So, here's my 'new' '83 F350 - 460 4speed 4x4, a/c (not working but still has freon, probably needs recharge), cruise (not hooked up, probably due to aftermarket carb) and electronic brake controller. It also came with a new in box Reese class 5 hitch. The cab, frame and drivetrain are in really good shape, but the bed needs some work (see below). So far I've put about $200 into it, needed a rear brake line repaired, front ebrake cable, the driver's exhaust needed some work, new shocks all around and I picked up a pair of catalytic converters as I'm pretty sure I need them to pass inspection. I have a few things left to do on it - needs the new heater core that came with it installed, temp gauge and gas gauge don't work and I have to get the gas tank switch working if I want to use the rear tank. Other than that it's a good running truck.

The Good:


The Bad:


The Ugly:


I think I did OK, got it for $1k.

 

I see tons of potential!

 

I don't believe your 83 needs converters. My 86 F250 4x4 460,C-6 didn't come with them from the factory & it has California Emissions. Looks like you have a good start to a nice truck. You may want to take that bed off and find a Utility Box or Flat bed. I bought an 88 Dodge D250 2wd with a utility box and man is it handy. Provides great storage for tools etc. I'm bidding on the sister truck to this Dodge if I get it I will put the Utility Box on my Ford.

 

Well, picked up a bed for a couple hundred bucks, replaced the heater core and figured out the problems with the twin tanks. Both of them have sunken brass floats, the rear tank needs a good cleaning and a new fuel pump, other than that everything else works fine (sending units work). I repaired one of the floats but it sunk again when the temperature got really cold out, so does anybody know where to get replacement (preferably not brass) floats for these trucks?

I did some more playing around and it turns out the a/c does work, but most likely needs a recharge. Still have to figure out the temp guage but haven't looked too hard. I checked the vin and door tag against the shop manual, it has the 4.10 geared limited slip dana (70) rear; 9000lb GVWR, warner t-19b transmission etc.

Pretty cool truck, but I'm wondering what the GCWR is for it. I have a Reese 6000/12000lb hitch and want to tow an enclosed trailer with it, but want to make sure I have plenty of capacity to do so. The truck has an electronic brake controller that I haven't played with it at all, but I don't want to get a trailer that would put me over the gcwr of the truck (figuring it weighs ~5500lbs). as best I can tell it's 14,500 gcwr which would put me at a trailer with gvwr of 9000lbs. Looks like the trailers I'm looking at come in either a 7000lb gvwr or 10000lb gvwr...Is this truck legal to tow 10k pounds, and is my hitch (rated for 12k with load dist. hitch) ok for it or do I need to upgrade?

 

'83 with 460 doesn't need a catalytic converter. Should say non-catalyic on the valve cover sticker and on the sticker in front of the radiator.

 

I don't know all the weight numbers, but you have one of the heavier duty pickup trucks Ford made besides a dually, so you should be able to tow most anything normally used behind a pickup.

 

^^True^^ trucks with a GVW of #8500 or higher were not required to have cats. There should be some indication of this under your hood.

I have a 10k flatbed I pull with my truck which only has a class 4 hitch. I also have a quality brake controller. The one that was in the truck when I got it was outdated. The fact that your truck is smaller gives you more room in the weight pulling department too. My GVW is only #8600. I know I've pulled at least 13k before without any problems though.

Any idea what happened to the bed? The original bed on my truck looked as though someone went crazy in the bed with a pick axe.

 

Yeah, I saw the 'no catalyst' sticker under the hood (before I put the cats on but not after I'd ordered them) so if anybody needs a couple of 2.5" cats, let me know It passed inspection without problems after I did the brake line, new m/c, and heater core.

WRT the bed...The guy who had the truck before the guy I bought it from parked it with a bed full of garbage. It trapped all the water in and rusted from the inside out, then the guy who owned it before me completely mangled it when he took it off the truck. I bought it without the bed on it and threw it on to have working lights/gas fillers etc. until I could get another bed. If he hadn't mangled it taking it off, I probably would have spent the couple hundred to just get a new center section for it as it wasn't really in too bad of shape. Just the small amount of rust over the p/s wheel well that could be patched with a $40 patch panel.

Anybody have an idea on replacement floats? Before I do any towing, I want to get both tanks fully working. I also think I might replace the front wheel bearings, is this difficult? The only time I did wheel bearings on a 4x4 was on my old CJ-7, and I remember it not being much fun.

The truck is certainly heavy duty, as a matter of fact it rides noticeably better with a good amount of weight in the bed. I picked up a bunch of car parts and was carrying an engine hoist and stand, probably around 1500 pounds worth of stuff in the bed and it rode a lot smoother . Other than the fact that it rode smoother, I couldn't feel any difference in braking or acceleration, which was pretty cool...Definitely made me glad I had a 1-ton.

 

the dealers still sell the floats and they are brass, but cost about $10 give or take.