Ford F150..4.2L V6, 5 speed. Anybody own one?

[Dueller]

A buddy has picked up a 2000 F150 extended cab w/4.2 L V6 and 5 speed. I can buy it for about $4K. Very clean, straight, drives well. About 100K miles.

I need a beater truck (who doesn't?)...anybody have one? Although it wouldn't be pressed into service as a tow vehicle, it has tow pkg and a towing capacity of 8900 lbs which I can't believe. Anybody tow with one of these?

[legion]

I had the same truck with except with an automatic. It died in Florida a year ago.

Should be fine for around town, but the main bearings may be close to their time...

[Dueller]

I've always been a GM man when it comes to trucks...had an old diesel suburban during my full bore racing days. It was indestructible. Sold it 9 years ago with 259K and I still see it lumbering around town.

[sammyg2]

Since I've already posted it too many times, I'll refrain from saying how much I absolutely hate anything and everything made by ford and I won't say that every one of their products is complete junk .

[oldE]

Dueller,

I have a '98 F-150, 4.2 , 5-speed with a regular cab and an 8 foot box.

We bought this truck used in 2004, from a neighbor. When purchased, it had 36,000 kilometers on it. We wanted it for pulling our horse trailer, so were pleased to see it had a tow package.

I had been leary of the Fords as they were reputed to have problems with ball joints and tie rod ends and the frames are reputed to rust badly in the salt-heavy environment of a Maritime winter, but knew we wouldn't find a better one so went with it.

In the past four years, I have had it (over)loaded with 53 bales of hay from time to time. It has pulled the horse trailer without complaint. Usually there is only one (a 16-3 hand Morgan), but it has taken two standard-breds over the mountain without problem. A neighbor has borrowed it to bring two Icelandics from Moncton, about a 5 hour trip. She had no problems and was surprised when we told her afterward it was a 6. She has an older 5 liter V-8, which she didn't feel comfortable with on the long trip.

The truck has about 75,000 km on it now. It works well. The only problem I can think of was the plastic flashing covering the seat-back pivot on the driver's seat had a rough flashing on its edge. Getting in and out of the truck allowed that flashing to catch the fabric of the slacks I was wearing and ruined two pair of slacks before I realized what was causing the problem and sanded the edge of the plastic cover.

Hope this helps.
Les

[450knotOffice]

I had a black '98 extended cab shortbed with the 4.2 V6 5 speed and still miss it. That truck ran like a swiss watch with not one problem in my five years of ownership. Not one. I carried over 2000 pounds of dirt/rocks in the bed more than a few times and other than riding a$$-low, it handled the load with ease.

Honestly, I wish I still had the truck.