What are the differences between 70's & 80's?
Logistics Pro
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 3,960
Likes: 5
From: All over Texas
What are the differences between 70's & 80's?
Your question is fairly ambiguous, but the most notable difference is in the outside appearance, inasmuch as the body style changed fairly dramatically in 1980.
FTE Chapter Leader
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 3,862
Likes: 5
From: Beachville, Ontario
What are the differences between 70's & 80's?
Nearly everything except the engines and the rear axles changed. The body, frame, suspension geometry, and interior are different between the 2 series of trucks. There are advantages to either style. The 70's seem to last longer, rust-wise, but the 80's are built with slightly tougher frames and suspensions. The 80's also used a heck of a lot fewer bolts and screws for putting stuff together. I think that would be to make it quicker on the assembly line. The hood on the 80's also opens a lot wider to make it easier to work on the engine.
1979 F150 Custom: 75 351W, Edelbrock & Holley
1987 F150 XLT Lariat: 88 351W EFI
Chevy 454: waiting for a truck (Mazda?Nissan?)
1979 F150 Custom: 75 351W, Edelbrock & Holley
1987 F150 XLT Lariat: 88 351W EFI
Chevy 454: waiting for a truck (Mazda?Nissan?)
Trending Topics
New User
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
What are the differences between 70's & 80's?
Ford had a major redesign for 1980: their advertising of the time bragged on how serious of a redesign they really did. Not just a cosmetic update, the whole truck is different from front to back, with the exception of the engines and transmissions which were merely updated. The 80's trucks weighed up to 700 pounds less than the 79's, according to Ford, and as these trucks age, you can see some areas where they took out too much,such as the tailgates, which are flimsly. The 4WD trucks in the new series got "twin traction beam", which was a 4WD version of the twin I beam front suspension. The interiors were completely different, as was the entire styling if the truck. good trucks, all, tho.
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!
Joe Kucinski
2026 Shelby F-150 Off-Road: Better Than a Raptor R?
Brett Foote
2027 Super Duty Carhartt Package First Look: 12 Things You NEED to Know!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Most Surprising 2026 Ford Truck Features!
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Ford Trucks Coming to Mecum Indy 2026
Brett Foote
5 Best / 5 Worst Ford Truck Wheels of All Time
Joe Kucinski
Ford Super Duty: 5 Things Owners LOVE, 5 Things They LOATHE!
Joe Kucinski
Every 2026 Ford Truck Engine RANKED from WORST to FIRST!
Michael S. Palmer
The Best F-150 Deal of Every Trim Level (XL through Raptor)
Joe Kucinski
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 632
Likes: 8
What are the differences between 70's & 80's?
Ford trucks used basicly the same body from '73 the '79 model. The 1980 Ford was all new and the basic shell ran thru 1996. There were alot of grill and trim changes, all of these trucks are good ones.
Junior User
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 92
Likes: 0
What are the differences between 70's & 80's?
The longest continuous style on a truck was the Ford F series that ran from 67-79. It was also the most popular. I have a friend here in Vancouver, WA that sells old Ford trucks. He can't keep anything from 67-79 in the yard. They sell like hot cakes. The 80s style sell nowhere as good as the 70s. I personally own a 1967 F250 and 1979 F150. I started not to buy the 79 because it was too new for me. I love the old Fords. What a truck. I hop in my 67 and it takes me back in time. I just wish gas was 30 cents a gallon and not $l.50. 
Junior User
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 67
Likes: 0
What are the differences between 70's & 80's?
70's trucks definatly had weaker front and rear sub-frames. Only takes a small impact to bend these. But they're easy to starighten and I'd have to say that late 70's and early 80's trucks were some of the best ford ever produced.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
alex severson
1973 - 1979 F-100 & Larger F-Series Trucks
61
Apr 25, 2018 06:28 PM
fordilicious
FE & FT Big Block V8 (332, 352, 360, 390, 406, 410, 427, 428)
2
Nov 2, 2006 11:42 AM
