At $6,300, Is This 1998 Ford F-150 XLT a Good Deal?

Today’s Nice Price or No Dice F-150 is from Ford’s aero-era with rounded bodywork that stands in stark contrast to today’s severely boxy design. Let’s see if its condition and kit might smooth the path for its asking price.

We started off the week with a big win, yesterday. The 1972 Volvo 1800ES we considered appeared to be a pretty solid classic and, based on the comments, extremely lust-worthy. Those factors were reflected in the sizable 82 percent Nice Price win its $19,000 asking price earned.

Now, Monday’s Volvo was a fun car. It’s all well and good to have some frivolous frippery in the driveway, but most of us still need something practical, at least for work and to schlep stuff around.

Practical usually means dull and nobody wants to spend a fortune on dull. Fortunately for us, today’s 1998 Ford F-150 XLT has a few tricks up its sleeve that should ensure its practicality (six seats, and a long bed) is served up with a bit of fun.

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That comes mainly from the drivetrain which is comprised of a 4.6 liter Triton V8 and a five-speed manual gearbox driving the rear wheels. The Triton is the smaller displacement edition of the long-running engine and in the F-150 this model year, it managed 220 horsepower and, more importantly, 280 lb-ft of torque.

Per the ad, that drivetrain has powered the truck for 165,000 miles. The only apparent evidence of those miles and the truck’s age (aside from the body shape, but more about that in a sec) is some yellowing of the plastic headlamp lenses and a bit of wear on the front wheel center caps. Other than that, the bumpers are straight, the chrome looks good, and the bed isn’t all beat up.

Inside, it’s much the same story with perfectly serviceable gray mouse fur upholstery and plastics that haven’t gotten all wavy gravy. Amenities include A/C, power windows and locks, and an AM/FM/cassette stereo. Other plusses include the double doors on each side which offer easy access to both front and rear seats as well as an opening rear window.

All that’s wrapped in bodywork that, at least for the F-Series, was deemed to be fairly radical. The rounded, aero-influenced design was intended to fully align with Ford’s contemporary car lines, especially the bar of soap looks of the Taurus. That didn’t sit too well with traditional truck buyers, however, who saw the softer lines as indicative of a softer truck overall. Luckily for Ford, many of those buyers were able to see past the looks and keep the F-Series as the sales king throughout this edition’s model’s run.

Today, the design still remains controversial, as we’ll no doubt see in the comments below. I personally have always liked the exterior design of these, and consider the only serious misstep of the design to be that breaching humpback whale masquerading as a dashboard.

If you can get past that, there’s a lot to like about this truck. The seller describes it as being in excellent condition with great tires and states that it comes with a recent smog check and service. According to the ad, the title is clean and the truck has never been in a wreck.

What should someone in the market for such practical fun with a side of styling controversy reasonably expect to pay for such a truck?

The asking price is $6,300, and it’s now incumbent upon you all to vote on that price for this truck. What do you say, is that a square deal on this rounded long bed? Or, is that too much for a truck that’s neither too old nor too new and kind of funny looking?

You decide!

San Diego, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

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