One of the smarter buys at the moment if you’re watching the wholesale auctions or local sales that aren’t under the watchful eye of national buyers is a diesel-powered Ford pickup. These trucks are known for outstanding longevity and have a shelf-life that goes well beyond the first or even second owners. In terms of a vehicle you can buy secondhand and still get your money back on, it’s hard to go wrong with a turbodiesel-equipped Ford product – and one with the Centurion package and dually rear axle is even more appealing. Find this 1997 Ford F-350 here on eBay with bids to $9,600 and no reserve.
You can absolutely see this truck being swapped in at the local used car dealer by the farmer or business owner who either retired or simply bought the latest and greatest at their local Ford dealers. Generally speaking, the dealers are smart enough to know by now that these are epic trade in vehicles, as some owners have no clue the kind of money they bring on the secondhand market, so you can give next to nothing in trade and then sweep up another $10K in profit. This truck shows no signs of body damage or rust, and while the chrome bumpers may be a little dull, that’s the most grievous offense I can see.
Four full doors and a long bed offer plenty of convenience, but the Centurion package makes it downright luxurious as well. Full leather seating with plenty of extra cushioning means you won’t step outside of this truck feeling beaten up after a long drive, and while some of the color matching with the exterior paint job is over the top, that can all be swapped out. I’d find some OEM wood trim to replace the red-painted surfaces and ditch the steering wheel cover and call it a day. What’s odd is that there’s likely original wood trim beneath that cheap paint job on the dash, so it’s a mystery why a previous owner decided to cover that up, unless it was severely damaged by the sun.
Of course, cosmetics aren’t the big selling feature here, as the 7.3L turbodiesel is what’s driving the bulk of the bidding. Mileage is reported as 194,876, which is a lot – no two ways about it. While the powertrain may be robust, 200K on any engine is a sign that at least some repairs are likely looming, even if it’s just basic seals and belts. The other concern would be suspension components on a truck like this, as I would suspect original bushings, mounts, and other rubber components have all perished or are close to it. The seller doesn’t report any details about recent maintenance, which isn’t a surprise on a truck like this that’s likely a quick flip, but that’s not deterring bidders at the moment.
The last of this era of “COWBOY CONTINENTAL.” Lots of them out west, the majority of them pulling livestock trailers and horse trailers. They earned their keep and soldiered on with few problems. The 7.3 Powerstroke was a tank of an engine. I’ve seen them chipped up to 400 hp with few failures (and still carrying on with 400K miles), which is a lot more than I can say for that anemic 6.0L Powerstroke that superseded it in ’03. But by then the smog nazis X’d the 7.3 and Navistar had its hands full getting something that might hold up. Ford was working on its In-House 6.7 even back then but it had little choice but to try to keep its share of the diesel market but to use the 6.0L (followed by the 6.4) as an interim. And we all know that the 6.0 was somewhat of a disaster. Well, let me rephrase that: The 6.0 worked just fine in its stock form for the most part. But someone wanted/demanded high horsepower and the market responded with NMD chips that literally melted those engines out of their mounts. In reality, the engines were strong enough; they just couldn’t get rid of the heat that was generated from boosting the fuel and emission controls. Back to this truck, it looks like a well-preserved example and should still fill the bill. If it starts on all (8) and performs smoothly there should be few problems. Maybe some issues with the transmission but that can be chalked up to normal wear and tear. If I had the need for something like this I’d give it another look…
Ha! Firing pistols in the air, YEE-HAWW,,,only thing missing on this one for my area, is a drive screw on the front axle. While some folks actually DO need an “Ultimate Behemoth” like this, most I see are relegated to bags of dog food and bottled water at Walmart. People that drive these things, really do believe they are better than mere car drivers. Driving a semi, I saw how size does affect peoples attitudes, something I never did, intimidate anyone by the sheer size, but driving these big pickups, it’s incredibly frustrating following someone doing the speed limit, and rather than pass in the limited areas here, they simply ride your bumper, trying to make you speed up. It’s a dangerous situation, and have seen some of these drivers do incredibly stupid things. Once they get their front doors past you, it’s as if they aren’t responsible for anything behind them.
I worked for a trencher dealer, and the 1st service trucks had the early diesel, and the newer ones had the Powerstroke, which was a stark improvement over the original, but powerwise, I didn’t think anything special. Still a boat anchor in my opinion. This is a great example, but many are like this, as they generally escape the rigors of everyday driving. They really are a PITA to get around, most don’t fit in parking spaces, and have their “big butt” sticking out. I have seen more than one with those back fenders crunched.
I hear ya on the pavement cowboys thinking they’re kings of the road with their “big trucks”. I drive a concrete mixer, and was doing about 20 mph going around a bend on a back road, when this guy comes hauling around the bend with his lifted truck with the oversized road hog tires, and the big straight exhausts, and he was driving right down the middle like he owned the road. I just slowed down, verified I was completely in my lane, and absolutely LOVED the look on his face when he realized the top of my front bumper was eye level with him!
Actually, contrary to most popular beliefs, most cowboys are NOT flamboyant. The dedicated ones hitch up their trailers, load the horses and drive all night to the next venue. I find the ones who install the NMD chips, fit wide tires and put those extreme enhancement devices on are usually found in the oil patch. In fact they’re about the only ones who can afford to put all those things into their trucks. Cowboys just want them running reliably. Oh, don’t get me wrong, there are some cowboys who make a better horse’s backside than the one on their horse but they’re pretty sparse. There’s some idiot mechanics out there too. So many of the urban cowboys who hang out at places like Gilley’s, work for the refineries. And NOT all of them are bad either…
This appears to be a Sherrod conversion, not a Centurion. The “S” logo on the seats is a clue, but the big tip-off is the Sherrod owner’s manual.
I had just started selling cars in a large Ford store, when a new lot attendant made a major boneheaded mistake. Now lot attendants don’t make much , but its a fairly easy job that doesn’t require a lot of effort. Long story short, this guy was just plain lazy. But I helped the guy who sold it by removing all the stickers and filling it up, all he had to do was wash it. Well, it was a dually of course, and there was HUGE sign at the car wash, ” No Duallies”. He ripped both of the fiberglass wheel covers off while the new owners watched in horror. I just happened to be outside and I could hear them being ripped apart. I just laughed my ass off, and told the lot attendant, “you had better look for a new job”. He was gone that day, luckily we had another one just like it. Selling cars used to be a fun business
Item location:
Glen Burnie, Maryland
Ended:
Jun 01, 2021 , 6:00PM
Winning bid:
US $10,501.00
[ 29 bids ]