'08 Ford F450

gawelsh

Well-known member
WOW - we saw our first '08 F450 today at the Ford dealer where we buy our vehicles. It's a King Ranch model, which is the coolest - those beautiful leather captains chairs . I may have to get one - trade in the "old" 2006. (Just what we need - a bigger payment). The '08 diesels have been re-engineered (read about it in the latest Trailer Life magazine - cover article). Check 'em out - Ford keeps raising the bar for tow vehicles !! :eek:
 
C

Chulinw

Guest
gawelsh what was the MSRP on it? The talk is about 4 to 5 K more for the new engine on the 08. I guess we all love our toys and cost just keeps going up....
 

tdharley

Well-known member
I will tell you one thing from experience (see my signature pic). The King Ranch trim is real top notch but the seats are as hard as a rock and are not easy to maintain.

They do not look that good after the first year.
 

BluegrassMan

Well-known member
Hey TD:
The seats are like a oiled finished aren't they ? Or are they just a flat finish ? I would think that the "HD" leather care paste in a can would work, or maybe neutral shoe polish in a can. What do you use. I'm also very interested in the 08 SD. I went on the Ford Build and price site and it WAS NOT listed. I told the DW I'd like to have the H-D version in a 450, she had a big laugh and said "yeah right". THat version is about 10k above the KR. I'll just be lucky to even get a Lariat in one. I'm too interested in the MSRP, gotta be over 55-57k loaded.
 

Tom of Ypsi

Well-known member
You can get all of the info you need for the '08 Ford truck at this site www.thedieselstop.com
I have been seeing the 450's on the road since last summer, living around the Detroit area you get to see some vehicles earlier than most people. They sure are quiet, and the price is not that much more than the 07's. Ford's lowered the price of the basic truck to compensate for the more expensive engine. I want to say that the F-450, diesel, 4:10, auto, 4x4, King Ranch is around 54K. Not to bad considering my truck, signature, was 51K before the "A" plan.
 

jpmorgan37

Well-known member
Tom;
I think that if you check the available rear ratio's, all you will find is a 4:88. I'm fairly sure that's all that will be available (initially, anyway) on the F-450 and F-550 Super Duty.

John
 

tdharley

Well-known member
I am a little anal when it comes to my truck so maybe I take it a little far. After all my researching different products including the HD leather treatment I found Lexol cleaner & conditioner to be the best. When you first apply it you WILL freak out, it turns the seats black. By the next morning you have a nice, kinda wax haze on the seats that can be buffed up.

I went as far as to buy a couple of used KR seat backs on ebay after ruining my compartment lid experimenting on it. I read not to use any water based products such as armorall leather protectant (the water actually cracks the leather due to the extreme temp. differences).

And yes your right about the finish, if you can picture how a true horse saddle (they really come from King ranch saddle makers) wears the seats do the same. I never realized how much they change until a friend of mine bought a new KR.

As I said it was an excellent finish and it puts my Chevy to shame IMHO.
 

Tom of Ypsi

Well-known member
John,
The 4:88 is an option and the F-550 has an option of 5:38. The couple of 450's I saw up close and personal were 4:10's. The 450 also has the 4:30 and I have heard it also has a 3:73 all with the new 6.4 engine. The 4:88 and 5:38 rear ends have what they call a High Capacity Trailer Towing Package which is more than the Tow Boss.
 

nhunter

Well-known member
The King Ranch seats are more of a saddle leather / open grain than traditional leather seats.
 

jpmorgan37

Well-known member
Tom;
I stand corrected. I guess all that I have read was related to the trailer towing package. Thanks for keeping me straight.
John
 

Tom of Ypsi

Well-known member
John,

I get most of my info from thedieselsite.com just like I get most of the Heartland info from this site so if I am wrong I guess they are wrong also. Thedieselsite has a couple of dealers giving input also plus some actual line workers from the Kentucky Truck Plant. People on that site are alsready trying to figure out when the chip manufacturers are going to come out with a chip. Never ending more power more torque.
 

jpmorgan37

Well-known member
Tom;
I sure would love to have that 4:30 in my TV. Although, I don't know if it would kill the performance. It does a lot of shifting when I'm in the hills with the 4:88. Running about 60 mph, it's turning about 2200 rpm. Maybe the 6.4 engine will handle it.
John
 

gawelsh

Well-known member
The MSRP on a LOADED '08 King Ranch DRW (nav system, etc) will be around $61K.

