hey guys been a long time since i've been on here but i will be getting a 1982 f100 as a wedding gift when i get married in a couple months. i have pictures of the truck and have driven it and it is a blast to drive. my future father-in-law bought the truck new in 1982 and is giving it to my future wife and i as soon as we get married. anyhow, i have quite a few questions that hopefully yall will be able to help me with but i'll get to those later.

 

a few pictures

 

Wow! Good looking truck! At first getting an old truck as a wedding gift doesn't sound like much, but when you see the pictures you realize that it is a treasure, something you future FiL cherishes. He obviously likes you.

So, how about more details? What engine and tranny?

 

Welcome. That is one nice looking ride!

Your public profile says you're from TN, but it's a looonnng state, and eastern TN and western TN are a world apart. Since I live just outside of Memphis, I was curious.

Like Gary said, your new father-in-law must really like you. He let you have his daughter AND his truck. Wow!

Ron

 

That's a really nice looking truck. Since your FIL is giving it to you as a wedding gift, you might think about keeping it and giving it to your kid as such too. Just a thought, and welcome to the forum.

 

yeah i am really fortunate to get this truck! this thing is his baby! he told me this past weekend that he never drove it if there was salt on the road! he took really good care of this thing there is only a little surface rust in the bed and a few cracked pieces in the interior other than that its perfect!

the truck has the 5.0 and came with 3speed on the tree which was converted to the floor. the motor has been rebuilt and bored .40 over and he installed a mild cam and put in a holley 4 barrel carb.

so a few questions....eventually i want to swap transmissions to a 4 or 5 speed. what are my options and what will bolt right up?

also, he said it needed a different set of heads since he put a 4 barrel carb on it. any reccomendations on what heads i need to get?

oh yeah and i live in east tn

 

Nice truck, v6lightning!

Welcome to the forum!

Take care of the wife 1st, then the truck... be gentle and both will be your companions for life.

 

There are several 4 speeds that will bolt up. However you need to make sure you get one for the right bolt pattern, which is small block (302/351W) or 300 six as they shared a bolt pattern. Having said that, IIRC all of the 4 speeds are 1:1 in 4th.

To get better gas mileage you need a 5 speed, and there are 2 of them: M5OD and ZF5. The M5 is a light duty tranny and may not be strong enough depending on what you will use the truck for. But the ZF5 came in up to F350's so is very tough. However, it didn't come out until the next generation of trucks. And, in small-block pattern it is hydraulic clutch only, which is a minor problem because the firewall of the truck will eventually crack unless it is reinforced to handle the load the master cylinder puts on it.

As for heads, don't go with any head that has large ports as that will kill the low RPM power, which is what a truck needs. Check out Thumper's heads. And, do some searching on the forum about this topic as it has been discussed at length.

 

very good advice 1986f150six! btw is it possible to change my username? that v6f150 stuff was back when i had a v6 lightning clone (bad memories)

it sounds like the m5od is my best option since i wont be doin any heavy hauling or drag racing this thing. what would be a good donor truck to get that trans out of?

 

One that has an M5OD.

Actually, since it is considered a light-duty tranny look for an F100 or F150 with the little V8 or a 302. Don't think it went behind a 351 or into an F250, but I could easily be wrong there. And, I think they were more common in the later years of our trucks.

 

That is a very nice looking truck.

 

Looks great...got an 82 myslef.

 

thanks for the compliments and all the info! i'm gonna do a little research on those transmissions. and i'll keep yall updated on everything

 

Congratulations, v6lightning - on the wedding & the truck!

Is that interior 'Teal', or a shade of blue?
My F250 interior is teal, but it doesn't seem common.

 

V6, what part of east TN are you in? My wife has some family in Sparta.