75? 77? 78?
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Junior User
Joined: Feb 2008
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75? 77? 78?
Hey guys i just bought a new truck.I bought it from my boss and he sold it to me for $800. He told me its a 78 f250 4x4,with a 77 frame,a 351m, and dana 60 rear and a dana 40 front with 4:10 gears. But thats all he was told when he bought.(hes not very mechanically inclined) nut im lookin over it and I need HELP finding out what it really is. I know the axles and gears are right and the engine is right, But the gas tanks behind the seat. it also has the split front grille and the runnin lights are above the grille. it has leaf springs in the front(its also a 4 speed on the floor).What i really dont no is how to tell what the frame is. It a has a steering pump. but also has a steering cylinder in front of the axle. Thats were im really need help. Its hard to get parts. im not sure if the cab is different then the frame or what.Im goin to get some pixs on here 2morrow.but any help would be great.
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Joined: Oct 2008
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Pictures would definitely help, but the split grille and gas tank says it's a 77. The 351M coulda been in a 78 too though FYI. What this sounds like is...the truck is really a 77, the door was replaced from a 78 truck, thus the VIN decodes as a 78. There is a stamping of the VIN on the top side of the frame rail on the passenger side kinda beside the front tire. That will at least tell you what the frame is from. Everything else points to a 77 highboy (before sequence number 20,001)...especially considering the divorced t-case. FYI...the front axle should be a D44 not a D40.
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Joined: Mar 2006
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From: Williamson, NY
When did Ford start stamping the VIN on the frames? I have a 77 F150 2wd and there isn't a VIN stamped on it that I could find and I have been over every inch of it during my frame-off restoration. I've always wondered why Ford decided to put the VIN tag on the DS door, not one of there better ideas IMO. The only other place I've found a VIN tag on my truck was on the under side of my bench seat wrapped around the seat spring metal. It would seem logical to me to put the VIN on a more permanent location on the truck. The possibility of someone replacing the DS door and seat are very good over the life of the truck.
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Joined: Oct 2008
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I dunno if Ford still puts the VIN on the frame, but it was there DEFINITELY for the dentside era. After 30+ years the stamping can wear off, or get gunked over. There has been a few threads in the last couple of weeks that has covered this topic. I believe a fella named Ranger also posted a pic of the location of the VIN on the frame.
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Junior User
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thanks for the help im goin to take pixs now so ill have them on here later. Hopefully that will help.Thanks much
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Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,409
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From: Goliad, Texas
yeah, from all the stuff listed I would think it's a 77. split grill (73-75 or 76-77), in-cab gas tank (73-77), 351M (77-79), divorced t-case (73-77)......do you kinda see what I'm getting at? all of the dates have 77 in them.
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 999
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From: Davison, Mi.
Looks good for $800. Does it run and drive allright?
Looks identical to my chassis, a 77, originally a 351m with an NP203 transfer case, except mine is an auto. And now it has a 460.
Mine has also been
rebodied to a 78-79.
Looks identical to my chassis, a 77, originally a 351m with an NP203 transfer case, except mine is an auto. And now it has a 460.
Mine has also been rebodied to a 78-79.