The $2k '06 Ford F250 Super Duty

In that last installment of this saga, it was late Aug '20.  The truck had 150k miles, exactly and the front caliper was sticking...or so I thought.  After that caliper replacement, it became evident that may have not been the only problem, or, the right problem.  Shortly after front right  caliper replacement, it became evident the real problem (or additional problem) may be the right rear caliper.  I'll confess, I just continued to drive on it.  What's the worst that was gonna happen, the pad wears out and the caliper needs to be replaced.  I knew the truck has tons of front brake capability.  In this period of known brake trouble there was only one time I needed to tow something.  Knowing it wouldn't be wise to overload the trucks brakes, I did that one tow with my wife's Grand Caravan.

Now, at 151,200 miles or 1200 more miles of sticking rear brake, the noise became loud enough that I didn't drive the truck at all over the winter  Spring is arriving so this weekend I dug into the rear brakes.  

I think I got everything and then some out of the right rear.  

Metal to metal pad:

Notice how thin the one side of the rotor is.  That lip near the hub should not be there:  

A f-ed up brake caliper:

Generally, a straight forward brake job.  Shinny parts:

Local Rock Auto price match...

The last time I ordered from Rock Auto, the order shipped from an auto parts warehouse (with a retail counter) that is located just 3 miles from my house.  I seem to remember that it was a Thursday night that I placed the order.  By Friday, I had an email telling me it had shipped.  But, being a Friday it was going to be Monday until I received the order.  The parts counter is open Saturdays but there was nothing I could do to get the items quicker.

What I learned there is that Parts Authority (PA) is Rock Auto (RA) or visa versa.  From their website: 
Headquartered in Long Island, New York, Parts Authority is rapidly expanding, and today has more than 200 locations servicing customers in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, Ohio, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington, Massachusetts, and now Utah.

With this brake parts order, I made some notes and parts list with part/model numbers as well as prices off RA.  I took that list to the sales counter at PA.  The parts I needed were

• rear pads
• rear rotors (2)
• rear caliper (1)

I was shopping mostly by price on the RA website choosing the cheap options in Daily Driver category and avoiding the lesser Economy category choices.  For rotors I wanted "coated" but was not picky on brand.  

Via RA I had the following total:
$15.49 pads Raysbestos R-Line
$40.00 caliper w/ $30 core
$37.99 rotors each.  A killer deal on 2-only Motorcraft close outs
$36 shipping!  Sure, rotors are heavy.  
$200.40 all in with shipping and tax, etc.  I would get $30 back in core but...that would cost me shipping and I bet it's $10 so lets call it a net of $180

Via the PA counter I had the following total:
$18.54 pads Centric Semi metallic was the comparable that they had in stock.  Same price as shown on RA.
$40 caliper w/ $30 core  The same part as RA  Cardone brand
$64.49 Centric brand.  Those cheap Motorcrafts were in Arizona (hence big shipping costs.)  Same price as RA
$220.01 all in price over the counter, walking out with the parts.  Also, no mis-shipped part numbers and no return charges for core.  I can drive just 3 miles and return the core.  So $220.01 - $30 core = $190 

I got some potentially slightly better parts but even by paying higher dollar for the rotors I generally paid the same price as waiting (and hoping the order is right.)  The cheapest coated rear rotor at Advance is $105 and the website specifically states it does not qualify for further discounts like their 25% off.  So, $65 rotors were high priced for RA but still $40 each cheaper than the other places.  

So, is there a Parts Authority location near you?  

John Welsh said:

So, is there a Parts Authority location near you?  

Not yet, but your answer may vary.

Latest issue...One morning, while parked at home in driveway, the truck wouldn't start.

John Welsh said:

onemanarmy said:

2k seems like all that truck is worth, even at retail? 

That may be the case. Seemed like a better deal before I noticed the gap at the bed/cab.  But, if it is worth $2k at retail now, I should be able to keep it, use it, play with a while and get my money back when I want.  If running, (which it currently does well) then it is likely always worth $2k...I hope.  

