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Take a look at this beauty a baby blue '79 F150 Supercab Custom Straight 6 300 CID (4.9 L) , My Dad gave to me but I haven't got her home yet.
We got her running, but haven't taken her out on the road yet. He has had her since 1982, with only one previous owner, but it has basically sat for 15 years in the garage then in the woods for the last 3 of those 15. We worked a few long weekends last summer to get the front gas tank cleaned out, and replaced batter, fuel and oil filters, cleaned the radiator and now what???
I need to decide, should I try to fix up this ride and bring her home to Seattle from Corvallis... Or, should I put her on the market to find a local buyer??
Anyone have any suggestions on where in the Corvallis Oregon area I could find someone to help work on her? My Dad is no longer in good enough health to work on this at his old place anymore... I need the Brakes Bled, and probably much more.
It's obviously your call but I say bring the ol' girl back to life! The straight six is a great motor known for its easy maintenance, dependability, and longevity.
Join the Oregon chapter on this forum and i'm sure you'll find someone willing to lend a hand, or at the very least offer up some good advice.
Give her and good wash (that means scrubbing) and a coat of wax. I think the answer will make itself clear... Is the front seat as good as the rear? That interior looks pretty good and those big sixes are hard to beat, but make sure you follow the proper startup procedure for a vehicle that's been sitting that long. Change all your fluids/filters, look for dry-rotted hoses and cracked plastic fittings, empty the gas tanks and re-fill, squirt a little oil in the upper cylinder while you're checking the spark plugs, pull out any rats nests and look for chewed on wiring.... I'm sure there is a list somewhere around here. Welcome to FTE!
It would pretty much be a kick in the ***** to your dad to sell it since hes had it since 82, and has now dedicated several weekends of his time to bring it back to life and give it to you as a gift. Its a really cool truck, and looks pretty solid. Its the only supercab Ive ever seen with a thrifty, dependable 6 cylinder in it too. If it were me, Id fix it.
#1, you will always look at the truck and remember the time you and your dad spent working on it together.
#2, it's a pretty solid looking as it sits. It's kind of hard to tell for sure, but the cab looks pretty solid around the drip rails, which is what kills a lot of the supercabs.
#3, don't worry about being able to drive it home. I would hire a professional car hauler. We bought my wife's truck up north of Seattle and trailered it home on U-Haul truck and trailer. It's not too bad of a trip, but I paid around $550-600 between rental and gas. I would guess a hauler wouldn't charge too much more and you would save the hassle. Plus, a regular cab only fit on the U-Haul trailer with about an inch to spare. NO way a supercab is going to fit.
Don't forget the general freedom that comes with a paid off vehicle. You could get 7 miles a gallon (That sixer will do better I'm sure) and do the general maintenance and the average cost to own this truck will be way less than payments on a new truck with a 72 month loan. And, these trucks have already hit the bottom of their depreciation curve, so the value will probably go up of you hang on to it and keep it clean and running. You'll eat a lot of that savings if you do a full restoration, sure, but I still think it would be a better value in 5-10 years than a late model truck that is worn out and due for some high cost maintenence/parts. This truck will probably do everything you are likely to need from a truck anyway, unless you tow tractor trailers on a regular basis or jump dirt for fun.
Thanks everyone for the quick responses, confirming that I should keep and love this truck. I have really wanted to own and use this truck, especially after working on it.
Selling it would just be a quick easy way to solve the challenge of dealing with it. I looked into the Uhaul option, but like you said the supercab with long bed isn't going to fit...
So a professional auto hauler is probably the next step, since it sits in Philomath hills and there aren't many options for working on it down there any more.
@wyrm73 , or anyone else, do you know of any haulers that you would recommend?
There's a chance your rig could make the trip with the assistance of a follow vehicle.... How thorough of a shakedown have you given her so far? Are the brakes in good order, lights and signals working, is she registered and insured yet?
To Seattle? I think you may have trouble getting it to pass emissions? In Oregon you are exempt mostly outside the portland area from DEQ but in Washington they may not be so friendly (something to check)
I live in Salem about 36 minutes from Corvallis (45 min to philomath) but I don't know jack about inline sixes unfortunately, other than they last forever. Frankly I'm surprised such a small engine in a large truck!
@ @XSoph yeah my friend who has done tons of work on older fords says I could take it on the road. Mainly I am worried about the brake system, it hasn't been flushed or bled in 15 years, so they work but are too squishy for me to feel confidant. Plus, the tires are all super old, and I heard old tires can blow out on the freeway.
Lights and signals work, I insured it but was waiting to register until its road ready. I researched, and can buy a 3 day short term registration from Oregon in order to drive it home, then I will need to register it in Washington once I get home.
@ @niko20 luckily in Washington, any vehicle older than 25 years no longer has to pass emission tests.
Then I would spend the money on new tires instead of the Uhaul. Brakes are pretty simple to drain and bleed. If you absolutely cannot get help bleeding the brakes, go get some bleeder screws with check valves, now it's a one person job. Just take it easy on the speed and give yourself plenty of room to stop. A road trip is a good opportunity to tweak your carburetor, too.
These trucks' brakes don't bleed as simply as most other vehicles.
The brake Pressure Differential valve, commonly called a proportioning valve, needs to be set up for bleeding the front brakes, or you'll never get any fluid out of the bleeders.
You will need to either pull out on a valve stem, or if it's the other type, you will need to push in a valve. Larger trucks tend to have the push type of PD valve, but your truck might have a high enough GWVR to have the push type of valve.
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Fix or Sell ? '79 F150 Supercab Custom Straight 6 300 CID (4.9 L)
