f350 question
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Junior User
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f350 question
hey guys whatsup, some of you know i bought a 79 f350, and she had some problems of course. thing is the truck was used and abused, the po said he took it camping in maine in the dead of winter and other things. when i look at the undercarriage, there is so much rust its crazy, ive already broke 3 different fittings because there so rusty, the engines is good shape at 90k miles, with a rebuilt tranny and transfer case, and the diffs are good too. cabs in not too bad of shape except for the fact its missing floors. but imo i think the frames compromised, in 10 years i think it will crack at this rate. question is, is it worth keeping this truck? i wanted to start restoring it and making it a nice truck, its a supercab got the dana 60 in the front a good engine and a hard to come by truck around here, but if i were to restore i need to replace everything suspension and bushing. what do you guys suggest i should do. give me your opinions.
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What makes you think the the frame is bad? Cracks?...easy fix. Rust holes?...easy fix. Bent/twisted?...harder fix. If you're just worried about future problems...well you could worry about future problems with just about anything. Personally I would strip down the frame and see what's actually going on with it...then box it in. If you're really think it's junk, then probably get a new frame. It just depends on how bad you want the truck, how bad you think it really is, and how much you can do or willing to pay to do. As a reference...For the initial frame off on my Red truck it cost me $25000 and me and my dad did all the work in 8 months except for the paint...which was $7000 of the $25000 and added another month and a half.
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: Eldorado Ca. USA
My vote is to hit craigslist in the california area, offer somebody $100 for the F350 they buy for the front axle, and crush the remnants. CA trucks are typically cherry in the lack of rust department.
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Junior User
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yea that wouldnt be a bad idea, but for the price it would cost to ship it to ny, might not be worth it.
Elder User
Joined: May 2006
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From: Spokane, Washington
ohhh but how quickly that cherry goes rotten when you move to a winter hell hole :-) ahahah
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Tuned
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From: N of Houston, TX
Like Spokane? lol j/k (I used to live in Seattle)
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Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2008
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From: Goliad, Texas
F350 supercab 4x4s are like every Ford owners dream to own. they have the D60s, 4 wheel drive, one ton alxes, of course the extra space cab, and the bigger GVWR out of all the other trucks. I agree with Ben; tear it down and see what ya got.
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Junior User
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i hear ya dr.dirt, i would like to keep the truck i havent seen another truck like this one around. i got some pics for you guys, tell me what you think
and this pic shows a symbol of the explorer camper correct?
and this pic shows a symbol of the explorer camper correct?
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: Eldorado Ca. USA
Man, a California F250 is calling your name. Buy a 77.5-79 F350, drive it back. Gas is down to $2 a gallon! When you get it home, strip that one, do your frame off restoration minus welding everything on that one, put your front D60 axle under it, and have a cherry truck with minimal work. FYI, a cherry CA F250 with a Dana 44 front will cost you less than $1500 to purchase.
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Junior User
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Man, a California F250 is calling your name. Buy a 77.5-79 F350, drive it back. Gas is down to $2 a gallon! When you get it home, strip that one, do your frame off restoration minus welding everything on that one, put your front D60 axle under it, and have a cherry truck with minimal work. FYI, a cherry CA F250 with a Dana 44 front will cost you less than $1500 to purchase.
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: Eldorado Ca. USA
For the most part and for what you are needing, a F250 frame is the same as a F350 frame. It is cheaper to ship a moving, driving truck than to ship a chunk of it. If it were me, I would get the entire truck so all you have to do is the minor stuff, and drive the thing. Strip whatever goodies are left on your existing rig, feed the remnants to the crusher. Did I say that out loud, YES I did. I hate seeing what I see getting crushed, the metal here is SOO cherry, especially compared to the gem you have. You cannot save them all, and all are not worth saving. You have to sacrifice some so that others can live. I feel that the truck you have has lived past its useful (safe) life. Yeah, its restorable, but at a very steep price. It all depends on what you want, and how deep your pockets are. Rationalize what the cost of the sheetmetal, supplies, time and whatnot to fix up your existing truck. Then ask if having tons of extra time, and only spend say $3,000 to find and bring home a cherry truck.
[/2 cents]
[/2 cents]
Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 70
Likes: 0
For the most part and for what you are needing, a F250 frame is the same as a F350 frame. It is cheaper to ship a moving, driving truck than to ship a chunk of it. If it were me, I would get the entire truck so all you have to do is the minor stuff, and drive the thing. Strip whatever goodies are left on your existing rig, feed the remnants to the crusher. Did I say that out loud, YES I did. I hate seeing what I see getting crushed, the metal here is SOO cherry, especially compared to the gem you have. You cannot save them all, and all are not worth saving. You have to sacrifice some so that others can live. I feel that the truck you have has lived past its useful (safe) life. Yeah, its restorable, but at a very steep price. It all depends on what you want, and how deep your pockets are. Rationalize what the cost of the sheetmetal, supplies, time and whatnot to fix up your existing truck. Then ask if having tons of extra time, and only spend say $3,000 to find and bring home a cherry truck.
[/2 cents]
[/2 cents]