New (old) pickup

[ddb123]

Well, the tractor was more of a "want," and a pickup was more of a "need." I searched and researched, and after a couple of months I wound up today buying this thing: '85 F-350 6.9L diesel (International Harvester) with a manual 4-speed. 125,000 miles and appears to run like a champ! It was cheap and will do everything I will ever want, and hopefully will last a long time.

 

[timswi]

Well, the tractor was more of a "want," and a pickup was more of a "need." I searched and researched, and after a couple of months I wound up today buying this thing: '85 F-350 6.9L diesel (International Harvester) with a manual 4-speed. 125,000 miles and appears to run like a champ! It was cheap and will do everything I will ever want, and hopefully will last a long time.

Very nice...An '85?...We don't see many of those up here anymore...The earth reclaimed them all. That should be an outstanding truck with the diesel and the stick..Congrats!!!

 

[MasseyWV]

I've been down that road before, I couldn't get the tractor I wanted at the time so I bought a truck, only in my case it was an 06 F250 Superduty.

 

[coobie]

Looks good.coobie

 

[JESSE1]

Nice truck. I had an '85 F-350 dually with the 6.9, 4 speed and 3.55 axle ratio. It was a very dependable truck.

 

[Bob77064]

Looks real good.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Nice find.

Chris

 

[crashz]

My father had one just like it, but with the C6 auto. We ran that thing hard, plowing snow, towing, and general abuse in an excavating company. Multiple drivers that drove it like a company truck. We just couldn't kill that thing.

Sold it to a kid starting his landscaping business about five years ago. He still drives it.

This truck will serve you well!

 

[ddb123]

My father had one just like it, but with the C6 auto. We ran that thing hard, plowing snow, towing, and general abuse in an excavating company. Multiple drivers that drove it like a company truck. We just couldn't kill that thing.

Sold it to a kid starting his landscaping business about five years ago. He still drives it.

This truck will serve you well!

Wow, that is really encouraging. I hope I get that kind of performance and longevity out of mine!

 

[flusher]

Neat truck :thumbsup:.
I wonder about parts availability and cost for that nearly 30 year old IH diesel.

Have fun .

 

[Diamondpilot]

Neat truck :thumbsup:.
I wonder about parts availability and cost for that nearly 30 year old IH diesel.

Have fun .

I dont think that is a issue at all. Our local farm tire service guy still uses a few old 6.9L Fords.

Chris

 

[murphy1244]

May have a hard time finding spark plugs.:laughing:

 

[Diamondpilot]

May have a hard time finding spark plugs.:laughing:

Nah..... I know a guy who's brother works with a guy, who's got a dog from the same litter as a guy, that has a bunch of them. I will call his mom, who will page his ex girlfriends niece, who lives next door to his daughter, who can call him for you. I think he is getting $85 each for the ones he has left.

Chris

 

[ddb123]

Well guys, I am not so excited anymore. After reading what you said about parts, I popped the hood and looked at the motor and -- THERE WERE NO SPARK PLUGS. This perplexed me, so I looked at my car and sure enough, there were four spark plugs, right on top. Then I looked at my tractor and it didn't have any spark plugs either! Now I am really worried. I don't know what kind of long-term damage running without spark plugs can do to a motor. Worse, I can't afford any mechanic work right now, so I am going to have to keep running them like they are now and just hope for the best.

Wish me luck...

 

[timswi]

Well guys, I am not so excited anymore. After reading what you said about parts, I popped the hood and looked at the motor and -- THERE WERE NO SPARK PLUGS. This perplexed me, so I looked at my car and sure enough, there were four spark plugs, right on top. Then I looked at my tractor and it didn't have any spark plugs either! Now I am really worried. I don't know what kind of long-term damage running without spark plugs can do to a motor. Worse, I can't afford any mechanic work right now, so I am going to have to keep running them like they are now and just hope for the best.

Wish me luck...

Just wait until you have to replace the piston return springs and the antenna fluid, then you'll really be in a pickle...

BTW..A metric Crescent wrench is a must have tool for those trucks..

 

[JESSE1]

You'll be really surprised when you pull the air cleaner off and don't find the carburnator!

 

[scoutcub]

Hmm...27 years old.....125,000 miles.....was this thing sitting in a barn for most of its life?!
Looks like a nice rig, enjoy!

 

[dodge man]

Well, since you can't afford to put a lot of money in it, the first cheap thing you can do to it is change the air in the tires. On a truck like that, the air may be pretty old.

Nice truck BTW, it looks pretty clean.

 

[RobertN]

Here's a place to get your muffler bearings, blinker fluid, and piston return springs. Decent prices too.

Muffler Bearing - $49.99 : KaleCoAuto, Hard to find automotive items!

 

[catskinner]

Well guys, I am not so excited anymore. After reading what you said about parts, I popped the hood and looked at the motor and -- THERE WERE NO SPARK PLUGS. This perplexed me, so I looked at my car and sure enough, there were four spark plugs, right on top. Then I looked at my tractor and it didn't have any spark plugs either! Now I am really worried. I don't know what kind of long-term damage running without spark plugs can do to a motor. Worse, I can't afford any mechanic work right now, so I am going to have to keep running them like they are now and just hope for the best.

Wish me luck...

Just leave the hood shut, then you don't have worry about repair bills, thats what I do,