A couple of weeks ago, I was looking at the Ebay trucks, and saw a good looking 77 that I thought would go nicely with my 78 and 79. And besides, I needed a Camper Special.



The auction description and pictures sounded and looked good enough (don't they all?) so I placed a bid and went to bed. I never expected to win, but I woke up the next morning to a congratulation email.

So I sent some money via PayPal and waited for the title to come via FedEx. After the title arrived, a quick trip to the Department of Motor Vehicles (really!) and I had the title transferred, truck registered and historic plates in hand.

The next weekend, after two plane rides, and a shuttle, I was picking the truck up from the former owner.



I didn't expect the tires to be great, but I didn't expect them to be flat, either. But I did correctly anticipate the 16.5" wheels and left hand threads on the left rear...

So we aired up the tires, and I headed down to the nearest Discount/America's Tire. They didn't have any tires in 16.5 (as I expected) and they had only two wheels with a 8x6.5 pattern. I picked the lesser of the two evils, and put new tires on the front.

Once I saw the fronts on, I decided that I really liked them. I would have bought a couple more for the back if they could have worked the left hand lugs.

While the truck ran well enough, it did run quite warm whenever pushed past 60ish. And really warm over the Grapevine. The coolant was the consistency (and color) of a chocolate milkshake, so that probably contributed.

When I got to LA, I went to another Discount Tire and spoke with the lad about the rear wheels and left hand lugs. He had the wheels to match, and said left-hand lugs would be no problem. He even explained to the shop guys about left hand lugs. Then I watched in amazement as the installers tried to spin a right-hand lug backward. Of course that didn't work, and they referred me to a shop that was able to swap out the left hand studs for right hand.

The rest of the trip was uneventful, and when I got home I:

• changed the battery and cables
• replaced the coolant recovery jug
• changed the front brake pads
• installed a thermostat
• flushed the cooling system

I then lined the trucks up for picture day. In order!

 

I love the look of the 3 lined up. I too saw your 77 on Ebay and thought it looked clean and straight. Glad it worked out for you and the pics!

 

Congrats Papa! .. that's one big smile yer wearing. That looks like a solid ride with no wheel arch rot!

Say, got a question about the CS emblem on forward of the front wheel. I thought it's supposed to be on the cowl or after of the front wheels. A custom location by a dealer or a previous owner?

Nice wheels. They remind me of New Mexico's state flag.

Oh yeah, don't forget to change your signature.

 

Thanks! Yeah, I was grinning like an idiot anticipating the 700 mile drive home - with no radio! Not sure about the placement of the CS badges - we'll have to get NumberDummy to straighten us out. It had just quit raining when I took the pics - I'll have to get a better pic for the new sig.

 

The Camper Special badge is in the correct place (I believe)... On the 78 F250 Camper Special I had that I recently traded, the CS badge was in the same place as it is on your new truck. Nice looking rig!

 

Nice truck! I have its rougher looking twin. If I remember correctly my CS badge is in the same location.

Are you aiming to get every year from 73-79 covered in your garage? You are off to a good start!

 

Thanks! - Now that you mention it, that does seem like a good idea...

 

"Three Dents to Yuma" good movie

 

The CS badge on the 73-76 were placed on the fender right below the F250 or F350 emblem. In 77 they changed the F emblem to the cowl and they put the CS badge on the front of the fender so your cs badge is correct.

 

Nice 'three shot' of all your dents perfectly lined up.....i believe i do see enough space for a fourth dent...

 

Congrats, PapaBear! Looks like a pretty nice ride. Now you need a Supercab or Crew Cab for your collection.

 

Been a big week for the new truck:
Took the radiator down to the shop and they said it was too bad to rod out
Ordered a new radiator
Noticed an unpleasant sound which I supposed was water pump bearings
Pulled water pump
Replaced timing chain-it was really bad
Replaced fuel pump
Replaced water pump
Offending sound remains-seems it was the a/c idler
Temporarily reinstalled the radiator to check for leaks
All good!
Pulled out some of the PO's shoddy trailer wiring
Removed the non-functioning aux battery relay
Installed glove box liner from JBG
Installed door lock latch clip from JBG
Replaced window rubber. The JBG kit is half the price of the DC kit and installed easier
Replaced the busted up dome lamp

I think that's it until the new radiator is delivered...