I was re-reading this thread and I see that nearly 3.5 years ago we were debating if this truck was worth $2k or not.  

The specifics were:

$2,428  purchase price
$100  bumper
$400  body shop, frame pull, bumper install
$53.50  state inspection
$2,981.50 total purchase price for truck legal on the road.

Fast forward 3.5 years (with one of those being a very strange year) and similar condition truck ('07 w/122k miles) asking $4,500 in this same market. 

Another, a little rougher at $3,850

That damn stimulus tax hitting everything! 

Truck prices everywhere have been skyrocketing. 

Another "life hack" with the Gov't Mule...  

I live about 5 miles from Cedar Point Amusement Park.  We have season passes.  Parking at this big place can often mean parking far away and walking in.   There is some parking in the back of the place that is not too far from a side entrance.  However, as you take the road behind the place to this parking area, you eventually come to a guard stand.  If you are guest of the on-site hotel (high dollar) and can prove it, the guard will let you through.  Other than hotel guests coming through this gate is a whole lot of Cedar Point maintenance vehicles coming through.   

This is what the typical Cedar Point fleet looks like.  

So far, 3 out of 4 times, I have been able to just give a wave to the guard shack while approaching and this security arm just goes up w/o even saying a word or rolling down my window.  On the one time it did not work, I just faked some ignorance and they direct you left which put you right back to the general population parking.  

Imagine without the tow dolly and the Gov't Mule just skates right through.  

I've had thus truck for more than 3.5 years and today was the first time that I have ever hand washed the truck. It sits in a half shady spot and was getting a little mossy and tree sappy. 

I washed it mostly with a scrub brush similar to what you would use to wash a bath tub. It came out very well. 

Win one and loose one.  

Loose:
I've had this truck over 4 years now.  It came with just a AM/FM radio.  Shortly after getting the truck, I was at a JY for some Ford Focus heater controls.  The Focus I got them from had only 40k-ish miles, and it had a 6 disk Ford factory radio of the same generation on my truck.  I snagged the radio for an easy $20!  Recent phenomena, now, that 2006 radio is now reading "CD error" across the radio screen.  It wont play CDs even though there are 6 disks in there.  I pulled the radio today and disassembled it somewhat.  I managed to get the CDs out but still, no avail, the radio just continues o say CD error.  Oh, well.  

Win:
While I had the dashboard apart, I spent a little time focusing on an aftermarket temp gauge that has never worked in the truck.  Coming out of the gauge is a orange wire and black wire.  Im sure I looked at this before but what I missed is the orange wire ends and is spliced into a yellow wire that has a fuse in-line.  A blown 3amp fuse.  The smallest I had was 5 amp.  Viola.  I now, 4 years later have a working gauge that has never worked.  
Some electronics, like dispatch style/ CB-ish radio was removed from the truck before I got it.  I always figured the temp gauge didn't work for similar reason.  With a sensor mounted outside of the vehicle, specifically on the side of the headache rack, pointed down, the gauge on the dash tells me air temp and road surface temp with additional waning light for freezing surface temps.  Oh, the tricks of the Ohio Dept of Transportation.

The outside sensor at the driver's side headache rack

I went looking for this unit and the cheapest I found was $652

Old story but one sailboat racing buddy was once presented with The DFA Award (dumbest f'er alive) which was a trophy but atop was only the rear half of a race horse.  Today I would be a rightful recipient of this award...

The Gov't Mule has done a lot of work this spring.  It has hauled multiple loads of mulch and topsoil for both us and some friends that I have lent the truck out to.  I washed some cars today and one plan was to do a truck bed wash-out.  Once started I figured it would be best to get a bit more rearward tilt so the water drains/flows out better.  

Yeah, the Super Duty is a bit too heavy for some old metal ramps I inherited from my F-I-L

No residual damage.  The ramps failed right away, while I was still in the cab but had just driven up on them.   To complete the job I got out my jack and two 4 ton jack stands.  Ultimately, I freed from the stands by just driving forward.  

