1985 Ford F250 Single cab, 2x4 Gas 460 from North America

Summary:

Extremely strong workhorse of a truck, but very expensive operating costs

Faults:

1) Carburetor needed repair 3-4 times (choke component) over 6000 miles.

2) Automatic transmission failed at 91000 miles. Replaced, then sold the truck.

General Comments:

Was a solid and comfortable truck; drove two summers to and return California/Alaska. Gas mileage averaged LESS than 8 MPG overall, with no load.

Initial cost to purchase truck: $4400

Repairs: Carburetor: $600, new transmission: $1700.

Sold truck with canopy for $2500.

Total loss of approximately $4200 over approximately 2 years.

I still see the truck being driven around locally over 17 years after I got rid of it. Good workhorse for a local commercial trucker.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 27th February, 2018

1985 Ford F250 460 CID from North America

Summary:

A good woods and work truck

Faults:

What hasn't gone wrong LOL?

1. Bad alternator when purchased.

2. Minor brake problems; most likely caused by the previous owner.

3. Minor glitches with the wiring; tail lights have never worked right.

4. U-joints in the front end needed to be replaced, and boy is that center one a um... joy.

5. Clutch and flywheel went bad this year, and I found out it is a

"rare" flywheel. However it seems the old one had been resurfaced a few too many times, and I did have to locate a new one.

General Comments:

For as old and beat up as it is, it is a good old truck. It has the 460 motor, I rebuilt it a few years ago, 4 speed manual and 4:10 rears. Haven't run it enough yet to get the motor broke in, and the fuel mileage is pretty low right now.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 14th October, 2012

28th Feb 2013, 21:41

Do these trucks have a "granny gear" AKA first gear? My husband just bought a 1985 F250; the 1st gear is really slow...

9th Apr 2014, 08:11

Yes, it is normal. I've had a 72 F250, and now an 85 F250, and I usually only use 1st gear when I'm pulling out tree stumps on my property. While I'm driving in the city limits, I start it out in 2nd gear.

1985 Ford F250 6.9L diesel from North America

Summary:

Not worth the money or time

Faults:

When I first bought my truck, I knew it needed some things doing and I expected that. However it has turned out to be an extreme pain in my rear end.

I bought it knowing it needed new glow plugs and wiring and that cost me 700 plus. They found the front end needed new U joints, which I replaced, but then the throwout bearing went bad three weeks later, and it needed a new transfer case. I did that work myself, and ended up spending 600 because I replaced the clutch, since I had it torn apart.

Now that that's done, the front end needs new bearings.

General Comments:

This truck has been more of a hassle than I could have dreamed.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 7th April, 2011

8th Apr 2011, 06:01

What do you expect when you buy a twenty-five year old truck; shame on Ford for not supplying a lifetime warranty.

30th Jan 2015, 11:50

Fijar o repiar diaria AKA fix or repair daily pal - they're made in Mexico now, so it doesn't matter how old they are.

1985 Ford F250 XL 6.9L diesel from North America

Summary:

Workhorse

Faults:

Had to replace the fuel pump.

General Comments:

Great pulling power.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 11th February, 2011

16th Jun 2012, 09:29

If I may ask what kind of fuel pump did you have to replace? I have a transfer pump going bad in my 85 6.9L 4x4 4 speed F250, and can't find a single person who can tell me what kind of pump or what the PSI and GPH is suppose to be. Any info would help dramatically.

Thanx.

26th Sep 2014, 02:16

That truck has a fuel selector valve located about mid frame on the driver's side; it's not to hard to replace, and it costs about 50 bucks. The fuel pump is located on the passenger side of the engine and costs about 50 bucks as well.

1985 Ford F250 XLT C-6 from North America

Summary:

Great truck. Outweighs the little problems it has

Faults:

Starter wires poor connections; they vibrate loose on the 6.9.

Body mounts rot, vacuum problems with shifting in the C-6.

Also, all old Fords have switch problems in the steering column turn signals, and the brake lights don't ever work right.

Wire connectors are made of crappy alloys, leading them to corrode.

Power steering boxes are bullet proof, but are neighbor haters because they leak out of the bottom seal.

General Comments:

I am in the salvage business, and haul a lot of metal around all day long. Sometimes I travel 100 miles a day.

Anyway, I need a tough truck, and old Fords are just that, preferably Canadian models (assembled in Canada). Put it this way, Chevy or Dodge doesn't have a chance mechanically or chassis wise.

What I am trying to tell everyone, is from 1980-1989, Ford made the toughest trucks ever made, if you don't care about turn signals or brake lights never working of course LOL.

I have been hauling metal for 8 years now, and had 2 Fords. The first one was a 1983 5.0 F. It never let me down. The first thing I did to it when I bought it was a timing chain and steel gear. It didn't need one, but I knew I would never have a problem with it. 5.0s are bullet proof, known to even run without oil!

The truck never did die. I wanted a 1985 diesel F250, the F150 was towed because it looked like it went thru world war 1-2 and even Nam LOL, and it did in truck world of scraping metal! The salvage business is one of the hardest businesses on a truck. Now I have a 6.9 250 and do the same, but don't burn any gas and have great power on the highway.

Weight was never an issue for both trucks, whatever you can fit the old Fords will handle, not legally. If you try this with any other trucks, you will experience failure; frames bend, snapped leafs, axles break and blown rears. Also Chevy's overheat with a load. Both the half and 3/4 ton Fords I had 4 tons in, no problem! It's not safe, but it is incredible!

If I could post pics, I would show the scrapyards where you will see nothing but Fords. 95 percent Ford, 5 percent Chevy and Dodge. Dodge is a great truck, but Ford used a thicker frame rail and treated the leafspring steel perfect; they don't snap or bend like Chevy's do. Also you see more more Fords in auto junkyards because Ford produced so many more trucks than Chevy and Dodge put together!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 22nd October, 2009

22nd Oct 2009, 14:37

You could post URLs to the pics.