My Dad has a 1986 Ford F150, that he said I could have because of the work that will be needed to get it into ok shape. (this will be my first vehicle, me being 15 and loving Ford's and Ford trucks) It has a 302 EFI, but it needs to be replaced because of a loose piston wrist and some other things. Every piece of sheet metal needs to be replaced, other than parts of the cab. There is a crack in the frame, small enough to be welded to orginal strength. I was wondering if the truck could handle a big block. That model of truck that year had a wealer frame, and the crack is usually what happened that year. Could someone answer my question? And I will send before and after shots, just so people can see how bad it is.

 

Take some advice from someone who's been in your shoes & wasted a ton of money & time in his younger days.....Sell the truck as-is or have your Dad donate it to a charitable organization for a tax write-off.

Save your money & buy a truck that doesn't need a bunch of body work.

Sheet metal (be it new OEM, new aftermarket, or used) is expensive & time consuming to replace. Shop around for a used truck in reasonably good condition that needs an engine or transmission. Get yourself a good service manual & fix whatever is broken.

Don't worry about a big-block now....save that stuff for when you're older & have more cash to spend. A huge, powerful engine is a whole lot of fun, but it costs $$$ every time you fill the tank(s) & you'll end up regretting it.

I have vivid memories of my highschool days.....spending $100 of my $120/wk. paycheck on my car (fuel, ins., repairs/modifications). It sucks! Don't make the same mistake I did!

Remember, a vehicle is just a means of getting you & your stuff from point A to point B. Period.

Being 15, I'm sure you'll dismiss me as an old fool. That's fine. But you can't say you haven't been warned! LOL

 

GrimReaper,

Don't take this advice the wrong way, but listen to knuckles, he knows what he's talking about. My brother who was 15 bought an 85 F150 w/ a 300 in it for $1300. Good deal, but the '82 engine went loose after 2 weeks So we thought we'd have a fun time and drop in a 351 really quick. Well, the engine we got from the junk yard for $200 ended up getting a complete rebuild and bore for $2200. After dealing w/ all the electrical problems and basically gutting the engine compartment and buying every new engine component he had a truck that ran great. Then he blew a part in the transmission. Then the transfer case. Then a yoke. Then he went through 2 rear ends. Finally put a Dana 60 in the rear and shortened the drive shaft. To make a very long project and story short, the truck runs like a dream now and is virtually indestructable. The cost: He estimates approximately $10,000 in new and used parts. Not to mention the long hours of working on it and the 94 octane fuel @ 10 mpg. To boot, he has no money to make it look any better than an old beat up farm truck (but boy does it run).
This was supposed to be an easy project. You are talking about a much more involved task. If you have a lot of extra cash and time, then go for it and have fun. If not, find a truck that already has the setup you want and fix it up. It will be a lot easier and cheaper.

Good luck with your decision. BTW, my brother just bought a 69 stang so he doesn't have to put his paycheck in his truck's tank.

 

If I were you I would keep the truck you have and find a similar truck that has what you want. Use the old truck as a parts truck and sell the stuff you don't need from it. Use the cash for upgrades and such for your new truck. I have the smae 86 f150 4x4 with the 302efi and the engine is all but dead, I wanted to swap a 460 in but I think the truck would just get torn apart. As for gas milage the 302 you have now won't be that bad but the 351 and 460 are not much worse so from that frame of mind all are okay but the 351 will drop right in. The 351w is a small block and I beleive the 351M was a 400 which was a big block. Good luck on whatever you decide!

 

grim reaper,
here is a thought_ a replacement bed can be bought for 500.00 or so., the engine can be replaced for a few hundred bucks.
and, if you are interested, I have an 85 f150 that has good hood, fenders, o.k. doors(some dents and rust), good glass.
no bed, and the frame is in good shape with surface rust.
it was a 4wd, but now has 2wd front suspension.
I want to keep rear springs and brackets.
if you are in or near maryland, you can have this truck if you come and get it!! reply here aand I'll get back to you.

 

Grim Reaper....
These guys know what they're talking about. I don't know how old they are, but here's my story. I'm 21, and this past February I bought a 1986 F-250 HD. The body was shot to hell with rust all around the fenders and all over the bed (the inside of the bed and the floor were mint though, just the exterior was muckled). In any case...the truck has a 351W with an Edelbrock 351W Performer intake manifold, a Holley 750 4bbl carb, an Extreme 4x4 Performance camshaft, custom headers, no cats, and Flowmaster dual chambered exhaust. The engine has absolutely no emissions whatsoever. Barely a vac hose, no emissions module, no cats...It's stripped down to just raw engine power. Sounds pretty nice? Believe me, this truck is the *****! It is so fast off the line, I've never lost to another truck or suv (not counting those newer BMW's and crap!) but it is a fast truck...and very loud, and very big, and very fun. BUT. I've done nothing but drop money into it fixing her up. The body is almost done, all primed, no more rust...just needs the paint. The undercarraige is all sealed with rust inhibitor and black (polyethylene?) rubberized paint. The interior is all redone. Used to be red, but I painted the upper trim black, the upper dash black, and the doors and lower dash grey. The int just needs a carpet. The engine runs very strong, but leaks oil from the rear main seal, it's starting to go, and the lifters are wearing bad, and leaking oil there, causeing it to burn and smoke when idling and upon start up. I'm doing the rear main seal myself to save $400 service charge for a $5 piece, but the lifters need to be replaced, the heads machined and cylinders bored. That will be nice to add more raw power and get rid of the annoying smoke, but it's gonna run me close to $350 to have my buddies brother do it. It's the most fun thing I've ever driven, but probably the most costly, too. I have to run the 94 octane to make her sound good and not click from low octane gas and get the performance I want. Honestly, your's sounds alot worse than mine was, so I have to agree with the other guys...cut your loss, if there is one at all, and get what you want in better condition. If you have the cash, dont throw it away on something that will always need new stuff. Get one that already has it. And personally, I think you should go with a 351W, probably an 88 or earlier. They are awesome engines, great power, up to 88, after that they tend to not be as, let's say, ballsy! And the 351W should fit right into an F-150 no prob. The 351 Clevelands and Modifieds won't fit right, not without some mods...they are big blocks and have a different bolt pattern on the tranny bell housing, I'm pretty sure. anyways, take some advice and save your cash for something else.

Ryan
1986 F-250 HD 4x4
351W, Edelbrock 351W Performer Intake
Holley 750 4bbl
Flowmaster Dual Chambered Exhaust