In fact, I've always kinda liked my grandpa's 78 F150 Custom, brown on brown with custom seats that are REALLY comfy and supportive, like buckets disguised as a bench. Its got no engine right now, but its got the factory 4spd and is not in bad shape, all things considered.

However, I never gave it much thought, especially since my dad has decided that whenever we find a 351M to put back in it (ours has siezed up and is long dead, and he refuses to put anything else in it. My grandpa almost NEVER modified his vehicles. Maybe the seats just sucked that bad!) and my brother moves down to live with my dad, it will be his truck. Lucky kid, I tell you!

But I grew up in love with Mustangs and everything, only giving trucks a passing thought. I have a 67 Mustang gathering dust, even though I have close to every part I need to finish her to a great little resto-mod, I have simply neglected to so. Last august I bought a Datsun to rocket around in, only to find the transmission was waiting to explode until the drive home, not the test drive. So, that was disassembled and kinda modded, and is now being sold, b/c I have realized that I'm not going to buy another transmission for it. First I bought was bad as well. So, no more Datsun.

I then bought a Porsche, which is my DD. A 1983 944, to be exact, and I absolutely love it. A few little issues, but a car is no fun without gremlins somewhere!

I moved out of my apartment in Tulsa earlier this month, and drove my dads big ole Dodge to load my stuff in to, and realized... I LOVED driving big trucks. It feels completely different than my little 3-ft-tall Porsche, but I felt perfectly at home in it. So, I'm talking with dad about the Ford, and he says I can't drive it cuz its my brother's. Bah.

I have now decided that I WILL own a dentside, or perhaps an 80's dodge. I like them, both. But much more the Ford, specifically one I found on Craigslist being sold on behalf of the lady's grandma. One owner, in the family since 77, a black dentside 2WD Ranger trim level, but I don't remember if its lariat or xlt.

Either way, I really think I want to go look at it after the snow clears, and see if ti looks as good in person as it does in pictures. I like the grill much more than the 78-79 kind, and its black! with the race track trim, I think its called, and a bad interior. And since I NEVER find the kind of Dodge I like, I've pretty much decided on a dent.

What I was thinking, though, is to scrap (or sell) the 351M and auto tranny it is supposed to have in it now, in favor of a later-model drivetrain consisting of a 351 or built 302, with a 5-speed manual. I would lower the truck enough to make it level, and do a few cosmetic things but mostly stay stock on the outside, I think. At least tastefully done. On the inside, I would see about finding a way to put sweet comfy and supportive buckets in there, and I would upgrade the suspension so that it doesn't drive like a semi truck. Have a hint of performance about it, I guess.

Anyways, this is my first post, so my name is Kevin, and I live in Tahlequah, Oklahoma and I am 19 years old. I recently decided to join the Air Force, and quit my job selling Fords in Broken Arrow to move back in with my dad and exercise A LOT. I will be leaving in 3 to 9 months... haven't got much of a time table yet. Anyway, I am getting a pretty nice tax return thanks to the money I made at Jim Norton Ford for 5 months, and I am torn between picking up a specific Dentside I found, or running new exhaust on my Porsche, cuz I wont be getting enough for both. But, then there IS the problem of my dad saying I cant bring home another project until we get rid of what I have already... which is a Mustang, a Datsun 280ZX, and the parts car Granada for the Stang. Datsun is getting sold as soon as I can, and the Grenada is waiting on me to pull its 9" rear end and bolt up the 8" one from the stang, and pull its 302 out. (I need the pulley setup from the engine) I wont sell the stang, I'm pretty sure. Meh.

So, I think I'll be in the clear once I get rid of the Datsun and make some progress on the Granada. Either way, shouldn't be too long. I have 8-15 days anyway haha

Lets see, what else...

What do people think about built 302's and these trucks? I want semi-decent gas mileage (ie, not 8, like my dads 350) but I DEFINITELY want oomph. It'll never see off-roading, in all honesty, but its not getting slammed or something weird like that, but I'm mostly worried about a 302 feeling underpowered, which is why I was considering a moderately built 351, blown if at all possible, but then that will suck down gas like I made a drain plug in the tank or something.

I think that's about it, and if you've got this far, thanks!

 

Dooooooo it!!!

 

sound great like [tikkakoski] said, make it happen. good luck

 

one thing to you could list the Datsun & Granada for sale or trade on craigslist & ebay classifieds for a dentside or for parts for one & then just have the truck & stang to drive. Is the stang a coupe or convertible? I have the same problem I got 3 vehicles sitting my 74 F250 I am working on my 73 F100 part truck & 80 Camaro T-Top plus a steel flatbed sitting in front of the building were the truck is at an I am in the city. Same here always had cars an test drove F250 truck one time an drove a F150 before an fell in love with driving trucks still like driving cars but is totally different with trucks an I can haul stuff so it comes in handy. An good luck with your projects an keep us posted.

