This is just a little rant. I bought a 79 F250 about a month ago and am going to restore it. I had one years ago. It is a custom and so was my previous one. The one I just purchased doesn't have the race track molding. I guess someone ground the rivets off when it was last restored. So, the lower bracket of the mirror is actually in the dent. I plan on putting molding back on it so I will have to redrill holes in the door. So either it has different doors on it (with the original door tag put on it) or when it was last restored they filled the mirror holes. In pictures it looks like the top of the mirror bracket is really close to the top of the door but my mirrors top bracket is moved down as well. Oh the fun of trying to figure out what the previous owner(s) did to the truck and what the reasoning was!!

 

Because it has no molding now doesn't mean the last guy removed it. It could of (and more than likely being a Custom model) not came with molding.

Yes the mirrors mount up close to the top of the door and are not supposed to be mounted in the dent. Never could understand why someone would mount them there in the first place. If you pull the door panel off more than likely you will either see welded up holes or bondo'd holes where they originally mounted unless the door was replaced with a new/aftermarket door.

 

Oh ok!! Well, I guess I have been wrong for a long time. I thought the customs had the race track molding in the dent. So, maybe someone can tell me what the differences were between the Customs, Explorers, Rangers etc were with the trim packages. When I am done with my truck it will have the race track molding and the lower trim that goes along the bottom of the truck (Not the kind that was on the two tones).

 

From what I have read on this site is the Customs are bone stock trucks that people can special order with the options they would like. My brother ordered a 74 F100 with a 360 auto, PS and AC. It did not have the chrome trim in the dent.

 

I did this basically for the Bronco but most of it will apply to the F-series. Taken from my thread here:Custom, Ranger, Ranger XLT, Lariat differences - 7879BlueOvalBronco.com - Ford Bronco and F-series Truck Forums

Here are the differences between these models. I also have found out that for the 78/79 Bronco it was available as a Custom or Ranger XLT model only. They did not offer the Ranger package only on the Bronco.

Custom:
Pretty much your stripped down version although it could have been ordered with just about any individual option you wanted to put on it. A Custom model included: low back bucket seats, vinyl floormat for the front only, 25 gallon gas tank, manual steering, 4 speed trans with the 351 motor and the 205 case.
Exterior features were:
hub caps, black painted bumpers and the stainless mirrors.

Ranger:
Not offered on the Bronco, only available in the F-series lineup. Those upgrades were:
The bench seat had a chain mail vinyl seat upholstery, it also included a color matching vinyl floormat, sunvisors, seat back covers in the regular cab model and white headliner with chrome trim.

Ranger XLT:
The front seat used a combination of cloth and vinyl, insulated woodgrain door panels, carpeted flooring, woodgrain around instrument cluster, passenger dash and the glove box, woodtone on the steering wheel horn button, chrome trim around taillights and halogen headlights. The XLT also got the body side trim.

Exterior:
Chrome bumpers, chrome molding around the windshield and side windows in the top, chrome molding around the drip rail by door, chrome wheel well lip molding, rear T-gate chrome pieces, and the body side trim.

Lariat:
Not offered on the Bronco, only available in the F-series lineup. Those upgrades were:
Full cloth seat trimmed in super soft vinyl, door trim panels that included padded inserts, map pockets on the lower door, button quilted padded headliner and extra insulation.


Options available:
These are the only options that I have prices on. Below are some additional options.

400 engine............................................ .....................$165.00
included 12 inch diameter clutch and 53 amp/hr battery
Traction lock front axle.............................................. ...$175.00
Traction lock rear axle.............................................. ....$175.00
Automatic trans............................................. .............$197.00
came with oil cooler and 53 amp/hr battery
Power steering.......................................... ..................$211.00
Heavy duty suspension........................................ .........$104.50
Forged aluminum wheels............................................ ... $218.30
Forged aluminum polished wheels....................................$304.30
When combined with the free wheeling package................$129.10
White painted styled steel wheels...................................$175.20
when combined with the free wheeling package.................$43.20
Rear seat.............................................. .....................$287.20
Quad front shocks............................................ ............$74.00
Swing away tire carrier Ranger XLT..................................$60.60
Swing away tire carrier Custom.......................................$81.6 0
Skid plates............................................ ......................$123.10
Rear stabilzer bar............................................... ...........$25.00
Tilt steering.......................................... ........................$72.00
Free Wheeling pacakge on a Custom................................$558.45
Free Wheeling Package XLT...........................................$385 .05
Ranger XLT package........................................... ...........$668.90

