I have been looking for a nice 80 to 86 f150 body and found an 85 F150 XLT with the 351 4V and in my colors in Va. Perfect as I am going to be there next week anyway. So the truck JUST passed Va safety which gives me some confidence in driving 600 plus miles in a 32 year old truck. Am I off in thinking this is a real deal?
Nah, 9" rear with drums, TTB or TIB with ball joints and discs, C6. Not sure there's all that much safety to go wrong.
I'd do that drive in a heartbeat
I'd be all over that.
Check it over good first. Ive found that safety inspection here and in Richmond VA where my wife was when we got together are nothing compared to the inspection in pa.
Nc safety is essentially lights, horn, wipers, go. Virginia added tires and visual emissions inspection.
This is not the law, but what was observed by me over the years. Your experience may differ.
In reply to Dusterbd13:
They're not jacking the vehicle up and rocking the tires back and forth?
There was a thread about what to take with you here somewhere but I'd start with AAA and a good cellphone charger.
In reply to ebonyandivory:
They don't do that here in Texas. Tires, lights, blinkers, horn, brake pull, parking brake, wipers and legal tint is really all they check.
My inspection included lights, emissions, tires, jack up and wiggle for bearings remove wheels and inspect disk brakes for pad life.
I failed because the front pads were too thin, an hour later they passed me after a pad swap.
Like all things it depends on where it was inspected.
But yeah, the basics are covered so I wouldn't stress over the drive.
If you are going ~600 miles from Logansville, GA and staying in Virginia that puts you in the DC metro area.
Please come and enjoy our traffic.
to echo everyone else most 'safety inspections' just cover the very basics, which is good that i just passed them so more then likely nothing majorly wrong will happen with it. But i know when i lived in Missouri and we had inspections it was pretty easy to just 'know a guy' to pass the inspection.
But its a super common truck that ford made millions of that if anything does happen it should be easy to find parts and get it fixed.
virginia emissions testing is separate from safety, and only required in select (populated) jurisdictions throughout the state. They will hassle you about CEL's. If the truck was safety inspected only they wont care about these lights on the dash.
As far as safety goes, it depends on who is inspecting it. Some places let things slide (or dont even bother to look at your car), others crack down on you for the dumbest things.
I suppose safety inspection on a truck that old would be a good thing, if it were registered as an antique safety inspections arent required.
Some technicians do a decent job of the inspections, and others are lovingly referred to as "lick 'em and stick 'em."
Not sure why, though, because the inspection stickers are self adhering, but you get the idea.
As a longtime Virginia resident, I can say that the thoroughness of the inspection can vary depending upon who it is that is doing the inspection. I've even known shops to apply a sticker to a car that might not exactly be up to snuff (wink, wink!). Even so, having a fresh sticker is better than not having one. If the truck looks to be in nice shape and doesn't have a gazillion miles on it, I'd bet on you making it. Good luck! 
When I lived in Virginia I had a car fail because the inspector got stuck in the car. I argued that no one else ever got stuck in it. So, he either broke it or failed it because he was stuck and embarrassed. Then, I told them to pass it or fix it on their dime. When I got the car back with a passed sticker I realized the inspector was ridiculously obese. He shouldn't be getting in and out of 1990 crx's anymore. Fat berkeley.
Don't ever buy out of D.C. then. We only do emissions. 
Thank you very much for the info and the good wishes! I feel good about the truck. As mentioned, a 351/ C6 should be pretty reliable especially with the miles this is supposed to have. And every auto parts store in the country should have parts if needed. The Va inspection looks good on paper. Rust holes in floor, tread depth, brake lining, fluid levels, exhaust leaks, In depth steering suspension frame, lights, signals, glass, wipers, seats, seatbelts, door latches... The truck is from Charlottesville then we go to family in Williamsburg then back to Ga. I did insure it so will have roadside if needed.
Ah, Charlottesville. I love Charlottesville. A very nice part of the world.
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