79 ford f100

Looking for preferable- Not rusted out manual, black, f100 78/79


I would like to talk to someone on the phone about this vehicle or via PM. Willing to pay for advice, checklist, etc. Im a first timer so want to know what to look for.


Mike
347sixseventwo61fivefive

 

HOPEFULLY HIO Silver jumps in on this one

 

Greetings Kimosabe...


I had to search for an old post and finally found it. The ones marked with *** are the ones ya gotta do when checking out a potential buy, as applicable.:


"By request.. it's not stickied so here it is. More written for a buy rather than one to be potentially bought but you get the idea:

Here's what I do to every new-to-me vehicle. Doing some of these simple steps when looking at a vehicle to buy can also reveal stuff the seller may not tell ya.:

Preserve sanity.
Grab a trash bag and a small box… trash and garbage goes in the bag and any spare parts goes into the box. The owners manual and, if present, fuses goes in the glove box.
Powerwash the body, wheel wells, and even the engine compartment.
Vacuum it out. Cleanliness is next to….

***Basic Visual Inspection
Grab a note pad and do a bumper to bumper visual inspection.. this is also time to go on “Hack Patrol” – All those so-called “repairs” made by previous owners. Look for duct tape, household wire nuts, electrical tape, wood screws, wires that go to nowhere.
On the notepad make three columns/categories:
Gotta fix/replace now.. these include safety items like lights and brakes, cab mounts;
Gotta fix/upgrade/replace soon or “The Watch List” – floor pans.; and,
Fix later – rust holes, old wiper blades, loose ***** and switches.
Look for loose, missing, or broken hardware like lug nuts, fender and bumper bolts, and bellhousing to engine bolts. Feel around for soft or cracked hoses – radiator hoses degrade from the inside. Crimp it with your hand and it should have the same firmness all the way around.

***Fluid Check.
You’re just doing this so ya don’t burn anything up and the fluids will be replaced later.
Engine oil, coolant, auto trans, power steering, and brake fluid. If possible, front and rear axle lube, T-case, and gear lube in a manual trans.
Air up the tires and the spare.

Hardware Check (Bumper to Bumper)
With a screwdriver, sockets, and wrenches double-check the tightness of everything that is easily accessible.
Torque the lug nuts.
Tighten hose clamps in the engine compartment.
Double-check spark plugs and seat the plug wires. I like to also verify the firing order.

***Pre-Operation
Check for brake pressure.
Turn on the ignition system (no engine start). Turn on everything - blower motor, exterior and interior lights, turn signals, hazards, heater controls, wipers, etc.

***Engine Start.
With a fire extinguisher at the ready, fire it up and let’er cook.
Set the idle speed and timing.
Verify that the thermostat works by leaving off the rad cap. You’ll see the coolant flowing which is an indication that the thermostat had indeed opened.
Take it for a test drive and note how it tracks, turns, accelerates, and stops.
Park it and let it idle for about five minutes to check if it overheats.
Shut it off for 10 minutes and then restart it. Hopefully it starts right up. If not, then it can be a vapor lock, a carb that needs to be rebuilt, or defective ignition components like an ICU or coil.

Full Tune Up (to establish a baseline)
Rebuild the carburetor!!!
Replace points, plugs, wires, cap, and rotor.
Change the engine oil and oil filter.
Change coolant, axle gear lube, transmission, & T-case lube.
Replace air and fuel filter. If it has been sitting for more than five years, change the fuel pump!
Bleed and change brake fluid.
Replace all the drive belts and at least the radiator hoses.
Take a grease gun and service all grease fittings.
Lube door latches, locks, tailgate latches, door hinges, etc.
"

 

And...here is an modified version of HIO's list:

New truck buying excitement….First relax, do not show your enthusiasm to the seller! Act as if it is easy come, easy go. Here are some basics for checking out one of these rigs. Lots of mental notes to take! A written checklist is also OK to bring with you if needed. BE READY TO START MAKING A LIST TO DISCUSS WITH THE OWNER.
Basic Visual Inspection: TITLE TITLE TITLE 1st CHECK THE VI# ON THE PAPER TITLE, THEN AGINST THE DVRS DOOR (WARRENTY PLATE) AND THEN THE (SAFETY STANDARDS CERTIFICATION LABEL) THIS IS NOT, I SAY AGAIN NOT THE VIN PLATE! THE ACTUAL VIN IS STAMPED ON THE FRAME! AND IT IS NOT ON THE DASH EITHER.
Do a bumper to bumper visual inspection; this is also time to go on “Visual Hack Patrol” – All those so-called “repairs” made by previous owners. Look for duct tape, household wire nuts, electrical tape, wood screws, wires that go to nowhere.

Any leaks on the ground? What about the drum backing plates (wheel cylinder) or the pinion seal(s).
Look for loose, missing, or broken hardware like lugs, lug nuts, fender and bumper bolts, and bell housing to engine bolts. Feel around for soft or cracked hoses – radiator hoses degrade from the inside. Crimp it with your hand and it should have the same firmness all the way around.
How do the radius arm bushings look? Rock the truck back and forth..any squeaks??? 4x4, ck the trac bar bushings. And ck the 4x4 operation. 4Hi and 4low.
Are the tires evenly worn? Any leaf springs broken? All the glass good? Bed liner in it, lift up the end and look under it for rust. Tailgate work?

