I'll add a picture, but it's nothing special; it's a stock 2004 oxford white XLT, right down to the radio; I've modified nothing. I've owned it since new; its build date is January of '04.
I don't know what to say, except it has been a dependable truck.
Well, except for the instrument cluster, which gave me my first problem somewhere over 200,000 miles. The Speedometer stepper motor gave out. My theory is the speed sensor went bad first, and then the gears in the stepper motor wore out, but that's just a theory.
It still has its original timing chain cassettes, and its compression is good; that's probably because I never really pushed the truck. Except for replacing wear items and routine fluids, I've not done much except drive it. The truck has lived its entire life in the southeast, so corrosion isn't a problem.
The mistakes I've made have always involved trying to cut costs on parts.
For example, when the original alternate crapped the bed somewhere between 175k and 200k miles, I replaced it with an Advanced Auto "lifetime guaranteed" alternator, which, while cheap and easy, caused me headaches for a couple of years. I had to use that "lifetime guarantee" three times, killing two batteries along the way. That's a crappy dance. A bad alternator can kill a battery, and a bad battery can kill an alternator.
Had I to do it again, I would have spent a hundred or so dollars more and gone with a Motorcraft replacement. That's my primary advice, stick to quality parts. Yes, they cost more upfront, but they save you time and money in the long run. Every time I've tried to cut corners, I've regretted it. And that goes for any car or truck I've owned over the years.
The only thing wrong with it right now is its weeping oil from the rear main seal. Not enough to drip on my driveway or the garage floor, and certainly not enough to cause me to add oil between oil changes. But enough to annoy me any time I've been under the truck over the last couple of years.
I'm a little OCD when it comes to oil leaks.
I don't know what to say, except it has been a dependable truck.
Well, except for the instrument cluster, which gave me my first problem somewhere over 200,000 miles. The Speedometer stepper motor gave out. My theory is the speed sensor went bad first, and then the gears in the stepper motor wore out, but that's just a theory.
It still has its original timing chain cassettes, and its compression is good; that's probably because I never really pushed the truck. Except for replacing wear items and routine fluids, I've not done much except drive it. The truck has lived its entire life in the southeast, so corrosion isn't a problem.
The mistakes I've made have always involved trying to cut costs on parts.
For example, when the original alternate crapped the bed somewhere between 175k and 200k miles, I replaced it with an Advanced Auto "lifetime guaranteed" alternator, which, while cheap and easy, caused me headaches for a couple of years. I had to use that "lifetime guarantee" three times, killing two batteries along the way. That's a crappy dance. A bad alternator can kill a battery, and a bad battery can kill an alternator.
Had I to do it again, I would have spent a hundred or so dollars more and gone with a Motorcraft replacement. That's my primary advice, stick to quality parts. Yes, they cost more upfront, but they save you time and money in the long run. Every time I've tried to cut corners, I've regretted it. And that goes for any car or truck I've owned over the years.
The only thing wrong with it right now is its weeping oil from the rear main seal. Not enough to drip on my driveway or the garage floor, and certainly not enough to cause me to add oil between oil changes. But enough to annoy me any time I've been under the truck over the last couple of years.
I'm a little OCD when it comes to oil leaks.
