So i told myself that I wanted to rebuild a ford from 73-79...I wanted to score an f250 or 350 frame asap and get started. Luck had it that about a week later, I ended up getting an entire '77 f250!! I went to work right away -- I haven't worked on any Fords before, so this is my first.

The truck is in pretty bad shape, rust all over, jerry-rigged wiring job and all other kinds of crazy.
Here's the stats so far --
•FE 360 w/ 2v carb
•Dana 60 1ton full floating axles
•NP 205 transfer case
•4speed standard (manual trans)

First thing i did was rebuild the rear axle -- new brakes, new bearings, new gaskets, etc. Then, i rebuilt the carb. It was leaking gas in droplets out the front and stuttered on idle...now, its idles without a hiccup (although i did make a major rookie move...cracked the front left housing of the carb via overtightening the bolt...just glad it didn't crack into the carb...but that front corner is cracked). Next, i took off all three drive shafts and put new U-joints in.

I stopped there.

My overall plan is to strip the entire truck down to the bare frame. Sand blast everything and treat the metal with Rust Kleen or any really good industrial acid -- then use Por-15, prime and paint.
A buddy of mine that does the packaging for the US Military (they make brass bolts) said he'd ship me boxes of the bolts i need to spec all with military grade brass. From there...the possibilities are endless.

I'm not looking to build a show car or anything like that -- I want something real mean, great at mudding and rambling and something reliable that i can use for daily surfing and driving to work (i live on the northshore which means anything over 15miles is crazy far). It's jungle country out here...rednecks in the jungle mountains with beaches...pretty badass.

The only downsides to this project are lack of serious cash flow, knowledge and i'll have only 15-30 hours a week to dedicate.
My budget is going to be something like $300 a month plus a few $grand bumps here (when I do headgasket jobs and stuff like that) and there most likely.

That being said, I'm hoping to get some feedback from some seasoned vets -- is this a likely goal for over the next 2 years? How much am I really looking at spending...i;ve got my 40% off NAPA discount and some friends with lots of tools, etc.
looks like i can convert and rebuild the 360 into a pretty mean 390 without tooooo much $$$ and crazy trips.
And, what are the angles....do i just save and save and buy most things new, or go the other way and ride it till it breaks or rebuild/grab from the junk yards?
realistically, how much is it going to cost and what kind of experiences have ya'll had doing this kind of project.?
Some things i've come to learn are better asking questions about than finding out through experience. I seem to always take the latter way there though...nonetheless, input is more than welcome!

--IZ

"What the mind can conceive, the mind can achieve, and those who stay will be Champions.:
-Bo Schembechler
LET's GO BLUE!!

 

First off WELCOME to FTE. What I did was repaired all the rust which in my case was cab corners and floors. Then for the doors and bed I bought rust free southern parts. Then I stripped the truck down to frame and had everything sandblasted. The frame and underbody I used POR 15. Heres a list of what I have spent so for on my project.

Sandblasting $800

 

spray gun on the por-15? or did you just paint it on witha brush?

 

I used a brush for the por15. I think it turn out pretty good you dont see any brush marks. I used less than a quart to do the frame. And to finish what I was saying in previous post I spent about $1,400 on replacment panels and southern parts. I think when Im done with the truck, I will have close to $10,000 into it. Thats leaving the drivetrian untouched.

 

Nice. That's good to hear that you didn't use that much Por on the frame. I was expecting around a gallon to do the job. Might be just bitting the bullet and buying a sandblaster rather than having a shop do it.
Let me know if you've got any threads on your truck or build-up photos.