Years back me and some friends were discussing just what would be the perfect F150. We finally settled on....

78-79
extended cab
shortbed
4wd
460/C6
6" lift with 35's
Something that could be used daily to work and take the wife shopping as well. Something that would look at home in front of the lumber yard, feed store, drag strip, tractor pull and the Olive Garden.

So several years searching for this unicorn and nothing. 1 powder blue 76 360/C6, 1 nasty paste yellow 79 460/C6 and no 4wd. Then in September just days before my B-day I find this. 78' XLT Ranger 460/C6.











45,000 original miles but it's rusty. It sat for 20 years in a back yard in KC only coming out when the weather was bad (funny how "winter truck" means something totally different in my mind). And it's 2wd, but that's easily rectified. My plan is to source a complete chassis and swap the 4wd stuff under this. Then add a Port-O-Sonic and GM Q-jet. Then headers and maybe a cam. After it's running perfect I'll start on the body. The factory panals are bad enough that the bed is a total loss but can be patched enough to get by. The floors need cut and welded and the frame may need ground down and coated. It's not going to be a show truck, but it will look good and function flawlessly.

 

Love a good build thread!

Yes, you look like you are going to have your hands full for a while. Post a lot of updates.

 

That's funny. My perfect truck was a '77 4x4 with a 300 six and a four speed. Like you I didn't find one I could afford all at once. I found one that was "close enough". I found a '79 six cylinder four speed 2wd. I'm finishing up everything now. Now mine's four wheel drive with the gears, tires, engine and trans that I wanted.

Good luck with the build. Take lots of pictures!

 

Thanks, I'll take lots of pics but its gonna be a slow build. The truck in my avatar needs finished 1st then its the 78's turn. Right now it runs and drives like a dream so its hard to tear into it. The engine more may come as it gets driven.

 

I did that as well. I couldn't afford much for a project, so I bought a 2wd and went from there. Good luck with your project.

 

My dream wasn't a 76 F150 longbed 390/C6, drug out of a field for $500......but now that I have it and I've got a few grand sunk into it, it's defiatly a great choice to start with.

Congrats on your find. What are you planning on doing with it currently?? Get it runningj in it's current condition then start a rebuild?? Or directly start a rebuild?? I had fun and learned alot about my truck by getting it running again before I tore her down for a rebuild. Wasted a bit of money on a few things but still learned alot.

 

Not sure if you are talking to me, but I went from this:


to this:

 

nice find. I need some help... I just bought PRETTY much the same thing today, but I can't find a f***ing transmission for it ANYWHERE if anyone has an extra manual tranny for a 70s f150 ranger 4wd they're willin to sell, or where to get one for cheap it would be greatly appreciated. send me a message at 4066862690 if u do.