78-AK-HC
05-06-2010, 10:57 AM
Hey There, I'm Gary, a certified 70s Ford truck junky. Figured the best place to say Hi, was here and be able to show my trucks at the same time.
((I've re-formated and edited this post like 5 times now, trying to get it shorter, but I ramble on a lot when i feel like i don't want to skip any pertinent details or thoughts... So, I am Sorry its so long. :o ))
I'm not new to Ford trucks, especially Dentsides, grew up ridding in, workin' on and driving my Dads '78 F250 Camper Special which has been my daily driver for about 3 years, was my weekend fun truck for about 6 years before that. 400(a new rebuilt engine bought in '89-- Dad and I did it again in '02) ,C6, 4x4.
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/796627/fullsize/bigblue1.jpg
Its still in his name, but for all intensive purposes we consider it mine because he can't get in it to drive it, I do all the driving it sees, and all its maintenance.
(yes, it is a '78, the front clip was changed to a '76 when Dad got it in the 80s, previous owners(friend of my Dad that bought the truck new) brother got drunk and ruined the front left corner on a telephone pole) This truck will never be dent free again, and its a wood hauler and work truck so that'd be a waste of work, but i want to someday re-paint it and patch what little body cancer it has.
he has a '71 F250 too, first thing i ever drove and thus my love for driving these trucks, (I'll grab a pic if anyone reeeealy wants to see it, but I figured that old was pushing it for a forum titled78-79 ;) )
I also have a '78 bronco thats going semi-permanent half cab, so its not strictly a bronc anymore, its a shorter short bed integra-body pickup(like the 61-63 f100s were...cab and bed were one piece) I didn't have a topper when I got the truck, but I don't like the SUV look anyway, so would have done this even if i did have one for it. Trying to get everything squared away for daily driving, doing a rear main seal now, the trans needs done(2nd slips) getting ready to re-build the rear end -a 8.8" swapped in by the PO- already did the front end. Getting de-dented -Thankfully its rust free- and painted in a couple months.
not much visual changes since I got it, but here is before and after;
As I got it;
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/788338/fullsize/b1.jpg
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/788341/fullsize/b4.jpg
And a couple weeks ago;
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/788359/fullsize/imgp2733.jpg
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/788354/fullsize/wall1.jpg
Wood framed rear wall for now, was fast and easy for winter driving, and until I can find a cab off a pickup to cut for its rear wall. Hopefully soon so i can paint it as one piece.
The other bronc is this '79 I bought last fall for a parts truck, I got everything from the frame up except engine and the frame itself- basically a complete body Thus counting as .5 trucks.. :D All glass perfect(!) good panels, doors, no rust except surface on the floor boards, new carpet and seats, and a eddlebrock intake and carb thrown in, all for less than $300 including a trailer rent to get it home.. Everything that comes off the other one gets swapped for the better parts from here, so I end with 2 complete trucks if I can find a cheap frame/driveline.
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/788347/fullsize/driverside.jpg
And the newest, picked up a couple days ago from CL for $150 for a parts truck(mainly to cut up the cab as mentioned above...)
'76 F150 trailer special 4x2.
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/796614/fullsize/1p.jpg
The add I got it from basically said "sat all last winter without running, won't start this year, Trailer Special, has 460, need it gone... $150"
Figured for $150 the body would be trashed, and it not running, would have to rent a trailer to get it home. I could get the power brakes Dad wants for the 71 out of it, chop the cab for the sheet metal i need, maybe keep the 460 for the bronc, sell the rest to make the cash back.
New battery and some starting fluid and I drove it home. And there in lies what created one small hitch in the plan; It drives so damned nice, I decided to keep it! So now I got one of each, a Trailer Special, and a Camper Special.
One cool thing, Its got the original title from '76...
Guy I got it from, his wife is the grand-daughter of the original owner. The guy died about ten years ago and since then its just sat or been used to make short trash hauling runs... Title was never swapped from the original owners wife who still drove it a couple years ago, so legally, I am the second owner. That don't happen often 'round here.
Engine runs great, Trans is strong. Body rough, but overall its straiter than the '78, but has more body cancer spots...
My first 460, had a heck of a surprise trying to find the oil dipstick... Front of the engine?!?! But man, does this thing have power!
The interior is super clean, everything works, even the AC I think. The wiring is original, not chopped. Got an old AM/8 track in it. First truck I've ever seen this age with a variable delay on the wipers along with the two fast(slow), and faster speeds. Seat sits great, just needs re covered on the driver side.
Only big problem is that it's been hit/or hit something on the pass side front corner. Otherwise its got the customary rot from 30 years of slushy AK springs behind all four fenders... so I get to learn to cut/weld in patch panels.
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/796616/fullsize/3.jpg
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/796618/fullsize/5.jpg
Funny, I spent most of last summer trying to find front fenders/clip for the bronc... New year, new truck, same search all over again. ?>:<?:rolleyes: The really bad part of that being I want to stick with the correct front grill style, and 73/77 grill shells ain't exactly a dime a dozen like the 78/79 stuff. Ah well. Ain't life grand?
