I am looking into getting my first ford pickup. Currently I have a 170cu Slant 6 Dodge D100 and its falling apart. I would like either a 3/4 or 1 Ton Ford Pickup as Ford is of better quality in my opinion. I have settled on the 300 I6 engine as I am not as mechanically inclined as I would like to be and the 300 I6 seems simple to fix and has good power figures. I am looking for a truck that can be a good farm work truck. I need something that can haul hay and straw bales, firewood, feed bags, tractor parts, small equipment and small tractors (less than 5k pounds), as well as small livestock like Goats as I have started an animal rescue service. I am currently looking at 3 trucks. First is a 1976 F250 300 I6, 3 on the tree trans and is a 2wd. Second is a 1978 F350 DRW 300 I6 and a T18 4spd and is a 2wd. Last is a 1995 F250 300 I6, 4spd Automatic and is a 2wd. Gear ratios for all three are (1976) 3.54, (1978) 3.73 and (1995) 3.73. Was also one a side note wanting to tow my 1936 Farmall F20 to the local tractor pull but this is a dealbreaker as I am rebuilding a 7.3 Powerstroke F350 year 2000 but it needs a lot of work and will be a while before its roadworthy. Thanks for all who shed some light.

 

Welcome to FTE.

The 300 will get the job done but really really slowly.
I think out of the 3 trucks you listed I would go for the 78 F350 because of the T18 transmission.
It has a granny first gear needed to get heavy loads started from a dead stop with out slipping the clutch and wearing it out faster along with the 3.73 rear gear should be pretty good.

The 76 is a nice size being a F250 but the 3 on the tree is a deal killer as it dose not have the granny first gear, read slipping the clutch = wearing out fast.

I do like that the 95 is a newer truck to start with but the 4 speed auto trans I think is a weak link and would not go for that.

BTW I have a 81 F100 flare side with a 300 six and NP435 (granny first gear 4sp) but a crappy rear gear of 2.75.
I also added Advance Adapter Range splitter over drive. It turned my 4sp into 8sp as I can split each gear.
This helps when pulling a trailer. I built the truck to pull my 20 foot open deck car trailer.
I have yet to pull it but have pulled our car club support trailer.

Dave ----

 

I think I would agree with @FuzzFace2 ; go with the dually. I will say that the '95 might be a close second, depending on which slushbox it has. If it's the AOD-E, hard pass but if it's the C6...

@FuzzFace2 Dave, you're going to have to show us what you pull around in that trailer!

For reference sake, I have an '80 Flare Side that will have a 300 & AOD in it. I have a long ways to go but my truck won't be doing any trailering and only will haul light loads (like from the Garden Center or Home Despot).

 

He said the 95 had a 4sp auto so thinking AOD with a throttle cable to adjust the trans psi so I would pass on it.
Now if it used a computer then i might think about it but only if the 350 was sold first.

I belong to a Car Club and that is their support trailer i store at my place as i got the room.
It has tables, chairs, car show signs, orange cones and other stuff for the show and cruise in we hold.
Because I can pull it with my truck and it's at my place I move it where it need to be.
It is big enough that it has electric brakes and I set my truck up with a controller for my car trailer.
Dave ----

 

Yep, C6 would be a three speed. But, it could also be a 4R70W or E4OD if it wasn't an AOD-E. I thought the 4R was a pretty good 'box, no?

 

I am not up on the over drive atuo's other than know the fist ones that used a cable from the throttle were not that great.
Any of the later ones that use a computer the computers and big bucks and I am cheap
But if I had to go with an auto over drive it would be one that uses a computer as I feel they are a stronger transmission but I would have to look into it deeper for just what one.
Dave ----

 

You don't want an EFI 4.9, they are a never ending money pit, bad ECM, and if it isn't yet, it will be, the way you fix an EFI 4.9 is to convert it to a carb, I tried to fix mine, I now have as much in it that I could have put a brand new V8 in it.

