1985 Ford F150: Should I Buy?

[blackjack28]

There is a 1985 Ford F150 4X4 for sale for $1500 that I'm seriously considering. But I do have a few questions.

The engine is a straight six (300 CID) with 170,000 miles on it. Even in the engine was well mantained, how much more can the engine go?

When in gear, there is a whining sound that is coming from the transmission. The owner says the truck needs a new clutch, would this solve the whining? Or is it something else? Is the whining a symptom of a huge problem, or nothing at all?

The bottom area near the driver side door is starting to rust. Is this easily repairable and/or cheap to do so?

Do you think I can him to drop the price with these problems?

Thanks for taking the time to read this, and I hope you all can help me out. And just for the curious, hear is everything else I remember about the vehicle:

- 3 Speed w/ Overdrive Manual Transmission
- Carburated
- 4" Lift Kit
- 33" Tires
- Bed Liner w/ Stainless Steel Toolbox
- No A/C
- Power Steering/Brakes

Feel free to ask any questions!

[bradrhale]

the 300 was a very dependable engine. how many miles past 200k?? cant tell you because one might only go for 100k but have seen them well into the 300 and beyond catergory. anytime there are problems, blow them up like they are major. the lower price you pay will help you in case the problem is major. if it is a quick .50 cent fix, you are money ahead. without more info, cant tell you about the tranny. i will say that a common characteristic of a bad clutch is slippage when powering up. the rust is normal for truck. the cancer seems to always start there. if you look underneath at the floorpans, there are probably starting to wear as well. some people weld and or bondo but i can buy a body panel for a junkyard cheaper than what i think my time is worth to cleanup the old panel. does the transfer case and other 4 wd components work??

[mrjohnwayne]

i've seen the 300 run with well over 500K miles but it is like brad said. some do and some don't although the 300's were well known for long life and dependability.

The noise coming from the tranny is possibly just gear noise. unless it makes a horrible racket I wouldnt worry about it too much. with 170K a new clutch probably wouldnt hurt though.

[Ford4x4Chik27]

Whining coming from the Tranny? That wouldn't be the clutch on a manual... but then again, those 3 speeds (I have one and LOVE IT!!!) will go through **** and back. You can pick one up for cheap just about anywhere, and it's easy to swap... I wouldn't let that be the deciding factor for you.