford trucks and it still out performs that Tesla thing they think is a truck.
Had a ‘96 F350 w/7.5 and a ‘96 F250 w/7.3. 8 mpg vs. 14 mpg. In the market for another OBS Ford truck but the 460 is not under consideration due to the gas prices in So Cal.
Dang.
I have a 1997 f250 with a power stroke in it. 108,000 miles. I literally refuse to sell it. it will go to my wife when i croak. Unless we are together when i pass then it goes to my kids.
They probably won’t appreciate it like i do because like most kids today they would rather have apple car play in the car they drive and a screen to help them go in reverse.
Needless to say this is a sweet truck :)
I bought a 97′ Powerstroke I only use it for hauling & towing, it only has 136,000 miles and when I kick the bucket, it will still be a ONE OWNER ! Let em fight over it when I’m gone.
If used on daily or semi daily basis gas mileage quickly becomes a factor. The F350 7.5 was good for only 200 mile trips between fill ups of BOTH tanks. Wasn’t a problem when those daily round trips were 10 miles and occasional drives to the beach. However, things took a turn when a job change resulted in a 40 mile round trip.
As most here agree, 7.3 Powerstroke makes much more sense from a practicals standpoint. Darn things are like roaches, as in they will not die. Reaching 250k miles on these is just completing a break-in period.
Very clean truck. Was bid to $20,000 and did not make reserve.