I'm in the market for a truck, and I'm giving strong consideration to a '97
F150 with 95k miles. I own a Bronco with a 5.8L, and I like it alot, but it
can not haul the stuff I need to carry.

I will be using the truck for construction work, it has a camper shell
already and I plan on buying a ladder rack as soon as I can find one. I do
not plan on heavy loads, but I do plan on long boards and full sheets of
plywood. I need the size, not the brute strength.

I don't know much about the 4.6L V8, but I recall hearing some bad things
when these engines first hit the street. To be honest, I do not recall if
the bad things I heard were from the 4.6L V8 or the 4.2L V6.

There has been a posting here recently about having to jump through some
serious hoops to change the spark plugs on one of the Ford motors.

I guess my question is, should I pass on a truck with the 4.6L and keep my
eyes peeled for a 5.4L? If you have a 4.6L, would you do it over again?

I'm hoping the new motors will deliver better fuel mileage numbers than I
get with my Bronco, but fuel numbers are not a show stopper and I'm not
really giving them very much weight in my purchase decision. I'm more
concerned with the prospect of doing my own service as much as possible.
Replacing spark plugs is a job that anybody should be able to do at home,
but there has been talk around here that plugs are a bitch to get to.