Some are quicker than others. This goes for both people's brain power and vehicle speed. Its obvious that most decent cars will out accelerate most 'normal' full size trucks. Again there are some exceptions (Lightning, 454 etc..) However, put a 5000lb trailer behind both, or load each with an additional 2000lbs and things will probably even out some.. (not sure how you'd get 2000lbs of stuff in an accord).
In the rare event that the 4cyl can get the load going say, 55mph, now try to STOP that load in a reasonable distance. Again, thats what these trucks are designed to do safely.
(This is my variety post to keep sunscreen happy).
On the topic of car saleman incomes, they are at more of a disadvantage now than they used to be.. If your buying a truck at less than $500 over dealer invoice, the salesman could be only making $50 on that particular sale.. However, there are usually bonus' for selling several vehicles per month etc.. It will get to the point where dealerships will have to re-work how they pay salespeople if they want to keep quality folks working for them..
Tom169, knocking vs. intake sound.. In my case the intake sound is a 'pulsing' sound thats about the same beat as knocking would occur. This is what confused me/convinced me it was knocking.
Someone also mentioned about the knock sensors backing off the timing. This was described correctly however it happens so quickly that you'll probably never hear it any knocking..
In my case, I do have to wonder if I would actually hear real knocking over the intake sound. I've heard real knocking on other vehicles (bad gas etc), so I think I would notice it..
Maincowgirl: I've not heard of this step of 'being submitted to the plant', what does this mean? One guess is that it doesn't get 'submitted' until the dealer has allotment for it, what do ya'll think? Hopefully you'll get a build date soon..
Thanks for your patience so far. I feel for those of you waiting on your trucks. I'm gonna pull 12000 lbs from LA to Vegas this week to test mine on flat ground. Hopefully we'll hit Chiriaco summit near the colorado river in a week or two to see how she walks uphill. Bess, thanks for the tech support! It's more than I got from my original dealer, although I've found a new one to chase around the truck! Almost got thrown in the hooscow last time I lit out after the service manager! Oh what the heck, it's all in fun. Good luck with your SD's
P.S. Our local paper said today that gas out here will probably hit 2 bucks per by summer. Its already 1.65 for 87 now!
Ya know the difference between a bad shooter and a constipated owl? The shooter shoots but can't hit. The owl hoots but can't...
It took 2 weeks after mine was scheduled into the plant for build date and two weeks after build date to delivery. Will tell wife about trailer info. Thanks. The smell of your new truck will be sooooooo sweeeeeeeet. bess- your the bessssssst
Congrats on the "re-placement" order. When I was waiting, it was about 2-3 weeks from "submitted to the plant" to a scheduled build week. Then things moved right along. As I recall, the plant gets the order/configuration and then they seem to "batch" them in with others of a similar cut.
You'll remember that there for a while we got no CCs. Then, we got a spasm of them for about a month. We saw orders being filled that had been placed from 6 weeks to 4 months apart, but all in the space of a few weeks. Sounds like Ford is just messing with its plant capacity or maybe the Excursion sales are being affected by the gas prices. They've been mostly 5.4 and 6.8's. You're in good shape!
This gas thing looks suspiciously like a big run up to $2/gal now, so that when it settles back to $1.50 this summer, we'll all say, thank goodness it's not $2 anymore. And there it'll stay. That happened about 8-10 years ago when it went up $.35-50 and then back down about a quarter (and stayed there until now). If you see your Rep. or Senator tell them to take that $.10/gal. deficit reduction tax off or else quit saying there's no deficit. (Sorry Brutus-that's your turf) :-)
I had a buddy in college back in the 70's (I think I sort of remember those days) who had his dad's old Do*g* Cordoba with "fine Corithian leather" (har! har!) or something like that. It had a 318 engine that sounded like a bundle of dry sticks in a weedeater when you stepped on it. Now, that my friends was knocking. You flat couldn't change the timing enough to fix that. It was all mechanical, too. A common problem in the bad old days.
Congrats Mainecowgirl! Wonder if mentioning "drop ship" had anything to do with it.
I think it's pretty obvious that the manufacturers are leaning towards direct buy or some kind of internet buying. If they were really interested in retaining the current dealership setup for the long term, the easy answer would be to increase the holdback to the dealer so the dealers could restructure the way they pay their salespeople. We negotiate from the dealer invoice price without cutting to into the holdback.
Of course, if they did that, we'd probably start negotiating from dealer invoice minus some of the holdback and then eventually the current dealer invoice would be like the current MSRP and the dealer invoice minus the holdback would be our new dealer invoice starting point. Anyone confused?
Regardless, I agree with Lewac. Salespeople and dealerships like they now exist will be dinosaurs in ten years. This is the age of the internet. Who needs salespeople?
Me? Talk taxes and politics on a truck site? I only slipped once and promised to refrain.
This is my first post. Ordered a 2000 XLT SD, SC, V-10, SB, 3.73 LS on 2/23/00. I don't have a build date yet, and I suspect the order will be cancelled but will call the dealer tomorrow. Anyways, my question actually concerns my Excursion (yes the one that is probably holding up everybodies orders). Where is the wire for the brake controller in the cab. When I look at where the connector is in the back of the Excursion, the wiring harness says 9L. When I look under the dash there is a 9L harness but I don't see any loose wires for the brake controller. Also is there a power wire for the controller. Thanks for any answers. By the way the Excursion has a V-10 with 3.73 rear end and we get 10 mpg in the city and 13-14 mpg on the highway.
crown automotive is a "multi-brand" dealer. People who go there probably aren't coming in with invoice offers and such...probably a place to make a little more dough...with selection an all.
