What's yout tow-car?

[DeLorean]

Well after years of towing and hauling with a 900, I got a... more proper tow rig!
I just picked up a sweet Ex. Pendot 2001 F350 at the surplus auction today! $2600, F350, dually, 6 speed Manual trans, 7.3L Powerstroke 275 HP / 520 lbft 4X6 w/ locking diff. It has a "fiber-body" on a stake bed. The only real issue with it seems to be a slight bit of deer or pedestrian damage that I suspect with the age of the truck, Pendot decided it was not worth fixing.

















It's actually pretty darn quick considering it's size. On the highway, it gets up to it's speed limiter startlingly quick I think it needs a tune to get rid of that. Aside from the fact that it shifts like a truck, it's really fun to drive oddly enough. Got all the service records from brand new, they took excellent care of it. The thing just recently had a service less than 100 miles ago that included a set of brand new tires and a windshield, which likely cost the state more than I pay them in taxes in 5 years.

[Crazyswede]

too bad you had to go to Japan to get it.

[99Super]

That's a great rig!
I drove a F-350 1-ton dually V-10 w/steel utility for several years and it was a fantastic truck. Now I have a F-250 V-10 w/ enclosed utility. Both extended cab rigs, not the six-pack like yours...
You won't even notice your car/trailer back there!

I've been hittin' the govt. auctions looking for a 2003-2006 AWD Astro, but I havn't found the right one yet...

[Jordan]

Boy that thing looks legit!

Would be a cool service truck with all the storage/lights albeit a little unwieldy.

[Luke]

Holy crap, that things a beast! Thats one hell of a truck for the money! Plus if you ever get stuck in traffic you can just put the hazards on and bust down the median.

[SwedeSport]

Im a bit jealous. Thats a sweet deal. Not too crazy about utility boxes but would make a great service truck. Now if you can find a deal on a 2-3 car enclosed trailer, you can start going out to the left coast and hauling some of those rust free cars back with you.

[99Super]

You could even mount a small crane in the back corner for doing field engine swaps!

[Geoff]

I can't see the pictures yet but I'll look when I'm at home and on the real internet. But... it sounds pretty awesome. How many miles? Price sounds damned good for one of those.

Mine is a 2003 E350 7.3L Powerstroke. The body is the extended length (which I didn't want) but it came with a finished interior (former Holiday Inn shuttle van), windows with screens, 182K miles, new tires and a recent auto transmission. All for $2300. I replaced the tires with some better ones (sold the new ones that came on it), put Bilstiens in, replaced the brakes and front wheel bearings, ball joints, tie rod ends, bushings, and installed a brake controller for the trailer. Then I needed to replace the high pressure oil pump and a bunch of lines (didn't want to spend that $!). I also back-dated the headlights and bezzels to the 4x6" (?) rectangular lights (same as a pre '87 C900) and put in IPF H4 lights. Overall its a good tow van and it holds over a cord of firewood too!

[DeLorean]

Oh yeah, it drives nice. The shifter action is... well, like a truck, but once you get used to the heavy long action, the 6 speed MT is actually rather nice and gives you a bit of a workout, plus it has more HP than the AT did that year and is apparently quite reliable. No mention in the service records of it EVER having a clutch done.

It is a commercial "unfinished" model, which means it was manufactured with no bed with the intention of having a stake bed or mechanics body.. or a bucket truck, or what ever and was basic (bench seats, square headlights, AM-FM radio only). Mileage is 171K. Just passed inspection actually, so it's all set to roll now. Penndot district 10 took really good care of the thing, aside from front shocks it looks like it won't need much. I have all the service records and it just had a whole bunch of work done in the last 40K or so.

And yes about the wood. I won't be hauling much of that, but I will be getting several tons of Coal in South-Tamaqua with it, which it should easily take.

[Jordan]

Do you have to run a big sticker that says "NOT IN SERVICE" like I see on the retired police cars around here?

[Luke]

=And yes about the wood. I won't be hauling much of that, but I will be getting several tons of Coal in South-Tamaqua with it, which it should easily take.

Whats the $ per ton out of there? I need to load up for the winter as well...

[DeLorean]

It's $150 a ton, pick-up price. I am going to set up a few "pallet containers" so I can simply load em on the truck, and pick them off with my forklift then place them near my coal stoves. Yes, I do have a TCM/Nissan forklift but it was "free" at least!

As for "not in service" not that I am aware of, I have never seen that in PA. I do plan on making some of my company logos in a similar style & color as the original penndot logos though! Several penndot workers as well as cops have waved at me as I drove by

[SwedeSport]

Just keep waving back and everything will be Honky dory.

[DeLorean]

We just towed with the truck for the first time tonight, it was like towing nothing at all. With a 900 on a tow-dolly, it would still haul right out to the speed limiter no problem Up a good grade, in overdrive, already doing 70 it actually still had passing power The 100 mile tow went very well... the only time I even noticed something was even back there was going over dips and rises, you could feel the trailer going over things after you went over them. This was just about the only indication something was even back there.

So yeah, if anyone wants one, go to the penndot surplus auction! There are many more like this, same money.

[Geoff]

Just saw the photos. Were they taken in China?

It looks like you got a great steal! That was sort of what I was looking for when I bought my van. I went to a place in NY that Airsweden told me about that had surplus trucks/vans etc. but didn't really find anything like what you picked up for a decent price.

You should try towing a trailer with torsion beam axles. You'd probably not even feel it tugging over rises. With mine I only feel it over big speed bumps and large pot holes. Of course I can tell its there because it takes longer to get up to speed and to slow down. But its a whole different scene than towing 3000lb with no trailer brakes with a 2800lb car.

The look-alike PenDOT stickers will be a riot!