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Tool Talk Discussion Forum

Best old Ford trucks?

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mech187

06-27-2005 09:15:21

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Looking to buy an old Ford 250/350, somewhere in the late 70s to late 80s. Wife has a two horse bumper pull trailer ( approx 5500 lbs ) loaded. I may want to tie on to a car trailer and drag home an old tractor or muscle car to restore. Thinking
460 with a C6. Wife may want to go to a gooseneck
horsetrailer at some point. What do you guys think would be best? 250 or 350? 460 good or is there a better choice? Are there any years that are better than others or ones that need to be avoided? thanks

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Hawaiirocky

06-28-2005 21:58:30

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Re: Best old Ford trucks? in reply to mech187, 06-27-2005 09:15:21

Had a 74 3/4 with the 360, and still use an 80 F350 tow-truck with the 400. Both are great trucks. The 400 has the same torque as a 460, with a two barrel carb.

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Hal/WA

06-29-2005 15:53:19

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Re: Best old Ford trucks? in reply to Hawaiirocky, 06-28-2005 21:58:30

Having been around a bunch of 400's and 460's, I would say that if your 400 has as much torque as a 460, it must be extensively modified or the 460 you are comparing it to must have something wrong with it. In my experience, the 460's always were much more powerful and torquey and usually got significantly better gas mileage than the 400's we used. The "M" engines had lots of troubles with pinging and detonation with some gas brands. The 460's seemed to work fine with just about any kind of gasoline.

I would avoid a truck with a 351M or 400, unless it was just too good a deal to pass up, but I would not plan to work them hard. The earlier 390's were pretty good and the 428 was a great engine, but those trucks are getting pretty old. The 460 is the best Ford gas engine I have experience with in fairly recent trucks, if you plan to tow heavy weight once in awhile. Good luck!

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Hawaiirocky

07-01-2005 04:42:01

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Re: Best old Ford trucks? in reply to Hal/WA, 06-29-2005 15:53:19

Hal/Wa, I stand corrected. The 400 I have is bored .30 over and has an RV cam. I had forgotten all about that. I bought the tow-truck back in 93 and was told the 400 wouldn't last 6 months, but I'm still working it to this day.

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Bill from wisc

06-28-2005 17:26:35

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Re: Best old Ford trucks? in reply to mech187, 06-27-2005 09:15:21

I bought three new trucks during the 1970,s First 1974 f250 with a 390 then a 1977 250 with a 460 then a1978 4x4 f250 with a 400. All were with c6 tranny and all were supercabs. Liked the 77 with the 460 best but got 9mpg full or empty. tuff at todays price of fuel. If you could go down south and find a good truck with a bad motor then put a duetz diesel in it you would have a nice truck. good luck Bill

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Mark - IN.

06-28-2005 16:06:16

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Re: Best old Ford trucks? in reply to mech187, 06-27-2005 09:15:21

Used to always be a chevy guy up to the early seventies, but pretty much gone Dodge since. But, through the mid to late eighties, Ford had some pretty stout trucks. Late 60's through about '76, F250's 4x4's with every imaginable engine, 360, 390, 460, 351M - too many to count. Gotta give credit where credit's due.

Know of a place that has an early '60's Ford 1.5 ton dump yard truck with a factory Napco conversersion. Sure needs paint, but makes me drool. Has the V8 on the front, so figure 332 or something like that. Figure on the road it vibrates and winds like it's gonna blowup at 50, but bet it'd climb a tree. Rough diamond.

Mark

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dhermesc

06-28-2005 05:34:22

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Re: Best old Ford trucks? in reply to mech187, 06-27-2005 09:15:21

I really like the 78-79 models and have owned two of them. The 80-86 model improved in drivability but the sheet metal seems thinner and rusts even faster.

You best choice would be a 87-89 with fuel injection. Their bodies don't rust near as fast, fuel economy is better and their springs are heavier. The F250 & F350s are very solid in those years while the F150 suffered fom lousy transmissions. I would NOT mess with a diesel from that period - they are old and expensive to work on. They have an inherant problem with cavitation that only gets worse as they age.

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Leland

06-27-2005 20:27:32

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Re: Best old Ford trucks? in reply to mech187, 06-27-2005 09:15:21

Look for an older diesel you can not AFFORD to drive a 460 today just dragging my boat about 100 miles 1 way to a lake cost around 100.00 for gas I sold it and found an 90 F-250 diesel and the thing gets 18mpg a 460 is lucky to get 8 mpgworking.

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Too Far Gone

06-27-2005 19:47:36

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Re: Best old Ford trucks? in reply to mech187, 06-27-2005 09:15:21

I think the 78 and 79 Fords were real good.We had one of each growing up farming,but they both had 400 engines which were powerful(especially bored out,but idling around the 400 wants to heat.

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msb

06-27-2005 19:29:31

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Re: Best old Ford trucks? in reply to mech187, 06-27-2005 09:15:21

I bought a new 1979 F250 with a 460 engine and C6 transmission.I put 197,000 hard use miles on it before the timing chain crapped out.It was a better truck than the 1997 F250-351EFI FWD that I now own.

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Doug in IL

06-27-2005 16:15:03

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Re: Best old Ford trucks? in reply to mech187, 06-27-2005 09:15:21

I think the high point of Ford pickups were the 1978 and '79 models. I just loved my '78! I bought several new F250's in the 80's. Ford didn't have much quality in the 80's. My last Ford was a '89 F250. After that, Dodge diesels and I've seen no reason to back to a Ford. In the older trucks, the 460 is the way to go for towing. Those old Ford diesels just didn't have much power. I think by the 90's they were quite a bit better.

