1979 F350 build. (Page 3 of 3)
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Originally Posted By HeyCoach: How are the Fridges coming along? Any progress? No progress at all really, besides picking up a few parts & finalizing a plan. The wife's fridge is essentially stock & will be restored, I dont know if that's gonna be just a Sunday driver restoration or a full frame off. I'm of the mind to do the full frame off & some tasteful mods like disk brakes up front, but that's down the road yet. Once the Bronco & my 1 ton are back on the road I'm tearing into the girls truck. It's going to get body swapped onto one of the 78 /79 4wd frames. The frame under her fridge now has been jacked with more than I care to deal with when that 302 was shoved in it. I'm gonna go one of three way for an engine, fix the 400 I just took out of the 3/4 ton & put a C6 behind it, build a 351w based 428 stroker with an Np435 behind it, or I'd ran into a guy who really was a 70's 302 & has a 351c to trade. Be some fabrication to fit the body, but not anything crazy, then she'd get power steering & brakes, and a few other little amenities. She doesn't want to sit super high, so probably 33's or 35's if they'll fit without a lift. She's on the short side & doesn't want to need a ladder to get in, which i can't really blame her for that. It'll get repainted because I hate the "patina" bullshit. Rust is rust, no matter what ya call it. But condition on that, is it must get painted in the scheme it is now. Which I'm good with. Hopefully by winter I'll have enough done with the others to get started. She's trying to help a lot more, so it's going a bit faster & she's learning too. I've been pushing her to get a camera and start putting stuff on YouTube. Never know, she could hit it big & make some money at it. |
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Originally Posted By Mattgunguy: She's trying to help a lot more, so it's going a bit faster & she's learning too. I've been pushing her to get a camera and start putting stuff on YouTube. Never know, she could hit it big & make some money at it. She could start with a cell phone and one of those little tripod holders with the bendable legs. You can stand/hang those just about anywhere. I did this with my phone hanging from a little tree.  2024-11-6 Took my Rzr Blind Down |
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Originally Posted By 67Firebird: She could start with a cell phone and one of those little tripod holders with the bendable legs. You can stand/hang those just about anywhere. I did this with my phone hanging from a little tree.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzvAXPmSfIsThe annoying part is that she already has a decent to good camera, it's more a matter of self confidence I think & doesn't want to look like an internet skank or come off as stupid. Then don't dress or act like I tells her & we all have to start learning somewhere. So i don't know, maybe she will, maybe she won't. But on the plus side, the big box of parts arrived. And I'm on my way to Ohio for work. I hate my job somedays. 
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Originally Posted By Mattgunguy: The annoying part is that she already has a decent to good camera, it's more a matter of self confidence I think & doesn't want to look like an internet skank or come off as stupid. Then don't dress or act like I tells her & we all have to start learning somewhere. So i don't know, maybe she will, maybe she won't. I've done a few videos for family stuff, that I won't post, but they were good practice for taking the video and doing a little editing. I deleted several, before creating some keepers. Practice is good, with ones that you already know you won't post. |
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Well the engine quickly went tits up upon further cleaning. That one now needs a machine shop once all the carbon got cleaned out. Yup, a ball hone aint cleaning that up.  And then to top it off, my 460 magically changed into a 429. That there is the casting code for a Ford 429 crankshaft, and the pistons may have also given it away. But on the plus side, the rod & main journals on the crank are absolutely mint and are standard size bearings.   So thats got me a bit bummed, plus I've already got some new parts on hand and others ordered. Then market place entered the chat & I've got more goodies. Look ma! Another 429 / 460 block! And better heads, that need work.   The sought-after pre-smog era heads. Basically just higher compression & a bit better flowing. Wish they were the same casting code, but there really weren't any significant changes between 1968 & 1970.   This block is also still a standard bore (4.360"). While it looks dirty nasty & crusty in the pictures, it's all surface rust & light staining and "should" hopefully clean up with some elbow grease and then I'm gonna attempt to hone it at home. Then send it off once I fuck that up. Standard bore, I can fuck it up a lot before sending it off. It's already been tanked & magnafluxed previously. Dude got it for a project, spent a bunch of monies & then went a different direction.    $260 well spent. I haven't told the wife yet, but I think her fridge could use a big block Ford. |
