I know of a guy who says he's willing to part with his '78 F250 Supercab 4x4 with no engine and nice steel flatbed. It has sat for at least 5 years and I'm sure I can get it for cheap. It has no engine, a C6 trans, NP205 T-case, D44 front and D60 rear but most of all I'm pleased with the body being rust-free and only the underside has a little rust.
At home I already have a '78 Bronco for a weekend toy, my '96 F350 4x4 460CI(semi-daily driver), and my '78 F250 Snow Fighter with D60's front/rear. The reason I want this Supercab is to replace '96 F350 regular cab. The '96 runs fine but has a cramped interior. It's a pain in the butt trying to go places with the family in this truck so I'm looking for a Supercab and I'm going back to only driving '79 and older trucks.
Being that I put a ZF5 in my '96, the shifter is an issue when I tow or haul with it, I can only take part of the family along with me due to lack of seating. The '78 Supercab has a full bench seat front and rear for the family. I also have a bed lined up for this truck with a cap so we can all take it camping.
Anyway, the question I'm asking is, what engine/trans. should I go with?
I won't be using this truck for a diehard tow rig or anything but on occasion, maybe a handful of times per year I will be pulling a 12,000lb. load. I will mostly be hauling firewood and building material in the bed. I won't be going with tires any taller than maybe 35's. I would be off-road on my tractor trails getting wood quite often so I will need oversized mud tires but nothing too tall like I said.
I'm not sure what gear ratio the axles have but I might swap in my D60's from my Snow Fighter because they have 3.54's and with a granny-low manual transmission like the NP435, the RPM's shouldn't be too high on the highway with something like 33in. tires.
My Drivetrain Choices: *all options include an NP205 transfer case*
--I love the simplicity, reliability, and awesome low-end torque of a 300 inline 6 so that is my first choice. If I go with this engine it will be down to three transmissions: NP435, T18, or ZF5
The ZF would be nice on the highway but I prefer having all cast iron underneith my truck on the trail and the ZF would be the weak link.
--I am thinking about taking my 400(408) out of my Bronco and putting that in the Supercab since it will have all the power for hauling but it would suffer in the MPG department. It gets about 8-10mpg but has about 380hp. With that engine I wouldn't care what trans is used since it will have plenty of power and not require the help off the line when hauling that a manual transmission offers.
--My final choice is a 6.9 or 7.3 idi diesel. I don't want a powerstroke so that is not even an option. I don't want anything computerized or fuel injected going into this old classic. Simplicity and ease of maintenance is key. I have always wanted a 6.9/T19 combo in a 78/79 F250/350 all my life but have never got around to it. If I found one with a C6, would that be fine too? I know the C6 is stout since I've owned plenty, but does an old 6.9 really lag in power with a C6 compared to a T19?
I know this would be the best choice for hauling and fuel mileage but I'm still on the fence about all three options.
If I choose the 4.9 gas or 6.9/7.3 diesel, I will have to rebuild them before putting them in the Supercab, just to be safe. They are my favorite options but they will cost the most. If that's the route I go, how much would it cost for these engines to be rebuilt?
If I go with the 408 that I already have, I don't have to pay for an engine to begin with and I won't have to rebuild it since it only has 18K miles on it. I also have a C6 for this engine that I rebuilt with only 5K miles on it. This is the cheapest route initially but it's my least favorite option and the least fuel efficient option. Even though the 408 is rebuilt I still would trust a junkyard 300-I6 to outlast it, plus, the fuel mileage is a big concern.
I don't know guys, should I just use what I have already or make this Supercab what I've always wanted?
I'll try to upload a pic of the truck I'm talking about.