Fluid Check.
Engine oil check, is it full and relatively clean. Or does it smell musty and old?
Coolant, is there an oily sheen? Does it look like milkshake?
Check level of auto trans, power steering, and brake fluid.
Ask if there is anything on the engine that has been heli-coiled.
Note any newish parts. Any “it’s been rebuilt” stories, show me a receipt.

Pre-Operation
Check for brake pressure, pedal low? Pedal sinks to floor? Comes back up slowly? Park brake work, if it’s a standard trans, that’s a biggie. Ask the owner BEFORE you put it on. It might NOT release. Check when truck is running and in gear it it’s an auto. The brake light on the dash will NOT COME ON WHEN YOU SET THE PARK BRAKE….
Ask owner battery condition then, turn on the (key) ignition system to the 1st position (no engine start). Turn on everything - exterior and interior lights, dash lights (rheostat to the left to brighten), turn signals, hazards, heater controls, blower fan, wipers, horn, a/c radio. Does everything work? What about the gas gauge?
Turn it all off, then Start Engine. See if elec choke works. Fire it up and let it idle and just listen to it. Ck oil pressure. Get out of the cab and get your head under the hood. Any leaks? Ticking sounds? Exhaust leaks/tail pipe blue smoke? Knocks, thumps or rattle? Hand blip the throttle and listen, ck oil pressure again after a few minutes of idle time.
Squeeze the radiator hoses... they should not be pressurized. Hard hoses may mean a blown head gasket. Now get back in and turn all that pre operation stuff again. Does it all still work?

Let the owner drive it first and ride shotgun and just look, listen (have the stereo OFF) and get a feel for the truck, see how it drives. Does the owner chase the steering wheel all over the road, does it pull or any grinding noise, when he brakes? Does the transmission shift ok? Take over on the return drive and note how it tracks, turns, accelerates, and stops. Note the temp gauge and oil pressure reading....and is the heater working (hot air)? CAREFULLY, do a aggressive stop with your hands lightly on the wheel...does it track straight without assistance? Does it pull to one side or the other, any grinding noises? Park it and let it idle for about five minutes to check if it overheats. What does the temp gauge read?
Shut it off for 10 minutes and then restart it. Hopefully it starts right up. If not, then it can be a vapor lock, a carb that needs to be rebuilt, or defective ignition components like an ICU or coil.

Odd but… take note how clean or unkept the sellers property is or even their own vehicles. That's a sign on how detail-oriented they are. Ask every question about the truck, has it been wrecked, maint history, previous owner’s ? Cash talks, and BS walks or at least leaves without the truck, be serious about the ALL the issues found and what you might OR WILL need to address as soon as you buy it. Mention that to the owner, he might understand or maybe not care at all. Have your 1st CASH offer in one pocket and the rest of what you are willing pay in the other. Flash the cash, in a stack of 20’s, 50’s or 100’s, that always make it harder for the owner to say no.
Have fun, but remember it’s not the only truck for sale, and try not get caught up in the moment (yea right it’s a Ford truck man!)

 

Rust ck: insp the front of the cab supports, from up inside the fenderwell. You might have to pull a plastic inner fenderwell liner back a bit. Radiator core support the bottom edge.

Floor pans (no carpet makes it easy), rocker panel. The bed is needing replaced for sure. The cab side handle is a rust magnet.

Why offer to pay for very free advice? That is a brave offer on the internet these days. lol

 

Good job Rich. Your aggregated post is amazing grace.

 

1978 Ford stepside pickup F-100

was the other one..

 

You started with an awesome list, I just added a few things. And I left off a lot more, I was just tired of typing.

 

Rich thanks for taking the time to speak with me.....You're THE MAN! If you ever visit NY and want to go fishing let me know.

 

"Buy the best truck for the money you're willing and able to spend"

 

Excellent advice above(why isn't that stickied?!)

Mcangelo4, good luck

 

the first one is all wrong for a 79. bed looks off. the second one looks over priced. very easy to hide "rust repair" under a satin black paint job. i have even seen spray foam used as body filler sanded down bondo add and painted over.

 

The second one appears to have bad cab mounts....

 

I've bookmarked Rich's post above for inclusion in the next update of the Tech Thread Compilation.

 

First truck- Ugly as sin with those mini tires and box, wrong motor, needs a S load of work. Start at $1200, go to 15 and make the seller beg for 18. That truck isn't selling and it looks like theres little to no interest in it as it needs a lot of work.
2nd truck- seller is trying to hard to be smooth, with a 500 mile old motor it had better run good. No gas stations between the space station and the moon so that trip is out of this world. Let someone else cough up the $8900, he shouldn't be wanting to sell a vehicle thats had that much put into it unless he doesn't care about it or he's in no hurry to sell it. Did that paint look uneven to anybody else but me, or is flat paint supposed to look like unfinished body work.