I have browsed this forum for over a decade and finally joined to ask for some help.

I have a ridiculous dream of doing two builds with a decent about of knowledge (but need lots of help from you guys) and very little experience. I currently own two trucks: a '77 F250, and a '77 F100. I bought the F100 to drive for fun over a decade ago when I couldn't restore the F250.

Dream Builds:
First I have a '77 F250 Custom Explorer Camper Special with a 351M. This was my grandfather's farm truck that was passed down to my father and to me. It was parked over a decade and a half ago when it was about to throw a rod. I learned to ride a bike with my grandfather sitting on the tailgate and pushing me off on the bike, and learned to drive with this truck. It would be a straight forward restoration without much customization. Nearly every body panel needs replaced or lots of bodywork.

Secondly I would like to build a '78 F100. This is a bit absurd because I love the front grill of the '77's and would swap one onto a '78. I merely want to get a '78 because it was the year I was born...a ridiculous waste of money just to have a truck look like what I already have but have a piece of paper that reads 1978, but still...
- I picked a F100 because it's lighter...but don't know what else that means in terms of different models.
- I want a 351M changed over to a 400
- 9" rear end...are these found on F100's or only larger trucks?
- I assume a C6 is the best stock option


Can someone please assist me with some general info?
I am considering buying a '78 F150 with a 351M and a longbed. Can I use the bed, fenders, doors, etc on my F250? What, if any, differences are there if I want it to appear factory correct for my F250?
Also, I was thinking of buying a 1978 Ford F-150 Ranger Lariat - would that work for the swapping the bed/tailgate/body panels?

I am considering then cutting the leftover '78 frame to fit a shortbed, adding a '77 front grill, adding modern touches like a Crown Vic suspension. Please chime in with anything you can think of that I might need to consider.
Thanks!

 

Even though you've been "lurking" for years, welcome to FTE.
To answer your sheetmetal question, the doors, fenders, bed, etc. can be used on the F250 without any mods. It's all the same.
The 9" rear was used on F100 and F150 models. That is by far the most common rear. The one exception, especially in the '77 model year, Ford did use the Dana 44 rear in some F100's. It's easy to tell the difference, D44's have a an integral differential with a removable sheetmetal cover on the rear, the Ford 9" has a drop out center section.
In my opinion, the C6 was the best automatic Ford ever built.
Before you start anything it's important to sit down and be honest with yourself. First, you need to decide which build you want to do first. Don't try to do both trucks simultaneously, you'll quickly become overwhelmed and lose interest.
Once you've decided which one to do first, you'll need to get a plan together.
Be honest and decide how far you want to go, how much money you can afford to spend, what level of quality will be acceptable, how much work you can do, how much you'll have to farm out. The more you can do yourself, the less the overall cost of the project will be and your personal satisfaction will be that much higher.
Go over the truck with a fine tooth comb, make a list of what needs to be done. Divide the list into priorities. First make it safe, brakes, tires, suspension, fuel system. Second, make it reliable, engine, tune up, belts, hoses, electrical system, transmission. Lastly, performance, beauty, comfort items.
Be sure to start a build thread here. It'll help keep you focused and not lose interest, plus you'll get a lot of feedback, ideas, compliments and criticisms. If you get stuck, you'll have a big "data base" to draw from.
Most of all, have fun with it.

 

X2 on what Mike said ^^^. And post some pictures of your trucks!

 

Thanks for the help Mike.

So I am hoping to get 400+ HP out of the 351M when it's all finished, what would be the best rearend to use?

I'm still a bit unclear on what are the differences between F100, F150 and F250...in laymen's terms, if I change out the suspension, is there anything really that is different other than name and trim?

Also, I am sure it could be found elsewhere on here, but if anyone doesn't mind letting me know how to go about swapping speedometers it would be appreciated. I'd like to use the '77 on a '78, can you just pull it and plug it in or are there other considerations?

Thanks guys!

 

So long as the cluster you are installing is the same as the one you are removing you will be fine. The connector is different depending on whether you have full gauges (oil pressure, volts) vs idiot lights. Factory cluster housings are notorious for crumbling when you try to remove them.