I plan on driving my wife's Nissan Sentra to the dealership to pick up my new F350 PSD. Does the no towing for the first 500 miles apply to everything, or is there a weight under which it might be safe to tow?
wah wah wah....geez "I feel their pain"...NOT! If anyone out there that owns his/her own business, and used the practices of an auto dealer....well....we would be OUT of business!! It's about time that the general public became informed about car pricing and such. I for one will NEVER let a dealer put me through what they used to put me through before I became an INFORMED consumer. Now, do I wish the dealers out of business....No....everyone should be able to make a profitt and conduct business....I am just against the "old school" attitude of secretivity (is that a word??) that still does permiate the industry.
Locked in for 3/15, eta to dealer 4/3, ordered 1/18, scheduled 2/17. Should be 11 weeks, just as promised. Nichols Ford Fort Worth, TX. y2k f250 cc sb 4x4 v.10 4.30ls esof 5spd. The vopc was never password protected.
Interesting article. So the automakers, in an effort to get their product to the consumer at a lower cost by eliminating the middle man (dealers), are accused by the dealers of using special interest lobbyist to change state laws to facilitate the process. In the next breath, the dealer rep says that won't work because I've known State Senator Jim forever. He's a good 'ol boy and will listen to us local dealers. Instead of the local voters? It's only a matter of time. You can't slow down technological advances via protectionist policies. You either adapt or move on.
Although I've never been treated poorly by an auto salesperson, I've never needed them. The past couple of vehicles I've bought, I knew exactly what I wanted, right down to the option order codes. The only time I spent talking to salespeople was negotiating the price and nagging them about the tracking. Set up the tracking system via internet and let me buy the trucks for the same price the dealers pay, excluding the holdback, which Ford can keep for setting up the internet purchase system and the delivery networks, and I've eliminated the need for salesperson.
As far as the internet taxing issue, that's easy to resolve. When you buy an auto via the internet, they can have you pay local and state sales tax at the DMV of the county that is your permanent residence. When I bought my truck in 1998, I lived in Arlington TX and bought it from a dealer in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma dealer gave me temporary tags and completed forms to waive the Oklahoma tax. I paid the Arlington sales tax when I went to my local DMV to get my vehicle registration.
I began the day making phone calls, getting desperate, first I called BSNF's customer service, expecting to get told...sorry we can't give you that info. At every call, I just said my first name, told them I was tracing a VIN # to find out the status. Talked to Customer Service at BSNF, they said they couldn't give me the Ford Yard's number but they could transfer my call, upon transfer I replayed the info I was looking for for the nice gal...and she said it was at the rail yard & kindly gave me the number. I called telling them what I was looking for, they checked the VIN#(last 6)and advised me it had left this morning on truck #475 and should arrive at the dealer sometime today. I then promptly called the dealer, asking if my truck had showed up...which he replied no..I preceded to tell him, he should be expecting it today sometime and went thru the whole speal on how I found the info., also gave him the number of the rail yard, which he stated he could never get because they were always tranfered & the number was not given out. Hopefully they will be done adding everything by Saturday for pickup, or a Monday evening pickup. They are adding the A.R.E. Cap, Full Grizzly brushguard,getting a drop in liner(have never had a problem), Ford mud flaps & bug sheild. I also have a rubber mat over the bed liner, so things don't slide. 00 CC Lariat 5.4 4.10LS ESOF 4x4 Clearance Lights Engine Heater TT Mirrors Towing Slider/Privacy Capt/Chairs CD Woodland Green (p.s. it's been a long almost 6 months) Financing thru Ford at 7.3% for 60 months. Hope to pay off sooner then later. I'll check for those rail stars, heaven knows it rode that train long enough.
You hit the nail right on the head! I have been in the const. and contracting business for more than 20 yrs now, and if I gave my customers the vague info that the dealership gave me, I would be customer of the month at the better business bureau. Thanks for your great posts.
It's been almost a year since I installed my electric brake controller, but if I remember right... There was a 4 or 5 wire plug loose in the glovebox which was what you wired your controller to. Then that got plugged into the harness under the dash. Also had to replace several relays under the hood. This all came as part of the trailer pkg. Hope it helps.
I got an education in radio yanking today. I picked up my salesman at the dealership and the radio tech. Drove about 50' to another new SD. The tech hopped out, inserted two little U-shaped puller wires in the front of the radio (one each side) and 5 seconds later had that sucker in his hands. 30 seconds later the one in my truck was in his hands. He switched two plug-in harness type wires. Snap! back in the hole. 10 seconds after that he looked at me and said, "Got your keys?" 10 seconds later he said, "Got a CD?" 5 seconds later, TUNES!!!
Less than 2 minutes start to finish. Impressive. What was NOT impressive was the realization that dear old FoMoCo makes such a ragged radio unit that they need to be able to switch it out in less than 2 minutes with no screws, just a pair of U shaped wires with knobs on the end. Oh well...I bought a truck not a sound system.
Otherwise... my dear, dear wife looked at me last night while watching the news that gas would be $2/gal by summer and said, "You picked a helluva time to buy that truck." At least she smiled when she said it.
The little camper's gone, but the "little red one" remains. Anybody want to buy a good used 150 4X4 relatively cheap? Then...on to the big camper and BIG gas bills. :-)
bowhuntwi: If your truck shows up, smoking a cigarette and bragging about that little Mustang, I think you'll understand why he didn't show up for work for a while, won't you? :-)
I'd like to have been a fly on the wall when you laid all that info on that dealer. You know those people have to be wondering where the hell you're getting all that info! Great job.
Brutus is right about taxes. You could collect at the DMV or mail to your home address. I bought a van in Missouri in August. The tax bill ($900) caught up to me in Georgia just before Christmas.
Here is my situation. I pull a 16 ft trailer about 1000 to 1200 miles a week with a trailer weight of around 3000 to 4000 pounds. I plan on keeping the truck as long as possible is the diesel worth the added expense.
