man i wish i lived there. not only are they rare here but its always the d-side cracked and broken too. maybe there was some kind of defect or somthing

 

up around connecticut there is still quite a few around.

 

Around Louisiana, most trucks in the junkyards are fine, something here and there goes out, and it gets junked. I went to a local yard the other day that had 20+ 73-79 ford trucks, and he had 1 left, he crushed all the rest for money, I wanted to beat the guy.

 

You hit the nail on the head. Its a business. He's not making any money if parts aren't selling, but he can scrap that steel and get a few cents a pound. That metal gets melted down into ingots, which get formed in to sheet metal to build todays cars. And in todays throw away society, that new car wears out, its time to buy another one. Not worth trying to fix it, and keep it running for 30 years, when you can trade it in for a down payment on a new car. Theres also the generation. people now adays don't work on there vehicles, they take for granted that it starts up to drive them to work, and if theres a problem, they take it to the mechanic or trade it in. I was lucky enouhg my family worked on there vehicles and kept them running, or I would probabaly be a ricer-driving-know-nothing.

Now, as for how long they have left. . .I say we should be fine for a long time. These trucks will more than likely follow all the previous cars and trucks before them. There becoming a collectors item, and the aftermarket is starting to realize this. More stores are carring more resto parts and accessories than I remeber from when I fell in love with this style nealry 10 years ago. As people recogize the value these trucks will have or have now, they will hold onto them and try to make some money (think old mustangs, thunder birds, 50's F series, etc.). But becuase there was what, 10's of millions of these trucks made, it will be awhile before enough of them are destroyed and the rarity goes up of usable parts that people will begin to realize that they have something worth while. . . . forgot what i was going to say

Or this a grand conspiracy by the eco ****'s to rid the world of these smog monsters

 

I think Franken truck is right about our trucks being close to being classics. I think back to how many parts were available just 4 or 5 years ago and how many people actualy sold parts for our trucks as far as new parts....and I think the people selling them and the number of parts has more than doubeled. Give it 5 or 10 more years and we will have a real problem finding them in the bone yards, but new parts will be one phone call away.
Along those lines....4 or 5 years ago, these trucks were every where and dirt cheap. I bought 2 at one time...paid less than 400, and used one to tow the other home. They're getting to a point that they are starting to go up. They're tough to find, and once you do, if it runs at all your paying right around a thousand bucks.
Doc

 

Unfortunately the price of steel is so high & those old vehicles had lots of the quality steel in them.
That's what the big attraction is.


Auto wreckers love to see an Old Chrysler,Buick,Olds,Ford from the 70's being towed into their yard $$$$$$$$$$$

 

Man, I feel the same way as some of you. I have walked into some bone yards and see a crushed older truck and think what are you doing. They won't sell it to me even for scape metal price before they crush it. I don't understand that.

Like others have said, some people when the engine or transmission goes they just take it to the junk yard. They yards only give em maybe $25 or $50. But they won't even bother to put it in the classified ads for a private citizen to buy. I think people just don't want the hazzle of talking $ with another private citizen. A classified ad can run $15 or more.

I heard CA was actually paying people to distroy there older cars/trucks.

 

Ford started purchasing Auto wrecking yards in the Eastern States a few years ago to get it ($$$$$$) at both ends

 

At my pick and pull here in cali, i picked up a 100% cherry OEM grille shell for $35. Not a scratch on it. And they even have 1/2 off days about once a month. If i had the money a few weeks ago, i could have got a factory 4bbl 460 out of a truck. there were 3 of them there, complete right down to the factory 4bbl intake. i even considered coming up short on my mortgage for them but my wife doesn't understand.

 

I wouldn't worry too much.

Who would have ever thought back in 1976 that in 2005 people wanting to restore a Mustang could completely rebuild a car from parts that are available from hundreds of Mustang shops.


Just check out Hemmings and see the commerce being done in North America for all sorts of makes of vehicles.

If it wasn't for the automotive industry Canada & the US economies would grind to a halt.

 

Another problem on the horizon is the price of steel. My father-in-law is into racing in Nevada and he always has lots of vehicles in his yard. About 8 moths ago he sold a load of scrap for a half cent a pound. About a month ago he sold another load for 4 cents a pound. Hell of an increase. If this keeps up it will destroy all the old vehicles. Same thing happened in the early seventies.

Bob

 

well guys im 17 years old and drive a 1978 ford f 250 4x4 w/a rebuilt 351m in it.love the truck 2 much to get rid of it. ill tell you what it honestly brings a tear to my eye
to see old trucks that are still good in the scrapheap.old trucks are like old friends,they never let you down. i guaruntee that if some of the old beasts could talk they would tell you some pretty suprising stories. im one teen that fixes up old trucks.
i think they are cool and built better than the new junk of today. just cause a truck maybe old , it doesent mean its ready for the scrapyard. Anything is possible with a cuttin torch and a weldor. think about that one for awhile guys.

 

Funny...Around here in south carolina, georgia, etc, 73-79 fords are a dime a dozen. Most are pretty solid too. Same thing with the 67-72 models, and even several 64-66's. At Shaw Air Force Base here in South carolina, I have actually counted 123 73-79 trucks...By the way, we have about 15,000 folks stationed here. That doesn't count the people I talk to that have one of those year models that are work in progress. That number is what I have seen running around base.

 

I garantee you I WORK on my trucks, but I completly understand what your saying. I have some friends, that got a upper 90s vehical the second they turned 16, and the second something goes wrong they trade it in for a new vehical 2005. Also I don't see those guys dad's keeping a truck for more that 3-4 years.

It's crazzy.
-Matt-

 

im 17 but i feel like old trucks are like old friends u can never let them down.