Hi,
With a fire damage it depends how many minutes it was burning, and in this case it seemed a quite light fire since things like the oil filter cup (plastic) on top of the engine was still there, just a little melted. The headlights looked like they still could be functional. The cooling fan was only melted on the upper half. The sheet metal would need ideally need replacing on the Left side of the engine bay, and the area around the windscreen wiper motor would also ideally need replacing, because sheet metal always warp somewhat when the paint has burnt away. Sandblasting and industrial primer stops rust for some years but perhaps not 'permanently', so replacing a couple of panels would have been better on this one. It would also been a risk if the engine was water damaged or not. After having a fire hose directed in under the bonnet it often fills up the engine with water. In this case the turbocharger air inlet was exposed, but I doubt the intercooler etc. had been filled all the way back to the intake, so with a quick preservation after the auction this one was probably ok.
No - this one wouldn't have been 'repairable writeoff' It was a non-WOVR due to its size. Vehicles over certain size are not on the register.
I always seem to spend more time than planned on repairs
Yes I also deemed it not economical for myself to take on this one when its selling price started at 10k and went up a little (Plus auction fees, tow truck etc.), but if someone already have another F350 wreck to take parts from, then I think this one would be a good opportunity for them.
There is also the factor that you could build a cool looking replica of a 10 year newer looking F350. Many does this conversion (ref. videos on Youtube)
Cheers,