Thats how I got my truck out of the yard after it sat there for 2 weeks. My truck was mislabeled at the yard with the VIN #. I just went to Yahoo yellow pages...typed in railroad under the search line for Tampa...and the railyard # came up. I acted like I was from the dealer...actually using my salesman's name.....Got my truck out the next day....and took Clayton...the guy who found my truck....3 boxes of do-nuts......The dealer gave me the same story about not bugging the railyard and crap like that....but as the old saying goes..."If something NEEDS to get done...there's no one better to do it than yourself!!" vintagebldrs.....nothing worse than being on the BBB's bad list.....plus once you get a reputation it sticks with a business for a LONG time.....
although i am a "have not" as it relates to the new psd, i have owned diesel vehicles for many years and a few hundred thousand driving miles. i even crewed on an old WWII vintage ship with a diesel engine when i was a teenager. bottom line(IMHO): the more miles and time you will put on your engine, the more the diesel will become the better choice. the gas engines are great, and so is the money you save on the front end (and now, even some on maintenance), but if you tow 50K miles a year, it's an easy choice. having put in my .02, read any other responses carefully, because there are some very dedicated and well-informed people (much more so than myself) who tap into this site. buying a vehicle is fun, and some of the fun is undoubtedly figuring out what will work best for you. enjoy.
This is my first posting on this great "site", but I've been monitoring it for a few months. Fleet ordered a '00 F250SD XLT SC LB SRW V10 5SPD 3.73 HSS TTpkg + most of the goodies on 12-2-99. Still "clean & unscheduled".
Stopped by the dealer to which it will be "drop-shipped" this Monday and learned two interesting pieces of information: 1. Ford is currently building orders submitted in Oct-99. He did not specify any particular configurations. 2. Ford has shutdown the assembly line of the box vans in Lorain, Oh. for 30-60 days and diverted all engines and transmissions to KTP to try and catch-up on the Super Duty orders.
I hope so, I'm tired of waiting! I also hope that mainecowgirl and my trucks are not the last ones built from the parts they swept up off of the floor at the end of the model year run!!
Question? Can anyone tell me why Ford will not let you order a 3.73LS-diff. with a manual transmission in a 250(Dana 50 axle), but you can in a 350(Dana 60 axle)? My only disappointment in the truck I have on order is not being able to get the LS-diff. Perhaps one of you professionals (crazyelvis, Brutus, lewac, etc.) can answer this.
Thanks to everyone for all of the interesting information posted here and all of you "HAVES" keep the feedback coming to us "HAVE-NOTS", it is what makes the waiting manageable!!
hobbs28: As your trailer doesn't seem that heavy, my first thought was the gas would work fine. BUT, towing a 1000 miles a week, will add up quickly.. I believe the diesel would be a great choice for you as well.. It will definately have an easier time towing, and from my understanding that diesels in general are long lasting engines if properly maintained..
trknut: I wondered the same thing as you.. My only guess its a production line issue.. Maybe they have to limit the number of choices on things to keep the combinations to a manageable level or to get the economics of scale when purchasing parts..
professional....??? Brutus and lewac and others in here know way more technical stuff than I....I try and provide some comic relief every once in a while......thanks for the compliment though.... New title....Crazyelvis, super duty professional!! or is that super dootie??
trknut, yeah, Ford is building trucks order in October and November and December and January and Feburary and March Ford doesn't build 'em in the order they receive 'em. I'd recommend checking out www.ford-diesel.com and, more specifically, http://www.ford-diesel.com/faq/1999faq/General-OrderHowTo.htm for details on the magic of how ordered trucks are scheduled and built...
You might also troll f-d for your question on the 3.73LS with manual tranny in the 250 vs 350. I don't know but I wouldn't be surprised if it hadn't already been asked and answered (and if it hasn't been asked, that someone knows the answer).
Also, since January, Ford has been building the SDs in Mexico to try to catch up on the backlog.
Yes, I was actually considering canceling and looking for some better fuel economy. All I pull anyway is a snowmobile trailer (#1500) and I know I don't NEED an F250 V-10, but I just can't bring myself to buy an UGLY truck. I still can't stand the F-150 and, as for Chevy (even though I am eligible for employee discount) no thank you! You might as well buy a Cadillac and weld a bed on the back! I want a truck!
Anyway, I added up the $$ - My wife's car gets about 27mpg on the highway and I'm figuring on about 13 with the V10 at this altitude. On a 100 mile trip, EVEN AT $2.00 per gallon, it will only cost $7.98 extra to drive the truck.
We just won't order appetizers or desert anymore!
250 CC 4X4 SB V10 Auto 3.73 Lariat, White, 235/85-BSW, Manual Hubs, PlainJane Power Mirrors-(opinions welcomed). Order is pulled, no build date yet.
While my truck was built at KTP (Kentucky Truck Plant) there are a few people on f-d that have received trucks built in Mexico and said very positive things about their trucks. Fords built in Mexico have to meet the same quality standards as vehicles built in the US. I also seem to remember someone commenting that some of the components in their trucks (built in KTP) were built in Mexico.
And before you ask, no you have no control over where your truck is built. I supposed if you get your VIN from your dealer and it starts with a '3' (built in Mexico) you could cancel the order (but I wouldn't bother, I'd get the truck anyway .
You know of course if you move up here to NE GA, first of all we'll all give you another nickname, cause the KING is working at the Kangaroo store on Saturday nights. Immediately thereafter, your new name will get shortened. You might start out as "crazyelvis, super duty professional", then progress to being known as just"Duty" and before long you will utimately wind up hearing a whole lot of people saying, "Howdy, Duty!: :-)
Sorry, I couldn't ever lay off a hanging curve ball.
Oh yeah, truck stuff...My CC V10 was ordered on 10/19/99 and built at the KTP the week of 2/7/00. If they're still backlogged from Oct. I guess I got lucky. Hang in.
