I tend to agree with Deeproots. I bought 78 Ranger 4x4 SB for $1500. The engine, cab and drivetrain was in great shape. The only issues were steering gear, tie rods and bed that looked like swiss cheese.

 

I agree, I'm currently restoring a '76 long bed and I'm in it a few grand already and its not even drivable. I'm seriously considering putting it up for sale and I get what I get because my time is running thin! I have kept mine 100% stock for replacement items.

 

Sorry guys but I do disagree with your evaluation....floor boards and rust in the rocker has been cut out and replaced so the only rust left is in the drivers door and the hood which are both replacable and as far as the cluster I have another one on the way but still contiplating on designing my own. I may have made my truck seem worse than it was but it IS drivable as she sits right now so $500.00 is considerably low. My bed has NO rust in it either.

My considering putting a chevy engine in it is only due to financial reasons. As far as the engine I have now sucking is a matter of opinion. I am not looking to haul *** down the road I am just looking to tow my boat to the boat launch and back and drive around town.

 

Sorry, this forum is for Ford trucks (hard to know that sometimes with all the toyota and chevy advertisements). You should go to some chevy truck forum for help about all that.

Have a nice day!

 

Update, went to a couple junkyards in the next state over and picked up some parts...the most I am excited about is a pristine dash pad. I could not believe that I found that in a JY. Anyway also picked up a coupe of dash clusters in great shape as well and some side marker lens and a center horn piece for my steering wheel. Also picked up a hood off craigslist for $20.00. Only rust left on my truck is the bottom of the drivers door. I will add pictures soon.

 

Update: Finally got the floors done, I will post pictures soon but cut out the rust and used a hood for the metal to replace since a old hood was cheaper and they are pretty strong. Cut them to fit the entire floor, used a "glue and screws to piece together and then fiber-glassed the floor twice and then rhino lined the floor as well and sprayed under coating underneath the truck as well. Also fixed the rust in the rockers.

 

man that floor could probably survive a bomb blast now

 

I went and bought me a ussed motor today, did some local searching on craigslist and found one 2 hours away. Runs like a sewing machine.....alot better than what mine does now. It came out of a 79 250 4 wheel drive. After looking at the engine I noticed some differences between it and mine. It has an odd looking air cleaner. It bolts through the carb and its kind of oval shaped. I will try and post pics tomorrow. Also it has egr but only pipe is from the exhaust manifold to the bottom of the egr plate. My engine that is in my truck now has a smog pump and has a rail that has ports along the head. I dont know if its where the truck is built depends on how they build. Mine was made in Va originally. I did get the numbers off the block which are ESTE 6015 MB 5L20

I did some forum searching and from what I can tell its a 75 block made in nov 20th????

The card looks a little different than what is in my truck now and as I said the air cleaner is wayyyyy different.

Also it was the durasparkII distributor and I got the electronic box off the truck as well (blue) cause I was not sure if mine would work with that distributor. Mine has the small cap and the new engine has the bigger cap. He even threw in a straight front bumper as well.

 

Here is a picture of the air cleaner



Hope that works....not a pic of mine but a pic of what came on new engine

 

My 82 F150 had that type air cleaner on it, it's rare but not uncommon. It also sounds like the engine you picked up was one built without the air injection ports in the head. You'll have to do some re-configuring to get your air pump and other smog controls working, but it should all work out.

I never had a truck with the stock air pump stuff on it, so i'm lost there but I'm sure someone will know just how to make it work together.

The duraspark II distributor should just drop right in the block, and if your truck already has the fender mounted duraspark I box then I think the II box should plug right in to your harness. (Don't quote me on that, but I think so.)

Good luck with it and keep us updated! Subscribed!

 

Smog pump is inop so not worried about that at all. MS is kind of lax on all that stuff. We can pollute all we want and get an inspection sticker lol

 

Finally able to add the pictures.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ctureid=127401

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ctureid=127402

 

Here are some other pictures of the stuff I got and have done.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ctureid=127400

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ctureid=127399

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ctureid=127398

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ctureid=127397

 

Installed dash pad today. They did a great job painting it and the door panels. Panels wont be installed until I get some door speakers put in and wired. I am glad to finally have my dash put all back together though. Looks a little more like a complete truck.



https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ctureid=128605

 

who did that paint job, it is unspeakbly well done, good job and I'm glad you did not take the dump and trash it advice, may possibly have been cheaper but I doubt it, you can do SOOOOO much cheaply and well if you put your mind to it