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Originally Posted By PossumKing: Nice. It'll be nice once i get him back together & on the road, which I'm about a third of the way to accomplishing. But the weather has sucked & other jobs keep getting priority. Like this weekend it's supposed to be nice & I was planning on getting the trashed cab off & the replacement on. Then the wife said that she ordered a new flexplate for the Bronco & it should be here by Friday. Well fuck...... there goes my plans. Granted yes, the Bronco desperately needs a new flexplate, but give a guy a bit more heads up before he has to yank out a C6 with a Np205 hanging off the back. I put a new flexplate & starter in the F250 she drives all the time a few weeks ago & it's made a world of difference. Power Master & TCI. A little spendy, but worth it. Starter is half the size & weight, with much more torque. SFI approved flexplate, because I'm sick of cheap Chinese & Mexican shit turning into scrap metal.    She wants the Bronco to start reliably, because I'm just about ready to drag him down for an inspection. Finally got all the lights working as they should, excluding the dome light.    And the obligatory "woman & her truck" photo. Gotta love a woman who'd rather drive an old truck than anything new.  Exhaust is the next thing on the punch list for that one, damn thing is loud. I did take it for a couple hundred mile drive last weekend, cruises 55 to 70 right nicely & wasn't terrible on gas. |
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Well, I am a glutton for punishment & I needed another project like an extra hole in the head. Getting this one from a buddy out in Kentucky. 82 Jeep Cj7 that's in need of a fair bit of love.  I'm hopefully gonna make the drive out in August to pick it up & some other parts. Then today's fun filled episode of "I do dumb shit", I went & pick up this for the afore mentioned buddy.   Yeah, that went great until it didn't. I should've stopped & filled the tank up before tackling the hill to the house. It's a steep hill & fairly long as well, took it slow enough with a 1/4 tank that I'm managed to basically run out of gas. And backwards I go without enough brakes to control it. Snap decision to jack knife it to go straight down the side of the hill, was afraid I'd roll it trying to take grade sideways. Took a few hours to drag everything out with the help of friend. Broke a taillight on the trailer, but aside from that, nothings damaged.       I had enough of adventure for the day after that. |
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Originally Posted By 67Firebird: Looks like an easier recovery than when you went backwards with the black truck, but still sketchy.  I've done much dumber stuff & this was fairly tame by my dumb shit-O-meter. I just feel stupid for not hitting the gas station and topping up. |
The wife traded for something that should make life a bit easier, at least until I have to move the thing.  Looks like I'm going chain hoist shopping at the Harbor Freight real soon like. Gots a lot of work to get done & not a lot of time to get it done in. The body is coming back off the F350 & the motor & trans are going in the Bronco. It'll get a big block & auto or 4 speed later & it get a lite frame off resto. Bronco is getting back on the road & hopefully making the drive to Kentucky next month to pick up the Jeep. Time will tell if that actually happens. |
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Due to an unfortunate event that didn't involve losing my job, I had some extra time off this week. And since I didn't want to be trapped inside dealing with said event, I braved the heat & made some 1 progress. Was working on the Bronco frisrt, but that thing has me so agitated I needed to step away. Got just about every stripped out of the crunchy cab & ready for transplant.   Cleaned up the firewall of the new cab & started at it.  Had to fight with the blasted hydroboost backet for a couple of hours. Hole just didn't quite want line up. My hope is to at least be able to run the truck tomorrow. |
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Originally Posted By Mattgunguy: Due to an unfortunate event that didn't involve losing my job, I had some extra time off this week. And since I didn't want to be trapped inside dealing with said event, I braved the heat & made some 1 progress. I hear the MO weather is beautiful this time of year. |
"When you need it and ain't got it, you're singin' a different tune..."
