I had my heart set on a Highboy with my first old truck purchase, but couldn't resist grabbing this beauty...






















Bed is probably trashed, but the cab barely has surface rust on it. Been sitting for seven years in New England and managed to avoid getting torn up.

It's only 2wd, but it's running a 300 straight six with T18 tranny.

All for $250!!! More pictures to come...

 

Got the truck home and wasted no time... hooking the new battery up on wrong terminals and frying the fusible link off the solenoid. After jumping right in on wiring diagrams, I got it running again to move it around the yard.



Pulled the bed to spruce it up, replace some panels and work on the frame.



If I ever pull that grille again, it'll be too soon. Gotta try to paint it while the weather is still decent this far north...



My helper assured me there was no rust, but I'm calling her bluff.



May as well prime and paint the interior if I'm doing the exterior. Add floor pans to the shopping list. And then add cab supports and bushings. And then add front clip and cab removal to the to-do list.

 

Not pictured is the desiccated mouse corpse that took a glory ride down the vacuum tube.



Ospho treatment on the back half of the frame and the cab finally made it into the yard. Dash pulled and one step closer to painting.

 

Pulled the 300 for gaskets, cleaning and a valve job.

 

This should definitely be the final post... maybe.

 

Cool truck for a very cool price! Use those extra posts for a bunch of pics of it!

David

 

Update: the truck has been moved to a shop down there that's doing some of the work I can't... the fella fixing it said he put a battery in it, dropped some gas in the carb and not only did it start right up, but ran about as quiet as they get! Exhaust and engine are in great shape.

The bed and hood, however.... are not. I'm guessing Craigslist is the best place to look for replacement parts? It'll be slim pickins up in my neck of the woods - what's the best way to arrange transport for parts that big?

 

77&79F250, do you know if the reflectors on the front fender are stock? I looked through your info post, but didn't find anything regarding reflectors on the front fender. Thanks!

EDIT: Definitely not stock!

 

Time keeps on moving! The fabrication/mechanic that's bringing it back to life can't start on it for another two weeks. Hard to stay patient, but it gives me time to plan out my work. Gonna start keeping a list here and am super grateful for any guidance.

Big Stuff To Be Done:
- replace the bed or build a temporary wooden one
- swap the wheels out for 16"
- figure out what's up with the spring on the brake pedal
- get some mirrors
- patch cab floors
- undercoating before Vermont winter sets in
- replace hood
- paint job

Little Stuff:
- scrub, scrub, scrub
- replace headliner
- replace glove box liner
- replace floor mat
- reupholster bench seat
- replace driver door panel

 

They ARE stock, what makes you think they are not? Plus these are lamps, use a #194 bulb.

D3TZ-15A201-A .. Front Fender Amber Marker Lamp - Right/Left same / Reproduced

1973/79 F100/350; 1975/91 Econoline; 1978/79 Bronco.

On 1973/79 Ranger XLT & 1978/79 Lariat with the wide upper body side mouldings with black vinyl inserts, the mouldings have cutouts for the lamps.

The upper narrow body side mouldings installed on Rangers, optional on Customs were installed behind the front fender marker lamps.

The upper and lower body side mouldings on the OP's truck are not stock.

 

As ND said the reflectors on the front fenders look stock. 73-79 are same same if parts hunting.

There is no side moulding on that truck, it is white pin striping...

 

I mean the square looking piece on the front fender. Not the narrow side markers, but the ones just inside that. The left side one has been snapped off, but the right is still there.

 

You mean the rectangle amber colored fog light on the FRONT BUMPER? Definitively NOT stock.

Same for the spring pulling back up on the brake pedal.

 

Yessir! As always, thanks!

 

Any idea what kind of mirror was on this truck previously?





It looks like there are three points of contact in the door, but they don't seem to fit any of the mirror types. Type 8 has three points of contact in a triangular pattern, but there's only one hole at the top instead of the three that Type 8 would have and the installation looks pretty botched.

There's a Type 8 here ( https://vermont.craigslist.org/pts/d...190257517.html ) that looks pretty similar, but it's sitting a little higher.

And going by the big info post 77&79F250 posted, Type 8 wasn't even used on 1978+ models, right?

Thanks in advance.