1985 Ford F350 XT 6.9L diesel

Summary:

Strongest, longest lasting truck for an excellent price

Faults:

Vacuum pump failed at 240,000 miles.

Fuel lines cracked. Replaced them, but air still getting in somewhere.

Turbo sounds like it's gasping for air when I start it.

General Comments:

This truck is a beast! It has a non-wastegated Banks turbo, straight pipe exhaust (very loud) and a newer 5 speed transmission. I am not exaggerating that I can pass people on an uphill grade going 70mph hauling or towing a load. It rides like a sports car at highway speed, but is still geared low enough to rip a house off it's foundation, if I ever found it necessary to do so. The truck cost half the price of a cummins, but has all the same qualities. With the banks I have 250HP and 450lbs of torque, which is more than a same model year dodge cummins offers. It also has 250,000 miles on it and runs very strong and I consistently get 18 miles per gallon!

It's not such a good rig for riding around town with the family. It has the turning radius of a jumbo jet and fits in about 25% of parking spaces. It also has some rust spots that concern me. I would venture to say that the engine will outlast the body. All around, it's an excellent vehicle.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 21st February, 2008

6th Feb 2010, 08:22

I just got one of these trucks. It is an 85 F350 crew cab centurion model diesel Canadian truck :) Only the original owner didn't like the 6.9 it had, and it now has a 1990 7.3L in it, 4x4. It just smokes at idle?... and I got a 1986 F250 6.9 diesel 4x4 in a package deal for only 2000 O.o? It has 5 inch chrome stack out of the bed and a hypermax turbo setup on it. Needing very minor things... Would you say that is a pretty good deal?