All Rear Bumpers were optional, so yes it was possible to buy a rear bumperless truck.

If you got a truck without a rear bumper, it came with a license plate light and bracket that bolted to the left of the truck, just under the tailgate.


Spare tire is indeed optional, and came one of these ways...

1: Wheel and carrier without the tire.
2: Wheel and tire, with carrier.

Then there were 3 different spare tire carriers:

1: Regular underbed Carrier.
2: Optional Slide Out Carrier.
3: In-Bed spare tire carrier.

 

My truck is supposed to have this, as evidenced by the holes in the bedside, however the previous owner was nice enough to take it off for me.

 

I am really enjoying seeing all the option that were available!

 

It's even more enjoyable when you hunt down those options and add them to your truck as I have.lol.

 

That was my main reason for starting this thread

 

If you have any questions about adding options, I have the factory 1980 brochure and my own personal experiences, so feel free to ask. I got lucky with my new interior, it already had the light group, convenience group, and the security lock group.

 

Thanks man! What is light group, convenience group, and the security lock group?

 

Light Group: Lights in Glove Box, Light in Ash Tray, Lights under the dash (these are absolutely awesome!), dome lamp with map lights, cargo light, headlamp on warning buzzer, and underhood light.

Convenience Group: Intermittent Wipers, 12" Day/Night mirror, map box on doors(Lariats will already have this), headlamp on warning buzzer, and courtesy light switch on right hand side for Custom trim trucks.

Security Lock Group: Locking gas caps, locking hood release, locking glove box, and locking spare tire carriers for under frame and in box carriers.

I highly recommend the light group.

 

What do you guys know about 1985 options? Mine is a F250 with XLT, Lariat, and Explorer packages.

 

I plan on replacing the dash and wiring harness so that i can add power windows and locks, and I am liking the idea of having the light group! If i found a truck that had the light group, would i be able to just use that dash for mine? Is it in 80-86 trucks or is there a cut off year? How can i tell if a truck has it?

 

All of that stuff uses add-on wiring harnesses, there is no need to change the underlying infrastructure to accommodate it.

Power locks & windows use harnesses that plug into the back of the fuse box and you'll insert two circuit breakers in the front.

The light group stuff plugs in, um, I believe it's behind the dash to the right of the HVAC controls & ashtray, there should be some unused connectors down there if you don't already have those options installed.

There'll be a connector down there for a clock, too.

 

HERESY!!

While you're off building yourself a whole up-level truck, some of us are angsting over adding a non-factory cigar lighter.

 

Normally you would be correct, but he has a 1980. The first year for Power windows and door locks was 1981. The fuse panel arrangement is different between 1980 and 1981-1986. So it's going to take some work to get power windows and door locks in a 1980. So much so that, I'd advise against it really.

Replacing the main wiring and fuse panel with a 1981 or 1982 main harness would be easiest. HOWEVER, this leads to more problems to sort out... the main one is finding a good main harness to begin with. I'd advise against restructuring the fuse panel for it to work. Perhaps adding a aftermarket additional panel would work.

If changing the main harness to 1981 or newer...

1: Headlamp switch is 1980 only. Would have to replace it with a 1981-1986 switch.
2: Instrument cluster printed circut is 1980 only. This would need to be swapped with a 1981-1986, or the cluster rewired.
3: Instrument cluster bezel is different. Would need to swap that, or rewire or change the cluster to correct the light bar difference.

Then issues with the doors...

4: The doors will have to have holes drilled into the top of them for the lock rods.
5: Door panels would need to be replaced. Slide Locks and mechanisims removed and swapped with the more convensional lock mechanisims etc...
6: Rubber Conduits, and holes will need to be drilled for the wires between the doors and the cab.


That's just off the top of my head.

 

lol. I still think it's plug and play, but I'm not quite sure.

 

I was told that 1980 was the only year that did not offer the power windows and doors, and that there was no spot on the fuse box to plug them into. That is why I was going to replace the harness with one from a newer truck. and since my dash has some little pieces broken off, i was just going to replace the whole dash.

Its good to know where the clock and light group plugs are! Thanks1 I am planning on addind both of them.