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Ford Super duty - Continued III

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Comments

  • ashewittashewitt Member Posts: 28
    Sorry, I read several messages but didn't see the "real people" exclusion. Do you know the answer to the original question about entering the model year? and is there any other bits of info that I should know before attempting again?

    thanks
  • jepsonfamjepsonfam Member Posts: 45
    I went back and looked at previous posts in SD Continued (part 2) regarding ESOF but I'm still confused (so what's new?). Salesman says the ESOF adversely affects mileage while the manual doesn't (both when not in 4WD). Are the front wheels actually running "free" when not engaged in ESOF? I have manual lock in now and the truck does seem to run differently when wheels locked in but not engaged in 4WD. I'd spend the small extra to not have the lever in the cab. Down to picking the small things before ordering. Thanks.
  • bessbess Member Posts: 972
    Sorry, I sounded too harsh I realize..
    I enter 2000# for the year.. The response says.
    'you entered 0, press 1 ... ' And continue on with no problems..
  • KEH4x4KEH4x4 Member Posts: 109
    Steve, the owner of http://www.f150online.com , is a Ford truck fanatic. I was one of the first few members to f150 online in 1996 when I bought one of the first 97 F150s built. The f150 online site updates on all of the new Ford truck information regardless of it being a Ranger, Explorer, F150, Super Duty etc. It is a good site to find occasional Super Duty info.
    I got a lot of my information from them when I ordered my 99 Super Duty over a year ago. One of the list members is a Ford engineer. He was very helpful in getting me information back then. So it isn't just an F150 web site, but really a late model Ford truck fans web site.
    I am no longer a list member of f150 online because I don't have time to go through the 100 or so emails they have every day. But I do go check their site from time to time. By the way, there is a picture of my Super Duty on page one of their Owners Gallery. http://www.f150online.com/owners/owners1.html
  • lewaclewac Member Posts: 151
    bigdaddy21... do you have DORA info? if so is it a priority other than 99 (10 is best)? if you don't have this info then the dealer may not have allocation. what are they saying? because something is definitely amiss. note that priority 99 is essentially a "fake" DORA... note that a wait this long is not normal & you need to contact district/regional manager for an improved priority (the dealer can't assigned a priority higher than 10). hope this helps.

    Bobh12... good point. may want to check the front elevation as well. we certainly will do this when the truck arrives.

    Ashewitt... please follow Bess's advice on VOPC access. use automated systems only! I posted an earlier warning about this (that was taken from a member that works at Ford). the VOPC's computer is not always up (although it is supposed to be) so be a little patient as one day means little if you're not yet built. you can enter 0 or 2000, doesn't matter. it's easier, though, if you obtain your VIN from the dealer. then you simply enter your dealer code followed by your "decoded" VIN (see past posts on how do this... else can't find & I'll repeat those instructions).

    Bess... I'm not a tire "expert"... thought the camper package came with 265's (the default for this option) and therefore "assumed" they were larger diameter (have not verified this as it's a non-issue for us due to remaining with the stock 235's). in regard to the rail height though, people do need to realize that larger # tires will eventually increase the side rail height (from the ground) as (290's (or 295's) definitely stand taller than 235's. believe these are the largest tires you can fit in the wheel well as the width then also becomes an issue.

    even though we've ordered the 4X4 the primary usage is towing. we've therefore remained with the default tires as no significant off road use is anticipated (we just don't want to get stuck with a 10k coach behind us if we happen to be driving/parked in muddy/sandy areas).
  • dave86dave86 Member Posts: 13
    The ESOF system does not result in lower gas mileage even when the hubs are not engaged; the salesman you spoke to is either smoking dope or is trying to steer you towards a non-ESOF truck on his lot that he wants to sell. When ESOF hubs are in the AUTO position and the dash switch is in 2WD, the front wheels are running "free", as you put it. Going to 4HI or 4LO will engage the hubs and shift the transfer case. If ESOF hubs are in the LOCK (manual override) position, the hubs are engaged with the front axle and drive shaft (not "free"), regardless of the position of the dash switch. Hope this helps you.

    Dave
  • jepsonfamjepsonfam Member Posts: 45
    Thanks. Just what I figured but wanted to hear it from the group here. There's no truck on the lot - I'll be ordering in the next day or two. Can't confirm or deny the smoking. To be honest with you I'm relying mostly on my own experience and the info from thegroup here to make most decisions. The salesman is just a neccesary evil (nice guy though). ESOF will be added to the options list. I've contacted the local dealers and will see who can (1) get the truck in a reasonable time of 8 -10 weeks with the shorter the better and (2) gives me the best deal. I'll buy out of the local area if it doesn't work here. Told them to give me their best price first since I don't want to get into a back & forth with them. Looks like I should get something for $500 or less above invoice. That's what I'm shooting for. Thanks again.
  • BrutusBrutus Member Posts: 1,113
    sbship,

