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1999 f150 salvage title?

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Falcon75

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I am looking at 99 f150 dual cab 4x4 w 6.5 bed and cap 166000 miles. It will be more of a farm truck but would take on hunting trips. Wants 2200 need brakes. Sounds bad when drive it but rotors don't look too bad yet. I have a camper that weighs 10500 so this won't pull it but like price. I want to get lighter camper but wife likes it to live in one week a year at county fair.

Question is thoughts on that vintage of truck and salvage title. Never bought vehicle with one. Story is guy neighbor got it from ran a salvage yard and he had it for a few years and then sold it to neighbor who has had it a few years and doesn't need it and doesn't want to put money in it for brakes. Engine light is on but he says always on cause salvage guy fixed up but never hooked a non essential vacuum line back up. His wife also ran up on rock and then decided to just go over and put big dent front driver door. She also hit rock with van. I said get rid of rock. Thanks for your thoughts.
 

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whats the mileage, motor, why was it salvaged?

My gut reaction is don't do it. I manage an autobody shop and have seen some nightmarish "salvage yard fixed it up" jobs.
 
When I hear salvage title I run like hell. I know a few guys that have tried to save some money by purchasing vehicles with salvage titles and it has cost them a bunch in the long run. This is my opinion only.
 
Known history shouts POS on your Ford. If you have any inkling to buy it, spend $60 @ trusted local mechanic and get it inspected. Around CO front range, cars get totaled for hail damage to body/glass, are good mechanically and in the interior. I bought a totaled MR2, it had zero issues. Salvage title on current Forester, hit on driver's side, doors replaced. Only issue is driver rear door is sticky. It was totaled again by hail, insurance gave us a grand and we are still driving, liking the Subie.
 
I've seen horrible and dangerous so called rebuilds with salvage titles. They want over $2k for a 1999? It sounds like something that you should leave where you found it. Somebody wants out from under this POS....run away fast.
 
That is one ugly truck, and topper and rack.

The last thing I would take on distant hunting trips is a POS truck such as this sketchy rig unless I had no other option. Keep shopping till find a truck that will pull your camper. Or trade in the wife for one who that already owns a lighter camper model such as you seek.:)
 
I don't think that truck should bring much more then 2200 with a clean title and no engine light on. I'd pass just based on the story about the engine light.
 
Salvage title should be your first red flag. I'd stay away from that vehicle. Sounds like something that will nickle and dime you to death. If the check engine light was really due to a non-essential vacuum line the check engine light would not be on. If it sounds bad when you drive it but the rotors don't look bad the sound may not even be coming from the bakes. Could be u-joints or bad cv-joints, transfer case or any number of other things that only make noise when you drive it.
 
$2000 with salvage title for a farm truck sounds doable. That saying, I would hate to be hunting on the top of the mountain or the bottom of the deepest hole, when truck decides not to go. The tow job might double the value.
 
I've had a couple salvage vehicles that I got for about %50 of what a non salvage would have been. Those vehicles were excellent buys and never had anything other than regular maintenance needed on them.

The vacuum line not hooked up sounds like complete BS to me though.....
 
what moter is in it?5.4 tritons have terrible spark plug blow out issues,,,this truck could be a can of worms,hard to tell why it got salvage title?looks more like a $999 special without more info disclosed.
 
bobbydean said:
$2000 with salvage title for a farm truck sounds doable. That saying, I would hate to be hunting on the top of the mountain or the bottom of the deepest hole, when truck decides not to go. The tow job might double the value.
Click to expand...

$2,000.00 for a 19 year old truck with a salvage title? Just the fact that it has a salvage title drops the value by half, especially if it was totaled in a wreck.
 
I guess truck prices fluctuate wildly across the country. Around here, a 4x4 truck that moves under it's own power is going to be around $2k minimum. Many will pay that just for winter commuting or hauling wood. I would be very nervous taking any vehicle that old on a cross country trip though.
 
Not worth $2000. Even if you can turn a wrench, at 19 years old everything will be rust married and a nightmare to work on.

As mentioned above, the 5.4 is known to throw sparkplugs. My sister had the 5.4 in an F250 and every single plug had to be helicoiled (cheaper than new head).
 
nonessential vacuum line on a 1999 sounds like somebody is feeding you some b.s.
If you're not a tinkerer on vehicles, I'd say pass. If you're comfortable with vehicles, go dicker with him. Get it down to under $1000 or so.
 
I’ve bought vehicles with salvage titles before as work vehicles. It’s only a $2000 vehicle. I wouldn’t be to worried at that price. It’s not like you are looking to buy a $15,000 family vehicle with a salvage title. Buy it , drive it till the wheels fall off and get rid of it. You’ll get your moneys worth out of it.
 
I have bought many vehicles with a salvage title, but also had paper work as proof of proper repair. It is a good way to get a good deal, my last purchase was an 08 Silverado duramax with 150k on the clock for $7k (that's a steal beings similar rigs are $26k clean and have been seeing them sell for $18k salvaged in my area).

But on this particular vehicle I would pass. Not because of the salvaged title but it looks like it was not well maintained, and that is a big deal on the 5.4 motors beings they were questionable in reliability to begin with. I would save the headache and look else where.

I would not shy away from a salvage, they can be great deals if fixed properly, but this is one I would pass on.
 
I would, an f-150 if the motor and tranny are good is an easy fix up. But on the same token last year hunting trip we had one blow a rear end all over the highway and stranded this dude in our party.
 
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