Notices
1973 - 1979 F-100 & Larger F-Series Trucks Discuss the Dentsides Ford Truck
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by: Moser

buying tips?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jun 30, 2010 | 09:09 PM
  #1  
95stepside's Avatar
95stepside
Thread Starter
|
Elder User
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 547
Likes: 0
Club FTE Silver Member

buying tips?

hi yall, im happy to say im looking into my first dentside. its a 78 f250 supercab 2wd. the craigslist ad wasnt very desciptive but i called him and asked about it. he clamed it has a 390 but the VIN will tell that, ill give you guys that once i see it. i was in a hurry so i forgot to ask about the transmission, to be honest it doesnt matter much to me anyway. he said it was in decent shape but his definition is probably differant than mine.

but anyways on to my question, what would be some major problm areas to look at closely? i know the real obvious ones like the floorboards, cab corners, wheel wells and frame. im talking anything, not just body.

the truck is located in iowa so it was definatly enjoying the 30+ years of rusting heaven.


thanks in advance!
 
Reply
Old Jun 30, 2010 | 09:33 PM
  #2  
DansBBF250's Avatar
DansBBF250
Junior User
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 60
Likes: 0
Make sure the brakes have been done recently, they are spendy!
 
Reply
Old Jun 30, 2010 | 09:33 PM
  #3  
bamaf150's Avatar
bamaf150
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,134
Likes: 1
From: Mississippi
The last year 390s were put in trucks was '76. Either it has had a motor swapped in or the owner just doesnt know what hes talking about.
 
Reply
Old Jun 30, 2010 | 10:11 PM
  #4  
95stepside's Avatar
95stepside
Thread Starter
|
Elder User
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 547
Likes: 0
Club FTE Silver Member

ive read multiple, multiple times that all 360s turn to a 390 on sale day lol. the engines not a big concern to me either, in my area it is much harder to find a decent body, especially the supercab, than it is drivetrain components.

maybe ill be really lucky and the guy really wont know what hes talking about and this "extended cab" is actually a crew. thatd definatly be worth the $750 hes asking
 
Reply
Old Jun 30, 2010 | 10:59 PM
  #5  
79FordBlake's Avatar
79FordBlake
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,735
Likes: 2
From: Wingo, Ky
Just wanted to say if it ends up being in decent shape don't pass it up just b/c of rusted out floorboards.
 
Reply
Old Jun 30, 2010 | 11:15 PM
  #6  
bamaf150's Avatar
bamaf150
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,134
Likes: 1
From: Mississippi
There were no 360s in 1978 either, both 360 and 390 were from the FE engine family which were discontinued for '77. If an FE is in there, your vin wont tell you that because its been swapped in.
 
Reply
Old Jul 1, 2010 | 12:21 AM
  #7  
fmc400's Avatar
fmc400
MSEE
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 10,386
Likes: 35
From: Austin, TX
Club FTE Gold Member
Just a tip for looking at any used truck - keep an eye out for how much the wiring harness has been hacked up. This can be an indicator of how much troubleshooting you'll be in for later on down the road.
 
Reply
Old Jul 1, 2010 | 12:44 AM
  #8  
freakboy's Avatar
freakboy
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 407
Likes: 0
Look at the cab mounts from the botom..
 
Reply
FTE Stories

Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts

story-0

Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership

 Brett Foote
story-2

10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-3

Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained

 Brett Foote
story-4

10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)

 Michael S. Palmer
story-6

Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)

 Brett Foote
story-9

Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies

 Joe Kucinski
Old Jul 1, 2010 | 01:14 AM
  #9  
gurueuey's Avatar
gurueuey
Freshman User
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
Something else to pay attention to, especially on the super/king cabs, is the drip rail and the roof. The longer rails tend to rust pretty badly, and would require a re-skin. Search this forum area for more info on that.
 
Reply
Old Jul 1, 2010 | 06:29 PM
  #10  
95stepside's Avatar
95stepside
Thread Starter
|
Elder User
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 547
Likes: 0
Club FTE Silver Member

ive been lurking here more than you guys know... lol

yea ive read about the drip rails but i thought that was mostly a crew cab problem
 
Reply
Old Jul 1, 2010 | 10:00 PM
  #11  
gurueuey's Avatar
gurueuey
Freshman User
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by 95stepside
ive been lurking here more than you guys know... lol

yea ive read about the drip rails but i thought that was mostly a crew cab problem
I believe you're right, but it never hurts to check.
 
Reply
Old Jul 1, 2010 | 10:07 PM
  #12  
CraigOutdoors's Avatar
CraigOutdoors
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 544
Likes: 2
Originally Posted by DansBBF250
Make sure the brakes have been done recently, they are spendy!
And a big PITA if you do 'em yourself.
 
Reply




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:09 PM.

story-0
Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals

Slideshow: Top 10 Fords at 2026 Ford Nationals

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-09 11:10:08


VIEW MORE
story-1
3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership

Based on years of owning multiple modern Ford products.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-09 10:53:36


VIEW MORE
story-2
10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches

SPONSORED: From muddy boots to rain-soaked cargo, these upgrades address some of the most common frustrations Ford truck owners face every day.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-06-08 18:50:34


VIEW MORE
story-3
Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained

Here's everything you need to know about every Ford engine available for the 2026 model year.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-05 12:58:01


VIEW MORE
story-4
10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Ford trucks that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 09:51:16


VIEW MORE
story-5
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: the best gifts for dads & grads

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:58


VIEW MORE
story-6
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath

Slideshow: Called the Fortress, the 850-horsepower pickup combines Raptor underpinnings with military-inspired features, survival equipment, and a starting price of $285,000.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-03 11:38:36


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer

Slideshow: 10 most expensive Ford trucks ever sold on Bring a Trailer.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:24:34


VIEW MORE
story-8
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)

Here's everything that has changed for the latest model year.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-27 16:17:28


VIEW MORE
story-9
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies

Slideshow: Top 10 Ford truck tragedies.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-18 19:34:33


VIEW MORE