First time poster, extending a warm hello to all.

I was fortunate enough to get my permission slip signed by my supervisor (read: wife) giving me the green light to purchase a truck. I tend to over-research every purchase before dropping the dollars, and after reading more than I care to admit, I've decided on a late 70's F150/250. Chosen because I like the looks, the reliability, and they just look like fun!

That being said, I've located 3 or 4 trucks that have piqued my interest.
3 are 79 F150's, 2 with 400's and one with a 351M, and a 78 F250 with a 390. Is there any advantage to choosing the 250 over the 150's? I don't plan on doing much off road activity, so that's not too much of a concern (though still a small consideration). Or would I be best served by choosing the best total package based on how it runs, body condition, etc...

One additional question if I may, is there any special consideration I should keep in mind when I finally look at these trucks? Any not-so-thought-of but important thing to look for?

Thanks in advance, I look forward to learning more and sharing any knowledge gained.

 

Well the only way I see it,,,,is that you kinda have to pick what YOU like,,many of us on here pick trucks that suite to there hobbies as in 4 wheeling or racing or just like haveing a beuitful Ford sitting in there driveway. But its really up to YOU,,,,,and from the ones your looking at,,,consider what you plan to do with the truck,,,,as like will ya restore it or just use it to haul stuff ETC. All that plays a part,,,well I know this doesnt help,,but best of luck on your decision and agian,,,Welcome to the site,,,,,Robert

 

Just wanted to "Welcome you aboard"; that's a tough question to answer. I would look into all 4 and determine the one in the best condition & cost verse uses; if uses is not of a concern.
Price is a big determining factor for me, And if you have future plans as uses I would take that into consideration. All the above mention trucks love gas.

Again Welcome aboard....

 

Welcome, Seeing I bought my '78 F150 just about a year ago. Here are few things I considered when getting an ole ford truck.

1.) I wanted a '78 or '79. Shear vanity as I like the overall look of the truck and front apperance.

2.) I know I wanted a Super Cab, cause I have used regular cab trucks and I hate the fact that there is no real cab room to put anything when it's wet out.

3.) I looked for a F150 with a 460. easy to find a swapped in 460, hard to find one stock, I would go as far as to say they may have never built such a creature, but there are others on here that I am sure could verify/nullify this claim.

4.) I didn't want a 400, as there just isn't as much aftermarket support, or is costly to modify. I have played that game for years with vehicles that little to now aftermarket, or regular market support or pricey parts. I also wanted the extra torque as I would tow with this rig.

5.) With towing in mind which would be a boat, I wanted 4WD as in the Pacific Northwest, lots of boat launches have steep grades and are slimy. I would hate to launch and get into a situation where I needed 4WD and not have it.

I got lucky enough to find said truck that met my requirements, and I got a truck after taking about a year and a half looking found the truck I wanted. It isn't the prettiest, but isn't a total bucket. It had a winch bumper and 8000lbs winch, 4" lift, 33" tires, and a canopy. All just bonuses as I didn't need these but they sure are handy.

It does have some body work needed and some cancer and a few rusted through spots. But in do time that will be taken care off.

Definitly take it for a test drive, get it in a freeway, take it up hills run the darn thing around. If things really feel askew, don't hesitate to walk away. There are lots of these trucks out there.

Get under the truck, and examine things closely. Check fuel lines, and transfer switch if it has duel tanks, make sure the switch works. Check for rotted out floor pans, and excessive leaks in the motor and drive train. It's not unusual to see some fluids weep a little, but haveing fluid drip out and make small puddles is a red flag to me.

Just remember that no matter what the sellers sob story, or how awsome they say the truck is, you don't have to buy it. There are always others.

 

I'd go with the F250 if the price is comparable. Why not get the bigger beefier truck.

 

I'd hold out for a 74 with a 360, and yes it's because I own one and am proudly biased!

 

Another thing to concider is the emissions in your state. Make certain that the truck has no problem passing if there are modifications and all emissions are intact if needed.

Good Luck with your decision and congratulations. Welcome to da club.

 

well if it was me i would try to find a late 70's with a dana60 front high pinion,and dana60 rear f250 or f350with a 460 or 400 in good shape auto or manual.

