1979 F350 build. (Page 1 of 3)
Posted: 4/16/2024 11:26:52 AM EDT
The cost of treason isn't paid in Dollars.
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There are times that I wish I wasn’t a teacher so I could have more than one project truck. I like the looks of the dentsides, and Raven Black. I have my late-grandfather’s 1959 F-100 that I’m going to do a two-time with Raven Black and Gunsmoke Gray. After you’re finished with both trucks, you should drive them to Pigeon Forge to the annual F-100 Grand Nationals. Do you have any pics of your wife’s Fridge? |
| Looks like a cool project, a Sterling 10.25 rearend out of a mid ‘90s f250 or f350 srw will slip right in there also, did this on a 78 f250 4x4 and it was a good upgrade. It’s a service truck with a bit of weight on it and the wheel bearings and brakes were bigger on it. The spring perches are same width. |
| Awesome build. I'm learnin' quite a bit, too. |
"What is socialism? The most difficult and tortuous way to progress from capitalism to capitalism." -Stated at an intel conference, East Berlin, Oct. 1988
"Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods." -H.L. Mencken
"Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods." -H.L. Mencken
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Originally Posted By Mattgunguy: I've been told that's it to be able to form them to the actual shape of the floors easier since Tabco uses thicker material than pretty much anyone else. Thunk they said 16ga or 18ga material on the phone. I've only ever used cheap Chinese tissue paper patch panels before. So I'm reeeeeeeeeally hoping that these work out well as I've got a lot to do on the Bronco & prefer to buy American if I can help it. The Bronco is a rusty gem. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/239279/Resized_20240216_172530_1708128036030-3198182.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/239279/Resized_20240216_172928_1708128158908-3198183.jpg Have you ever used the EMS Automotive out of Detroit for panels? I know they make several for the Fridges. |
| 79 is one of my favorite Ford years. There's one here that's really tempting but I've already got too many bikes and a truck that don't run. |
BikerNut:
Normal people like motorcycles. Real people like motorcycles.
People who don't like motorcycles are just... weird.
Normal people like motorcycles. Real people like motorcycles.
People who don't like motorcycles are just... weird.
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Originally Posted By Mattgunguy: I've owned close to 20 dent side Ford's over the years. Primarily with a C6 auto for a transmission, but with more than a few 4 speeds as well. Out of all of them, this is the first T-18 I've ever had. Everything else was a Np435. I thought that this one was an Np435 at first as well due the shift pattern with Revere being right & down like all Np435 are. Little did I know that in 78 or 79 the was changed to Revere being the the right & down rather than right & up. But it's a factory transmission F code T-18. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/239279/Ffjurdg-3200758.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/239279/1000003814-3200759.jpg I need tosit my ass down soon and design a front bumper. Gonna be chonky for a 12k winch & double as a catwalk to deal with engine work. Need an exhaust system as well since I had to cut it off to get the new springs in. I know that I'm going to stick with the factory manifolds unless I find some shorty headers I actually like. The 351M/400 manifold flows a lot better than most. Probably 2-1/2" or 3" tube & dump it just behind the cab. Really can't make up my mind about the noise makers of the system. I very generally always used glass packs like Cherry Bombs or Purple Hornies, but ive really come to like Flowmaster. Probably end up with glass packs. Then on to addressing the fuel system. I hate midship tanks & this one has a shield that is rusted to fuck & is quite literally held in with bard wire. No idea if the tank itself even holds fuel either & it takes up a ton of space. So it's got to go. I was planning to do a regular old rear mounted fuel tank. Simple cheap & easy. But when discussing this with the Minister of Sex and Finance, the real plan was revealed. Turns out that unbeknownst to myself, I wanted an in cab fuel tank. Fortunately the cab tank for a 60's ford truck is pretty cheap & will fit. Mounting holes are different, but since I've got no existing mounting bolts, I figure I can put them wherever the heck I want. Cutting a hole for the fill neck will likely be a bigger headache. Got to do door mirrors too, but ive got a solution for that already. I've got a thing for west coast mirrors & little did I know that there was a set of rather nice west coast mirrors sitting in the floor of her 59 F100. So I get to fit them up. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/239279/20240221_172440-3200787.jpg And she added a huge future project last week as well. Makes this one look like small potatoes. Originally Posted By Mattgunguy: Originally Posted By SamuraiEdge: Very cool old truck OP. I thought all trucks this vintage came with the 435 np 4 speed. I've owned close to 20 dent side Ford's over the years. Primarily with a C6 auto for a transmission, but with more than a few 4 speeds as well. Out of all of them, this is the first T-18 I've ever had. Everything else was a Np435. I thought that this one was an Np435 at first as well due the shift pattern with Revere being right & down like all Np435 are. Little did I know that in 78 or 79 the was changed to Revere being the the right & down rather than right & up. But it's a factory transmission F code T-18. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/239279/Ffjurdg-3200758.