Me and a buddy love these trucks, have SEVERAL between the two of us, and are ALWAYS looking for others. We just don't see many, if ANY, 6 cylinder 4x4's. I have one I drive often, and love it, but that's really the only one we've seen.

There couldn't of been many made ??? Just a curious topic for you guys....

 

Are you meaning of dentsides or just in general? Around here 90% of the ford 4x4's I see are either 302's or 300 I6's. Now I haven't seen a lot of dent straight sixes at all, but why have 300 when you can have 390 (or 460)

 

The roof donor for my '79 was was a '79 4x4, 300 and a NP-435. Shame it was so rotten. I love my Big Sixes

 

We focus on dent sides, and that's what we don't see with 6's a 4wd. I know the 302 has the same displacement (with less tq.), and I sure know about 460's (look at my signature). But the ol inline 300 is a great running engine....

My 79 long bed has the big 6, 435 trany, and 205 t-case

 

My 79 is a factory 4x4 300i6 never thought it was rare lol

 

I removed my 390 and installed a hp 300. By doing some mods to the 300 I retained the horse power of a stock 390 (2v), and my mpg increased 60%. Now I'm considering swapping in a ZF trans with overdrive. With the overdrive I anticipate my mpg to increase to 80% better than my 390/C6 combo. That was a strong motivator to go with the 300.

 

family had two highboys with 300s good trucks.

 

The old 300 was a very common engine choice. They were used in f100's-f350's. In both 2wd and 4wd configurations. They were the equivilant to the Ecoboost v6 of todays trucks. Just with a greater application. They were also used in tractors, generators and other types of equipment.

 

I know they are good engines, you just don't see many in 4x4's around here.

 

I guess my experience with the 300 is more limited than yours. The only straight comparison I have is a 87 w/a 300, c6, and 4.10 gears. It got stomped and then some. And it only got 12 mpg, so I figured for 2 mpg, I made the right call

 

I've got one in the bone yard.

 

Don't get me wrong. I love the 390. That engine took me and my family from S.Cal, 18 hours into Baja, over dessert and mountain, with a boat atop the camper, and carrying an outboard and 10x more ... stuff than we could ever use, and brought us home safe many a time. I could build a shrine to the 390.

But building the 300 was different and fun. Parts aren't so available with the 300 (used bbc roller rockers!), so you have to adapt things. I also like all the space in the engine box. And of course $4 gas influenced my decision to try the 300.

 

I'm getting 13.8 mpg with a 351m/c6.

 

there are a dozen or more dentside 4x4's with 300-6's in my area here are 2 (yes i know ones an 80's model) i don't have pics of the others but i know a few 67-72s done up same way as the ones in this pic one friend has 2 supercabs on 38's (5 of he local trucks including one in pic are on 38's)with a 300 in it but only one in this neck of woods has a 4bbl 300 pushing 44's

 

I have a 79 F250 4x4 with the 300 and np435 and Dana 60s front and rear, from the
Factory! It has 4.10 gears and slightly larger tires and it gets around 12 mpg
Loaded or empty.