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Hound

06-27-2005 15:37:10

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Re: Best old Ford trucks? in reply to mech187, 06-27-2005 09:15:21

"best old ford" ...some may say that, thats an oxy moron. The way fuel is going you may want to stay away from the gassers....hard to beat the diesels for power/fuel economy. Hound

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hay

06-27-2005 13:37:03

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Re: Best old Ford trucks? in reply to mech187, 06-27-2005 09:15:21

yea, i have a ford work truck. all i do is work on the darn thing. sure is the last ford i will ever buy.

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Ken Crisman

06-27-2005 13:23:06

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Re: Best old Ford trucks? in reply to mech187, 06-27-2005 09:15:21

I have a 78 F150 4x4 with the 351M/400 , that has the engine bored out to 30 over with an RV camshaft & double roller timing set . I also had a shift kit installed in the C6 tranny . It's fast & a hard nose puller . It'll even squall the tires in shifting from from low range to second . About 14 mph . It'll smoke tire very nicely . It'll run & work the tail off of my 88 F250 4x4 with the same changes to its 351W engine & C6 tranny .Gas mileage at 5 mph on it .

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Chris Brown

06-27-2005 13:09:22

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Re: Best old Ford trucks? in reply to mech187, 06-27-2005 09:15:21

I had a 78 f-250 with 460 and got 10 mpg empty and was ok on power. I now have a 92 ,fuel injected 460 in a 4 door crew cab and it gets 12-14 empty and weighs half again as much as the old truck and has twice the power

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petetx

06-27-2005 12:08:38

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Re: Best old Ford trucks? in reply to mech187, 06-27-2005 09:15:21

just make sure it was not built to california specs these had lots of problems i ordered one new it came with california emmisions which i was mot aware of until i started having problems i live in texas dealer was no help broke me of buying fords which i had always drove.

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Markuss

06-27-2005 12:07:07

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Re: Best old Ford trucks? in reply to mech187, 06-27-2005 09:15:21

I have a 1992 F250 Diesel with the 7.3 liter IH engine...is is a WORK truck...have a 2500 lb water tank in the back...get 12 mpg with a UHAUL trailer at 70 mph or 8 mpg with a 10,000 tractor being hauled. Tough suspension....

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Mike M

06-27-2005 10:17:25

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Re: Best old Ford trucks? in reply to mech187, 06-27-2005 09:15:21

For sure stay away from those 351M / 400 engines.Yanked one out of our 1981 F350 and put in a 460 and even gained 1 mpg on light trailer loads.I get like 7-8 ? You might look at something a little newer with a IHC diesel engine guys seem to love these.

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3010 Ken

06-27-2005 09:54:00

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Re: Best old Ford trucks? in reply to mech187, 06-27-2005 09:15:21

Hey Mech; My son had a 74 F-250 with a 390 and a c-6 trans. It was a 4x4,had 4.10 gears.Solidly built like Rusty is saying and would pull that 5500# all day and all night as long as you could afford to keep those 9 mpg.horses in the liquid gold. Kenny

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RustyFarmall

06-27-2005 09:43:13

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Re: Best old Ford trucks? in reply to mech187, 06-27-2005 09:15:21

You may want to look at late sixties through 1972, different body style, didn't rust out nearly as bad. Early seventies not too bad, but by the eighties the bodys were pretty cheaply made. Also the frames got lighter and not as strong on the later trucks. By the eighties you had to buy an F-250 to replace an F-100. I think an F-250 would be all you need, but if you can find an F-350 go for it, sure bet you won't tear it up. The 460 is a good strong engine but don't overlook an older truck with a 390 if you find one, plenty of power and built like a brick you know what.

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Galen

06-27-2005 09:35:22

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Re: Best old Ford trucks? in reply to mech187, 06-27-2005 09:15:21

The 460 is a pulling machine! It will, however, guzzle the gas!

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mark

06-27-2005 18:06:38

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Re: Best old Ford trucks? in reply to Galen, 06-27-2005 09:35:22

The best Ford trucks I ever saw were reincarnated as Toyota hubcaps. yeah, I bought new Ford in '88, a 3/4 ton 4 wd with a 5 speed. Biggest POS i ever owned. I paid for my opinions, dearly. Never , ever, again. I've owned new Chevy's too..ho-hum. Now driving what was a new Dodge in '96.....after 2 fuel pumps and a rebuilt tranny, i'm sour on them as well. I look out at that little 87 Toyota with 178K and wish it was twice as big. never owned a finer vehicle in my life, great for gin jobs but when it comes to real work, it is just a 'Toy'. What's left? If Toyota would get their dung together and build a real PU truck...no a Tundra isn't....they'd clean the market. Give us a stout 6 cylinder diesel with a turbo, 3.90 gears, a 6 sp. tranny, heavy suspension and some cab room and you'd have a truck.

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Galen

06-27-2005 18:46:38

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Re: Best old Ford trucks? in reply to mark, 06-27-2005 18:06:38

Sorry to hear about your bad luck! I have a 1997 F-150 with a 5.4 in it. Got over 330,000 miles on it (about 1/2 with trailer). Not a bit of problems - O2 sensers, ABS senser on front, radiator - other than that, normal stuff. Only changed the serpintine belt once (185,000), still on factory hoses. Use nothing but Wally Super-Tech oil. I guess it is just how ya run 'em and personal preference!

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504

06-27-2005 19:52:16

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Re: Best old Ford trucks? in reply to Galen, 06-27-2005 18:46:38

I had a 72 F-250 Camper Special, 390, 4bl headers, RV cam, 17mpg 3.73gears, c-6, 85mph top end, but it would pull a freight train 85 mph!Pulling a trailer 10mpg(stock it got 11mpg loaded or m/t.It weighed 5700# empty with both tanks full.

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