Midway wash out and the final finish. 

​​​​​

And, a clean truck... 

Oil changed yesterday at 154,500.  Then, afterward took two loads of brush to the local compost pile.  

The gas gauge has stopped working.  A few months ago, I lent the truck to a friend who drove it 2 hours south and 2 hours back north.  On her return trip she said the gas gauge was reading higher than what it had been earlier.  Certainly, the truck had not gained gas???  By the time the truck got to me, the gauge reads empty.  But, it is not empty...but gas has been $5 per gallon.  With the little I drive the truck, I have not wanted to experiment with filling the 38 gallon tank to see if it will read correctly.  But, when I do put in 10 gallons, it is not moving the needle.  

So far, my solution has been to strap into the bed, about 2.5 gallons in a 5 gallon jug.  With use of the tripometer, I think I have enough gas, but if I'm wrong, I have 2.5 gallons in reserve!  

I'm behind on updating but here's the latest and some ironies.  

I sold the Gov't Mule.  

To purchase and get this Salvage Branded truck back on the road I had $2,950 into the truck.
I had the truck for 5.5 years going from 140k-some to 155k-some.  So, not much joy-driving.  Mostly real work driving that justified the 10mpg hit.  Actually, I have never taken the truck more than 1.5 hours from home...ever.  I did lend it to a friend who took it a few hours away a few time.     
I sold it for $4,000

Over my ownership it needed:
A starter
A leaky PS line replace
A rear caliper
A fuel pump
I sent out the fuel pump and the starter but all in, probably less than $2k repairs.  I'm okay with the $1k it cost me to have a truck around for 5+ years ($200 per year in simplified math.)

I first listed the truck for $5k and got no action.  I then dropped to $4.5k and was offered $4k and took it.

So, I mentioned there were some ironies...

I had a guy who asked some questions and then wanted to see it.  He wanted to come on a Friday 6pm.  I mentioned that I had a full day of work but expected I would be home in time but that I would update him later in the day.  I was in Bowling Green, Ohio for work that day which is about 1.5 hours from my home.  About 4:00 I text the guy that yes, my day was finishing as expected and I would just barely be home in time for 6:00.  He replied that would be good and he too would be leaving soon.  

When 6:00 rolls around, the guy arrives.  This is when irony #1 hits.  The guy, about 28 years old, arrives wearing a high viz, Ohio Dept of Transportation (ODOT) work shirt...he works for ODOT and this is a retired ODOT truck.  

Irony #2 hits when I find out that he lives in Bowling Green, OH...the same town that I had just driven home from (but not in this truck.)  I had mentioned that I was working 1.5 hours from home but never mentioned over the phone that I too was in Bowling Green that day.  
He saw the truck Friday night and came back with the money Saturday morning,  That was May 27th.  

He arrived to my house in a newish Ram Eco-diesel.  His plan for the truck is for the new side-business that he is starting.  That side business is small job blacktop sealing such as residential driveways or small parking lots.  Needs a truck to work hard and get dirty.  I can understand not wanting to use the newish Ram.  This is the type of work he did for years before getting hired by ODOT.  

For the 3rd irony...
Fast forward to this past Friday, July 7th (about 5 weeks after the sale.)  My work day had taken me through the small town of Fostoria, Ohio.  About a hour SWest of my home.  I was cutting through Fostoria to get to Bowling Green, Ohio again which is about 40 minutes from there.  Driving down RT199 what do I pass but...The Gov't Mule!

I turned around and pulled off the road.  I got out and I spoke to the guy.  He's super happy with the truck.  It's needed nothing and I just happened upon him while he's doing his actual first paid job for his new small company.  We chatted about his trailer that he bought rough but with the tank included and has improved from there.  

The truck looks great with my magnet logo removed, which hides the remaining ODOT logo, and his new magnet logo added.  

That's a nice full circle closure ending for your ownership.