Body changes
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Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 3,455
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From: Williams Lake B.C.
Body changes
Did any 78's have a grille and front clip that looked like 76-77?
What years had the hood ornament that stuck up on a spring and said Explorer on them?
Got a guy thats trying to sell me a truck he says is a 78 and its got a 76-77 grille/ clip on it.
He swears its never been changed.
What years had the hood ornament that stuck up on a spring and said Explorer on them?
Got a guy thats trying to sell me a truck he says is a 78 and its got a 76-77 grille/ clip on it.
He swears its never been changed.
Hotshot
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 14,333
Likes: 247
From: Stanley, VA
The grill has been swapped. '75-77 Explorers had the hood ornament, can't remember for sure whether the 78-79's had them or not.
Check the VIN on the frame (not the door). If the last six digits are one letter and five numbers it's a '77 or earlier. If it's two letters followed by four numbers then it's a 78-79.
Check the VIN on the frame (not the door). If the last six digits are one letter and five numbers it's a '77 or earlier. If it's two letters followed by four numbers then it's a 78-79.
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,088
Likes: 4
The hood ornaments were an option with all the Explorer packages, I believe. I've even got a Supercab Custom F-250 that came from the factory with a hood ornament on it. I know it's original; my brother ordered it in '78 and owned it until just a few years ago.
More Turbo
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 636
Likes: 5
From: down a red dirt road
according to the lmc truck catalogs vehicle id and history page the grilles were changed in 1978, where the 77 hardly any changes were made at all, new hubcap designs added and this is the year they started the modern style fuel cap door.
as far as ive ever known the grille style was changed for the 78 year model, and should have round headlights until 79 they went to square.
the only midyear change for the entire bodystyle was in 76 when they changed from amber to clear parklight lenses.
surely the truck could have been wrecked at some point early in its life and a donor truck front clip used.
there were different style bumpers for the 78-79 years that are the more squared out looking ones versus the curvy styled ones from 73-77. no telling if the bumper had been changed either.
id check the vin number out and see if it matches the title vin# and what the title says it is...maybe your guy cant remember correctly(happened to me before)
i had a guy swearin my buick was an 88 when the title said 90 and he put his foot in his mouth because there was big blue book price difference! haha!
as far as ive ever known the grille style was changed for the 78 year model, and should have round headlights until 79 they went to square.
the only midyear change for the entire bodystyle was in 76 when they changed from amber to clear parklight lenses.
surely the truck could have been wrecked at some point early in its life and a donor truck front clip used.
there were different style bumpers for the 78-79 years that are the more squared out looking ones versus the curvy styled ones from 73-77. no telling if the bumper had been changed either.
id check the vin number out and see if it matches the title vin# and what the title says it is...maybe your guy cant remember correctly(happened to me before)
i had a guy swearin my buick was an 88 when the title said 90 and he put his foot in his mouth because there was big blue book price difference! haha!
Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 5,250
Likes: 10
From: West Virginia
thats not accurate, about the headlights changing to square in 79. Thats just a myth but its one every damn redneck seems to believe! Round headlights were available on custom and below trim levels in 78 and 79. The square headlights came on the higher optioned trucks. The square headlights seem more popular and they were and still are a common upgrade. I have personally owned both a 78 and a 79 custom 4x4 longbed regular cab that both still had round headlights.
More Turbo
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 636
Likes: 5
From: down a red dirt road
cool, ive only heard about the headlight things and seems to be a good way to help guess a year model(8x out of 10) too but ive never seen it as a documented fact. ive only had one truck newer than 76 so i never would've known for sure since my 78 did have round ones. i just figured that the truck could have been converted either way.
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