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Originally Posted By Buckshot4U: I hear the MO weather is beautiful this time of year. Mother in law had a pretty massive stroke a few weeks ago and we got her on home hospice last week. Since she has a mobile home on our property & my work space is maybe 75 feet from her front door, I was bouncing back & forth. Its been an unpleasant experience to say the least. Weather been great. Hot & humid or not quite as hot & humid, most excellent choices. |
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The joys of driving old stuff. Went to harbor freight yesterday to get some abrasives to fix the rust holes on the replacement cab. Nearest harbor freight is about an hour away, got most of the way there & smell this god awful stank with no clue what it was. Get out at the the store & noticed the big puddle of coolant on the ground and the bubbling radiator, the belt for the water pump & power steering pump had broken. No biggie, there's a parts house close by. Get a new belt & put it on (wise driver of old shit keeps a tool set behind the seat), well low & behold, the power steering pump decided to seize up & that's what smoked the belt. Fortunately I've not yet gotten around to changing out the horrible Corporate pump and Ford used those for a long ass time. So I was able to get one at a different parts house across town & changed it out in their parking lot. Showed the kid how to do it at the same time.  30 minutes in a parking lot with 2 wrenches, 1 socket & rachet (did have to get a pulley tool, but i needed one of those anyway). Good luck doing that with new crap. Also got to take the F350 up & down the dirt road yesterday finally. Got the fuel tank in & plumbed, not bolted down yet. Seats in, but I'm gonna swap it with another one I think. Steering is all together. Brakes working as they should. No dash or lights hooked up yet. But starts up right nice & scoots around now. Had a helper, that wasn't much help.  Gonna call around Monday and try to locate a windshield locally or close enough to pick up. Could order one, but the damn freight is more than the glass. After glass it's just little stuff left. Dash, lights, new grille shell and grille, passenger fender, doors, & some rust repair. |
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This week has been a pure shit show. My mother in law had a massive stroke the beginning of the month and had been on home hospice for a few weeks, she passed Monday, so I've been home earlier than usual to help deal with things. Went out & worked on the truck when I needed a break from the BS. Fought with this fender & door for days to get a good fit & gap.     Got the other door on, but it's being a pain in the ass. The latch mechanism is all jacked up & is a chore to get to release. Did use the truck to get the smaller trailer out of the yard. Got it stuck on side of the hill some months back & needed something with 4wd to get it, trailer could use a lift kit now. My sheet metal for patch panels is under that cab & really had no desire to carry it up a hill by hand. To hot out for that kinda stupidity.  
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Bronco stuff. There'll be much more of that for a while than 1 ton stuff, which I decided to take back down to a bare frame & go full retard on the rebuild. So in the mean time, Bronco stuff. Or in this case, rust repair & this thing is such a rust bucket. But they're expensive nowadays to justify the repair. Big ass A/C box went here, I yanked that years ago.  Chunk of the crunchy cab mishap.  Snippy snip to almost fit & then metal glue. Could've been better.    And some more choppy chop. I want to get this area on both sides done before moving to the floor pans.     Lots more to do. |
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So the front roof line of my replacement cab turned out to be a bit of rather Swiss cheesed clapped out turd. I started to try to fix it, but it was essentially attempting to weld rust to rust. Just chasing holes that kept growing.  This thing was a complete mess, had mouse house in one corner and a ton of rust.     Cut a piece out of one of the parts cab & started tearing into it. Cleaned up all the rust & gave it all a very healthy dose of primer.       Glued in & got started cleaning it all up. Gonna need some mud in the back corners, unless I come up with a stud gun & slide hammer. But it will hopefully furniture out decent.    At some point I need to drag the bed over & dig into it ass well. It's got some rot in the front of the box that needs addressed. I'd decided a while back I didn't want to leave the flatbed on it. |
