Well i am trying to decide between two diffrent older for trucks. to see the frist canidate look on the 65 to 72 ford post for my name. The second canidate is a 1983 f 150. It is pretty clean for an old Ne truck. I has good points such as a straight 6 cylder ( i already own a muscal truck aned don't need another one) IT is a 4 speed manual (BIG plus, it is als in pretty good over all shape. the cons are, it is 2wd ( wanted an offroader but it is very clean) it is not exsemt from emissions it is the year of the cut off for emissions testing, it has 147k not bad for an old truck but lower miles are better, it has rust in the floor and rear fenderwell. each are about the size of a dime, and it has no radio ( not really that big of a deal). SO now i am trying to figure which one i want to get. The 1983 is 300 dollars. Also i can get it redone body and paint for 400 by the ;local voge tech.

Thanks for the info and i will have pics up soon !!

 

Any tips when looking at these trucks? Comen problems. i worked on an 80 my high school owned and did alot to it (also straight six) we did new lines master rebuilt the valve train and such but it was a rsty truck and got junked with all the new parts on it ( was just for learning and the bottem end had so many knocks grindsa and all it was not worht fixing.

oh and here are some pics. any input would be great!
Thanks alot !

http://s65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...D8JRWcyhDm.jpg

http://s65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...Ps7A6318e5.jpg

http://s65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...Ts8L5hPAOO.jpg

Thanks agian for any input mainly looking for opinons on this i mean both are nice and i like the 4x4 but it wou;ld probibly be for my little brother to daily drive and it would be simpler to fix. I like old trucks but space is hard to come by at our house and the truck would have to earn its keep fast!

 

Thats a pretty well kept looking truck. Some of the common problems I can think of is mainly rust around the wheel wells and in the curve of the bottom door frame. I personally would go with the 83 but I have an 82 so I'm bias =)

 

bias is no problem just looking for some opinons here. Seems like a nice little truck. it will bby no means take my chevys spot in the gardge ( chevy is a street/ show truck with the big thirsty v8 and tons of preforman stuff) but i am loking for a nice comfortable daily driver and somthing to give to my little brother for a first vehical that will be low on insurance coast and simple enough that i can teach him basic maintinace on. Also i know some may say that a manual is not good for a first truck for some one but i beg to differ. manuals are more fun in my opionon and not that hard to drive at all. plus he has to learn some time and while they are becoming few and far between i think nothing is better then shifing your own .

 

i really want to get some opions asap as i am gonna try to make a desicion by the end of the week. please any comon problems, issues, complants , good points on the 83 six with manual trans would be great!


Thanks alot

 

The 83 looks like a decent truck, the 300 is usually very durable and will last a long time when maintained. I believe the it will be easier to maintain as parts are a little more plentiful. You can even use a lot of parts from newer trucks. Check the cab mounts for rust as well, the corners and the wheel wells usually rust out too. My first truck was an 83 F-100 with a 300/4spd. I wish I still had it. I checked out your other truck too, it's not bad looking and sounds like a pretty good deal as well, but manual steering with what looks like 33" tires will get old real quick.

 

when i was 14 and looking for a truck, i am 18 now. the first truck i looked at was a 70 F250 highboy. i pulled up in the guys driveway via dad ha, and i was in love. that truck was so clean. it fired up and idled perfect. 360 4spd. but i walked around and saw it had been hit on the pass side pretty hard. so i passed on it.

next truck i looked at was a 85 F150 longbed 4x4 300 4spd it was pretty beat, but didn't have any cab or frame damage like the other truck, and it ran good. so i bought it. and it has never let me down, all 4 years of highschool, always started and did what i needed it too and the last 2 1/2 years that i drove it to school everyone who said it sucked was even with a tired worn out firing on 3cyl 300 able to shut them up if they got too cocky. so last summer, in honor of it burning a qt every 80 miles and looking like the most abused farm truck ever, i started a frame off restoration. and i was suprised how well built it is. and easy to work on. things i didn't like about the mid 80's trucks: Fords attempt at an electronic carb that is tied into the equally retarded TFI ignition. although mine has no issues now that i have it all working in mesh, it was a pain to set up and i am going to go duraspark and a 4bbl soon.

another thing about the 80's trucks if you are looking at a 4x4, the TBB front, most say they don't have issues with it, but there are so many bushings to replace to make it drive like it should after 20 years of use. mine has been aligned twice, still pulls right and still eats the outside of the tires. so i am rebuilding it this winter, hopefully a SAS over college break for christmas.

the things i really like about the 80's trucks, just as tough as the older ones. the rear gears are usually higher, which is good if you don't tow for mileage, in my case i have 4.10's but originally 3.55's. most trucks came with 3.08's and higher. they had shoulder belts, which work great, good enough when i am on the gravel road going up to the barn when the truck slips it locks the belt, its annoying so i take it off, but i always notice how it tightens across my lap and it doesn't hurt. so i figure it is working right. but it gives me a piece of mind with the safety thing. even as a teenager.