    Any feedback on that Banks Power Pak?
  • tracyotracyo Member Posts: 72
    The 265 tires are a larger diameter tire than the 235. This number represents the diameter not the width.
  • bobh12bobh12 Member Posts: 140
    Check out http://fordnews.com for an article on the engine plant fire and transportation delays. Transportation delays only mention F-150s, but am sure it is impacting F-250SDs also.
  • shotgun1shotgun1 Member Posts: 57
    235 or 265 represents tire width. 75 or 85 is percent of width that makes up sidewall height. If you want to know how tall the tire is add 2x the sidewall height + the rim diameter.
  • kgrantckgrantc Member Posts: 26
    My 2000 F-250, SD, SC, SB, PSD, Lariat, Loaded beast is still waiting for a build date. I ordered it on Sept 20th and must have it before 12/25. I'll pick the thing up from the factory if I have too. Anyway, I'm glad I have the VOPC to check my order rather than always calling and bugging my dealer. I'll keep you all posted.
  • lewaclewac Member Posts: 151
    VOPC weekly check. still scheduled for build week of 11/15 eta 11/29. expect "locked in" within the next 2 weeks.

    Jepsonfam... you're right on target in regard to the ordering process. don't hesitate to travel a few miles if necessary (we had to travel 250 miles, for example). remember to ask the dealer to give you an actual copy of the DORA (not just info off of it). also ascertain a priority 10 is being applied to the order (priority 99 is essentially a "useless" DORA). if they refuse to give you a copy of the DORA, go elsewhere (also ascertain that your deposit is refundable if no DORA copy within 10 days of your "good faith" deposit is presented). get it IN WRITING signed by a bonified agent of the company (not just the salesman). DORA is THAT important so don't take it lightly. because without it there's no assurances that your vehicle has been ordered REGARDLESS of what the dealer may be telling you otherwise (remember... DORA is an acronym for Dealer Order Receipt Acknowledgement). try to locate a truck only dealer. they will probably have better allocation (which results in a very prompt order) along with a good price (anything under a grand over invoice needs to be seriously considered). if you're ordering a psd with the 6 speed manual tranny you can probably expect delivery in 6-7 weeks... a month longer for the V10. keep us all posted. what, where, that kind of stuff. luck with your order.

    a final note on allocation, it's the common belief that allocation assignments result from the previous YEAR's sales. this is NOT true. the allocation assignment is updated WEEKLY to the dealer based upon the last QUARTER's sales. it's what the dealer has done the past 3 months that counts... not what may have transpired a year ago.

    Kgrantc... a psd? something may be amiss. there's nothing in your config that ought to be holding up your truck. we ordered a lariat 350, CC, SB etc 9/30 & had build date "in hand" 2 weeks later. time to stop being "nice", I'd say. let the dealer know what YOU know when it comes to ordering vs build dates. ask them to check some more on your behalf or you want to speak with the sales manager, owner, regional manager (who has authorization to "bump up" your order by assigning a priority higher than 10 (a lower # is assigned to your order)). they need to check the VOPC to determine what part(s) are holding up your order & why. these are big-buck purchases & therefore customer service begins as soon as you walk thru that dealer's door for the very first time. let them know that you're aware of the VOPC (but don't want to "clog the system" by speaking with "humans"). these people are making a few grand on your vehicle. time for them to actually earn some of it. Note that this same process ought to be applied for anyone that is having excess wait times from order to build IF you have DORA info with a priority 10 "in hand".

