Hopefully I dont get killed for this question. Im new to this forum but not to forums in general, so I have searched before I post, but I haven't found a straight answer yet. My question is, was there ever a 80-86, super cab, short box, 4x4? I know there are super cab short boxes out there, but I've only seen the 2 wheel drive version. Is that because that's all that exists or because they're just super rare?

I used to own an 81' F100 2wd, but I sold it a few years ago. My dad bought it new and it was his daily driver for about 22 years. I got it from him but didn't have the money to do the work I wanted or the space to keep it. I drove it for a few years as a weekend truck but finally gave in and just got rid of it when we needed to make room for our new toy, a whitewater raft. I don't necessarily regret selling it, because that's what I had to do at the time, but I have always loved the body style and would like to get another one at some point. In a perfect world I'd like to have a nice, restored with some modern touches to it, 4wd version of what I used to have. Just curious on what some of the options would be. It would probably be a couple years before I could do something like this anyway. I just like to know what you options are and then I can keep my eye out for something and jump on it if the right deal comes up.

Thanks for any input

 

<p>The parts catalog says they produced two versions of 4x4 crew cabs, and in 1983 only...</p><p>Model Code M361</p><p>Model Code M381</p><p>Both are 9,600 LB. GVWR but I have no idea as to size of cargo boxes.</p><p>Model Codes are displayed on the Certification Label on the driver's side door jamb, someplace in the lower LH corner IIRC.</p><p>Source: FoMoCo 1980/89 Light Truck Master Parts Catalog, Text Section, page A28.</p>

 

But crew cabs are the 4 door cabs, only available in F-250 and F-350 until somewhere around 2000. He's asking about SuperCabs.

Personally I would have thought there would have been F-150 SuperCab short box trucks (SCSB) in 4WD in '80 - '86, but I've got no evidence that there were.

I had a '95 F-150 SCSB, and that's my ideal size truck. My crew cab is bigger than I need (now that my kids have moved out), but I can't see going back to a regular cab. And a long box is nice at times, but I've had a short box for the last 17 years and it hasn't really been a problem (plus they're easier to park). But I want it in an F-250 4WD.

 

There were no F100 4WD's assembled after 1976. There were no F100 Super Cabs assembled after 1979.

 

How about F-150s in a SuperCab short box with 4WD?

 

MODEL aka TYPE/GVW: X140 - X141 - X143 = F150 Super Cab 4WD, but the wheelbases aren't defined.

AFAIK, the only F150 Super Cab wheelbase is 155 inches for 2WD & 4WD

 

Our greatest regrets....Thats why I still have My Father's '49 Desoto.

 

That would be a long box (which I'm sure Bill knew but I had to look up to be sure).

I do know that short box SuperCabs (138.8" wheelbase) were available in both F-150s and F-250s in the '92 - '96/7 generation. I guess I'm a little surprised that they weren't (at least in an F-150) earlier, but like I said before, I haven't seen any.

 

I’m resurrecting this one after a long time.
I’m kind of casually keeping my eye out for the right truck.

Kind of bummed to find out that Ford didn’t make a super cab 4x4 short bed. In my mind that’s the perfect setup. I really want a super cab more or less just to have that extra space to put stuff and let the dogs ride. I know it’s not a great place for people to actually ride. But the super cab long box trucks just look a little too long for my taste. Not saying I won’t end up going that route in the end, it’s just not my first choice.

I know this is a broad question, not looking for specific details at this point, but how hard is it to convert 2wd to 4wd in these trucks? New front axle, transfer case, how much more and how labor intensive is it?

I’m not mechanically inept by any means, but I’m also nowhere near a mechanic, so I’d plan on doing some stuff, but I’d be having a shop do a lot of the work that needs to be done. So if it gets too labor intensive, then some stuff will just be out of the question.

 

If we are talking twin I beam it is bolt in for the most part. I have played around with the idea of converting my 2wd F150 to a 4wd F150 but I cant bring myself to put a hole in the floor let alone having a shifter where it might be in the way of a middle passenger or hitting my cb radio which is mounted between the column and the ashtray. Shame I never was able to find out if anyone put a more late model push button shifter for the transfer case into one of these trucks would have been a better alternative for me.

But if you source a twin I beam 2wd F150 you can swap in a 4wd twin ibeam setup from another F150 with no problem. The problem is when you go changing from twin ibeam to solid axle 4wd where the truck in question doesn't have leaf springs in the front.

 

Yes, f150's 4x4 conversions are just a bolt in. I can't say for sure when they started this, but I know my 1989 has a large bolt in panel in the center of the floor of the cab. My automatic 4x4 had a panel with one single hole for the transfer case shifter, when I swapped in the 5 speed I used the donor panel and just bolted it in place, it had the two holes and was also a little different for the different trans. But floor modification was a bolt in deal on that truck.

Someone that has messed with an earlier truck can confirm or deny the existence of the bolt in floor panel in the earlier trucks. I had a 1980 4x4, but can't remember if it had one.

 

Again, Ford DID make SuperCab short beds. Just apparently not in this year range. I don't know when the F-150 got the SCSB, but I had a '95 like that. And then there were old body style F-250 SCSB in something like '96 - '97.

 

I have a picture of the cab floor in my truck if that helps:



(Rust is now taken care of) But the center panel is just part of the cab. This is of course for an 81 Automatic 2WD

 

Thanks for the picture. I don't know what the criteria was for it have a removable panel. Curious that you have the outline of it, but it's not removable.

 

From what I seen posted the auto trucks did not have the removable pan the stick trucks had.


I can also tell you depending on what transmission is in the truck they are different pans for the trans.
This is my 81 with a T18 I also have a pan from my 81 parts truck that had a SROD and the hole is farther back.
I don't have a 4x4 one so dont know if the 4x4lever came up thru the pan or not but think it does.

I should correct my statement of stick trucks having the pan. IIRC Cory's 3 on the tree did not have a pan and had to add one when he did the M5-OD2 (or what ever it is called) to his truck.
Dave ----