One dead highboy!!
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,371
Likes: 10
From: Green Springs, OH
One dead highboy!!
Just went and looked at a 1977 highboy last saturday. I was going to get it to maybe slap some money at it and put a flatbed on her use it to haul wood. But it is just too far gone for that, It needs a whole new cab, probably a new motor, pretty much a full restoration is all that will help this old dog. This guy had about 5 old fords, he had 3 two wheel drives with some decent bodies and a burnt out 79 f150 shortbox 4x4 and the highboy. I really wanted to get this highboy cause you would hate to see all that good drivetrain go to waste. I may be buying the rolling chassis of the 79 shortbox 4x4 to just make a lightweight trail runner. I would get the highboy but I am slowly doing a restore on my current 77 F150 that is in my gallery ,that I still drive on a regular basis and haul wood with it so slow is the name of the game. But maybe I should just buy both the highboy and the burnt out f150 and just work on them slowly. Who knows all I know is I would hate to see these old trucks go to waste because there is less and less of these around as the years go by. Sorry to ramble. Fords Forever!!
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 5,037
Likes: 9
From: Kasson, Minnesota
I was thinking the same thing. If you can get the highboy chassis and another donor body, you can just make one truck. Just depends on time and budget, or if you just want a truck NOW, beings your already working on another truck. There is some tricky stuff when swapping non-highboy bodies to highboy chassis, such as the narrower frame for the bed (but your going with a flatbed, so shouldn't cause problems). Also, the fuel tank situation. Stock tank won't fit between the frame rails, so you may have to fab. something there or just cut a hole in the donor cab for your in cab highboy tank (unless your donor cab has the in cab tank already, which probably does not). You would just have to drill out the "narrower" template holes in the donor cab to mount on the highboy chassis (not a big deal).
Last edited by bucks77ford; Jan 25, 2007 at 11:49 PM.
Tuned
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 295
Likes: 2
From: Ringgold GA.
I put a '79 cab on my '73 highboy, like bucks77ford said; just drill out the narrower holes in the cab to fit the hiboy frame and your in bussiness. Check out my gallery to see pics of my fuel system. I love it!
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,371
Likes: 10
From: Green Springs, OH
Yes I have thought of swapping cabs,I was just hoping for it to be in a little better shape. I guess I will have to wait a while longer to have my wood hauler if I decide to do the restore on the highboy but it would probably be well worth the time money when its done. Hey everready how do you like that holley projection. I thought of doing the howell efi due to cheaper replacement parts but the holley is a lot cheaper to start off with. Driveability and starting good with it. How about mpg any increase?