    Crazyelvis... how's that truck doing?
  • mikef150mikef150 Member Posts: 35
    anybody having problems with the latch mechanism on the "notebook computer" sized center console for the 40/20/40 bench seat? For the last 2 weeks it has been difficult to open.....tonight it's stuck closed. Truck is almost 1.5 years old and is an early '99....thanks.
  • jimvetajimveta Member Posts: 96
    thought i might share this..
    had a strange/scary dream last night: i was doing
    all these mods to my super duty, and maybe it
    was overkill or something went wrong because when
    i started it up, engine caught fire. somehow,
    i had a fire extinguisher under the running
    boards, and after putting out the flames, i
    thought to myself for some oddball reason, "hmm..
    i wonder if the warranty will cover this..?"
    it took me a moment after i awoke to realize it
    was only a dream .. but for that moment, i thought
    "oh no.. i need new truck but still have the
    payments!"
  • jepsonfamjepsonfam Member Posts: 45
    Initial feedback is folks coming in with prices around 3% over invoice. I'd like to do better than that but then again, it is supply and demand generated. Spoke with one dealer today (in MD) who said a Ford rep visited and said they (Ford) will start giving priority to retail orders versus customer orders. Not good news if true....But, my question of the day is: Is there an easy way to find truck only dealer other than calling around? I recall that someone asked this awhile back but I don't recollect seeing an answer. Also, when placing orders, is it common to leave a deposit? The main dealer I'm working with says they don't need one since they can sell whatever SD shows up on the lot. The one in MD said they need a deposit of $1000 (Koons Ford - a biggie). Didn't get into the details since they didn't have any bargains over what I can get locally at a comparable price without driving over 200 miles north. The dealer I've been working with says they'll beat any price I get (I haven't pushed but I assume they are talking in the local area - and I'm not heading to see Ken at Gator Ford! A bit too far to save a couple hundred bucks). I like the no deposit route much better. As always, thanks in advance.
  • qstjohn43551qstjohn43551 Member Posts: 10
    I've had an F-250 sd 4wd Lariat long bed since mid June and still do not have a build date. Still "Clear and Unscheduled". Any ideas on what could be the hold up? I see a lot of people on the board that ordered later and have gotten theirs or at least have a date. Looking for some ideas on how to move this puppy along.
  • gossamargossamar Member Posts: 106
    Okay, here is my .49-cents on the deposit thing. When I first started "haggling" with my dealer, they originally said they like to have $1000.00 down on an order. I said I don't think so!! After that he said okay how about $100.00 and stated that if I was not to take delivery of the vehicle, the $100.00 was his to keep. To make him happy, I said okay...but did NOT sign anything at that time, because inside I knew that any deposit put down on a vehicle must be given back to the buyer if delivery is not made. This is an important fact!! Any-way, when I did finally make the deal...I ordered the truck with NO DEPOSIT. All I did was sign the intent to purchase agreement with the $500.00 over invoice price figured in on the truck, plus the cost of a 4-year extended warranty written in on the contract. I then asked for a copy. This way, no "hidden" costs can be added after you are gone and you are locked into that price, even it the cost of the truck goes up.
    ...To those of you getting ready to order, place an order with a dealer that will order without money down. It is this I feel will separate the ones who truely want your business, to those whom just want to make $$$$ appear on thier monthly statement. This might take a bit of haggling, but just tell them "if they can't do it, then you will find someone who can!"
    I was lucky and only had to travel about 40-miles to find a "small-town" dealer that would do this for me, plus they had a VERY GOOD allocation number for SUPER DUTYS. My V-10 truck was in my garage 8-weeks almost to the day since my order was placed.
    JIMVETA....scary dream. Although the part of carrying a fire ext. with you is very sound advice. Just the other night, a vehicle caught fire outside the hospital where I work, they guy did not have one, but just inside the hospital door a maintenance guy was able to grab one and extinquish the flames in a matter of seconds.
    So far my modifacations have not caused me any trouble(knock on wood), and give me smiles everytime I step on the gas......
  • lutztlutzt Member Posts: 6
    Does anyone know what the time period is between being released from the plant and being loaded on a rail car?
    BTW, I ordered my truck on July 22nd and it is scheduled for delivery on Nov. 11th. It was built the week of Oct. 18th and released but does not show that it has loaded yet.
  • jackpikejackpike Member Posts: 1
    QUESTION: ANYBODY HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THE RAILWAYS BEING SLOW???

    Hello all. The information through this message board is invaluable. I've learned everything through this.

    QUESTION: I spoke to a VOPC HUMAN BEING who told me that the 2000 F250 Superduty Crew Cab V8 Lariat 4X4 that I ordered on 9/7/99 had been built, he gave me the VIN # and told me that it was sent via railways around 10/22/99. BUT he also said, "OH THAT COULD BE A WHILE." He said that there could be a problem with the Railways. HAS ANYONE HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM???? IS THIS REAL???? Please respond with any information.
  • lewaclewac Member Posts: 151
    Jepsonfam... 3% over is not a bad deal & especially so if they'll suppy you a copy of the DORA within 10 days or so (with priority 10). that dealer that told you about "retail" priority? I'd go elsewhere. Ford doesn't really care (or even know) who ordered the truck because ALL truck orders go thru dealers (there is no "retail" order) they pay for the truck b4 taking delivery & then they "sell" it to you (& then you finally take possession of it). it's the dealer that assigns priority & most dealers will assign the highest priority (10) that they're allowed because the thing is already "sold". however; some dealers (with little or no allocation) really do not want people ordering trucks (a "pre-sell") because they can't make BIG bucks on them. why? no volume. what they need to do is increase their allocation by selling as many trucks as possible. they will eventually make MORE money because they will eventually sell a LOT MORE trucks. why? because they have MORE trucks to sell. they are essentially; very, very, GREEDY (but do not see the "forest" for the "trees")!!! why sell a truck at 3% over invoice if they can get "retail"? find a truck ONLY dealer that imposes a business methodology that promotes volume over attempting to make a "killing" due to small allocations)... Allocation is EVERYTHING when you're ordering a vehicle... even if you have to go to FL to do it (which you won't). btw, a dealer can TELL you anything. he may even tell you that psd's are "garbage" (because he just happens to have a v10 on his lot that he's trying to "push". remember that every day that it sits there it eats into his profit (remember also, dealer holdback)). good "hunting"!

