Appearance questions
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New User
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 4
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From: Springtown, Texas
Appearance questions
Hey Guys, I needs yalls help! I just got my first truck and I'm clueless and yall seem very smart when it comes to Fords. I got 77 short wide bed. It only had one owner and the guy only drove it on sundays to church! When we got it it only had 6,000 miles on it, I bought it for a steal at $2,000, the lady that sold it to me had no idea how much it was worth. It had a 351 when bought but I'm puttin a 302 in it for a while. It has all the original chrome, no dents and original Light Jade (very ugly) paint. Im lookin to make this truck very nice, paint job, new tires and wheels, new interior.. the whole nine yards, but the problem is that I dont know what will look good. If anyone has any suggestions I would appreciate them VERY much! Hope to hear from yall soon
Amanda
Amanda
Junior User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 58
Likes: 0
welp if u wanna keep her 2 wheel build u a hot motor i would o with a 351c but thats just me. slap some fat meats in the back. what i would do though is I would but the 351m back in it get a np435 tranny and a np205 transfer case, slap on an eldelbrock preformer manifold and a truck avenger carb from holley, a 6 ich lift, 36 inch ground hawgs, with a d60 put back and a d44 with moser axles. oh ya and u cant forget the sound of a 4x4 with a straight pipe roar. thats just me lots of work but thats fine with me hehe
Posting Legend
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 30,255
Likes: 37
A 302 has a hard time moving these heavy trucks.
Engine Identification:
======================
351C/M/400 335 series: 8 bolts in rectangular valve covers. Timing chain housing is part of block. Thermostat housing on block. Exhaust bolt holes diagonal.
351M/400 335 series: intake is 10.7" wide the 351C is narrow.
351W/302/5.0L 6 bolts on trapezoidal valve covers. Thermostat housing on intake. Exhaust bolt holes horizontal.
429/460 385 series: 7 bolts in rectangular valve cover
352/360/390/427/428 FE series: Intake goes under valve covers.
There are other indicators but these may help.
Engine Identification:
======================
351C/M/400 335 series: 8 bolts in rectangular valve covers. Timing chain housing is part of block. Thermostat housing on block. Exhaust bolt holes diagonal.
351M/400 335 series: intake is 10.7" wide the 351C is narrow.
351W/302/5.0L 6 bolts on trapezoidal valve covers. Thermostat housing on intake. Exhaust bolt holes horizontal.
429/460 385 series: 7 bolts in rectangular valve cover
352/360/390/427/428 FE series: Intake goes under valve covers.
There are other indicators but these may help.
Moderator
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 22,436
Likes: 17
From: Louisville,Ky.
Hi Amanda and welcome to the forums 
Click on the galleries link up towards the top right side of the page and look at all of the trucks in there. This will give you some ideas on what looks good to you.
Jimmy
Click on the galleries link up towards the top right side of the page and look at all of the trucks in there. This will give you some ideas on what looks good to you.
Jimmy
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 123
Likes: 0
From: Thorold, Ontario, Canada
I have 35 inch ground hawgs on my 77, check my gallery for pics.
Killer deal on a low mile truck, nice job, gotta love those deals.
Killer deal on a low mile truck, nice job, gotta love those deals.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,240
Likes: 2
Sounds like you got a really good deal on this truck! Since your truck only has 6000 original miles on it, it should still be in excellent condition. I'm assuming your truck has a green interior since it is light jade in color. With a green interior, there aren't a lot of choices for an exterior color. I think the dark jade metallic would look really cool. My dad had a 79 shortbed that was dark jade metallic and it was a very sharp truck. As far as tires and wheels, I think the white wagon wheels would look cool with 30/9.50 white letter all-terrain tires. I have a brown 79 shortbed with these tires and wheels and it looks great. Also, check the galleries on this site. There are lots of cool pictures that will give you some ideas as to what will look good on your truck.