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/239279/1000003814-3200759.jpg I need tosit my ass down soon and design a front bumper. Gonna be chonky for a 12k winch & double as a catwalk to deal with engine work. Need an exhaust system as well since I had to cut it off to get the new springs in. I know that I'm going to stick with the factory manifolds unless I find some shorty headers I actually like. The 351M/400 manifold flows a lot better than most. Probably 2-1/2" or 3" tube & dump it just behind the cab. Really can't make up my mind about the noise makers of the system. I very generally always used glass packs like Cherry Bombs or Purple Hornies, but ive really come to like Flowmaster. Probably end up with glass packs. Then on to addressing the fuel system. I hate midship tanks & this one has a shield that is rusted to fuck & is quite literally held in with bard wire. No idea if the tank itself even holds fuel either & it takes up a ton of space. So it's got to go. I was planning to do a regular old rear mounted fuel tank. Simple cheap & easy. But when discussing this with the Minister of Sex and Finance, the real plan was revealed. Turns out that unbeknownst to myself, I wanted an in cab fuel tank. Fortunately the cab tank for a 60's ford truck is pretty cheap & will fit. Mounting holes are different, but since I've got no existing mounting bolts, I figure I can put them wherever the heck I want. Cutting a hole for the fill neck will likely be a bigger headache. Got to do door mirrors too, but ive got a solution for that already. I've got a thing for west coast mirrors & little did I know that there was a set of rather nice west coast mirrors sitting in the floor of her 59 F100. So I get to fit them up. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/239279/20240221_172440-3200787.jpg And she added a huge future project last week as well. Makes this one look like small potatoes. The right-and-down thing has confused a lot of people, including me on my ‘72. It started life with a C6 but somewhere along the way somebody swapped in a T18, which must have been taken from a later truck because I, too, thought it had an NP435 until I crawled underneath. |
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Originally Posted By bwideman: Nice project! My brother just picked up this '79 F350 Camper Special. It's a cool vehicle for sure. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/182293/IMG_0232_JPEG-3203218.jpg Like the color scheme. |
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Originally Posted By bwideman: Nice project! My brother just picked up this '79 F350 Camper Special. It's a cool vehicle for sure. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/182293/IMG_0232_JPEG-3203218.jpg Thats really sharp looking. My father had some sort of early 70s Ford 150, it had the manual choke. It was meant as only a beater to take crap to the dump. That thing was tuff as hell but a real piece of shit with the manual choke. I have many fun memories of it and miss it. I think in the 2-3 decades we owned it, we changed the oil only once. |
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I don't know anything about in cab fuel tanks other than stories form old timers who seemed to generally dislike them. Were they an option on 79's? I feel like I've seem them mostly on older trucks. Is there usable room behind the seat? That's precious area in a single cab |
BikerNut:
Normal people like motorcycles. Real people like motorcycles.
People who don't like motorcycles are just... weird.
Normal people like motorcycles. Real people like motorcycles.
People who don't like motorcycles are just... weird.
|
For the most part no, cab tanks weren't an option in 79. Some cab & chassis truck might have had them, but probably not many. Seems the biggest dislike of cab tanks is the sound of sloshing gas & a gas smell. Maybe a fire hazard in a wreck too. I've seen rear mounted tanks crack and burn too. |
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Originally Posted By ALASKANFIRE: Sounds like some of my high school adventures. Ditto. The funny part of it is that when I was in high school & my 20's, I would have happily part someone to have worked on my vehicles. But couldn't afford it. Now that I'm older & could afford to pay someone to work on them, I'm to much of a cheapass to pay someone. |
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Originally Posted By Mattgunguy: Ditto. The funny part of it is that when I was in high school & my 20's, I would have happily part someone to have worked on my vehicles. But couldn't afford it. Now that I'm older & could afford to pay someone to work on them, I'm to much of a cheapass to pay someone. Originally Posted By Mattgunguy: Originally Posted By ALASKANFIRE: Sounds like some of my high school adventures. Ditto. The funny part of it is that when I was in high school & my 20's, I would have happily part someone to have worked on my vehicles. But couldn't afford it. Now that I'm older & could afford to pay someone to work on them, I'm to much of a cheapass to pay someone. Are you me? Am I in the matrix?
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BikerNut:
Normal people like motorcycles. Real people like motorcycles.
People who don't like motorcycles are just... weird.
Normal people like motorcycles. Real people like motorcycles.
People who don't like motorcycles are just... weird.
|
Originally Posted By Mattgunguy: Little bit of this & a little bit of that, and out pops a drive shaft. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/239279/1000003800-3199437.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/239279/1000003802-3199438.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/239279/1000003803-3199439.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/239279/1000003805-3199441.jpg Now I just need to order a new ring, pinion & the associated fiddly bits for the rear-end. Hopefully that'll be next Friday. What’d you use to clean that yoke bore up? Some kinda tool or a die grinder and patience? |
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