hey all,

im going to college here soon and my father has a 1979 f250 highboy with a 460 a 4 speed and its 4x4 and there is a possibility of me taking it down to texas for college.but there are some things that i know i have to change and then im wondering if any of yall have some recommendations.

1st: put a 5 speed in yes she can get to 80 no problem but holy moly she sings so an overdrive gear would for sure help. what transmissions would fit my 460 and my truck. would a ZF-5 work? will i need new linkages? new driveshafts?

2nd: she doesnt overheat but she gets hot on the highway(part of it is for sure it being at high rpms so the 5th gear would help) but the texas heat is gonna make that problem worse. what upgraded radiator is good for these trucks? fans too? no thermostat?

3rd: i got no AC and in texas i will die for sure so what is the best and easest to install AC kit for these cars

4th: what is the best way to wire in a cigarette lighter to run a small carplay screen?

as of right now those are really my only four things i can think of what other ideas do you guys have? i probably have a budget of around 10k for upgrades so price is not too much of an issue and labor will al be done by yours truly so thats not a factor

thank you,

Air_Drewdy

 

1. You can put an OD between the TC and rear axle, just can't use the OD while in 4x4.
2. You don't have to run 80, you can choose to run 60-65.
3. Started out in western Texas in the '50s, we only used fans, no AC, none of us melted.
4. Wire an accy. outlet off accy terminal of the switch if your cig lighter doesn't work, or fix it .... but if looking for unswitched always hot outlet, wire one from the battery with a 10 or 15 amp fuse using 16 ga. automotive stranded copper wire ....fused at the battery end.

 

My wife daily drives a 79 F250 2wd with a 400 / C6. Be prepared for the fuel bill. 460 be a hungry feller.

1. Yes a Zf5 will work behind the 460. You'd specifically need one that was behind a 460 already. Several threads here detailing the process.
What gears are in the truck? Might be a heck of a lot easier & cheaper to change gears. My F350 4wd 4 speed with 3.56 & 37's will scoot right along 65 to 75 without winding up overly much. Just a thought.

2. Does the truck have a fan shroud? Wife F250 runs 180° down the highway and idles there as well. Fan shroud, new thermostat, good flush & fill of the block & the rad. That one has the factory fan in it.

79 Bronco with the same engine & no shroud tries to overheat constantly.

3. A/C..... yeah, I got nothing there. I specifically buy trucks without it.

4. I'm no help there either.

Good luck, smarter guys than me will be along.

 

You should buy a spare car for commuting. Keep the truck. Fix it up. Bring it out on weekends. But yeah you can daily it. But the cost offset vs. Having the truck and a cheapo commuter would suggest getting a spare car.

 

Yes the fuel adds up driving them everyday. I have a 79 f250 (460 engine) and a 78 bronco (400 engine). I drive one of them almost everyday in the summer and am lucky if get 8mpg. Most of the time it's in the 7mpg. I just like driving them. So the fuel doesn't matter.

 

Here are the 2 best answers, get a car that gets better MPG and has AC and keep the truck at home (dad's) and use it and fix it when home.
A 250 cant ride all that great but then you are a kid so you dont care. In the long run the car will save you money just in MPG!

BUT .................

I think by the time you find everything to do a ZF5 swap and the work needed to make it happen, not a weekend job, you could run a Gear Vender over drive (not in 4x4 mode) and other than the rear drive shaft can be done in a weekend. If you have never done a axle gear swap it is not a lot of fun and to pay someone might just go with the GV OD that you can do. Also if you go with say 3.08 gears you will need to slip the clutch more to get going and be replacing it sooner.

What shape is the radiator in? Do you see any white stuff around the tubes if so it could be plugged.
Is there a spring in the lower radiator hose? If not as RPM go up the hose gets sucked closed being on the suction side of the pump.
If you are going for AC you will need to replace the radiator for a larger one and a shroud so if you need to replace the radiator just upgrade to a AC one.

For AC I dont know your year truck but the 80 - 86 the firewalls are different between AC and Non-AC trucks so you can take a factory system and swap it.
With that said I would look into an aftermarket setup. Either under dash or a kit you replace your HVAC box for theirs.
Now part of these kits is if they come with the compressor and brackets for your motor or not? They may have the compressor but no motor brackets.

You sure the truck dose not have a lighter in it? How about an ash tray maybe the lighter is there like my 07 Crown Vic is.
Wait I think my 81 F100 is also in the ash tray. I keep it closed 99% of the time but the lighter is in the tray and I am sure I have to open the tray to plug in my phone charger.
Open the ask tray I bet the lighter is there.
Dave ----

 

Oh something to think about is insurance for that truck.
What do you think book value is? Any fender bender and it will most likely be totaled can you replace it on book less deductible?
You can get classic car insurance for agreed value but there are limits of where it has to be parked like locked garage, where, when and how much miles it can be driven.
Do a search in here for insurance and what happens in a crash.
That truck is not looking all that good to take away to school even as cool as it is.
Dave ----

 

I second this. You need 100% reliability and AC for college and Texas, don't chance it as it will 100% break at some point.

 

I used one of these for my only rig for years back when they were new and they worked just fine. but, compared to the newer pickups they're a primitive POS that is inferior in every way except for the nostalgia and you can't modify that away. that's what makes them fun.

Live your life with something more practical for transportation. fix the 79 up for your fun rig.

By the way, there's no such thing as a highboy after mid 1977.

 

And if your truck is in good shape, you will want to ensure that you have a safe place to park it. College areas tend to be tight and congested, and full of drunks.

 

Maybe a cool 70s Van with a mural of a wizard would be more practical.

 

Thank you all for your insight and responses. I learned a lot just reading it I love this truck so much and would love to daily it but getting a more practical car may be the move. Me and my father already have an agreement where I could get a 2018-2020 f150 I was just thinking maybe doing this would be a bit cheaper but probably not in the long run. In the end I’m sure I’ll get my hands on it one day I’ve got some time to think thank you all so much!

and P.S yes I know there are no highboys after 77 it’s a replica highboy

 

I'd get a nice little Ranger with auto for daily driving, easy to park, easy on gas, will run 80 all day doing it, and AC is good. Even the twin plug 4 cyl. is up to it. I like those Splash models, is a super cab flareside not too far away.

 

Quick update for you all. It’s looking like changing the manual up and adding an overdrive might be a ton to do. Like someone mentioned going 80 is a choice and one I don’t need to make the four speed should be fine. But I did find a whole vintage air kit but I would love to find a radiator too. What do you guys recommend? Thinking about going to electric fans as well thoughts??? Feel free to drop some links all suggestions are appreciated

thank you,

air_drewdy

 

The last time I daily drove one of these was in the late 80’s. It was a 78 150 super cab with stickers from all over the country. Very tired truck. Then I think this guy wrote a song about it.