New to me body fiiler from the local parts house & I'm of mixed opinions about it. It mixes & lays down well, but seems to have a rather short working window. So I'm just doing small batches, which I don't particularly have a problem with.     Bed ain't in to terrible of condition. Most all the rust is in the front & it's all flat metal.  |
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And now the multi month update. Wall of blah blah blah warning. Got around to making some brackets for the cab tank. Came up with the idea a while back, I've just got a short attention span and take a while to get to stuff. These are made from some sacrificial exhaust hangers & rivnuts.    Welded to the cab & the tank installed. Looks better & is probably more secure than the first time I did it.    The choppy choppy parts cab also donated a somewhat better seat. Could use new vinyl.  Time to tackle the windshield. I initially thought to use the old seal, but it ended up being torn in one corner. So I busted out the busted windshield of one of the project cabs & used it, because I'm a cheapass. And then I learned that I've done glass the wrong way for the last 25 years. When I was a teenager, I was taught to put the seal in the opening & then rope the glass into the seal. Yeah, I'm an idiot for listening to that. Know better now at least.  Then I kinda fucked off the next couple of weekends. But I did some more horse trading & got more Big Block shit! That turned out to be a total mixed bag! Because Google is a thing & some people don't know how to use it! Found a dude who had a "460" or most of one & wanted a 351w. A buddy of mine gave me a 351w roller a while back to get it out of his hair & I had no real use for it. So a builder 351w for a "460" & some cash with a late night drive. So MOAR Big Block shit!   With added goodies. NOS TRW forged pistons for a 460.  Buuuuuuuuut, it's another fucking 429.... That makes 3 of them in a year.  But all is not lost. Dude on a Ford truck forum I'm on really wants a 429 & has 460 parts, but he's several hundred miles away. Oddly enough, I pass through his town just about every Sunday on my way to Dallas. Load a crank & pistons & swap for the right stuff.  There's the goodness.   That mess will hopefully be getting built up this year & going in the Bronco. Following that debacle, the flexplate in the wife's F250 decided to die. Which was really really annoying, it'd been in it less than a year. But dead it was & had to be replaced. So out it came. Gantry makes this super easy when you don't have a paved driveway.  New flexplate back on & reinstalled, and nothing! No start, no crank, no run. Starter just spins. 4 starters, multiple solenoids & electrical checks later, I had to walk away for a while before I got pissed & broke something in frustration. Went back to the f350. I truly hate & detest virtually every slider back window Ford ever used on a 73-79 truck. They leak, won't seal, parts break off, etc etc. I like solid windows, but they're honestly kind of a bitch to find. Luckily for me, a coworker was moving last year & gave me a bunch dent side Ford parts, including a solid back glass. Had to order a seal for it, since everything else was for a slider. Then one fine Saturday a few weeks ago, I spent about 7 hours removing decades old sun baked window tint. Well, mostly the adhesive. Put the seal on to let it take a seat & went to work for a week. Put it in the cab the next weekend, which really on a truck with a headache rack.   New years was a long weekend for me & I felt like I was on the home strech for getting him back on the road. So I went at it. New taillights. Which involves removing about 15 feet of hillbilly farmer hack wiring & more or less making a new rear harness from scratch. But the damn things are bright.   And I've got mirrors. They don't currently match side to side, but I do have the matching one for the passenger side mirror. Just gotta figure out how to glue the mirror back in it. Went all fancy & put in new rivnuts for all bolts.  I really dislike that white fender. And look, I made the fuel gauge work! Truck off  Truck on.  Its a quarter tank off, but whatever. Safety margin. Went down & around the block, which out here is about 8-10 miles. The truck ran like shit, would idle great, but badly under load. Did some tuning starting with timing. I did smart guy shit before at some point & marked the balancer.  Cleaned it up & did it better.  The engine is pretty happy with 10° initial timing & has better vacuum now than before, which I find odd. The only change was to timing and a bigger carb. Ported.  Manifold.  And that's about it. Got insurance again & he scoots down the road like a tractor with a cab.  And I almost forgot. The issue with the wife's F250..... brand new flexplate was way the hell out of spec. Factory plate is on the left. Replacement on the right.  And another replacement that's is much better.  Moral of that story. Check your parts, they could be wrong. But her truck runs & drives again. |
