Big Red

03/26/2020

I am thrilled to announce the newest member of the Carsarepeopletoo.com family! His name is Big Red (of course) and he is a 1997 Ford F250 XLT 4x4. At his heart is the venerable 7.3 Powerstroke diesel engine which produced 225hp and 450ft lb of torque when new, and is backed by a 4-speed automatic transmission.  He weighs approximately 6,700 lbs full of fuel. This was the last year of this body style and is one of the best, in my opinion. They don't make them like this anymore.

He is super clean with zero rust and 148,000 miles. I am so excited to meet him! He is currently at his home in St Louis, MO waiting to be picked up. After that, it's on to Texas to pick up another new member of the family - a 20 foot car hauler! Exciting times!

My plan is to use him as a co-worker for a while moving cars as the business grows. I'll keep you posted!

05/04/2020

I flew down to St. Louis, MO in a fairly empty plane to a very quiet airport, where I was picked up by a young representative of the dealership. The sky was overcast when we arrived at the small lot where several pre-emission trucks were displayed. I had a chance to walk around my new purchase for the first time, where my first impression was that the dealer had not been entirely forthcoming.  It wasn't anything terrible, but the bed was well-used inside and there was a bit of small body damage he neglected to document. Overall, I was pleased. I noticed right away that the 6-pin trailer plug was not going to work with my new trailer, so I would have to swap it for a combination 7-flat/4-pin outlet. It needed updating anyway, and fixing the wiring made it possible to install a trailer brake controller in the cab as well. Actually, as of writing this, I have driven him 500 miles to Texas to pick up the new trailer, followed by another 1,000 miles home to Minnesota - all trouble free! I did notice the coolant temp was consistently reading low on the gauge, so when I got home I installed a new thermostat, which took care of that. I noted on the trip home that the truck wasn't tracking straight and pulled a little right under braking, so I had my mechanic align the front end and install new heavy duty pads, calipers, and rotors. Big Red drives and stops like a dream! I'm only a month into ownership and I love this truck! The 7.3 is a great motor, not the huge power of modern diesels, but a building momentum of power. It's there when you need it, and once you get up to speed it holds steady with very little throttle input or changing of gears. Such a throwback! I have since installed an OEM chin spoiler and interior trim pieces to get him closer to looking factory stock. Big Red will be a work in progress as I use him, but a solid package overall as he is. 

01/22/2021

Big Red doesn't get much of a spotlight here at Carsarepeopletoo.com, but if you look closely you will find him hard at work with me on every project that comes home. I've had to do very little with him, even though he has enjoyed a bit of love. I fitted a new headliner to replace the old, saggy original. Removing the tattered, worn door seals, I installed new ones. The chrome on his front grill was scratched and faded, and a mishap earlier in his life had damaged the painted trim beneath it and the grill support behind that, so I bought him a brand new chrome front end and grill support, also replacing the damaged metal trim with a freshly painted piece. His smile looks a little better now. 

Once they start salting the winter roads here in Minnesota, I leave him in the driveway unless it's a really dry day. It would hurt my feelings to let that corrosive substance anywhere near his clean underside. 

The interior sports the ubiquitous Ford gray with black trim. As far as I can tell, Big Red is an XL trim package. Very comfortable seats on long trips, I rarely have to get out and stretch between fillups. The rear seat isn't much help for sitting, unless you are a very small person, but it's a handy shelf for keeping luggage and a good place to hide tools underneath. Whenever I climb inside, the sights, sounds, smells, and textures take me back to my childhood. I like that.

Showing  162,000 current miles, he has been problem-free from Missouri to Texas to Minnesota to Wisconsin to Tennessee to Florida, passing through every state in between and getting thumbs-up everywhere. I couldn't do it without him!

Below, is where the magic happens. That 7.3L International Navistar Powerstroke diesel engine is a reliable workhorse. It's not pretty to look at, but I think it's a beautiful thing.