Old diesel trucks just seem like incredible workhorses, even by workhorse standards. Built at a time when diesel technology didn’t seem all that far removed from what you might find in an old locomotive, these were hearty machines if not particularly refined. But if the intended purpose of a truck like this 1986 Ford F-250 was simply to be strong enough to haul horses across the farm, who cares about refinement? Find this burly F-Series XLT with the Lariat package here on eBay with just one bid to $3,800 and no reserve.
What I was most surprised to see when looking at this truck was how clean the interior was. The woodgrain trim, as fake as it may be, is a nice upgrade over stock and definitely adds some class to the otherwise bare-bones interior. I suspect that’s what the Lariat trim got you back in the day, and for a 1986 model, it likely felt pretty swanky. More to the point, the seller claims this Ford was used primarily as a farm truck to haul a cattle trailer, but it appears the owners spent some time knocking the dirt of their boots before hopping in.
Here’s another shot showing the clean bench seat and seemingly stain-free carpet. I tend to judge vehicles more by their interiors than the outside cosmetics, as it’s almost harder to keep an interior looking nice especially if the vehicle is actually used as intended. The truck comes with working air conditioning and heat, and crank windows to keep things simple. The Ford is located in Washington State, which is nirvana for anyone seeking a driver-quality 1980s vehicle with no rust. They’re everywhere out there.
The “headache rack” is not included with the sale, but some almost-new all terrain tires are. The seller reports there’s a recent brake job in its history file, too. Mileage can’t be accurate at just over 12,000, or is it? Listen, I know it’s probably a misprint, but the interior is nice enough to belong to a low-mileage specimen, and if it was bought solely for the purpose of staying on farm property to move heavy cattle trailers back and forth – well, is it possible? Whatever the story is, this looks like a clean diesel-powered F250 with plenty of life left to give for a dirt cheap price.
Breezely. Sit back folks, and I’ll, tell you a tale of an old trucking friend named Breezely. In the late 70’s, I did a lot of local dump truck work in S. Wis. with a guy named Mark, but he went by Breezely. He’s the guy that had the ’65 Panhead we restored in his living room one winter. “They call me the Breeze” was his theme song. Anyway, in the 80’s, we went separate ways, I stayed local, he did an OTR schtick, California/Wisconsin turn arounds. On one particular trip west, he stopped at Sapp Brothers in Nebraska for fuel, Sapp also having a local Ford dealership, was giving away an ’86 pickup truck very similar to this, only extra cab, same color, diesel, it had every option available. Breeze put in a entry and forgot about it. A month later, you guessed it, he gets a call, come out and get your truck. They had a big deal, took his picture and all. Sadly, I was informed, Breezely killed himself 2 years ago, Christmas day, and I miss him.
The truck itself, I believe has the 6.9 IH motor, and not the best in any kind of commercial application, but for a pickup, it did okay. The Power Stroke was a much better motor, I thought. People are a funny lot, a truck like this should be gone, but I bet it’s the diesel that’s holding it back. With diesel consistently more than gas, and you’ll use plenty, it is surely scaring people away. In 1986, diesel was 1/3 the cost of gas, making these attractive, even though, the 460 gas had more oomph. One could muster maybe 15 mpg, but drops considerably in relation to the throttle position, in other words, single digits with any kind of a load, foot to the floor, probably typical with any modern unit. It’s a great find, that motor powered a lot of tow trucks and school buses, It’s a dependable unit. The truck itself, I feel, was the epitome of development, and could have stopped right here, far as I’m, concerned.
The mileage is showing 21014.4. Definitely believable for this truck. It’s at $5300 now with just over 8 hours to go. Sure wish it was closer.
Sold for $6100
My first drive was in an 1984 F350 very similar to this one. That truck was constantly overloaded carrying combine and tractor parts to and from the field. That thing lasted a long while. Someone’s getting a nice truck.
Where is this truck sitting and State
Worked on lots of these back in the day. Only really weak spot was aluminum rocker arm supports. Interesting that the Oldsmobile-based 350 engine also used aluminum rocker supports and they seemed to wear out faster than the 6.9/7.3. Of course that could be that the IH engine held more oil and used a REAL filter. The advance piston in the injection pump could also be a problem. I fit a lot of oversized pistons to those fuel systems. Overall the drivetrain on these was close to indestructible. Their worst enemy was the coffee shop talk where someone knew someone who was getting into the upper 20s for fuel mileage and that was hitched up to a 27 foot 5th wheel RV…
Love that mid 80s lariat upholstery. Super soft and comfortable especially compare to the burlap “cloth” they use nowadays that has all the comfort and feel of sandpaper.
This one is worth preserving.
not my fav 6th gen (’73/9) but U get the mechanical diesel (no computer) so’s got that goin for it. I hear its same mileage loaded/unloaded (not stop’n go tho) due to the 315tq. Diesel was cheeper then & it got better MPGs than the 460 gas.
This one’s in the right model (F250) too. In short bed/4WD or as a nice rd truck w/long bed possibly 5th wheel I cant see it beat by much.