 

It is a 67 red on red coupe, v6/3spd. The parts lsit for it is positively huge, with the best bits being PAtriot side exhaust pipes, long-tube headers whose brand I don't recall, a rebuilt 302 and ALL components to make it into a V8 car w/ a 9-inch rear end and disk brakes all around, polyurethane bushings, everything needed to reassemble the interior plus an original overhead console that is REALLY cool, seats from a 98ish mustang mounted in front, and a ton of other cool stuff. Spent ALOT of money on it.

In all honesty... I should probably sell that one too. I seriosuly doubt that I will finish her. My brother has a project, my dad has a project, and everything else. I'll be leaving and who knows when I'll be able to restore it. I'd rather it get done and used than rustout in my shop.

What I was thinking, really, is that I would have this truck, and my Porsche. Invest in both a decent tow package, and a short car trailer, and I'll be able to go anywhere I want, whenever I want. Everything I own can fit in the bed of a truck, and what can't fit there could fit inside the Porsche on the trailer.

But enough of that...

I don't want to have the gas mileage of a tank, so I was considering the possibility of swapping into the truck (which MAY have a rod knocking) a 302, with a 5MT, out of a later model vehicle, but I am not sure of overall driving quality being retained. I would hate to spend all this money on a nice 302, or rebuild/build up one or something, but have the truck feel underpowered.

 

wow thats a lot of text......darn add kicking in again..sorry

 

Yep. Got it fixed now, it was my internet browser not saving things right.

 

Is the truck you're wanting a 2wd or 4wd? A zf5 is about the only tranmission I would trust in a truck as heavy as a dent. You could go with a t5 but I wouldnt trust it unless you never beat on your vehicles, a tko would be nice if you had the money. Either way you have to be willing to fabricate a little bit to fit a 5 speed in one of these old trucks.

 

Well, I caught your post about joining the Air Force. That being the case, might want to hold off. Hate to see you get the perfect truck only to get stationed overseas.

Of course, if you get Mountain Home ID, let me know!

 

The truck I'm looking at is a 2WD, and that is how I would prefer it anyway. I won't ever actually use the 4WD applications, and I prefer the lower stance of the 2WD as opposed to 4WD. As for transmissions, I was thinking a NV4500 from a Dodge. Of course, I may have missed the one big point of info that says NO on this, but from what I've seen, I like it. I doubt I will like/enjoy the fabrication needed to do such a thing, but thats what old cars are here for. I definitely drive hard, so I guess a T5 is out.

As for the Air Force, I will be swearing in early next week. Snow prevented me from doing so today. All I know is that the wait is between 3 and 9 months. I won't know my duty post until Tech School is finished. I would have plenty of time in that window of swearing in to before I go off to Basic to have the truck do what I want it to do, but I definitely dont want to wait until I am already stationed somewhere to decide. Especially since I WANT to be stationed overseas, at least sometime.

 

HERE is an install of what I was thinking, even though if I DO decide on the 302 rather than 351, I could modify this to fit my application a little more than I would have had to. I know the NV3500 is smaller, but if it could hold up to basic towing and decent driving, then its definitely something I could consider. I'm still in the research adn possibilities phase, but its nice to be there sometimes lol

Of course, there is the option, and probably the best option, of rebuilding the 351M that it already has. I know next to nothing about that engine, but I'm sure it cant be too diferent than any other engine.

I think a 351 Windsor built up would be quite the power plant too, but I'm also virtually clueless about the relative fuel economy of anythign like that.

 

Jerk a newer 5.8 (351W) and trans out of an early to mid 90s truck. EFI and 351 all in one package.

 

Theres actually one for sale around here somewhere, but its 800 for the engine and tranny, with the tranny being an Auto. Which won't happen. BUT, would it be plausible to use the EFI setup on the 351W and put it onto the 351M, or are they TOO different?

 

IMO I would build the 351m you have. The money you would spend in a swap could be put to better parts. Find a 400 crank and some cleveland heads and that thing will wake right up. I dunno what mpg's you get out of that but it would definitely perform well. Those bolt right up by the way no mods necessary (a 351m is a destroked 400). As far as finding a 5sp, there is another option of using a gearvendors overdrive unit behind the 4sp of your choice. I mean the best mpg's you can hope for with a dent is like 15-17 hwy with a good tune and tall gears, and you'll be wanting more power. If you drop that to 12-15 you could be driving something with a lot more umph and the difference wouldn't be all that bad unless you're on a long distance trip.

 

Just rebuild the 351m into a 400 (contact TMI for some awesome build options) and you should be pleased with the results. Gas mileage is a joke when looking at hot rodding old trucks like these. If you want gas mileage buy a car.