At $6,500, Does This 1994 Ford F250 XLT Work for You?
Today’s Nice Price or No Dice F250 is the kind of work truck Americans love—big, capable, and built by Ford. It’s also an old-school “Bullnose,” which means it’s a pretty simple truck. Let’s see if its price is workin’ it.
It’s a common plot device in old single-set slasher movies for the bedeviled victim to be told by the authorities that “the calls are coming from inside the house.” Gasp! When Honda killed off the Prelude in 2001, it was pretty much an inside job since the specialty coupe had to go up against the cheaper Civic Si and Accord coupe. The 1998 Honda Prelude SH that started our week yesterday didn’t fare any better. At $15,800, the high-mileage coupe fell in a massive 95 percent No Dice loss. That was quite the bloodbath.
Our entire work dynamic was turned upside down by the pandemic. The need for social distancing forced many people into remote work while those at the front lines who had to work on-site donned wearing protective gear and were ensconced behind plexiglass sneeze guards. It was a tough row to hoe, and we’re still seeing changes in the workplace even now.
Of course, the one thing that hasn’t changed, thankfully, is the good old American work truck. Not every job requires a white, utilitarian pickup truck, but wouldn’t it be nice if they did?
G/O Media may get a commission
save up to 30%
Adidas Holiday Weekend Sale
Build a new wardrobe
Save up to 30% off just about everything Adidas during this sale, including men’s, women’s and children’s styles. That includes T-shirts, hoodies, shorts, sweats, sneakers, socks, and anything else you can think of.
This 1994 Ford F250 XLT is a year shy of its 30th birthday, but it looks like it still has plenty of what it takes to get the job done. With a few dings and dents here and there—plus a front bumper that looks like it took one to the jaw—it also feels like work hasn’t been a foreign concept in its history.
That history involves 169,583 miles worth of driving. The seller rounds that down to 160,000 in the ad, but the odometer doesn’t lie going that way. As shown in the pictures in the ad, the truck is straight and, having lived its life so far in California, is rust-free. It wears tires with plenty of tread and a trailer hitch out in the back. A telltale black line around the opening rear window indicates that it at one time wore some sort of bed cap.
The pictures of the cabin indicate that the seller needn’t give up their day job for a career in photography. The parts we do see; the front seats, headliner, and a snippet of dash tell us that it’s not beat all to hell or filled with rabid raccoons as could potentially be the case.
Both front seats wear the kind of shearling seat covers that were popular at places like Pep Boys back when the truck was new. They don’t look horrible here but may mask greater evils below. An aftermarket Kenwood head unit offers tunes from the dash. This being an XLT, it has power windows and locks, plus A/C.
The big news, however, is under the hood. There lies a massive 7.5-liter gas V8. The 460 is a member of the 385 family of big blocks, first introduced in 1968 and finally phased out in 1997. Here in the F250, the fuel-injected engine makes 245 horsepower, and, more importantly, 400 lb-ft of torque. That gives the truck a towing capacity of up to 10,000 pounds. A four-speed automatic is paired with the big block and the truck appears to be 2WD.
According to the description in the ad, the truck “Runs Amazing” and is a “Very Tight Truck.” It comes with a clean title and what the seller says are “All Books And Manuals From New.” Boy, the seller really likes capitalization.
We need to determine whether we like this truck at its $6,500 asking price. What do you say, does that feel like a deal for an old work truck that looks like it has plenty of work life left in it? Or, is it too old to command such a paycheck?
You decide!
Los Angeles, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
Help me out with NPOND. Hit me up at remslie@kinja.com and send me a fixed-price tip. Remember to include your Kinja handle.