After waiting almost 6 months, I was sitting in the basement last night, praying that those golf ball size hail nuggets falling from the sky didn't have woodland green f250 etched into them. Well we rode the Tornado & Severe Thunderstorm Warnings out........Whew no damage...Looked over Truck this morning as I did a drive by & a stop before work..AWESOME TRUCK....Called Dealership up this morning talked to the Sales Manager, my salesman is off today (he told me I might have it by Sat or Monday) I explained to the Sales Manager and he said I probably could get by Friday.
Summitx- How wide is your snowmobile trailer, do you ever plan on bying an enclosed one. I hate getting behind a truck with a enclosed snowmobile trailer that can't see behind it cause of the mirrors, I would suggest the Telescoping Towing Mirror. I don't tow anything except my boat but it's width is close to 80 inches across, it nice to be able to extend those mirrors. I bought my truck mainly for a hunting & fishing vehicle. I have never owned a vehicle that got more then 18mpg. I figure I don't smoke, drink occassionally,I can afford to spend a little extra for gas if need be. Way I figure it will be just the big boys on the road shortly, people that can only afford small cars won't be able to gas them...or they will be too afraid when a Super Duty shows up in there back window. (just kiddin) I'm just in a Great Mood today....My Truck is home from Touring Illinios.
Alright, I'm convinced. I'm calling and adding the TTT Mirrors. They're only about $50 anyway. My Trailer, and most SMB trailers are about 98 inches wide so I'm sure the mirrors will be nice.
How can you stand not getting your truck because your salesman is off? I'd fire him and grab the first guy wearing a dealership T-shirt and get some service! The nerve of that guy, taking vacation while you're waiting for your truck!
Have you seen the pre-delivery inspection checklist on ford-diesel.com? It's pretty detailed, and I found a couple of items on it that wound up being problems with my 98 Ranger. I think I'm going to print it off and use it when I get my new truck. It may take a couple hours to go through it all, but it's worth it.
P.S. I ALWAYS pull over and let people pass when I'm pulling the snowmobiles. Common courtesy is a rare thing these days!
Bowhuntwi, just outta curiosity, is the hang up you or your dealer with waiting so long to get your truck? (Glad to hear that it finally made it after the leisure tour of Illinois
We already had the $$ straightened out, truck rolled into the dealer in the am and we picked it up that evening It's getting the Rhino sprayed in today...
I ordered my Truck, the cap, brushguard,bug guard,and liner (all acessories were at dealer cost)need to be installed and as I was told they were all at the dealer's site just waiting for the truck. Financing is basically done. I just need to sign some papers & take the truck. I say Friday sounds better then Sat or Mon. 2 days should be plenty of time to prep & install those things. I just think my salesman is too laidback, with an attitude it will get done. Like I told the sales manager this morning.....6 months is a long time. And I truly beleive that if I wouldn't of been on the owner's connection web page of Ford complaining daily, my truck would still be out there someplace. But right now I just want the KEYS in my hands.
Congrats on your beast finding it's way home. It must have been a pain to have to wait 6mo for it to arrive, I can't imagein having to wait that long I only had to wait 7wks and that was long enough for me, but I am sure you will find the wait worth it. Try not to break to many speed limits when you go to pick up your truck, have fun.
Stopped by to ask if it was still on to be picked up Friday Evening, and he said it was, said to call in the morning to arrange a time. Hope tommorrow goes quick at work.
Way to go on your order! Went back and forth on color between wedge.blue and woodland green. Ordered wedge.blue originally then went with my gut and changed to Woodland Green. I hope that it looks as good in your driveway as it did on the lot! still waiting on 00350xlt sd sc 4wd V-10 ordered 12/11 Woodland Green of course!
congrats on the arrival of your sd. please update us when you actually get it. btw, what exactly did you order (and when)? also, where do you bow hunt, and for what game? enjoy the new truck. woodland green with envy...
I'm might proud for you! That woodland green is nice. Two tone green over gold was my second choice. I can relate to your dealer pick up delay. My truck came in on Friday, I went camping Sat/Sun (the dealer called), I called back on Monday (Presidents Day-Bank was closed), had to work on Tues. Picked it up on Weds. Geeze, something could've happened to it! (Like a hail storm). Anyways, I'm glad for you.
Got two leads on suitors for "little red." The little camper goes to a buyer on Sunday. (little red one + little camper)= bigger camper. Pull with big red one.
Regarding the trailer tow mirrors. I got the electric ones. Only the big top portion adjusts electically, but sitting behind the wheel adjusting the mirror on a SD beats the heck out of trying to scoot across, adjust it a little bit, scooting back, then doing it again or having someone else fool with it. I travel alone a lot and I don't always have some help with this sort of thing.
They're only about $200 and I'm glad I opted for them.
Picked it up today-2k 250 CC Lariat 4x4 LB and a few other things! This is 12th truck (11 fords) and the best! What a ride! Came down the mountain and realized I was at 75 mph....now to figure out what all those little cubbie holes are for and to set the radio stations...and really do liket the island blue twotone. An air filter that could go to 30000 miles--not on my dirt roads!
just at 12 weeks from order to delivery.Recommend John Cavanough at Ferebee Ford, Louisa VA. Everything he said was right. now to gets some miles on it so I can start pulling the trailers...canoes & llamas--but not together!
w69... there's no "formal" weight restrictions on the psd that I've been able to locate (anything under the GCWR works) from anyone representing "officiality". if you're planning on towing your wife's vehicle though, that shouldn't present any type of problem as your limit of 10k is limited by the bumper pull & not the engine or anything else. in fact, once you get up-to-speed you won't hardly notice that anything is even back there. from a standpoint of practicality, though, I'd stay away from "hard" acceleration (regardless of whether or not you're towing anything) for the first 500 miles or so. also vary your speeds (don't "redline", use cruise or exceed speed limits) during this time period. ford-diesel also notes that it takes a little longer to "break" the psd than a gasser. we've noticed this on our truck (currently at 2,900+ miles) as have others. the psd has quieted somewhat and the tranny is a little smoother getting in/out of gears (we've got the manual). mileage is also gradually improving (between 14.5 to 15.5 city). hope this helps.