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Elder User
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 549
Likes: 1
Originally Posted by RebelRed214
Hey Guys, I needs yalls help! I just got my first truck and I'm clueless and yall seem very smart when it comes to Fords. I got 77 short wide bed. It only had one owner and the guy only drove it on sundays to church! When we got it it only had 6,000 miles on it, I bought it for a steal at $2,000, the lady that sold it to me had no idea how much it was worth. It had a 351 when bought but I'm puttin a 302 in it for a while. It has all the original chrome, no dents and original Light Jade (very ugly) paint. Im lookin to make this truck very nice, paint job, new tires and wheels, new interior.. the whole nine yards, but the problem is that I dont know what will look good. If anyone has any suggestions I would appreciate them VERY much! Hope to hear from yall soon
Amanda
Amanda
As far as colors go, I think the factory '79 metalic blue that came on the trucks is the best color ever put on a vehicle IMO. Some nice 8"x 15" amiuminum wheels with 245/60-15's look great on the 2wd's IMO. 2wd right??
Some of the sponsors sell reproduction interior parts, so it's not hard to change the interior over to a new color.
As far as the motor goes, it depends on what you want out of it. A high reving racer? The 302 stroked and built up would work for a racer type motor. If you just want an everyday motor to drive around and leave pretty much stock, a 400 with a 4bbl intake and smaller 500ish cfm carb would be real good. If you want a tire shredding, axle twisting, whiplash motor, buildup a 460.
The above is Just My Opinion. Good luck and enjoy.
Freshman User
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
Mine is a 74 shortbed. (looks the same as a 77). Mine is custom trim (the stripped version). Not sure of the color, just a dark blue metalic that was on the truck when I bought it. Wheels are American racing 15x8 polished with 275 60's (approx 10" of tread).
I have a 302 w/ 3 on the tree. If you plan to drive it daily, the 302 is fine. I get decent mileage (between 15 and 19 depending on my right foot), but I don't have to drive it (nothing compares to 35 mpg from my driver car). But personally if I had to do it over, I would definately not run a 302. (Any one looking to trade a mildly built 302 for a 460, give me a holler).
Just remember one thing, this is YOUR truck. Do what appeals to you and have fun. With new cars, someone has one just like yours. With older ones, you will have a unique ride that is one of a kind. But rebuilding any older vehicle takes alot of time, patience and money. Plan carefully, have fun and don't give up.
Jim
I have a 302 w/ 3 on the tree. If you plan to drive it daily, the 302 is fine. I get decent mileage (between 15 and 19 depending on my right foot), but I don't have to drive it (nothing compares to 35 mpg from my driver car). But personally if I had to do it over, I would definately not run a 302. (Any one looking to trade a mildly built 302 for a 460, give me a holler).
Just remember one thing, this is YOUR truck. Do what appeals to you and have fun. With new cars, someone has one just like yours. With older ones, you will have a unique ride that is one of a kind. But rebuilding any older vehicle takes alot of time, patience and money. Plan carefully, have fun and don't give up.
Jim
Posting Guru
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,127
Likes: 2
From: Lewistown, PA
RebelRed214 decide what u want from your truck. Form follows a function. IMHO for a all out racer build a 351C or a 302 w/ Cleavlend heads backed by a T5 tranny( a T56 would be even better) turning 3.55 gears in a locked 9" IRS from a Mk VII. That would be my definition of cool. find what you like and do that. It's your truck. BTW what a steal!!!!!! MAN.
Posting Guru
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,240
Likes: 2
Ford offered several shades of blue in the 70s. I think the nicest looking one was the bright blue. I'm not sure if it was actually called bright blue, it may have been called royal blue or something. It's not a metallic, just a really bright medium blue. That shade of blue looks good on 2-tone blue and white trucks, too.
New User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
From: Spokane, WA
RebelRed214, I've been battling with the color to paint my truck too. One thing I'm set on is two-tone; I want something that is going to show the era. Originally, I was going to paint it black, with a white roof (sample in my gallery). Since black is so high maintenance, plus the body has to be perfect first (still a long way from there) I've been kicking around a few other scemes. The one for this week that I'm really turned on to is "Britiney Blue". It's a light blue (not Baby Blue" with matallic. It was on some of the '67, '68 mustangs. I figured I would two-tone it with either white or off-white top.