Looking at this by the end of the week.

Possible trading my 79' F150 and a 78' F150 shortbed on a 3/4 frame with no motor/trans/tcase.

My project was to swap my drivetrain into the good frame and body and have something pretty cool since it has 3/4 axles.

Not sure I want to give up my project, but his is a running, driving truck with a 400 that is supposed to be in good shape, and his truck is in pretty good shape.

I would have a 3/4 truck (like my shortbed more or less) but already mostly done except with minor tinkering and cleanup on the paint.

Questions are what kind of power is the 400 putting down in stock form? Say compared to a stock 460?

His truck has good sheet metal, decent paint, interior is pretty good too.

What exactly makes a highboy a highboy?

What trans (4 speed) and tcase came in highboys? It has a divorced case from the pics I've seen.

Thanks

 

All 73-77.5 F250 4x4's are Highboys.

 

they are highboys because of the front springs. highboys had regular springs that bent down, after 77 they used springs that bent up to make the ride height lower to make it easier to enter the vehicle. (i just got schooled on all this, hehe) for the years, a 400 was making about 175 horses, and a 460 around 230 i think. however, with a timing gear change on the 400, it can make up in the 300s. the reason it was so low from the factory was that, thanks to emissions, the cams were retarded about 6 degrees. put after market gear on it, and bam, watch those ponies run!