    qstjohn43551... June? the dealer's "stringing" you, BIG time. your dealer has no allocation; ordered the truck priority 99 (which gives you a "fake" DORA) ..do you have a copy? yes? priority 10?. past the time to be "nice". get on "them". first the sales manager, then the dealer owner, then the regional manager, then Ford. there's nothing unusual with your config. show them Crazyelvis's posts, ours, just about everyone is getting scheduled within a couple of weeks of ordering. no result? get a refund (of YOUR "good faith" deposit because they haven't shown any) & find a TRUCK only dealer. you'll still get your truck b4 year's end. show them this post... you most assuredly have our permission (but maybe not Edmund's). & if Edmund's doesn't allow it, bring this message up on one of their machines right in front of them.
  • lewaclewac Member Posts: 151
    and we ALL sure wish people would stop talking with HUMANS at the VOPC (or no one's going to be doing ANY "talking" (or anything else for that matter)). so come on! how about showing just a little consideration for the rest of us who do NOT talk with the VOPC & thus allow EVERYONE to continue to check the status of their vehicles. if you have a problem that can't be resolved with your fingers doing the "talking" then how about going back to the "old days" & have a chat with your respective dealers. okay?

    JIMVETA... Gossamar's right. crazy dream. we've thought about that too. remember to obtain a fire extinguisher from someone that services business fire equipment in your area. don't purchase extinguishers with plastic "heads" (the "stuff" leaks right thru them & in a couple of years the thing is useless). purchase only one's with metal heads (ABC type). whyami such a smartass? ran into it in our business.
  • hmarkgrafhmarkgraf Member Posts: 5
    Update - Here is an update for all of you. I ordered my truck on 10/9, and had a DORA on 10/12. Checked with my dealer on 10/21, and had a VIN # and a scheduled build date of 11/18 and eta of 11/28. By the looks of things I have seen here, that is about normal. Oh yes, I am getting a 350 XLT, CC, PSD, with lots of goodies.

    Deposit - I have a different opinion than others here I guess, but here goes. I don't really see a problem in giving the dealer a $500 deposit. I know what you mean about the dealers bottom line looking good, but you have to show some good faith as well. If you pick a good dealer, you are out of pocket $500 for 8 to 10 weeks. Should not be too much of a problem. If you get unlucky and pick a poor dealer you could be out of pocket $500 for several months --- PROBLEM!!! Just my thoughts.
  • jimsrsjimsrs Member Posts: 21
    All, Lewac is right. The word is out. If you read some of the prior posts in this topic and at Ford Diesel .com they make it clear that if we (the public / customers) call the VOPC (that was designed for dealers) and speak to a live person things could be changed and we'll all lose this great tool to track our orders and future orders. USE THE COMPUTER INFO ONLY. DON'T SPEAK WITH ANYONE. If you really need to get info talk to your dealer. Don't feel your "bothering" them. There job is to make us happy as we are paying them big money for these trucks.
  • tracyotracyo Member Posts: 72
    All I know is I have the 265 on my F250 and they are a larger diameter than the 235 on the same rim. And a 285 is a larger diameter than a 265 on the same rim. The 85 is not as wide as the 75 ect. Talk to a tire dealer or manufacture.
  • lewaclewac Member Posts: 151
    Hmarkgraf... we agree. it's just the "ethical" way of doing business (even though you may be "out" of a little interest). some states may allow the dealer to keep the deposit (never give them over 1k for "good faith") & if this is so get it it writing that you can get the deposit back if something goes amiss (no DORA within 10 days, etc.). also, if you "hardline" the issue, you may wind up traveling many miles just to find a dealer that will comply with your demand" (of no downstroke). we feel that 95% of the dealers out there are looking out for your behalf... if you're "happy" you will send more customers in the future because the deal was a good one all the way around. a part of that "roundness" (in our opinion) is a small refundable deposit for a "large" ticket item. it goes both ways. just our .02.

    Jimsrs... well, we could not possibly say it better ourselves. hopefully the one's that are "guilty" have gotten this very, very, important "message" in regard to VOPC contact. they also would be doing themselves a great justice by reading a few hundred prior posts as most important issues (& there's none more important than keeping the VOPC for all) are repeated.
  • tracyotracyo Member Posts: 72
    I just want to clarify, I am understanding your definitions of the two numbers and while you are correct, I do believe when the 265# is greater and the 75# remains the same the 265 will always be a greater diameter than the 235. Thanks for helping me to better understand these numbers, and all of us probably. Crazyelvis I have not forgot about the mirrors, my dealer says I cannot order the telescoping ones yet. I hope you can wait but if you can't I understand.
  • jcheadjchead Member Posts: 2
    O.K. I ordered my F250 Lariat 4X4 CC diesel yesterday and now I am hearing horror stories about the wait. Please tell me what I am supposed to get from the dealer in order to track it's progress. I am still hoping I made a good deal. Loaded with all bells and whistles (nothing left to put on) 34,770. Is this a decent deal?
  • zprd04zprd04 Member Posts: 1
    Just to let you all know, whenever I call the VOPC during business hours I ALWAYS get a human. Calling from Canada I don't think we have access to the computerized option. After hours I just get the message to call back during business hours.