hobbs28... well, you're not pulling enough weight to amount to squat no matter what engine you plan on. however, that's a lot of miles. I'd base the decision on a couple of items. how long do you plan on retaining this truck? longer than 3 years with that kind of mileage pulling & the psd certainly warrants at least a look. remember, though. that it isn't only mileage that eventually takes it's toll on any vehicle (age eats into any rubber, plastic longevity, for example). and beside, these are generally "over-the-road" miles, correct? they are "easy" miles (as opposed to mostly stop & go which really take their toll). 100k of stop/go and a lot of vehicles have "had it" regardless of engine type, size, etc (because it's the "appendage systems" that begin to "eat you" alive). I'd say this: if your plan is to retain the vehicle < 5 years and your hauling is mostly highway, I'd stay with a gasser, otherwise opt for the psd. another advantage of the psd (as opposed to the v10), you MAY get to see the thing a little sooner!
maincowgirl... congrat's on your vehicle NOT being cancelled after all! jeeze! Ford's appears to be in a real quandry trying to get these beasts built come hell or high, huh?
crazyelvis... hey, YOU'RE excluding yourself, not the rest of us. it takes ALL to make this world go and it would be a pretty damn dull place if little differentiation existed within it. there's more to learn here than just about trucks, the way I see it. interesting info regarding "Crown Automotive"... probably Ken that "ended it". too bad, one helluva salesperson.
and reading all these posts sure makes something pretty obvious: Ford grossly underestimated the demand of these vehicles. wish you all luck in the waiting.
Very happy with my truck. I'd better be after waiting just shy of 6 months (ordered 9/15).
Sort of fits in the garage. The roof lights clear the door brace, but the top of the antenna hits the door -- not just the brace at the edge, but the whole door! Took it to work last night and found the same thing. The lights clear all the obstructions, but the antenna hits all the concrete beams for the deck above. I think I'm going to buy an extra antenna mast and cut it down to the same height as the roof lights.
Just what I need, one more project.
So now I can start plow shopping. At least I have plenty of time before the (next) season.
My antenna hits too. Some 300-400 posts ago, some comments were made about Wal-Mart having a short antenna replacement that was a screw-on replacement for less than $10. If you cut a standard one off, you may really reduce your reception because the engineers figure the length on a "best length for the wavelengths to be received" basis. Then that determines (in part I'm sure) the length of the antenna you have on your truck.
The short ones usually have a coil in them or a wrapped lead that is optimized in length for the reception. I have one on my wife's van that is a piece of fiberglass tubing wrapped with a copper lead like the stripe on a barber's pole. It's a shorter antenna, but a longer lead. It's a Che**y.
The length of the coil substitutes for the length of the antenna that would have been sticking up in the air.
Cell phones are a good illustration of this. Remember the little curly antennas on all the windows and the little fat anntennas on walkie talkies? Same idea.
I took delivery of my new F250 Lariat Diesel on 03-09-00.I guess I was just lucky. The dealer, JC Lewis, of Savannah Ga. has a huge inventory with no floor plan.(can make good deals) I drove Dodge diesels for several years until my towing requirements changed. I traded for a 1999 4wd, Z71 Chevy. This was a good truck and was very comfortable. But Gas mileage stinks at 14.5 and now I have heavy duty towing again and the 327 just won't get it done. When I walked on the lot they had over 30 250's and 350's to choose from with every kind of combinations. This truck is AWESOME! I wish someone with the same truck would post a reply and let me know what mileage they are getting and under what condition. I was told this truck will get about 20. But being 4wd and automatic, I doubt it. My old dodge got over 20. Also if any one has experienced any problems that I should look out for I would appreciate a heads up.
I seem to recall folks saying they get about 18-20 with the PSD/auto combination (4x2 vs 4x4 shouldn't make that much diff unless you're *in* 4x4). However, I understand that you may experience less than stellar mileage until the engine breaks in which may take up to 5K miles (I'm working on only 500 miles so I can't attest to the mileage improvement).
Check out www.ford-diesel.com for additional mileage comments plus other things to look out for. Some PSD's have a "cackle" which Ford is trying to figure out how to fix (f-d has a .wav file of the noise) as well as some PSDs have problems with the turbo bolts working loose (f-d has pics, etc). Over 5800 members with tons of advice and experience
bowhuntwi, was that you I saw under a different name talking about your truck's tour of Illinois???
Picking up my truck after work tonight. Then heading up To Northern Wisc. to help In-Laws with their Maple Syrup Harvest. From what I have been hearing it's been a bad year with the warm weather. We normally make around 300 qts for family consumption only. Course most of the family is retired,so on weekends it's the unretired folks time to haul pails. Generally tap close to 700 trees. But it's been a family tradition for so long.
Sherwoodfor- I own land just north of Eagle River, Wisc. I bowhunt for Whitetail, using a Custom Black Widow Recurve, with the permit system very libral here. I got 4 last year. We eat vension year round, only other meat we buy is maybe a few chickens for the grill. In Nov. I'll be taking my truck to Colorado for an Elk Hunt. Hopefully it will be loaded coming home with 3 Elk.
If it wasn't you, there was someone that sure sounded like you on f-d with their truck wandering through Illinois before it got unloaded.
Good luck in November, hope you aren't looking for trophy quality 'cause here in CO they are pretty hard to find through the regular draw system (you usually gotta be either *real* lucky or work one of the private places that also sell a few licenses).
Wiscasset Ford's latest flyer has a Y2K F-350 XLT super cab V-10 4x4 on the lot advertised for $26,995. All the regular XLT stuff plus cab steps, privacy glass, roof lights, AM/FM/cassette/CD, sliding rear window, power telescoping TT mirrors, ESOF, heavy duty supension & engine block heater.