 

Regrettably, I have to agree. Unless you like to monkey with DVOM meters, laptops, and oscilloscopes I think a carb will be a better choice for a truck that sees less than say, 10,000 miles a year. EFI will win every comparison hands down - power, fuel economy, emissions - but it is just not worth it for the headaches it would cause me.

 

The 4.9 2 barrel intake is $700 or more, hell, you can build a V8 cheaper, tho it would be amazing to own a built 4.9, toss on a turbo, they can handle boost, but you need lots of money.
I hate my 4.9, want to torch it at the moment, the money spent, I could have a built 460 in it.

 

It all depends on what you are looking for.
Other than intakes and maybe headers machine work is still going to be $$$$ as will the parts for either motor you just have 2 less of some parts
Yes a 460 may have all kinds of power but it also will not pass a gas station with out stopping.

I like my 300 six. it may not be fast but it gets the job done.
Dave ----

 

The EFI had one plus, the split exhaust manifolds, they are well sought after, considering my 6 has been getting 6 MPG I don't see a 460 doing worse.

 

(my opinion) The Ford 300 straight 6 is one of the most durable engines ever put in a truck.. Growing up in the 70's most of our Ford trucks (on the farm) had them w/ a 3 on the tree.
My son had one in his '94 F150. w/ a 5 speed. (of course by then it was renamed a 4.9l) It outlived the truck.. I was sad when the truck was totaled (he was 12 hours from us) and he let the engine go w/ the wrecked truck.
My neighbor had an '85 Bronco, that had a 300 6, it out lived 2 transmissions and the rotted out frame.. I know his son in law took the engine, but I lost track of it..

That engine has great torque, but not tons of HP, so it will pull anything, but won't win any races, also by todays standards the MPG is poor, my son's w/ EFI got 13 or 14 MPG,

That said, the (pre EFI) carburation and intake manifold lack efficiency, the good news is this lack of efficiency ensures the engine cannot over work itself and lends itself to longevity.

The desire for better MPG exists but @ what cost, a NEW workhorse truck can cost over $50K

I wish you success in finding what you are looking for.

 

I am running EFI EXH manifolds and a full 94 F150 system even the tail pipe.
I am not running a cat but do run a Thrush welded muffler.

On the fuel / air intake side I run a knock off stock Carter v1 carb on the factory log intake and factory tear drop air filter.
I avg. 15 MPG, have seen a high of 17 MPG before I installed the knock off carb.
The stock carb ran rich and the knock off was way to lean and I had to fatten it up and may go just a little more.
I have a AFR meter in the truck and how I know.
I know of 1 truck long bed style side with a SROD transmission pulled down 21 MPG but they did a lot of work to get it.

My truck is a 81 F100 flare side 4x2 with dual tanks runs a NP435 granny 4sp, 2.75 rear gear, 235 / 75 / 15 tires.
Oh I also have a Advance Adapter Range Splitter over drive but the MPG did not change much before the OD was installed.
At 70 MPH in OD I have 1800 RPM. FYI at 55 MPH direct I have 1800 RPM and that was themax speed limit back in the 80's
Dave ----

 

Personally I would go with the 76 F250, granted the 3oT isn't the best towing trans, but it'll get the job done. Ford's 300 is my favorite motor, built a few, first one I did a lot on, bored.030, got a custom ground cam, offy intake, holley 390 cfm, Hedmann headers with true duals, ran great, got 16mpg, it was in a 66 F250, NP435/4.10's/265/75/16's.
Had a 79 F250 4x4/NP435/4.10's/33's, same set up cept with efi manifolds 2 into 1, got 18mpg when I drove it 1800 miles to MO, BIL is under strict orders to never sell and it's my truck when I go home
My current 66 had the 240, it was smoking bad from the valve seals going downhill, swapped it out with a 300 I had from a 76, stock everything, 1bbl, gets 18mpg down in the flats, T18/3.70's/265/70/15's
I wouldn't hesitate to tow with any of them and I did a lot with my 66 F250, it towed my 63 F250 4x4 home here in the mtns, the big climbs were in 3rd.
Ya never know, the 76 could be one of the weird F130's I had... 300/3oT with 8 lug axles...