    As far as they "humans" I have been talking to, they are under the impression that I am in fact calling from the dealership that I ordered my truck through (since that is the impression I give them). They have never actually asked me to confirm that I work for the dealership. I don't really believe they have the time (or the desire) to verify each call they receive.

    On another note, I just got my VIN # yesterday and have an ETA of 11/15 for my new BEAST. I have already informed everyone at work here that my new name/handle after 11/15 will be the BEASTMASTER (LOL). They all think I'm crazy and totally obsessed with my new baby (to be).

    After lurking this forum for the past month I think that WE are all the sane ones and THEY are the crazy ones for not having a super duty of their own.

    I really appreciate the wealth of information that everyone has contributed to this forum. Keep up the good work.

    By the way, my new truck specs are:
    F250 CC 4X4 SWB V10 Black (I wanted silver but my spousal unit said it looked too much like a utility vehicle) ESOF Camper pkg, Trailer tow pkg

    Later... gotta go
  • kgrantckgrantc Member Posts: 26
    O.K., here's a good one. Not sure if I should believe it or not. Checked the VOPC this morning "Clean and Unscheduled". Dealer called this morning with a delivery date of 11/22. I asked him for the VIN#, he's calling me back. Stay tuned.
  • laura31laura31 Member Posts: 9
    bess -- Thank you for your response in #209. Does it change your mind to know that my truck is configured with a manual transmission rather than auto? I'm hoping that with manual, I can maintain proper RPMs at speed and that I won't be in a "bogged down" situation. What do you think?

    I plan to increase my tire size someday from 31" but don't know how big I want to go. I don't need a monster mud truck but I do care how it looks -- I think bigger tires make it look burly. What size would you (et. al.) recommend?

    everyone -- Regarding my order experience: I ordered my truck on October 1st, put $500 down, paid 2% over invoice, and am showing a priority 11. I'm still waiting for a build date.
  • chrispalchrispal Member Posts: 35
    If you haven't already done so, you should go to autobytel.com and request a bid for the truck with the options you want. The dealer I ordered from said they respond to the autobytel.com requests and they sold for roughly $249 (dealer prep and handling) over dealer invoice. They have an internet sales department and use a straight-forward no-nonsense deal. Of course, I verified that they are responding to autobytel.com requests by entering one and they were the only dealer to respond.

    There are some other charges they say everyone (in Colorado) has to pay: destination and delivery ($665), advertising allowance ($160) and fuel ($28.50). I believe the dealer is paying those charges on every truck they order so we are just sending our money through the dealer to Ford. Dealers have a built in profit of 3% which is held back by Ford to cover finance charges on the vehicle. Of course when you order the vehicle, they get paid as soon as it comes in so that 3% holdback should be considered a reasonable profit for the dealer.
  • kgrantckgrantc Member Posts: 26
    Dealer called back and told me that he doesn't have a VIN# yet. I wanted to ask him if he was smoking something, however, I'll remain patient for the next few days to see if he gets me the number. I checked the VOPC information and I'm still "Clean and Unscheduled". I'm assumming that the VOPC is not based on "today's" information. Any experience with this matter, please respond.
  • rbachtelrbachtel Member Posts: 1
    To Bigdaddy21...don't give up on the SD.
    I ordered my F250 SD Crew Cab with 7.3L PSD, auto, shortbed Lariat on July 7. Got scheduled and bumped several times between August and September, but was finally built on 09/20/99 and showed up at the dealer unexpectedly on 10/07. I picked it up 10/08, and I've never looked back. As posted in several other sites, the combination of the V10 (and 7.3L PSD) engines, transmission, leather seats, wheels, and the other Lariat parts that the F250/F350 and Excursion share has led to the delays. Ford makes a lot more money per unit on the Excursion than the truck, so thats where they are putting their biggest efforts. Additionally, a delivery delay occurred because all of the rail companies decided they wanted a bigger piece of the pie to deliver the vehicles by rail, and basically held Ford hostage until the increase was paid. I know its like waiting for Christmas to come (for weeks and weeks and months and months), but I have to fight my spousal unit just to have a chance to drive it.
  • rnewmanrnewman Member Posts: 33
    Finally some action on my f250sd cc v-10 4x4. I've been waiting since July 27 for my y2k truck and today we have a VOPC breakthrough. I've moved from clean and unscheduled to serialized and awaiting build and eta dates. Does anyone know how long between this event and getting the build date? I hope it's soon my 78' F150 is sucking wind. (and she's my only vehicle to drive!). Thanks for any clues. Also has anyone put dust shields on their wheels and if so have you put them on the rears as wheel since the sd's have 4 wheel disk breaks. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated
  • BrutusBrutus Member Posts: 1,113
    I tried autobytel last year and the dealer was talking a price in the $1,000 over invoice range. Then again, that was about the best you could find in Dallas at the time. I ended up buying from an out-of-state dealer. That's not to say autobytel doesn't work. Like I said, the deal they offered was about the best in the area at the time.

