Hello, All. I have been lurking for some time, and picked up a lot of good info, so I decided it was time to join up and try to contribute. I've owned a few Ford trucks in the '68-79 years with my current one being a '77 F150 4x4. I paid $2600 for this mystery truck a few years ago figuring that, with a set of new 31x10.50-15s on it, I couldn't get hurt too bad.

I say it's a mystery for a few reasons. The previous owner told me that it has a 400 in it, but it could very well be a 351M (the VIN seems to support that). It has headers, dual exhaust with 8" racing mufflers (hence the Loud Green Machine moniker), Performer intake and (well used) Edelbrock 4bbl carb. I can tell by how I have had to set up the timing that the cam isn't stock, but I have no idea what it is. When I got it, the E-brake cables had been hacked out and it was burning a lot of oil due to a PCV valve sucking on one valve cover with the vent in the other valve cover blocked completely off. The dash bezel and floor mat were gone; the gas line and sending unit wire to the rear tank, as well as the tank selector valve, were gone. Some people have different ideas...

Anyway, the truck sat in the garage for a couple of years with the rear brakes undone until I finally got serious this spring and got to work. A not all inclusive list includes:
* rear brakes upgraded to discs
* new rear axles
* installed new E-brake cables and associated hardware
* C bushings and radius arm bushings
* Got the midship fuel tank level operational
* installed a new fan shroud that was missing
* installed new windshield washer box and tubing that was missing
* new ignition components
* new floor matt
* reupholstered the seat
* new black door panels and dash pad to replace the unobtanium green
* HI-Liner headliner
* Retrosound radio
* lots of tuning done to the carb
* new door gaskets and door window seals and gaskets

Lots more, but you get the idea. She runs strong now, with no smoke. Untold hours were spent bringing the paint back to something that had some shine. It had lots of patina and there isn't a straight panel on the truck. I wish I new it's whole story. -


Robert

 

Nice Truck !

 

Nice truck. It looks very solid.

 

Good looking truck!

 

Retrosound radio installed.

Auxiliary stereo input where the cigarette lighter used to live.

Hi-Liner headliner, new visors, LED domelight, reupholstered seat.

 

How do you like the radio? I was planning on getting one after the holidays. Is your road trip companion a bear to deal with? Sorry, I cannot pass up a bad joke.

 

Looks like someone broke an axle at one time.

 

Hah! The bear had something to do with my daughter, iirc, and she can be a bit of a bear, at times. 😉 She graduated from high school this past spring and, due to Covid, the school staged a parade of graduates in lieu of a traditional graduation ceremony. My daughter wanted to ride in the truck which prompted a two week flurry of activity in an effort to get it on the rode.

I like the stereo. It is the stepped-down version without Bluetooth and a few other features. I've always had an aversion to chopping up the heater control/radio bracket in order to fit a stereo going back to the early 90s when CD players were the hot new thing. I had to replace that bracket on this truck for that reason. The radio is fully adjustable and looks like it belongs there, outside of the blue display hue. Maybe a bit underpowered, but it has preamp outputs and is fully adjustable with bass, treble, fade, balance controls and preprogrammed equalizer options. It sounds pretty good with a new LMC dual dash speaker and the 4" speakers that came with the Hi-Liner. Obviously, it's nothing like have the space behind the seat full of stereo gear like back in the day.

 

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Or something. I would really like to know the story that this truck could tell. There isn't a straight panel on the truck. Nothing very bad, just a lot of stuff that makes a guy wonder, "how in the...?" She is solid, though. No rust except for the patina. That fact and the new tires that were on it are what convinced to cave in and buy the project.

 

Hah, I actually bought a cut up heater control bracket (the radio part is cut off) and a dash bezel which had been cut for a DIN radio, at the junkyard, so I wouldn't mess up those uncut parts which came with my truck.

I did hack out the radio opening in my old 1982 Mustang GT in order to install a pullout AM/FM/CD many years ago.