Gen 1 Purchase Advice

[ltsheets]

Evening everyone! I’m in the market for a Gen 1. I want to be very careful in my search so that I can hopefully avoid buying a truck that has been driven hard as I’ll be buying a higher mileage truck likely to stay within budget. What are some things to look for to try and make sure I’m buying one that’s been taken care of?

 

[03Cobraraptor]

Budget?

 

[CoronaRaptor]

Welcome to the place, Gen 1s are the best. Find one with a vehicle history report from a dealer. If not, check both diffs and see if there is silicone around both covers, this will let you know that the fluids have been changed, usually if this is done, there is a good chance it's been some what maintained. Look over the shocks and see if they have leaks or really pitted. Could go on and on.

 

[MurderedOutSVT]

Laundry list of stuffs to check out come to mind.
Lots of factors in the early to late Gen1's
What year is tops? Engine?
Modded?.....and what/how

 

[Louisiana Barefoot]

Just a reminder. Check Fuse 27. Easy fix but it will leave you stranded, if you buy it. Not a reason to pass on a purchase.

 

[sj-CHI]

I highly recommend looking at this Gen 1 — very built up and meticulously maintained by an avid Raptor owner.

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[heybear]

Man. it really depends on your personal expectations and what you want to do with it.

me? i was looking for one to cut up and turn into a more dedicated off roader. wasn’t concerned about a few scratches. but wanted a nice interior.

i did want to avoid and be aware of expensive / time consuming maintenance items: shocks, plugs, etc.

also realizing the trucks are ten years old and there is rubber and plastic aging happening.

the 6.2 is bomber if it had received even a modicum of maintenance.

i’m finding the thing easy to maintain. i just did l: belt, pulley, tensioner, coils, and plug wires. because ten years. i’ll do front suspension bushings next.

the only surprise i got hit with was a blend door actuator and motor. the nice dudes at the shop had to yank the whole dash for that party.

but for the most part, these things are bomber. find one that is straight and hasn’t been bent and enjoy

 

[laselvasurf]

First, maintenance history is key. Oil, trans, diff and coolant changes on a regular basis. Shock rebuilds or replacements on a schedule. Plugs, coils and wires should be done every 70K or so as well. Rust is also a big issue for a lot of these trucks depending on where you're located, so be sure there are no issues there as it can be very costly to repair a rusted cab corner.

I wouldn't worry too much about the truck being driven hard. I bought a 2013 with 170K on it in December that had been used off-road quite a bit. That said, it was upgraded to handle it well and was extremely well maintained. I've since put almost 20K miles on it and trust that it will be a solid vehicle for many more miles. I would consider what you plan on using the truck for and try to find one that has been upgraded appropriately. I bought mine with King 3.0s all around, upgraded UCAs and deavers. These upgrades would have cost me almost 10K to get done and I knew I wanted them as I planned on using the truck for harder/faster off-roading. I didn't pay anywhere near $10K more than market value for the truck, so the upgrades were essentially free. For reference I paid $24K for the truck.

 

[will61]

Welcome to the place, Gen 1s are the best. Find one with a vehicle history report from a dealer. If not, check both diffs and see if there is silicone around both covers, this will let you know that the fluids have been changed, usually if this is done, there is a good chance it's been some what maintained. Look over the shocks and see if they have leaks or really pitted. Could go on and on.

IMO I'd take a legitimate private seller over a dealer any day.

Dealers fix/maintain/mod things to sell. Just like houses, you want something that's been fixed/maintained/modified by the owner to be driven and enjoyed rather than just to sell.