Well your CL is not Fordless no more. I will be getting a 1980 F100.
351W C4 auto. Red and a LB

Let the parts scrounging begin.

 

One point of advice -

Stay THE HELL AWAY from C6 trannies, no matter how tempted you may be.

Them suckers thow away forty HP just to turn them.

And they are NOT bullet proof. I spun a gear in one going over the Cally foothills... They ain't nuthin' but a dang three speed

In that year group you'd have a freeway gear disadvantage because they were built for the double-nickle. Look up the best gearing for mileage. That will be a rear-end job.

Kit her over to manual if you can.

~Woof sendz

 

It has a C4 trans and a 9 inch rear with 2.73 gears posi unit this one is going to be a cruiser not a hot rod

 

I'd still go a manual gearbox. No slip-losses!

 

I wish I could I want a 5 spd.But unfortunely I can only have a automatic even though I'm going to PT

 

Congrats on the truck! Now there's one less thing for this crowd to give you grief
about, Fearless Leader.

 

LOL I still have my Dodge.

 

1980/83 F100's are a different breed when it comes to suspension and wheels. Ford made these models as a "light duty" truck. The bolt pattern on the wheels is 15 x 4.50 (not 5.50). This was the only F100 to use the 4.50 bolt circle.

 

Thats the reason I want one.It will make a great daily driver.

 

That's five on four and a half. And some had a 3.8 V6.

And changing THOSE to a V8 calls for frame saddles.

And the max spring coil lift in the front without special frame brackets is about three inches.

And it has ball joints instead of the dreaded kingpins!

If I remember right - I went three inches in the body lift, three in the suspension, and added 33 inch swampers (stock diameter is 28 inches) for a TOTAL OF:

Eight and a half inches of lift - all simple jobs!

Err, except for the alignment...

 

this one came with a factory 300 six. we install a 351w we had to do no spring mods. it has been this way for 8 years or more. and for the saddle no mods striaght bolt in. and i have installed a f 100 9 inch out of a 73 geared 2.72 in this truck so it is athe big bolt pattern on the rear. 5 on 5 1/2 and this has king pins and it is a 100. so i dont know what you had.

 

New Pictures of my 81 F100 in my gallery

 

Since it had a straight six and not the V6 it figures the engine bolted up easily. -Mine was one of the V6's. It was an 82 - one of two years they put a car engine in a full size truck. (not one of the better ideas)

I sold it after I started messing with Rangers.