Hello everyone time to jump into the deep end with this one. This will be a family project for sure my wife and I both have good memories of these trucks both our dads had one like it when we were kids. Now we have two teenage boys (16yr and 13yr) that will enjoy this also. The boys like the truck and the ideas we are talking about as a family we all are looking forward to this truck and will be working on it over the winter.

I have been looking for a while for a nice project and I found this 1978 Ford truck on Craigslist for $1,500 asking price. So checked it out and saw the extras talked him down to $1,100 and I'm pretty happy at that price. To get it home I had a flatbed tow it the 15 miles because it was cheap and much less stress then driving it, $70 was a good deal I think.

The truck came with a extra set of doors with glass, front grill and passenger floor pan(need that for sure)

My goal with this truck is make a fun driver, might not make it a daily driver but I want that option. I don't plan on doing major off road stuff or lifting it, but I want to be able to pull anything I need to so will do some engine upgrades and maybe gears. I do want a nice growl from the V8 and if I can leave some black marks on the pavement that will be nice too. I told my boys it will be for fun so we all will drive it like we stole it and when we break it we will fix it and do it again.

Edit Added info: My dad told me he has the 390 out of my mothers 64 Ford Galaxie (her first car), the car is long gone but I will put that engine in the truck to have something to connect her to the truck I lost her 8 years ago.

Truck Details
1978 F150
Engine FE 360 (originally had 300 6cly)
Manual Transmission 4 speed NP-435
4wd Transfer Case NP-205
Rear Axle 9" Unknown gears Open Diff
Front Axle ______________
New gas tank
New fuel lines
New brake lines

I will add info as I find out what I have to work with.









After I got it home I started cleaning it out and start finding out what all I have here and how much has been changed over the years.

Here is a quick list of things I know I will be doing before I put it on the road. Some things are needs and others I'm doing to be safe.

Driver and Passenger side floor pans
Few other rust holes but those are all small
Brake shoes and pads
Secure brake lines. They have been replaced but just hanging loose
Confirm if it is a 360 or 390
Install Tube headers (the gasket is blown out in places)
Install Duel exhaust
Rebuild Carb Holley 2300 (I think)
Change oil in both axles and transfer case
I know there will be more but this will get me going.

Here is my list of what I have done up to now.
Fixed Fuel leaking
Replaced metal cab corners (both sides)
Replaced Floor pans (both sides)
Replaced back of cab and floor
Changed Doors and fixed holes
Rebuild rear brake system

 

Here are some more photos
Engine and Carb




Help me ID the axle and Transfer case please.




And can anyone tell me if this is factory or has someone lifted the truck?




My goal tonight is to pull the seat out and what is left of the carpet. This should show me how much metal I have to work with. Then tomorrow start ordering patch panels for everything. I have the passenger side one so will start fitting that one this week while I wait for the others.


Does look like someone has replaced the Gas tank and fuel line that that is all good news.

 

Ya those are the stock lift blocks outback. Probaly a 360 but it could be a 390, Nice truck to start with tho. TRans case looks like a np205 very stough cases, cast iron. Rear diff a 9inch very stought rear ends also.

 

Good luck with the build. I just did the seat and carpet in my 78 earlier this month. Interior was the focus for the summer.

 

Thanks for that info.

The engine runs good so not too worried about that but if I do have to open it I'm going to upgrade it for sure to a 390.

Or I might do something different, my dad has the 390 Block (maybe other items) that came out of my moms first car 64 ford galaxie. She passed away 8 years ago so if I put that in the truck it would make it a little more special.

I don't plan on lifting it or doing anything super crazy.

Thanks I kinda don't want to remove the seat because once I do I can't "drive" it but can't really drive it now and the floors need to be done. And I have to start some places I guess the cab is just as good a spot as any.

 

I found a axle tag while cleaning out what is left of the glove box. The tag is hard to read but I think it says. Not sure what all the numbers mean so any help would be good.

WDM CR 8LA
350 9 622A

WDM CR is listed 79 Ford Bronco
8LA = No idea
350 = 3.50 gears
9 = 9" axle
622A = No idea

That is based off this info.
http://www.fordification.com/tech/rearends_ford03.htm
I can tell someone has opened the axle at some point and for what ever reason they didn't put the tag back on. Maybe they swapped gears or something so I will have to decode that stuff later. All that is for a later date.