    It's my understanding that the 3% holdback (3% of MSRP, not dealer invoice) is built into the dealer invoice to ensure that dealers make enough money to at least pay the bills. Whatever the invoice price, we're always going to try to buy something for as close to it as we can. The dealers are none too happy with sites like this that educate consumers about the holdback. Basically, what we do then is take the advertised dealer invoice, subtract the holdback and use that as our starting point for negotiations. By the way, beware of any sales person who says that they don't get the holdback or that it cannot be factored into your calculation.

    I think the Ford factory advertising cost last year was somewhere between $40-$70. If it's $160 this year, it has gone up. It's possible that some of that is local dealer advertising. Even if that is the case, $160 minus the factory ad costs is still not excessive. I've heard of dealers who really try to gouge buyers with ad cost over $300.

    It's snowing again, and I'm having a blast in 4wd....
  • crazyelviscrazyelvis Member Posts: 216
    Sorry Tracyo....I am not a good person on waiting...plus Gator Ford lowered the price on the mirrors for me....just gotta know who to talk to I guess......They were not as easy to install as the service dept. said....so anyone switching mirrors...let me know and I will give you some install info......
    Now on to price.....If you are paying 3% over invoice the dealer is making 6% on that truck!! At an avg. price of roughly 29,000 his take with 6% would be $1740....For basically punching in an order....maybe 15-20 mins worth of work.....I don't think SO!!!!!! I would go to someone who would sell for invoice and take the roughly $800 bucks from the Ford hold back. Seems like $800 is pretty good money for 20 mins of work.
    The truck is doing GREAT!!! I like the new mirrors....can see MUCH better. Filled up today...last tank about 85% city and 15% highway....computer was at 12.7 mpg and manual calc. was at 12.5 mpg. <2000 V10>.
    Well....Happy Halloween to everyone.....Can't wait for the kids to get back with their bags...so I can steal all the good stuff!!!!!!!!!!!
    Lewac....Ken called today to see how everything was going....was not here to take the call...but thought it was a nice gesture.
    Whats the deal with people getting blankets and chairs from Ford in the mail after delivery of their SD's???? Any of you all get stuff like this??????
  • lewaclewac Member Posts: 151
    Order process. 1st, read ALL the messages in this forum & you may want to check the predecessor too (SD Cont'd). there's 2 major items to consider & both vary depending upon your area. price/availability (allocation). btw: autobytel didn't do "squat" for us in our area. the only Ford autobytel dealer had a pot full of cars; but NO SD's. no allocation & therefore the wait was 6-8 months! end of story. you ought to use autobytel as a matter of research but don't settle on it unless you have an invoice deal with a guarantee that you will get a copy of the DORA within 10 days (with priority other than 99... preferably 10). can NOT over emphasize importance of DORA! this info is the ONLY proof that the dealer actually ordered YOUR truck! once that DORA is in your hands the dealer is basically out of the picture until the truck arrives at the ramp (we only obtained the VIN from them because it wasn't assigned on the DORA (probably because the chassis was not yet available). they can NOT assign a priority higher than 10 (the lower the # the better). if you're experiencing significant delays (not getting a build date after 3-4 weeks), have the DEALER check on what is holding up your schedule. the dealer will check the VOPC (Humans) & perhaps other areas we are not aware of as customers. the important point is to let the dealer handle it (once you know the truck has actually been ordered). Once the truck has a build date the priority # becomes meaningless & another #, the VIN has been assigned. get this from the dealer & use it to check the VOPC from then on... then on to the next step: Locked-in. built (or "bucked") etc. after build is the time that you may want to check the VOPC more than once a week (up until build it's really superfluous unless you're getting really "antsy" after long delays). remember that in your area you may have to pay a little more to get good allocation. try a truck ONLY dealer. they will probably have better allocation from the get-go regardless of price. if you can't find a deal that you're satisfied with don't be "afraid" to do some travel. example: we live in West Palm Beach, FL (southeast coast). nothing in our area (only seen ONE SD to date on the road!). checked out EVERY dealer in state... found this forum & Crazyelvis directed us to a dealership he was happy with.... 250 miles away.