We have a King Ranch Expedition - we treat the leather seats twice a year with King Ranch Leather Conditioner that we ordered from their website. It's $9 a bottle and a little goes a long way. The leather ages more dramatically and naturally than typical interiors - it's actually very attractive, but it does look more like the cow!!

I don't know if we can afford the new F450, but the dealer will be calling
us when one he ordered (with us in mind) comes in....knowing Lindsey, she won't be able to resist it (she's the "truck nut" in the family. The Expedition is her baby.) So we'll have to just wait and see what the final price tag is. Hey, it's only money, as she likes to say - we'll earn more :eek:
 

dieselengineer

Charter Member
Hey, remember when you are comparing rear end ratio's the wheel size also makes a big difference. The F450 has larger wheel / tire combo, therefore the rear ratio like 4.30 is more like a 4.10 in a F350 and so on. That is by 4.88 is offered.
 

Cooper

Well-known member
Bill Utter Ford in Denton Texas has one. Its black and tan King Ranch 450 Sticker is $57,000. I would love to have it but its more truck than I will ever need. If you can get the Ford X-plan it would be around 51,000 not bad. The wheels are 19.5 with 4:10 Dif.
 

BluegrassMan

Well-known member
YEAH !!! Thank God for the X-Plan ! I guess I'll be switching to the F450 and using the plan. I'll keep my Dodge as a beater, and keep the Ford in the Garage. Might be till spring till I seriously start looking.
 

BluegrassMan

Well-known member
Hi Denny:

The X-Plan is an offering from the Company that you work for that is in the same group as Ford,Jaguar,Volvo,Range Rover,Mack,Nissan and probably a couple more that I forgot. Since I previously worked at Mack Trucks, I just retired, They are owned by Volvo. This entitles me to the Ford Partner program.

The prices that we can get discounted are already pre-figured in A,B,&X Plans. You have to get the code # from your job, enter it in the Ford Partner website or go to the dealer. Then you get your personal PIN #, to be used online or at the dealer. When you arrive at your total options etc. and come up with the Grand total, It will print out exactly what your discount is whether it is A,B,X. A is the best mine is X. Now the dealer is supposed to give you all incentives (dealer and or customer discounts / rebates) on top of the X price. The larger the MSRP the larger the discount. I bought a loaded Focus Z3 and only got $900 for the X price off. There was also a $2000 rebate as well so total $2900 off . Not too bad. We can also get X prices on GM products too. But not Dodge. I hope this answers your question.
 

kognito

Well-known member
BluegrassMan said:
Hi Denny:

The X-Plan is an offering from the Company that you work for that is in the same group as Ford,Jaguar,Volvo,Range Rover,Mack,Nissan and probably a couple more that I forgot. Since I previously worked at Mack Trucks, I just retired, They are owned by Volvo. This entitles me to the Ford Partner program.

The prices that we can get discounted are already pre-figured in A,B,&X Plans. You have to get the code # from your job, enter it in the Ford Partner website or go to the dealer. Then you get your personal PIN #, to be used online or at the dealer. When you arrive at your total options etc. and come up with the Grand total, It will print out exactly what your discount is whether it is A,B,X. A is the best mine is X. Now the dealer is supposed to give you all incentives (dealer and or customer discounts / rebates) on top of the X price. The larger the MSRP the larger the discount. I bought a loaded Focus Z3 and only got $900 for the X price off. There was also a $2000 rebate as well so total $2900 off . Not too bad. We can also get X prices on GM products too. But not Dodge. I hope this answers your question.

used to be that X (and other) plans worked only for F150, 250, and 350.

has that changed for the 2008 F450?? I get 1 PIN per year due to Ford stock ownership
 

Tom of Ypsi

Well-known member
What I have read so far is that the F-450 is not under any of the plans the same as it has been. If this is correct I would think this will change when Ford starts getting negative feed back. The reason the F-450's and up were not A, X, Z plans is these vehicles were meant but not exclusive to the commercial users. These trucks were chassis' with after market beds, boxes, dumps.
 
Last edited:
Top