 

I'd say the front axle is a standard Dana 44. And x2 on those are stock factory rear blocks. The inside tab is for your frame mounted rubber overloads to rest on when it is pilled up with fire wood.

So where did you get the name? Is this what you are thinking as far as paint job? P40 Warhawk? Pay no mind to the brand of truck in the pics, I could NOT find a Ford, so be the 1st to do it!

Or a Ralley Fighter "Miss Behavin" design?

 

Not sure his name yet but we have decided it is a boy. Warhawk is just my name not the trucks but I have been thinking I should paint if flat green and make it look like a military truck. I really like the idea of the fighter style paint job but not sure I can sell the idea to the family I think they like the idea of painting it two tone blue.

I will ask the boys tonight and maybe we can pick a name then I will update the thread.

 

I want to put the teeth/mouth on the side of my green truck. I think it would look sweeeet with the matte green paint.

I really like that roll bar on your truck, Warhawk. I wish mine had come with one.

 

FYI Jarrett that roll bar (thin wall light bar) looks to have come out of a short bed/step side/flare side bed. Craigslist time....

 

Thanks Jarrett I do like the roll bar it is something you don't notice at first. I have never had a truck with one and I do like it. I agree with 77&79 I does look like a flare side bar but I don't really know enough to be sure.



Last night I got the seat and carpet out of the cab. The rust isn't as bad as I thought it would be, still not pretty but I can fix this. Here are some pics of what I found. Tonight I will start working on the passenger side for the panel I have.





I will order a driver side panel today and I should be ready for it by the time it gets here. On the back of the cab I haven't seen panels for that area so I will just buy some flat metal locally and make my own. Did that for my sons jeep so not too big of a deal.




Also doing some checking I think the truck was originally silver with a blue strip. I talked the guy I bought it from and he dug up a photo of the truck get got from the originally owner. Not sure if I want to paint it back that color or not.

 

Order body panels this morning they should be here first of the week. That gives me time to get the bed removed and start cleaning out the rust this weekend.

Talked to my dad last night and he is going to come visit next weekend so will see about him sharing some knowledge with me. He worked at a ford dealer from mid 70s till early 90s so lots of experience with these trucks. It will be a good time can't wait.

 

So looking at the cab I could tell it would be much easier to pull the bed off and fix the back of the cab then try to work around it. So last night I pulled the bed off.

The bed has been replaced before and it was nice of the person to only put 4 of the 8 bolts back in. That made it easier to get it off. I removed the bolts ratchet strapped the bed to the ceiling and rolled the truck out from under it. It wasn't as easy as it sounds but got it done and no one got hurt.


On the plus side the frame is in great shape just a little light surface rust and lots of nice black paint. I really believe someone started a full restore on this truck not too many years ago.

 

Super busy getting ready for company coming up bud did get a few mins to work on the truck. Started at the passenger side cab corner because someone had "patched" it before and I wanted to see how bad it was.

WOW I found 4-5 feet of what looks like screen door and 2 pounds of bondo. Tapped it with a rubber hammer it kinda feel out. I don't get some people what where they thinking?



After get all that out I started cutting away some the rust and I was surprised how little there was. Don't get me wrong it is rusty but not any where near as bad as I feared.




I'm going to start fitting the panels this week. The panels are much larger than I need so will cut them down as long as the shape of the current panels are correct. If they are bent I will cut out more but need to really look them over and maybe measure them.

Really want to start working on the dash and started thinking about replacing all the gauges but I know I have to finish the cab panels before I start that stuff.

 

Nice rig, congratulations on the "get".

My .02 on a final finish: I think a "military" paint job would look killer. My general tack is to go "OTMP" (Other Than Military Proper)... I've painted cars AND trucks this way. It's a military vibe vs a 100% mimic.

I like TCP Global's line of satin/flat paints... great quality, great price, what's not to love?

On cars, I lower, use oversized black steel rims, remove trim, and use gloss black as an accent on hoods, roofs, stripes, whatever. I suck at pinstriping so I have a guy to do that. I've put "stenciled" graphics on as well... usually some kind of pithy reference to engine size or my kid's birthdays. Nobody knows what it means anyway... just military-ish looking alpha-numeric jibberish to a car show observer.

Sorry for the babble... I got my painting education in the heart of the OCC days and had to improvise a lot when the bobber and rat-rod phase came along. They're both fun to paint, but the "beater" and "rat-rod" stuff takes more ingenuity to be a stand-out, IMO.

I lOVE to lay out flames, but making something look cool is harder.