So ive been faced with a serious problem here. Ive been offered the chance at something ive wanted to do for a long time. Build the dream truck. Ive always wanted the 78-79 ford 4x4 truck, have had a 76 scs and now have a little hotrod 76 f100.

So the deal is 2 trucks for $1000, 78 ford f150 4x4 400m, good box and motor, cab and fenders are absolutley rotten. Has coil spring front end. 2nd is a 75 f250 camper special, 390 2wd, rotten box, cab fenders and frame are excellent, trans is shot. Both trucks have the c6 auto.

If i had time i would do this right, im being moved for work to the other coast, about 6000km away, not sure what that is in miles but you get the picture. I would have about three weeks to turn these trucks into 1 package deal (by no means road worthy) in order to ship it. I have to do this inside a 2car garage that with these two trucks ther is a fair amount of room. Im an ex mechanic so skills are not in question here.

So... do i
1. pass and regret this forever (these trucks dont exist on the eastcoast in canada)
2. or do i strip the 78 of all its 4x4 and 78 grill and hood etc and put its good box on the 75 and tow all that stuff and the 75. Seems easier to do now, but then i have to convert the 75 out east, where time and money wont be an issue in the build.
3. Or do what i think is right and put the rust free cab and fenders on the 78 frame , strip the 75 rear end out and haul it for the end build. See this option being quite difficult in that shop with no lift and time consuming and maybe not feasible in the 3 week time frame i have. Obviously being a much easier project on the other end.

Once whatever i decide to do is in halifax, a full build will commence and make this a great rig!

Sleepless somewhere near seattle!! Lol please help!

 

Heres the 78 4x4

 

And the 75 with the good cab

 

Since you want a 78/79 4x4...

Buy both. Keep the 78. Transfer over the cab and fenders. The transmission hump will need to be swapped/modified, cuz it's not tall enough

 

Man that '75 front end looks clean... Why can't that be closer to me. Hey swing by Idaho and drop off that shell, grill inserts, marker lights, and bumper please. lol You can have the 78-79 bumper off my '77 that I don't want.

 

But on to your dilemma, can you remove the cab and fenders off the '75 and put them in the bed of the 78 and strap them down to ship over within your time frame? What all would you need off the '75 to keep for the '78 other than the rear end, cab, and fenders?

 

Cab fenders and doors are all needed for the 78. Its also missing some wiring etc and you know theres a thousand small things. If i could get one running and driving in that timeframe i could ship it on the taxpayers dime (��) and tow the other. Also an option

 

I had the same problem years ago with a pair of Chevy 61 and 62 short beds. I picked the suspension and kept that truck together, and stripped the other down to the frame and loaded the good pieces in the bed of the other truck for shipping. I only kept the one bed so it all fit in the back of the 62 and made transporting easer and cheaper. Take all you need off the one and donate the rest to someone in need of the other parts. Good luck on the trip and the build. Also 4x4s go where 2x4s don't.

I removed the front clip in pieces and the cab I kept the doors on. Used some wood to help level and secure cab in bed of 62. I could still open the door facing the tail gate and stuffed it full of fenders and pieces. The hood was harder and hauled it separate for parts.

 

Hmmmm never thought of stickig the cab in the bed actually. Will a dentside cab fit in the bed like that? Secondly, im not sure a shipping company will take a vehicle like that, and not sure if my trailer could handle 1.5 trucks like that! Lol. But that is certainly a way to do it. Also putting the cab in the back of my truck that will be driven across, hmmmm

 

After I posted that option I scoured the internet looking for a picture to show it was possible, but I couldn't get anything to show a cab in a bed. In my mind it works, but I'm thinking you'd have to have it sitting on the rear wheel wells, I don't think one would fit in-between them. Like Ford Road said, he had to level the cab in the bed. If there's a will there's a way!

 

Easy solution... have them shipped both to you.

By the time you factor in, your time, the cost of driving cost country (5 days each way if you push it hard) food meals lodgings and fuel then if something goes sideways during the trip there or back or during the swap out.... in the end it will be way cheaper to have em shipped, Plus you will have both trucks at home with no time constraints to build one truck and all the parts you do not use you can to sell off to recover costs.

 

Ill take some measurements of my 76 in the morning, see if it will fit between the box rails even. Go from there.

So the stipulation with shipping is they have to be running and driving. Im being moved and the government is footing the bill. They will only pay for one more truck to be shipped must be running since Theyre already shipping my 76 f100 little hotrod. And i am driving across no matter what, 1 way in my 05 f250. Completely paid for, hotels meals mileage the works. End up profiting a couple thousand actually.

So if i can get the 78 running, and shipped for free, and take the 75 cab and fenders off and stick them in the back of my 05 and drive them across. Or worst case rent a uhaul trailer to put the cab on and haul it like that. Wont end up costing much!

I lik th idea of this, i can see the wifes reaction now lol

 

I like the idea of you spending your extremely limited time getting the '78 running and stripping the '75 of the cab and parts. Have the running truck shipped, then put the good cab and various parts on a U-haul trailer and tow that with your truck.
Here's a pic from pauli3wood's F100 Viking Build thread showing his cab in a U-haul trailer, this would be a piece of cake to tow across the country.

Good luck!

David

 

Rent a U haul car hauler and take the whole truck.

What are you going to do with the remnants of the 75 ?

 

I have to say, that's really even a better idea! You have such limited time before this huge move, and you will undoubtedly have many other tasks to accomplish. Why bother with turning a single screw on the '75, throw it as-is on a trailer and deal with the teardown and swap at your new home.

David