    Crazyelvis... that was nice of Ken to call as he certainly doesn't have to do that. looks like we picked the right dealership & the right salesperson. heard it sometimes took several weeks for "Ford" to catch up to people when giving out the free "goodies". happy to see also that you've got the mirror scenario worked out & especially happy to see you love your truck! can NOT wait!!
  • BrutusBrutus Member Posts: 1,113
    I got a nice 50th anniversary blanket a few weeks after my truck came. I took delivery 10/98.

    The call from Ken might have been standard. My out-of-state dealer called a couple of weeks after I got my truck to see how things were going. The local Ford dealership has someone call anytime I take it to them for service.

    I figure a 3%-5% profit is fair, which calculates to about $500 over dealer invoice. I paid less, but I got lucky. It depends on supply and demand. I think I would be hard pressed to get a truck up here for less than $1,000 over dealer invoice. There are fewer dealers and they know it's close to 2,500 road miles to Seattle. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. I figure I will have to buy one more truck before I get my retirement rig, so I have a purchase or two still to negotiate.

    Speaking of retirement rigs (a little prematurely at the age of 36, but if I were to win the lottery today), I'd probably opt for about a 33-35 foot Teton Homes fifth wheel and the F-550. Those Tetons weigh over 18,000 pounds and the truck weighs about 9,000. That leaves about 2,500 pounds for gear before you exceed the 30,000 GCWR of the truck. But (assuming I don't win the lottery)who the heck knows what the pickup and RV market will look like when I am ready to make the next step up? Maybe we'll have transporters by then. Beam me to Florida for the weekend.....
  • qstjohn43551qstjohn43551 Member Posts: 10
    Thanks for the insight. I'll try to get to the dealer this weekend and confirm date ordered,etc..
    What I do know is that you cannot find an F-250 long bed on the lot around here anywhere, and all the dealers I have talked to have mentioned long lead times, though I agree 1000% that mine has been tooo long! There do seem to be a lot of F-350 long beds with duallies on the lots that are'nt moving too fast, but they all have diesels and I'd rather have gas for my use.
    Planning on installing Rhino Liner on the bed. I installed it on my F-150 and liked it a lot! I have a lot of concern with plastic liners trapping moisture underneath and not holding up to abuse. Also understand that front tires are going to be throwing a lot of road dirt on the sides, so I will be looking into mud flaps of some type. Will check in on back entries to look for preferences.
    I stumbled onto this site by accident and wish that I had found it long ago!
  • jepsonfamjepsonfam Member Posts: 45
    Good advice to try Autobytel. I just fired it off. Will see what they come back with as a reference point and/or bargaining chip with the local dealer. I remember past posts on this and the varying opinions. I will be another data point. I understand the whole holdback deal and I understand the dealer wants to make as many bucks as possible, especially with a hot commodity. But like many of you, I have a hard time letting them reap much more than invoice for something where they are merely the conduit. Will do what the going rate is but I HATE to be gouged. So this forum has been extremely beneficial in this regard to see what folks are paying and experiencing elsewhere. But as noted, the dealer gets a sure deal and not much effort on their part. Kind of like leaving a tip for the restaurant folks at a self serve all you can eat place. They bring you the plate (sometimes) and the bill (always). If at a real swanky place they'll bring drinks, but all in all they don't deserve as much as a full service resaurant with real waiters. That's my position, they deserve something but not oodles. And of course, money is money (haven't checked out the increase in insurance rates or state personal property tax yet on the new bugger - don't want to or my wife will want to squash the deal!). Will let you know what transpires from Autobytel.....
  • bessbess Member Posts: 972
    When I ordered my SD, we talked about price, and the salesman agreed (reluctantly) to $100 over. He said the managers don't like to do this, but they can do it.. He showed me the likely invoice price but said he wouldn't know real exact invoice price till the truck arrived. The invoice price he showed me was about $125 more than my calculations, but I figured I'd deal with that at a later time.

    I feel my only mistake is not getting anything in writing, although I did write down the price he gave me on the orderform he gave me when I ordered it.

    The salesperson is in the fleet dept, has been extremely professional and he knows that I'm very patient and well informed about dealer costs and expenses.

    I want to believe that he will hold to the $100 over invoice, but being a realist, I expect that they'll try to squeeze a few hundred from somewhere..

    Here's hoping for some dealer dealer integrity.
    I'll let ya'll know one way or the other which way it goes.
  • bessbess Member Posts: 972
    F250 XLT SC SB 4x2 5.4L 5sp, plus extras..
    Ordered 10/8
    Build week of 10/25 (which was this week)
    Arrival of 11/15.
    The above is the VOPC status as of today.
    If its right I've only got about 2 more weeks of waiting..
  • mikef150mikef150 Member Posts: 35
    Well, it finally happened today....my coinholder in the console of the 40/20/40 bench seat finally let go while driving....shot coins all over the place. It seems like a force fit is supposed to hold the thing together. I know some of you had this problem a few months ago....what was your solution to putting it back together and what should i do? I was thinking a few spots of glue. BTW, it was FULL of coins when it let go.