No color mentioned, but the B&W picture looks like a two tone. I would be surprised if it's still available, but if you're interested you might want to give them a call. Stock # is 1291.
Comments
haven't been on the site long enough to remember viper-child, but someone should talk to his/hers/its parents...
ashewitt-thanks for the measurements.
Its obvious that most decent cars will out accelerate most 'normal' full size trucks. Again there are some exceptions (Lightning, 454 etc..)
However, put a 5000lb trailer behind both, or load each with an additional 2000lbs and things will probably even out some.. (not sure how you'd get 2000lbs of stuff in an accord).
In the rare event that the 4cyl can get the load going say, 55mph, now try to STOP that load in a reasonable distance. Again, thats what these trucks are designed to do safely.
(This is my variety post to keep sunscreen happy).
If your buying a truck at less than $500 over dealer invoice, the salesman could be only making $50 on that particular sale.. However, there are usually bonus' for selling several vehicles per month etc..
It will get to the point where dealerships will have to re-work how they pay salespeople if they want to keep quality folks working for them..
Tom169, knocking vs. intake sound.. In my case the intake sound is a 'pulsing' sound thats about the same beat as knocking would occur. This is what confused me/convinced me it was knocking.
Someone also mentioned about the knock sensors backing off the timing. This was described correctly however it happens so quickly that you'll probably never hear it any knocking..
In my case, I do have to wonder if I would actually hear real knocking over the intake sound.
Maincowgirl:
I've not heard of this step of 'being submitted to the plant', what does this mean? One guess is that it doesn't get 'submitted' until the dealer has allotment for it, what do ya'll think?
Hopefully you'll get a build date soon..
on flat ground. Hopefully we'll hit Chiriaco summit near the colorado river in a week or two to see how she walks uphill.
Bess, thanks for the tech support! It's more than I got from my original dealer, although I've found a new one to chase around the truck! Almost got thrown in the hooscow last time I lit out after the service manager! Oh what the heck, it's all in fun. Good luck with your SD's
P.S. Our local paper said today that gas out here will probably hit 2 bucks per by summer. Its already 1.65 for 87 now!
Ya know the difference between a bad shooter and a constipated owl? The shooter shoots but can't hit. The owl hoots but can't...
bess- your the bessssssst
You'll remember that there for a while we got no CCs. Then, we got a spasm of them for about a month. We saw orders being filled that had been placed from 6 weeks to 4 months apart, but all in the space of a few weeks. Sounds like Ford is just messing with its plant capacity or maybe the Excursion sales are being affected by the gas prices. They've been mostly 5.4 and 6.8's. You're in good shape!
This gas thing looks suspiciously like a big run up to $2/gal now, so that when it settles back to $1.50 this summer, we'll all say, thank goodness it's not $2 anymore. And there it'll stay. That happened about 8-10 years ago when it went up $.35-50 and then back down about a quarter (and stayed there until now). If you see your Rep. or Senator tell them to take that $.10/gal. deficit reduction tax off or else quit saying there's no deficit. (Sorry Brutus-that's your turf) :-)
I had a buddy in college back in the 70's (I think I sort of remember those days) who had his dad's old Do*g* Cordoba with "fine Corithian leather" (har! har!) or something like that. It had a 318 engine that sounded like a bundle of dry sticks in a weedeater when you stepped on it. Now, that my friends was knocking. You flat couldn't change the timing enough to fix that. It was all mechanical, too. A common problem in the bad old days.
I think it's pretty obvious that the manufacturers are leaning towards direct buy or some kind of internet buying. If they were really interested in retaining the current dealership setup for the long term, the easy answer would be to increase the holdback to the dealer so the dealers could restructure the way they pay their salespeople. We negotiate from the dealer invoice price without cutting to into the holdback.
Of course, if they did that, we'd probably start negotiating from dealer invoice minus some of the holdback and then eventually the current dealer invoice would be like the current MSRP and the dealer invoice minus the holdback would be our new dealer invoice starting point. Anyone confused?
Regardless, I agree with Lewac. Salespeople and dealerships like they now exist will be dinosaurs in ten years. This is the age of the internet. Who needs salespeople?
Me? Talk taxes and politics on a truck site? I only slipped once and promised to refrain.
If anyone out there that owns his/her own business, and used the practices of an auto dealer....well....we would be OUT of business!!
It's about time that the general public became informed about car pricing and such. I for one will NEVER let a dealer put me through what they used to put me through before I became an INFORMED consumer. Now, do I wish the dealers out of business....No....everyone should be able to make a profitt and conduct business....I am just against the "old school" attitude of secretivity (is that a word??) that still does permiate the industry.
Although I've never been treated poorly by an auto salesperson, I've never needed them. The past couple of vehicles I've bought, I knew exactly what I wanted, right down to the option order codes. The only time I spent talking to salespeople was negotiating the price and nagging them about the tracking. Set up the tracking system via internet and let me buy the trucks for the same price the dealers pay, excluding the holdback, which Ford can keep for setting up the internet purchase system and the delivery networks, and I've eliminated the need for salesperson.
As far as the internet taxing issue, that's easy to resolve. When you buy an auto via the internet, they can have you pay local and state sales tax at the DMV of the county that is your permanent residence. When I bought my truck in 1998, I lived in Arlington TX and bought it from a dealer in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma dealer gave me temporary tags and completed forms to waive the Oklahoma tax. I paid the Arlington sales tax when I went to my local DMV to get my vehicle registration.
They are adding the A.R.E. Cap, Full Grizzly brushguard,getting a drop in liner(have never had a problem), Ford mud flaps & bug sheild. I also have a rubber mat over the bed liner, so things don't slide. 00 CC Lariat 5.4 4.10LS ESOF 4x4 Clearance Lights Engine Heater TT Mirrors Towing
Slider/Privacy Capt/Chairs CD Woodland Green (p.s. it's been a long almost 6 months) Financing thru Ford at 7.3% for 60 months. Hope to pay off sooner then later. I'll check for those rail stars, heaven knows it rode that train long enough.
