TAG | F250
Before i get to Portland there are a few necessary fixes and a few performance modifications that Green Drop Garage will be performing on the truck.
Known issues when purchased include the front brakes and the front main seal also discovered during the in depth diagnostic they performed is the need to put in new glow plugs. Otherwise she is good to go. I chose two performance modifications:
Between the two modifications I should see more than 15 extra horsepower and a little bit better mileage per gallon of what ever i am driving on.
I spent my holidays searching craigslist posts in Portland OR for the right truck using these terms “(diesel|powerstroke|7.3) (f250|f-250|f350|f-350) -dually -manual -crew” limited by my price range. Translate this to english by replacing | with OR, space with AND, – with NOT and you get ads using the term diesel or powerstroke or 7.3 and f250 OR f-250 . . . . you get the idea. Every now and then a check for just “Ford F250″ cause some folks don’t give a lot of info in the ad.
Initially i picked the trucks i liked and had the guys at Green Drop Garage do all contact with the sellers, but given the holidays and them running a business it wasn’t the most efficient way to get things done. I took over and started doing the preliminary contact with the sellers and get answers on:
- Confirm my basics: 7.3L, Auto, ext cab, 4×4,
- What mods to truck?
- What is history of Truck? Off-road? Towing?
- What repairs/Maintenacne? Have Records?
- Why selling, Flexible on price?
If it passes, i would perform a carfax and have Green Drop Garage do an inspection on the car. We had dealers that would pre-warm the cars and then not let them off the lot for full inspection, some good but not great trucks and then THE ONE.
This truck had great carfax, regular maintenance (with lots of records) and was like new inside. I own it and I can’t wait to see it!
Using the Dino Fuels website, it looks like the closest installers are near Phoenix AZ or San Francisco CA, both of which are pretty big drives from Los Angeles.
As there are no V3 Vegistroke installers (and while mechanically inclined, I am not qualified) in my local area (Los Angeles CA) it appears that i will be traveling for the install. And if i am traveling for the install, i may as well consider widening my vehicle search as well to get me the best deal or at least the best vehicle for my budget.
The most difficult part of buying a used vehicle remotely, is getting the mechanical inspection and getting an accurate read on the seller as he tells his ownership/ “why i am selling” story (ie, the all important ’seller vibe’). So i guess I will have to add that to my installer criteria.
First i need to see how my Ford Powerstrokes are pricing across the US.
After much reading on diesel trucks and available modifications i ended up selecting the best WVO modification system on the market and backed into the trucks that they support.
My research also lead me to the V3 Veggiestroke system by Dino Fuel Alternatives. The primarily selling points for me are the full automation of the system, the very quick switch over time (so that it will be useful on my shorter drives as well) and the high marks everyone gives them for customer service. As i mention in my blog introduction, i am book smart and experience poor. I expect i am the type that asks alot of questions, these folks sound like they can handle it. The system is likely to cost me around $6k including custom tank, gauges and installation.
The Veggiestroke system supports late model Dodge Ram, late model Ford Excursion and Ford Powerstroke from the mid 90s onward. Given my total budget is around $15k, this leaves about $9k for the truck which will push me back to the late 90s Ford Powerstroke 7.3l.
