Which is better 79 or 89 f250 and why? Tia!

 

While I like Bricknose trucks, I like the 79 style better. But, I'm a fan for the fuel injected engines more for the ease they start and mileage ( which with proper tuning and time getting it dialed in a carb may do ok) so if go for a 79 with a FI 5.8 in it.

 

i like both. body style of the 79, diesel engine and overdrive trans of the 89.
in a perfect world i would put one of my 79 bodies on an 89 4X4 frame with diesel engine, turbo, and ZF 5 speed or E4OD trans.

 

Ha!

Picking up my third big-block 89' Monday, so.........

The simplicity of the analog trucks, makes them far more reliable in my humble opinion.

Check the threads on this forum.

Forty years ago, once you had a vehicle dialed in, it would NEVER (almost) leave you suddenly stranded because of some "glitch".

The endless struggles with these , now thirty year old digital trucks, is largely with the system and sub-systems of the digital system.

Wiring harness's running sensitive voltages, being managed by a computer, there's just more happening, hence more to go wrong.

When you want to cheery-out an older truck, you want to get on with the body, not become mired in the expense and extremely time-consuming labor involved with fighting the computer.

Also on the speed-density system in these early trucks, your performance is limited by...the computer.

That said, the 88's and 89's have the unique three fuel pump system(not necessarily good though), and the better air-to-air oil coolers.

The computer can be tricked into an "EGR Delete" mode, remove AIR pump, but the 89' is also the first year for the electronically shifted trans.

There's a reason why digital vehicles are cheaper, with good bodies, on the market. Check out Corvette prices vs. year to confirm this.

Ford shop manuals available on Ebay, and this website, can help immensely.

Hope this dose of reality was what you were looking for.

 

I tend to agree with all the responders.

 

It all depends on what you want. I keep trucks for an unusually long time and keep them up for my purposes. My view won't help you if you are looking for something to "mod". Once you decide you know better than the Ford engineers, few people can help you.

I'm on my fourth F250 in the last 35 or so years. Two 1968s, a 1979 supercab, and the current 1991 supercab. I wouldn't go back even if all of the trucks were like new again. I'd like a newer truck but they don't match what I have now for low-end pulling power unless I get a diesel.

I like the AC, cruise, delay wipers, tow suspension, fuel injected 460 and 4.10 gears with overdrive. The extra room in the supercab is awfully nice.

I don't use a truck as a car. It is usually pulling a load if it leaves the yard. I drive all over the country and need something comfortable, reliable and economical.

My truck is bone stock. I even recently replaced the catalytic converter with a new one. AIR, EGR, all that "crap". I laugh at the people who say 460 MPG. Why did you f**k with it? It got good mileage the way Ford built it.

 

They are both fine trucks. Limited to the only choices, neither would be my favorite, but it's your game and personal preference wins every time.

Still, style wise, I would prefer the 79. Mechanically, the 89.

The dentside is an attractive truck, the bricknose not so much. If I had to pick the prettiest Ford truck, it would undoubtedly be the '56. A very close second would be the 38/39 and my favorite truck from more modern times would be the bullnose.

Mechanically, the 89 is far superior. The advantage lies with EFI and overdrive transmissions. The bricknose trucks are the best engineered and best laid out of the three variants of the 80 through 97 models. The bullnose trucks were the turning point between carburetors and EFI. The 85/86 models were of course, EFI but the installation was something of an afterthought. 87 brought a much improved EFI installation but the layout was tweaked slightly for 88 and carried through 91. I actually prefer the bricknose dash to all the others. The later trucks became somewhat bloated with electronics. First the electronically shifted transmission, then electric shift transfer cases and the somewhat dubious electronic speedometer with it's PSOM. I thought it was interesting to see Ford move away from the PSOM in 97 and 98 in the jelly bean trucks.

 

I like the 79, solid & simple.

 

If you are dragging a project truck out of the bushes somewhere to "fix up", go with the most simple, primitive design you can get.

If you are buying a truck to drive on a regular basis, one that you can trust, get one that someone has been using and keeping up. Don't buy one that has been sitting somewhere. Condition is everything with used vehicles. It is getting more difficult to separate the good, original trucks from the turds with a shine on them.