There was a 4 or 5 wire plug loose in the glovebox which was what you wired your controller to. Then that got plugged into the harness under the dash. Also had to replace several relays under the hood. This all came as part of the trailer pkg.
Hope it helps.
Less than 2 minutes start to finish. Impressive. What was NOT impressive was the realization that dear old FoMoCo makes such a ragged radio unit that they need to be able to switch it out in less than 2 minutes with no screws, just a pair of U shaped wires with knobs on the end. Oh well...I bought a truck not a sound system.
Otherwise... my dear, dear wife looked at me last night while watching the news that gas would be $2/gal by summer and said, "You picked a helluva time to buy that truck." At least she smiled when she said it.
The little camper's gone, but the "little red one" remains. Anybody want to buy a good used 150 4X4 relatively cheap? Then...on to the big camper and BIG gas bills. :-)
bowhuntwi: If your truck shows up, smoking a cigarette and bragging about that little Mustang, I think you'll understand why he didn't show up for work for a while, won't you? :-)
I'd like to have been a fly on the wall when you laid all that info on that dealer. You know those people have to be wondering where the hell you're getting all that info! Great job.
Brutus is right about taxes. You could collect at the DMV or mail to your home address. I bought a van in Missouri in August. The tax bill ($900) caught up to me in Georgia just before Christmas.
I knew this site is not that dead!!!!
We needed some controversy once a while....
hehe he
Thanks
Thanks
vintagebldrs.....nothing worse than being on the BBB's bad list.....plus once you get a reputation it sticks with a business for a LONG time.....
the gas engines are great, and so is the money you save on the front end (and now, even some on maintenance), but if you tow 50K miles a year, it's an easy choice.
having put in my .02, read any other responses carefully, because there are some very dedicated and well-informed people (much more so than myself) who tap into this site.
buying a vehicle is fun, and some of the fun is undoubtedly figuring out what will work best for you. enjoy.
Stopped by the dealer to which it will be "drop-shipped" this Monday and learned two interesting pieces of information:
1. Ford is currently building orders submitted in Oct-99. He did not specify any particular configurations.
2. Ford has shutdown the assembly line of the box vans in Lorain, Oh. for 30-60 days and diverted all engines and transmissions to KTP to try and catch-up on the Super Duty orders.
I hope so, I'm tired of waiting! I also hope that mainecowgirl and my trucks are not the last ones built from the parts they swept up off of the floor at the end of the model year run!!
Question? Can anyone tell me why Ford will not let you order a 3.73LS-diff. with a manual transmission in a 250(Dana 50 axle), but you can in a 350(Dana 60 axle)? My only disappointment in the truck I have on order is not being able to get the LS-diff. Perhaps one of you professionals (crazyelvis, Brutus, lewac, etc.) can answer this.
Thanks to everyone for all of the interesting information posted here and all of you "HAVES" keep the feedback coming to us "HAVE-NOTS", it is what makes the waiting manageable!!
trknut: I wondered the same thing as you.. My only guess its a production line issue.. Maybe they have to limit the number of choices on things to keep the combinations to a manageable level or to get the economics of scale when purchasing parts..
New title....Crazyelvis, super duty professional!!
or is that super dootie??
You might also troll f-d for your question on the 3.73LS with manual tranny in the 250 vs 350. I don't know but I wouldn't be surprised if it hadn't already been asked and answered (and if it hasn't been asked, that someone knows the answer).
Also, since January, Ford has been building the SDs in Mexico to try to catch up on the backlog.
looking for some better fuel economy. All I pull
anyway is a snowmobile trailer (#1500) and I know I don't NEED an F250 V-10, but I just can't bring
myself to buy an UGLY truck. I still can't stand
the F-150 and, as for Chevy (even though I am eligible for employee discount) no thank you! You might as well buy a Cadillac and weld a bed on the back! I want a truck!
Anyway, I added up the $$ - My wife's car gets
about 27mpg on the highway and I'm figuring on
about 13 with the V10 at this altitude. On a 100
mile trip, EVEN AT $2.00 per gallon, it will only
cost $7.98 extra to drive the truck.
We just won't order appetizers or desert anymore!
250 CC 4X4 SB V10 Auto 3.73 Lariat, White, 235/85-BSW, Manual Hubs, PlainJane Power Mirrors-(opinions welcomed). Order is pulled, no build date yet.
And before you ask, no you have no control over where your truck is built. I supposed if you get your VIN from your dealer and it starts with a '3' (built in Mexico) you could cancel the order (but I wouldn't bother, I'd get the truck anyway
Sorry, I couldn't ever lay off a hanging curve ball.
Oh yeah, truck stuff...My CC V10 was ordered on 10/19/99 and built at the KTP the week of 2/7/00. If they're still backlogged from Oct. I guess I got lucky. Hang in.
Summitx- How wide is your snowmobile trailer, do you ever plan on bying an enclosed one. I hate getting behind a truck with a enclosed snowmobile trailer that can't see behind it cause of the mirrors, I would suggest the Telescoping Towing Mirror. I don't tow anything except my boat but it's width is close to 80 inches across, it nice to be able to extend those mirrors. I bought my truck mainly for a hunting & fishing vehicle. I have never owned a vehicle that got more then 18mpg. I figure I don't smoke, drink occassionally,I can afford to spend a little extra for gas if need be. Way I figure it will be just the big boys on the road shortly, people that can only afford small cars won't be able to gas them...or they will be too afraid when a Super Duty shows up in there back window. (just kiddin) I'm just in a Great Mood today....My Truck is home from Touring Illinios.
How can you stand not getting your truck because your salesman is off? I'd fire him and grab the first guy wearing a dealership T-shirt and get some service! The nerve of that guy, taking vacation while you're waiting for your truck!