    MikeF150
  • bessbess Member Posts: 972
    It seems like the funniest stories are of the coinholder failures which involve flying springs and coins, and the goofy cupholder that dumps the liquid on the passenger on a sharp left turn..

    folks on www.ford-diesel.com had some fixes for this.. Most involved using a lighter to heat up the plastic at the base of the coinholder. I'd go there and search on coinholder..
  • crazyelviscrazyelvis Member Posts: 216
    I went from a 97 Ford F150 XLT 4.6L supercab 4x2 to a 2000 Ford F250 Lariat V10 Crew Cab 4x2 SB and the increase for the year was $4. I have had Allstate Ins. since being married (Ten years) and have NEVER seen much of a raise in auto ins. in that time. I pay about the same for my wife and I (she has a 98 Windstar) as I did when I was single and I was driving a Mustang 5.0. Now I have seen a BIG increase in homeowners ins. from when first buying our home in 1991. Huricane Andrew is to thank for that. $171 a year in 1991......now is $650 a yr. I never have had an accident or homeowner claim yet....knocking on wood.....so of coarse I have had no problem with Allstate.
    Oh well....my 3 cents worth.....
  • gthiltongthilton Member Posts: 30
    Once you've received a VIN # you should get build and delivery dates very soon. ( A matter of days) At that point you could find that they will change those dates to sooner or later than originally stated. You'll be glad when you hear that your order is "locked" into production. At this point no changes can be made to your order. Then when you are "bucked" it means that your trucks actual components are on the assembly line ready for assembly. The VOPC messages can change daily once you are actually in production. That is always exciting news!
    In regards to mud flaps, we've read here that Husky is making custom mud flaps for the Super Dutys. That is what I'm going to look for. My SD CC V-10 Lariat is supposed to be built this week! Yeeehaaw! I'll be looking forward to hearing that sweet (yet computerized) voice on the VOPC telling me that my Big Red has a heartbeat! ( Not the Chevy kind . . .they blew their chance with me!)
    CrazyElvis - how's that V-10 mileage coming along? 80% of my miles will be highway. So I'm counting on mileage that will equal my 1979 Chevy half ton V-6. Isn't that cool!
    Rnewman - I know how you feel! My '79 Chevy has been like old faithful. My grandfather bought it new in Nov. '78 and I've had it for the last 10 years. But it's lived it's life and is about to give up the ghost. I already have a buyer. (actually 3 or 4) Those old trucks are popular winter beaters up here in winter country.
  • slosslos Member Posts: 19
    I went from a 91 f150 lb xlt lariat to a 99 f250 SD CC SB and I had a $64 a year increase with state farm. It seems like the SD is pretty easy to insure, obviously must do real well in a crash based on the view from where I sit. Do I understand that you went from the standard mirrors to the trailer tow mirrors? Did you get the TT mirrors that telescope, or the non-telescoping kind like on my 99?

    BTW, I was able to buy my SD off the lot here in northern Ohio this summer, got a pretty good deal, although it is a 99. However, I do keep my vehicles for about 10 years normally, so normal depreciation doesn't usually get me to bad. Even with the deal I got, right about invoice, they gave me a trade-in on my old truck above the Kelly BB retail value. Pretty good dealer, always seems to move a lot of trucks. Lots of farmers around here, everyone likes trucks.

    Glad to hear you are enjoying your truck.
  • connonconnon Member Posts: 52
    Anybody out ther having glitches with their Lariat trip computer? I find that mine gets weird if you top the fuel tank up.Filled up last night and at first it read 300 to empty. Next startup it read 0 to empty.This with at least 3/4 of a tank to go.After a nights rest it read normal(265 to empty) again until I filled up again and this time it just did not reset, still,265 to empty.Shortly after taking delivery, I got a booklet from Ford with operating tips for F trucks which stated not to continue filling after the pump shuts off. to counter this I usually run the pump at a slower speed just to get the extra 2 gallons into the tank.Am I doing somethig wrong or is this truck just strange? Still under 5000 miles since delivery around 7/1/99.Any comments?
  • bessbess Member Posts: 972
    I'm not sure whats up with your trip computer..
    As to the ford tip to not continue to fill the tank after the pump shuts off, there are reasons for this:
    a. Remember that gas expands if the tempature goes up, with the large capacity tanks that these trucks have, there's alot of fuel that can expand too.

    b. On most vehicles, there's a type of filter (usually in the front of the vehicle) thats meant to filter gas fumes. If you overfill the tank, you will cause raw fuel (not just fumes) to enter this filter and ruin it.

    Try just filling up normally, (not squeezing extra fuel in), and see if the computer acts more like you expected.. Then you'll know if thats whats causing it.
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