Trying to decide whether to got semi-stock resto, or street rod/drag truck with this '76. Am leaning toward street rod with that 460...
G.
((I've re-formated and edited this post like 5 times now, trying to get it shorter, but I ramble on a lot when i feel like i don't want to skip any pertinent details or thoughts... So, I am Sorry its so long. :o ))
I'm not new to Ford trucks, especially Dentsides, grew up ridding in, workin' on and driving my Dads '78 F250 Camper Special which has been my daily driver for about 3 years, was my weekend fun truck for about 6 years before that. 400(a new rebuilt engine bought in '89-- Dad and I did it again in '02) ,C6, 4x4.
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/796627/fullsize/bigblue1.jpg
Its still in his name, but for all intensive purposes we consider it mine because he can't get in it to drive it, I do all the driving it sees, and all its maintenance.
(yes, it is a '78, the front clip was changed to a '76 when Dad got it in the 80s, previous owners(friend of my Dad that bought the truck new) brother got drunk and ruined the front left corner on a telephone pole) This truck will never be dent free again, and its a wood hauler and work truck so that'd be a waste of work, but i want to someday re-paint it and patch what little body cancer it has.
he has a '71 F250 too, first thing i ever drove and thus my love for driving these trucks, (I'll grab a pic if anyone reeeealy wants to see it, but I figured that old was pushing it for a forum titled78-79 ;) )
I also have a '78 bronco thats going semi-permanent half cab, so its not strictly a bronc anymore, its a shorter short bed integra-body pickup(like the 61-63 f100s were...cab and bed were one piece) I didn't have a topper when I got the truck, but I don't like the SUV look anyway, so would have done this even if i did have one for it. Trying to get everything squared away for daily driving, doing a rear main seal now, the trans needs done(2nd slips) getting ready to re-build the rear end -a 8.8" swapped in by the PO- already did the front end. Getting de-dented -Thankfully its rust free- and painted in a couple months.
not much visual changes since I got it, but here is before and after;
As I got it;
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/788338/fullsize/b1.jpg
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/788341/fullsize/b4.jpg
And a couple weeks ago;
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/788359/fullsize/imgp2733.jpg
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/788354/fullsize/wall1.jpg
Wood framed rear wall for now, was fast and easy for winter driving, and until I can find a cab off a pickup to cut for its rear wall. Hopefully soon so i can paint it as one piece.
The other bronc is this '79 I bought last fall for a parts truck, I got everything from the frame up except engine and the frame itself- basically a complete body Thus counting as .5 trucks.. :D All glass perfect(!) good panels, doors, no rust except surface on the floor boards, new carpet and seats, and a eddlebrock intake and carb thrown in, all for less than $300 including a trailer rent to get it home.. Everything that comes off the other one gets swapped for the better parts from here, so I end with 2 complete trucks if I can find a cheap frame/driveline.
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/788347/fullsize/driverside.jpg
And the newest, picked up a couple days ago from CL for $150 for a parts truck(mainly to cut up the cab as mentioned above...)
'76 F150 trailer special 4x2.
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/796614/fullsize/1p.jpg
The add I got it from basically said "sat all last winter without running, won't start this year, Trailer Special, has 460, need it gone... $150"
Figured for $150 the body would be trashed, and it not running, would have to rent a trailer to get it home. I could get the power brakes Dad wants for the 71 out of it, chop the cab for the sheet metal i need, maybe keep the 460 for the bronc, sell the rest to make the cash back.
New battery and some starting fluid and I drove it home. And there in lies what created one small hitch in the plan; It drives so damned nice, I decided to keep it! So now I got one of each, a Trailer Special, and a Camper Special.
One cool thing, Its got the original title from '76...
Guy I got it from, his wife is the grand-daughter of the original owner. The guy died about ten years ago and since then its just sat or been used to make short trash hauling runs... Title was never swapped from the original owners wife who still drove it a couple years ago, so legally, I am the second owner. That don't happen often 'round here.
Engine runs great, Trans is strong. Body rough, but overall its straiter than the '78, but has more body cancer spots...
My first 460, had a heck of a surprise trying to find the oil dipstick... Front of the engine?!?! But man, does this thing have power!
The interior is super clean, everything works, even the AC I think. The wiring is original, not chopped. Got an old AM/8 track in it. First truck I've ever seen this age with a variable delay on the wipers along with the two fast(slow), and faster speeds. Seat sits great, just needs re covered on the driver side.
Only big problem is that it's been hit/or hit something on the pass side front corner. Otherwise its got the customary rot from 30 years of slushy AK springs behind all four fenders... so I get to learn to cut/weld in patch panels.
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/796616/fullsize/3.jpg
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/796618/fullsize/5.jpg
Funny, I spent most of last summer trying to find front fenders/clip for the bronc... New year, new truck, same search all over again. ?>:<?:rolleyes: The really bad part of that being I want to stick with the correct front grill style, and 73/77 grill shells ain't exactly a dime a dozen like the 78/79 stuff. Ah well. Ain't life grand?
Trying to decide whether to got semi-stock resto, or street rod/drag truck with this '76. Am leaning toward street rod with that 460...
G.