Newbie from New Orleans.

[bthor76]

How y’all are? I’m thinking of buying an ‘04 Sport Trac that froze when we had that unusually cold weather last month. The owner had an ongoing thermostat gasket leak which he kept adding water to. The weather dipped into the teens for hours and that’s all she wrote. He replaced a freeze plug but now there’s water in the oil. I asked my trusty mechanic who said it’s probably toast. The guy wants $400 for the vehicle. No major dents. No rust. Just needs a new motor and some love. What are your thoughts?

 

[Todd Z]

This is all in the eye of the beholder. if you have the way, time, money and ability to slap a motor in it then go for it. It sounds like the owner was a hack ( thermostat housing in aluminum is 85 bucks from me) and destroyed a truck, what else did the neglect.
Have to look over the truck completely and see if the investment is right for you.

I hate living where I do. i would have a shop and I would buy and repair these things all day. Sucks.

 

[blert]

Try and get him to go lower. For that price, if all else was good, I would buy it just for parts.

 

[DILLARD000]

...hate living where I do...would have a shop...buy and repair these things all day...

As Jimmy Buffet said "Changes in latitude, changes in attitude."

 

[bthor76]

Try and get him to go lower. For that price, if all else was good, I would buy it just for parts.

My mechanic came back with a number....$6,000 + tax ($4k for a Jasper motor and $2k labor). The owner said he’d take $300 for the vehicle.