My tailgate is solid enough but bowed and dented badly. It was off another truck and looks like it just needs to go back to it.

I have not tried any salvage yards yet and came across this replacement one one autopartswarehouse.
AutoTrust Gold 7761 Tailgate | Auto Parts Warehouse

Says its $280.00, with free shipping, bla bla bla...

It has a crazy 5 year warranty and is supposed to be a direct replacement for D7TZ9940700A.

Has anyone tried one of these?

Any other sources for 'new' replacements?

 

My local salvage yard has plenty and there only $35. So don't waste your money

 

You guys in the great N.W. have all the old trucks and the spare parts! Maybe you can go fish out a good one from your local SY for $35 and ship it down South for Xmas? ha ha. I just paid pretty good coin to have my new dent shipped from Oregon.

 

$35 bucks for a tail gate in my local Missouri JY.....

 

Look for an original Ford tailgate, try not to buy one of the repro tailgates. I hear they are poorly built. I got mine from Craigs List.

 

I saw a perfect tailgate on a truck in the processing yard that I will keep an eye on, it should go out to the yard either this saturday or next Wednesday, I might just buy it in case any of my new dentside brothers need one

 

Any of you guys want to pick one up and send it to Michigan for me? lol. All we have here is rust buckets.

 

Yeah, a good tailgate is pretty hard to come by in these parts. Gooseneck trailers have taken their toll over the years. I've been looking for one for quite a while and haven't found a decent one yet.

 

Avoid aftermarket tailgates. Unless they have "FORD" stamped on them they WILL be a piece of c**p with no strength. If you put any weight on them at all they will bend.
A good used one is money well spent. You won't regret buying it in six months.

 

I wish that I had more experience with these old trucks so i could buy the hard to get pieces that are more desireable for the dentside community

 

Keep reading and you'll learn some things.... oh here is a list I have cut and pasted from a few old threads. There might be a repeat in there somewhere.

West coast mirror brackets - three-legged and two-legged
West coast mirror heads
"Sport Mirrors"
Super Camper Special emblems
Trailer Special emblems
All good to mint emblems
XLT glove box emblem
XLT grill shell emblem
Hood ornaments
Race track mouldings
Tail light moulding bezels and tailgate trim
OEM push bars
OEM dual battery systems
OEM door speaker wiring harnesses
OEM CB radios
Contour bumper license plate light pigtails & light caps
Contour bumper brackets, rear
Contour bumper outer brackets, front (from what I have read, VERY rare)
Tailgate decor panels
OEM door panels and trim
Chrome headliner mouldings
Uncracked 73-75(?) early steering wheels
OEM gauge clusters (no idiot lights)
Sport steering wheels
Chrome wheel well mouldings
OEM hubcaps (2WD and 4WD)
Bushwacker cut-out fender flares (No longer offered by Bushwacker)
76-79 integral steering box, drag link, & tie rod
FE PS pulley
FE PS brackets
Aftermarket valve covers
Autolite 2100, Autolite 4100, Holley 1850, and Edebrock carbs
2bbl EGR carburetor plate
90-degree FE oil filter housing from 4x4s
FE clutch bracket, engine-side
FE driver's side exhaust manifold
Auxiliary battery tray, solenoid, & wiring
Tailgate decor panels and tailgate trim
XLT grill shield
Chrome headliner trim
Factory door speaker wiring harnesses
Factory CB radio
Factory 8-track
Three-spoke "sport" steering wheels
Aftermarket highliner (plastic headliner with provisions for speakers)
Jr. West Coast mirrors (two legs
Grill shells (undented)
Tilt column for manual transmission trucks (apparently rare)
License plate light pigtails, lenses, and caps for contour bumpers
Green, red, blue, and brown door panels (Uncut & cherry)
Any colored door panels with OEM chrome trim
OEM 2WD front swaybars, brackets, and end links.
Autolite 4100 carburetors with 1.12 stamped on the side (600 cfm)
DJM dream beams
AIM lowering beams
Dome lights
Cargo lights
parking light lenses
seatbelts
external mirrors
inner fenders / battery trays
3G alternators
manifold heat shrouds
gauge clusters
*****, **** rings
hood latch
headrests (swiped from a Taurus)
intermittent wiper switch, overflow tank with wiper pump, wiper motor
door molding (swiped off a later model)
chrome side trim
transmission cooler lines
radiator and electric fans
condenser
oil cooler
Hood ornaments
XLT grill badges (in good condition)
Lariat door inserts
OEM bed rails
factory shelving behind the seat
OEM 2WD swaybars
factory buckets and seat brackets (for Bumps but fits Dents)
factory door speaker wiring harnesses
rear contour bumper brackets
**NICE*** grill shells
Crew cab rear doors
Crew cab headliners
Supercab headliners
Supercab interior trim panels (back wall and doors)
Supercab rear folding bench parts
OEM door panels
Supercab drip rail mouldings
Supercab side trim
73-77 hornpads and buttons
78-79 Sport steering wheels
Any uncracked 73-77 steering wheel!
78-79 factory alloy wheels
Auxiliary battery trays
Factory air horns & compressor! (RARE!!)
OEM push bar
midship gas tank skid pan for the 1/2 & 3/4 ton 4x4
Rear sump oil pans - 351M400 and FE
OEM Ford locking hubs for the D44HD
Contour bumper tag light pigtails, lenses, and caps.

 

as far as tailgates go, does anyone know anything about a tailgate that looks alittle different than normal and has a hand latch that swings out to one side rather than out and up like normal? I don't have a pic, but may try to get one. A friend has it on his truck and we can't figure out what it's from.

 

A 69-72 Ford truck I believe, look at the body lines, I bet they are just a bit off. I have a FTE bud that had the same style TG overall not to big a difference to worry about replacing it.

 

Agree with 77&79F250, this was the bumpside tailgate. It will physically fit and work, but the body lines don't line up.

 

cool, I'll let them know. thanks.