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Does anyone know what colors were available in the free wheeling package ? I know, black, silver, orange and yellow were but I can't say for sure if white was.
I'm thinking about beginning a restoration of the '79 F250 Ranger 4x4 my dad bought new now that the graphics are being reproduced. . it was originally a black free wheeling package and in the 90's he had it repainted white because he hated the scratched up dusty black color that you get here in the high desert. it's 100% rust free and pretty straight , still in use on the ranch but with a flat bed on it these days. I'd rather leave it white but I'll repaint it to black if I have to .
The info comes out of a cool book I found at a swap meet this summer. Published by Ford, it is chock full of interesting info & details about the 1979 truck line.
Which graphics are you looking at? I've been looking too, I have seen them in white like this, it was shown to me in another thread here. There are other styles of graphics, both more and some less. I have a '77 but am not looking at just '77 graphics. This one was available '77, '78, and '79. It's about $300 now so I might go ahead and get it to have so to put it on in the Spring. I like it.
There are others, why I asked "which ones"? I have seen it on black. I think I'd like it better without the "breaks", but it'll be far easier to get on the truck right with the breaks where it narrows.
Originally Posted by scottscott
You're in luck, the Wimbledon !White is a go.
Yeah! I was thinking on Base White, but Wimbleton White is great too.
Wow, I have never seen one in white let alone all the other colors listed there. and I have always been on the lookout for them sine my dad bought this one new when I was 17. they all had the black/silver with red trim interior, seems like that would be kind of funky with some of those exterior colors. but it was the 70's I guess. almost all of them I've ever seen were either silver or black.
Mine has the package A . I'm not sure B was an option on an F250. it cam with white steel wheels and the ugly stock hub caps. dealer installed Warn winch in a black Warn bumper and a silver rear step bumper.
I think I'll get a Marti report just to see how rare it really is in an F250.
Here's a couple more pages from the Buying Made easier book.
Free Wheeling "B" was available on the F-250. The price on the F-250 was less than on the F-150, since you didn't get the sporty wheels like the F-150 did.
The Chromatic stripes were an extra cost option on the Free Wheeling equipped trucks, the Chromatic stripes were available as a separate option on any Ranger. I can't imagine restoring one of these & not using the Chromatic stripes, they take the cool factor up a couple of notches.
I don't believe the wide graphics were available in anything but the reflective material. but the standard narrow stripes were.
Are you sure the stripes were an option on anything without the free wheeling package ? I don't see how it would work with some of the standard interiors very well.
Priced on the Free Wheeling package & without Free Wheeling package. You did have to get the Ranger package to get the stripes. $443.90 was a tidy sum back in 1979, I wonder how many buyers sprung for those.
I see what you're saying now. it was over $100 more for the stripes than it was for the free wheeling package that included the stripes . unless that's a mistake I doubt there were any sold in that configuration.
Here what a restored FW package in silver looks like when the owner didn't know what the heck a FW package was.. and went a different direction. I miss that truck! https://www.ford-trucks.com/g/album/18557840
I wonder how much Ford saved on the black, rather than chrome, front bumper on the FW package? I wonder if the black FW grill would be less $$ compared to the argent grill? I'll have to see if I can find my crash books & price the parts out & compare.
The Chromatic stripes on a regular truck sure were expensive. You are probably right, few, if any, came like that. But, add $200 to the base FW package to get Chromatic stripes.
I have the same book for 1978, it lists a Tape, Stripe, Rainbow, available as a separate option, $141.60. It doesn't list Chromatic as being available.
I vote for a return to the Raven Black, but I'm kind of a Melvin about that stuff. Plus, black looks more sinister. If you think y'all can take decent care of the new paint, I'd go for it.
I'd love to do a one-of-none 133" wheelbase Styleside with the Free Wheeling treatment. 140" SCS would be very different too.
Weren't the Pin Stripe trucks part of the Free Wheeling package as well? That's how I want to do my truck. I want the 'rectangular' pin stripe pattern rather than the 'scalloped' looking one. I'm just not a huge fan of the Multi Color stripe treatment against the code S Bright Dark Blue Metallic paint, which my truck is and will likely stay. But I do like the satin black bumpers on the Multi Color stripe trucks, since the chrome is pretty ate up on my front bumper. Pin Stripe trucks came with a chrome front bumper.
Silver, black, bright yellow, and the brighter red are my favorite paint colors for the Multi Color stripe.
Got the Marti Report this morning , since it's been here since it was new there weren't many surprises except one, it has the trailer package that I didn't know. I thought they always had an emblem but this one never did.
The interesting thing was in the statistics, it is 1 of 215 f250 4x4's made in 1979. this is all colors and trim levels combined there is no break down beyond that so it's safe to say it was pretty rare. and that explains why I've never seen another f250 free wheeling package.
Now I have to decide what kind of restoration I'm going to do. probably paint it back to black and keep the flatbed on it I still use it. then later on I can keep the rest of the stickers and put the bed back on if I want.