 

The F-150 is a 1/2 ton truck, the F-250 is a 3/4 ton truck, and an F-350 is a 1-ton. I am assuming these are 4x4 since you did metion off road capabilities. The 150 has got a Dana 44 front axle with coil spring suspention for better ride, and a 9" rear out back on leaf springs. It also has 5 lug wheels. If you plan on lifting it @ all, you will be fine on a 35" tire as long as you dont beat it too hard- i broke a 9" on 35"s, but I was rock crawling it also-dumb. If you go with a 150, best years are 78 and 79 cuz of the front steering components. 78 has round headlights, 79 has rectangle. And if you like the older grills you can switch them out easy enough for cheap.
A 250 has a Dana 44 front axle also, but has leaf springs front and rear, 8-lug wheels, and a Dana 60 rear axle. A f-350 has a Dana 60 front and and a Dana 70 rear.
As far as which is better, the 8 lug trucks are much togher, but also heavyer, and the ride isn't quite as good. They can safely haul or tow more than a 150. The 150 seems to be easyer to find parts for, easyer to work on, and a little cheaper for the parts also. The 150 may be your best bet if you only want a good weekend cruiser, not to say they cant take a beating though, they are still tough!
The 351M and the 400M are really kind of one in the same. There is a little aftermarket support for them, they are both pretty easy to work on, and better than most people will lead you to beleive. Just keep an eye on youre temp and oil pressure and you should be ok. Some parts are interchangable with a 351 C, but really only the top end parts I beleive. I also agree with the guy that said 460, cuz they are just bad ***! Prob the eiseyest to work on and cheapest to fix V8 they had was the 302. The C6 3 speed autos in these trucks were damn near bomb proof, as well as the transfer cases. Te NP205 tranfer case was the best of them though. The 4 spd manuals were really tough too.
That stuff aside, look for rust in the floor pans, bottom rear cab corners and above the rear wheels. These are the normal spots, and really not too hard to fix with replacement weld-in parts. When you first see the truck though, look @ it from a straight shot from the side. If it looks like its bent or sagging where the fenders meet the doors and cab, run away. These things will rust out @ the front cab mounts pretty bad, and its a real pain to fix- really expensive too if you pay someone to do it. I've repaired them twice, on a '78 F-150 and a '79 bronco. Also check the bottom corners of the door jambs, above the side drip rails on the roof, and the bottom pinch weld of the doors. These can be a little tough to fix also, but you can get replacement doors to fix that. Hood hinges wear out, but thats not too big a deal, so as long as thats why the hood sits funny, youll be ok. The upper rear shock mounts can rust out badly also- check them. They suck to fix. Gas tanks are kind of a pain so check that too. I'd also look for a nicely trimmed model also, a xlt or lariet or something. A "CUSTOM" on the side emblem pretty much just means its a regular truck. Padded inner door panels, side trim, or chrome trim around the outside of the windows is a good inclination that its a more loaded vehicle. Good luck and happy hunting!

 

Wow I wrote alot...didnt realize I wrote a novel, sorry haha

 

Just a little correction, '78 had Rectangular head lights too.

Also I believe that F-150's had several front axles, cause I have a F-150 and I don't have a D44, unless you were suggesting looking for one with this.

Also I do belive 78, and some/most 79 F-150's had Front leafs, I could be wrong here.

 

You're right and wrong. In '78 the base trim package, or "Custom" trucks, had round headlights. All higher-end trim packages above that had the rectangle lights. In '79 they all trucks including the Custom went to rectangles.

And no, there were no F 150's with leafs--all coils

All with a D44 (unless it was 2x4.)

 

Thanks all for the welcome! I didn't expect such quick responses, but appreciate them all. Looking introspectively, I think I want something that I can take off road/pull someone out of a ditch without difficulty. I believe I failed to mention that all the trucks I'm looking at are all 4x4.

I'd like to have something that is easy to work on, has some decent aftermarket support, should I get the performance bug, and be rock solid reliable. I think I'd like to put some 35's on it and maybe raise it up a few inches (height suggestions for overall use-ability are certainly welcome - 4"? 8"?).

Thanks again for the great advice so far!!

 

i could be wrong but didnt 4by f350's come with f&r d60's...d70's were only in 2x4's...

 

For what you're describing go with the f150 with the 400 if it is in relatively good shape. It will hold up to any thing you can throw at it and more if you run 35's and have plenty of power to pull people out of ditches. The dana 44 front and 9" rear are easy to beeef up if you need them stronger. Of course I may be biasd a little cause that is exactly what my truck has but I run 36" tires.