Hey everyone,

Looking for my first project, I have an idea of what i would like to get. 78-79 F250 regular cab 4X4. I have been looking online and went to look at a few trucks. But have been nervous to get one as I don't know what I should be looking closely at as far as the body, frame, Ect... Like I said this is my first project so any tips and advice would be great. Thanks for your time!

PFC Lindholm, Brent

 

Brent welcome to FTE, have you checked out the vet net thread?

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...et-at-fte.html

Anyway as far as what to look for....78/79 best year for p/s design and front disk brakes. The big thing too insp to me anyway is frame rust and front cab mounts for rust.

They can cause real trouble when letting the front of the cab settle and are a PITA to replace. As far a frame rust would you buy a house with a bad foundation?

Also roof rail/windshield cab edge rust, other than that it is easy panel replacement. 351M or 400, 400 is better so alot of folks say.

Forget gas mileage its a F250 not a VW....

Read up as much as you can on here, get smart on these ol trucks and shop as a wiser man. Hurry up and make spc/cpl it pays better....

Attn FTE folks 32 views of this thread and I am the first guy to give some advice, come on Ford fans, lets hear from you!

 

You covered most of it... But I'll add a bit

78-79 is a good year set (see above), and 1 of my favorite bodystyles

F-150 will do most of what you need, unless you do a lot of heavy hauling... I'd perfer a 250 as well, but I settled for 150's and 100's

Watch the bottom of the doors, they are pita to find in good shape (at least around here)

The bed is another one, if your going for a stepside, the bed rails should make a 90 degree (why can't i ever find the degree symbol) angle at the top edge, turn out and have a curved lip. the box should have a 2x4 looking wood bed floor, though a lot of them have had steel floors welded in over the past 30 odd years... next check the front and back edges of the fenders themselves, there are patch panels avalible for the front, but not the back, and these fenders are not cheap, as anything from 48? to 79 uses the same fender, and the classic guys like to buy them...

The other style bed, probably the more common one is bad for rusting out around the wheel wells, but it's a relativley easy fix... compared to the back of a stepside fender...

Try to find a truck with a bed on it, even if it is a pile of rust, as everyone wants a small fortune for either style bed.

As was stated earlier, watch for rust around the gutters on the cab, all around the windshield, and anywhere around the front of the door jamb (all tough/annoying fixes)

I don't worry so much about the rear cab corners, or the floorpans, as patch panels are readily avalible. Full replacement's are avalible for the cab mounts, but they are a pita to change, and are much easy to just find a cab with good ones...

As for gas mileage 2wd is gonna be better everytime, but I'm not expecting more than 15 on the best day my truck will ever have, and I'm expecting more like 8-12 with a 351-w that is mildly built...
(my 2wd that is)
My 4x4 I'm hopeing for 5mpg yes 5... but it's got between 9 and 12" of lift under it, on 35" shoes with a 351/400-M engine (well the one I'm working on now)

While I'm thinking about it, check the rear shock mounts too, seems they like to rot as well...

So top 6 things to look for
1. Good Frame
2. Complete truck
3. Decent shape4. little rust as possible
5. If it runs and drives it's that much better to start with
6. the more trim the better, but be carefull with it it's expensive to replace

what I would personally Ideally look for (2 seperate columns)
(year, model, drivetrain, motor, trans, bodystyle, trim package)
78-79
F150 F250
4x4 4x4
351-m Big Block
4spd 4spd
stepside other
Xlt Ranger Camper Special

 

I made the mistake of not scraping the clumps of mud off the bottom of my first one. when I got it home I scraped the mud off the bottom of the cab and the floor mats almost fell through! lol. Same thing on the bottom side of the box.

 

Yeehaw1 & 77J thanks for the assist, come on folks lets keep the info rolling.

 

Agree with what others have said about hard to repair rust areas such as drip rails and around windows. Your post asks about body and frame etc. so don't know if you were looking for help on the drive train, but make sure you check that out as well. Observing a cold start can tell you alot about the health of the motor. Exhaust leaks are fixable, other noises can mean big jobs/expense. Get under the truck to see how wet the motor is, this is your best indication of bad main seals, etc. If your like me, you are more comfortable working certain things than others. So look for a truck that needs attention in the area you know.

Mostly, I would say be patient. You'll probably have this truck a long time, you don't want to regret that you didn't get something you want (250 vs 150 etc). Look at a number of trucks to get an idea of what typical condition is. Then when you see a gem you'll know it.

 

Hey Everyone,

Thanks for the great info!! Most of my mechanic knowledge came from a 1998 Ranger, so I will be having some guys from the motorpool help me out with this. Looking at these trucks I have very little knowledge aside from what am reading on here. But "march" I did not mean to limit the post to just the body and frame. I want to hear everything and everyone's opinions, left to right and up and down. Also is there any good reading material out there I could get before I start this to help build my knowledge up for this year range. Thanks for your time!!

 

Careful how your motor pool friends spend YOUR hard earned money.

Are you a heavy or light wheel mech by chance?

Just read all you can on here and see if there is any local FTE folks (regional/state forums) where you are at.

Here is the link to the Oregon chapter.

Oregon Chapter - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

 

I also personally like the 78,79 trucks better. Not only for the better steering, but also they married the transfer case and transmission, which made it a little stronger. Make sure the truck you buy has a NP205 transfer case (not all time 4x4) Not only is it better to have part time 4x4, but it is also totally gear driven and not chain driven like the 203 so it is much stronger. There were only 3 engines that came in the 78,79 4x4s: the 300 I6, 351M V8, and 400 V8. There is no doubt that the 300 I6 is the most dependable engine they offered, but there is no sound like the sound of a V8. I would base your engine choice on how you plan to use the truck.