Have you seen the pre-delivery inspection checklist on ford-diesel.com? It's pretty detailed, and I found a couple of items on it that wound up being problems with my 98 Ranger. I think I'm going to print it off and use it when I get my new truck. It may take a couple hours to go through it all, but it's worth it.
P.S. I ALWAYS pull over and let people pass when I'm pulling the snowmobiles. Common courtesy is a rare thing these days!
We already had the $$ straightened out, truck rolled into the dealer in the am and we picked it up that evening
And I truly beleive that if I wouldn't of been on the owner's connection web page of Ford complaining daily, my truck would still be out there someplace. But right now I just want the KEYS in my hands.
John
chassis cab not the regular pick-up
Ordered wedge.blue originally then went with my gut and changed to Woodland Green. I hope that it looks as good in your driveway as it did on the lot! still waiting on 00350xlt sd sc 4wd
V-10 ordered 12/11 Woodland Green of course!
woodland green with envy...
Got two leads on suitors for "little red." The little camper goes to a buyer on Sunday.
(little red one + little camper)= bigger camper. Pull with big red one.
Regarding the trailer tow mirrors. I got the electric ones. Only the big top portion adjusts electically, but sitting behind the wheel adjusting the mirror on a SD beats the heck out of trying to scoot across, adjust it a little bit, scooting back, then doing it again or having someone else fool with it. I travel alone a lot and I don't always have some help with this sort of thing.
They're only about $200 and I'm glad I opted for them.
just at 12 weeks from order to delivery.Recommend John Cavanough at Ferebee Ford, Louisa VA. Everything he said was right.
now to gets some miles on it so I can start pulling the trailers...canoes & llamas--but not together!
hobbs28... well, you're not pulling enough weight to amount to squat no matter what engine you plan on. however, that's a lot of miles. I'd base the decision on a couple of items. how long do you plan on retaining this truck? longer than 3 years with that kind of mileage pulling & the psd certainly warrants at least a look. remember, though. that it isn't only mileage that eventually takes it's toll on any vehicle (age eats into any rubber, plastic longevity, for example). and beside, these are generally "over-the-road" miles, correct? they are "easy" miles (as opposed to mostly stop & go which really take their toll). 100k of stop/go and a lot of vehicles have "had it" regardless of engine type, size, etc (because it's the "appendage systems" that begin to "eat you" alive). I'd say this: if your plan is to retain the vehicle < 5 years and your hauling is mostly highway, I'd stay with a gasser, otherwise opt for the psd. another advantage of the psd (as opposed to the v10), you MAY get to see the thing a little sooner!
maincowgirl... congrat's on your vehicle NOT being cancelled after all! jeeze! Ford's appears to be in a real quandry trying to get these beasts built come hell or high, huh?
crazyelvis... hey, YOU'RE excluding yourself, not the rest of us. it takes ALL to make this world go and it would be a pretty damn dull place if little differentiation existed within it. there's more to learn here than just about trucks, the way I see it. interesting info regarding "Crown Automotive"... probably Ken that "ended it". too bad, one helluva salesperson.
and reading all these posts sure makes something pretty obvious: Ford grossly underestimated the demand of these vehicles. wish you all luck in the waiting.
00 F250 SD SC V10 5sp XLT, plow pkg, trailer pkg & hitch, pwr TT, steps, remote entry, block heater (for me - not the engine), ABS, roof lights, CD, privacy glass/sliding window, black/parchment.
Very happy with my truck. I'd better be after waiting just shy of 6 months (ordered 9/15).
Sort of fits in the garage. The roof lights clear the door brace, but the top of the antenna hits the door -- not just the brace at the edge, but the whole door! Took it to work last night and found the same thing. The lights clear all the obstructions, but the antenna hits all the concrete beams for the deck above. I think I'm going to buy an extra antenna mast and cut it down to the same height as the roof lights.
Just what I need, one more project.
So now I can start plow shopping. At least I have plenty of time before the (next) season.
The short ones usually have a coil in them or a wrapped lead that is optimized in length for the reception. I have one on my wife's van that is a piece of fiberglass tubing wrapped with a copper lead like the stripe on a barber's pole. It's a shorter antenna, but a longer lead. It's a Che**y.
The length of the coil substitutes for the length of the antenna that would have been sticking up in the air.
Cell phones are a good illustration of this. Remember the little curly antennas on all the windows and the little fat anntennas on walkie talkies? Same idea.
When I walked on the lot they had over 30 250's and 350's to choose from with every kind of combinations. This truck is AWESOME! I wish someone with the same truck would post a reply and let me know what mileage they are getting and under what condition. I was told this truck will get about 20. But being 4wd and automatic, I doubt it. My old dodge got over 20. Also if any one has experienced any problems that I should look out for I would appreciate a heads up.
Check out www.ford-diesel.com for additional mileage comments plus other things to look out for. Some PSD's have a "cackle" which Ford is trying to figure out how to fix (f-d has a .wav file of the noise) as well as some PSDs have problems with the turbo bolts working loose (f-d has pics, etc). Over 5800 members with tons of advice and experience
bowhuntwi, was that you I saw under a different name talking about your truck's tour of Illinois???
Sherwoodfor- I own land just north of Eagle River, Wisc. I bowhunt for Whitetail, using a Custom Black Widow Recurve, with the permit system very libral here. I got 4 last year. We eat vension year round, only other meat we buy is maybe a few chickens for the grill. In Nov. I'll be taking my truck to Colorado for an Elk Hunt. Hopefully it will be loaded coming home with 3 Elk.
Good luck in November, hope you aren't looking for trophy quality 'cause here in CO they are pretty hard to find through the regular draw system (you usually gotta be either *real* lucky or work one of the private places that also sell a few licenses).
No color mentioned, but the B&W picture looks like a two tone. I would be surprised if it's still available, but if you're interested you might want to give them a call. Stock # is 1291.
Dave