Buying and Selling Vehicles - "Special Order" Truck

So I have found the vehicle that I want and that fits my needs perfectly, a new Ford Expedition EL. The only problem is that my local dealer is unable to locate the exact trim line and color that I want. He says that I need to special order the truck from the factory. My question/s: 1. Has anyone ever special ordered from Ford through a dealer before and what have been your experiences? 2. Does special ordering cost extra? I figure that since the truck is already sold that there would be no holdback, and therefore may be cheaper. Any thoughts?

I don't think that a special order will raise the price, but I doubt that it would lower it either.
Talk to the dealer and find out how far he cast his net in trying to find "your car". There may be one on another dealer's lot 100 - 150 miles away. If so, your new car may have a few miles on it at purchase, but you still get the full warranty plus whatever miles are shown on the title. Dealers swap cars all the time.

Pricing really depends on your dealer and your negotiation skills ;)

A few years ago, a good friend of mine special ordered a F-150. He felt like he got as good a deal as he would have with any in stock truck. I think it took about a month for him to get his truck. Only problem he had was an uninsured eclipse that ran a red light totalling the truck about 6 months after he got it :eek:

Hmmm EPA 12/18; that comes with an oil well, right? ;)

Won't be something I'll ever have to tow; it weighs as much as my wrecker. :eek:

I have an appointment with the dealer this Thursday to talk about the order process. And I will request that we watch out for eclipses! Tow Guy - I wish that I could get something else, but I need to haul caskets and kids and that really limits my options. I will also check on my dealer's "net" and increase the size a bit; I know that the first cast was 500 miles and since I live in the upper midwest, it looks like I am going to loook on the coasts.

My family and I have special ordered every vehicle we have owned. You may not get quite as good a price as picking up something off the lot, but my philosophy is that if I'm going to spend that kind of money for a new vehicle, I want it exactly to my specs, and I'm willing to spend a couple of hundred extra dollars to get the color and equipment I desire.
Even if it costs you a bit more to special order, you might save even more money by not having to accept a vehicle that is optioned out greater than you want.

I figured there had to be some compelling reason to buy that behemoth. Wierd coincidence; had one sitting in the next lane this morning at the gas station. What a beast!

I figure that since the truck is already sold that there would be no holdback, and therefore may be cheaper.

The hold back would still exist. It comes with every vehicle delivered to the dealer.
There is really no such thing as a "special order" as far as Dealers are concerned a unit pre-sold is for the most part a sold unit unless you back out for whatever reason.
Mark_ms