Additional options:

Appearance:

Chrome bumpers

Wheel well molding

Body side trim

GT bar with foam padding

Grilles. There were 3 different options for the front grille. Black, Silver or Argent with chrome accent. I have seen Black on an XLT and the Argent with chrome on an XLT. I am not sure how they decided what grille to put on what truck.

Audio:

AM radio

AM/FM mono radio (1 speaker in dash)

AM/FM stereo (speakers in door panels)

AM/digital clock radio

40 channel CB radio with antenna. This was available on all radio options. A simple way to tell if it had a CB originally if all wiring is gone look for an ash tray on the driver side cargo panel. If there is no ash tray it originally had a CB.

Comfort/convenience:

A/C

Comfort vent heater ( I think this was also the HI-LO option)

Insulation package

Rear floor mat (Custom only)

Front captain chairs (available in 79 only)

Front bench seat

Rear seat

Center console ( only available with buckets)

Convenience group ( intermittent wipers, map paockets and 12 inch day/night mirror)

Lighted visor mirror passenger side only

Privacy glass for top

sliding windows for top

tinted glass all

Western mirror, low mount(normal folding style mirror)

Recreation mirrors (towing mirrors)

GT sport steering wheel with simulated leather wrap ( not available with cruise)

Simulated leather wrapped steering wheel

Cruise control

Light group (ash tray, glovebox, underhood, instrument panel courtesy lights and dome light with map lights)

Swing away spare tire carrier ( stock when ordered with (5) 10x15 tires) with vinly tire cover

Performance:

Quad shocks (gas filled)

Handling package (rear sway bar, quad shocks up front and dual gas filled rear shocks)

Automatic trans

600 watt engine heater

Heavy duty suspension (HD front springs, HD rear springs and front sway bar)

Rear sway bar

Gauges (oil and amp)

32 gallon gas tank with skid plate

Skid plates for 25 gallon tank and T-case

Trailer towing package

Protection:

Tow hooks (front)

Locking hood release

Exterior protection group. Consists of door edge guards, front bumper guards and front bumper rubber strip.

Security lock group. Consisted of locking gas cap, locking hood release, spare tire lock and locking glove box.

Free Wheelin:


Standard features were:

Black bumpers front and rear, Dual black low mount western style mirrors, (5) 15x6 painted steel wheels in either white or chrome yellow with L78x15 raised white letter tires and of course the custom chromatic tape stripe found on the black Bronco. There were also 2 other stripe color combinations, Orange/Tan/Creme or Blue/White/Green.

Trailer Special:

Now according to my book the 1st year for the Trailer Special was 79. I have seen a few members here that have 78 Trailer Special's. There were 2 categories for the Trailer Special.

Light duty trailer towing package:
Good for towing up to 2,000lbs.
This package included a heavy duty radiator, external oil cooler, seven lead trailer harness, heavy duty turn signal flasher and the Trailer Special emblem on the T-gate.

Heavy duty trailer towing package:
Good for towing up to 6,000lbs.
This package included a heavy duty alternator,heavy duty battery, HD rear shocks, bigger radiator, rear sway bar, swing out recreational mirrors, amp meter, oil pressure gauge, HD front springs, external oil cooler and the Trailer Special emblem on the T-gate.


Transfer Cases

The T-case on an NP 203 (full time case) will have a shift pattern like this.

4 low lock
-
N
-
4 high lock

The NP 205 (part time case) will have this shift pattern

4 low
N
2 high
4 high


Almost all of this information was taken from various books and brochures. If you find an error somewhere post up and I will correct it. I am only human.