the 80's trucks are not seen fixed up as m uch as the olderones. draw some attention. i think in my town there are less than a dozen 80-86 fords, only one in better shape than mine, and it is my friends brother in-law's daily driver. original 86 mint.

for a first truck for a little brother i'd go with the 80's truck, they also have a nicer interior IMO.

but i still have a spot for the 65-72 trucks, and there WILL be one in my shop oneday, right next to the 02 PSD and the 85(i drive the 85 100miles each way to college)

hope this helps

DT

 

dt like you i am also 18 ha. My first truck was a 1977 dodge w200 ex army truck so it had a ana 60 front and a dana 70 rear with a 318 2bbi and a 727 auto with a np205 t case. It was stripped down metal floor no radio nothing (No power steering). I love that truck and it had no rot and only 50k on it when i sold it. it would have been a great frame off truck. but i sold it to by a 1985 chevy c10 2wd auto 305 4 bbi truck with an od trans and a posi rear end. It was a okay truck but with the emissions problems and the rust on it i ended up selling it at a lost and flew down to texas and picked up my current truck a 1984 chevy c10 2wd with a sb 400 with many bolt obns rebullt auto trans and on an on and on. i should have kept my first truck. I also think the 1983 would be better for my little bro as it is a,little more confortable, has power steering, and can be on the road tomarrow. It is a 2ws but it will be able to get threw the worst that New England has to offer with a nice set of rear tires. That ios a commen problem up here every one thinks they NEED 4x4 for the winter but they really just need to know how to drive a 2wd truck in the snow. I like the 70 for the fact that it has cooler styling from a classic stand point and it is lifted with tires and ready to go wheeling. But i think you may be right about this being alittle more comfortable for my little brother to have as a first vehical. What it really comes down to is what i want as i am the one who will be fixing it and i am the one that will have to maintain the thing(also another hope that i can teach my brother alittle bit about working on vehicals). SO i am still undecided but am kinda leaning toward the 83. oh and i will be the one buying it.

Thanks
Ian

 

the farm truck is an 84 GMC sierra, lwb 2wd 305 700R4 2.73 rear gears ha. it is in mint condition. has been repainted once. and has 90k on it original. dark blue and silver.

i too like the 70' look. you are right, it is ultimatly your decision. if i was to buy either. safety/comfort aside. it would be the 70 if it was in better shape and already had a bed on it ha. but i would look for one with a 300, or ablown motor and put a cummins in it. i am bias towards straight 6's

we have a 97 2500 Ram 360, with the optional blown tranny. thinking of swaping it to a non electronic one.

 

nice i am just up in the air on this opne. I am new to fords and like both. I think the 83 will go better with my parents wishes then the 70. Also i know my mother wants him to have a air bag. I feel if it has a good set of seat belts and a lot of good old american steel infront of mim so i think he will be fine. the only thing tat bugs me about fords is that for some reason i have seen 7 on the side of the road engolfed in flames. but i don't see that happening with this one. Any ideas why i see so many of these on fire on the side of the road?

 

probally fuel leaks or somethin. botched wiring.

my mom wanted me to have airbags, then my dad quickly told me not to call mom when i found the truck. he took the fall for me because he knew i wouldn't of been happy with a new truck. if it was up to my mom i would of gotten a brand new one. but i didn't want a new one. i'm stupid i know.

ya i am building a big bumper for my truck pretty soon. american iron.

 

h ahah ah a Well she wants an air bag for him but i am being a nice brother and buying the truck for him as a birthday presant or somthing have not decided yet what will be the ocasion. II can't afford a newer truck for him and since he is a new driver there is that chance that he might wreck it or some one could hit him. i would rather it be in a older truck and i would rather the insurance be cheaper. to insure a new driver on a newer truck would be crazy.

Thanks for the points on this one and nice pic IH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

ya new trucks arn't worth the cash

there are crazier pics in my gallery, which will soon be updated as the truck is now primer with n o dents. next week will be red again with tinted windows, round christmas time 4"lift and new wheels 33" tires

 

wow nice work so far on the truck looking good. did you do anything to the 6 to get some more out of it? What about the exhaust? What did you do there? Also Nice lawn tractor i also have 2 old tractors myself 1 is a 1976 case 210 and the other is a 1962 wheel hose.

 

the 6 was fully rebuilt by me, it has a cam 67 steel timing gears, efi manifold in the garage i still have to put on. no cat, it has a 3" exhaust i also made myself no cat no muffler.

i love the old tractors that is just the one that used to mow our yard, its apart in the garage right now, at about 45mph the pivoting frontend on those things tend to cause a loss of control when you hit a pot hole, so i am building a custom front end.
the truck looks alot better now.

just can't wait to finish the body work next week. fresh paint.....yum. not sure if i am gonna go dark metallic blue or fire engine red.

and i am so worried to find the right shade of red, there are so many. and yes i am using high end dupont paint. to the tune of about 150 bucks a gallon. plus the clear, i hope it comes out looking good. i am doing the paint myself.

the primer came out good. have about 4 coats of that, another 1-2 before i am ready for the paint.

what color would you go with?