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And another couple of months go by with the usual Ford fuckery I have in abundance. Took a couple weeks off from messing with stuff & then snowpocalypse happened & I didn't do nothing. Couldn't even drive my truck to play in the snow. Because somewhere along the line, I somehow managed to never check the gear oil in the transmission, or the almost complete lack there of. But there was other stuff in there........ Other stuff that resembled a couple gallons of water........ & extra cold temps for a while....... ice cube from a transmission.  Mmmm chunky.  Future tasks for the T-18.  Just ain't done it yet, threw some new oil in & running around some still.  Snagged something cool for the wife's truck. Basically a controlled vacuum leak to regulate the air fuel ratio in real time with a carburetor. https://thecarbcheater.com/  But that required fixing the Exxon Valdez oil leak, which I thought was the rear main. I was wrong though, not the rear main. You'd think a couple quart a day rear main leak would leave you with a very oily flexplate, but dry.  And the real culprit, the previous owner. RTV is like spandex. It's a privilege, not a right. 100% rtv for the intake & 0% gasket. Figure when I pulled it twice for the flexplate, it tweaked it enough to blow out those sweet China walls, on both ends.    How it's supposed to be done. I'm not a fan of valley pans, but they're way better than just silicon.   And the installed carb cheater. Ignore the wiring mess, went back & cleaned it up later. Brain box.  Air controller thingy.  The magic spacer plate that doubles as a phenolic spacer as well.  Display.   February 27, 2026 Started getting the crusty 351m ready to go back in the Bronco so it's at least movable until I can get one of the big blocks built, but monies are a thing & way to many projects and the list is growing. Got in an argument with someone about how its impossible to run an engine on a hoist & had to prove them wrong. The dude pissed me off, hence flipping the bird.  Poor choices First time I've ever done the YouTube thing. Daughter did the filming. Got that engine inside on a stand yesterday to check out the bottom end & rusty #4. Also needs a new plug welded in, threads are stripped & leaks. I expected worse. Plenty of staining, but can't feel anything. Gonna get a borescope & check out the top before pulling a head.   Checked the end play while I was thinking about it. More than what I care for, but still within spec.   |
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Time for ze updates on ze money pits. Bob the Bronco finally has a beating heart again after way to long.  79 Bronco. Bob''s first run.  Meet Bob, the 79 Bronco rust bucket. This last year has been a real bastard for the home life (nothing marital thankfully, just everything else). So I've struggled to maintain interest with the Bronco, but the wife gave me a bit of an ultimatum. Get Bob at road legal before digging to deep into the Cj7, or I'll be unhappy with you." And she's right, I've thrown poor Bob on the back burner time and again & he deserves better. I've had him longer than I've had kids & the girls will be 22 in the next couple months. Also got Nevermore out for a quick jaunt.  Another Dirt road Ford. Learned somethings, like I need to do a tune up & need a new radiator. He spits & sputters at higher speeds & the radiator has multiple cracks in it. Starts good though. Forgive my craptastic YouTube. I'm still figuring it out & need to buy a camera, cause I'm not really digging the cell phone thing. |
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It's been a hate hate relationship for a long time. But ze bastard moves again, without a tow vehicle.  Bob #automobile sorta lives again! Changed out the balancer, since the aftermarket one lacked things like timing marks  But he's still horribly off from being right, unless 80 some odd degrees of timing is a good thing. Needs to hook the exhaust up, since I'd like to be able to hear myself think. |
| I had a 1979 Ford F-150 Super Cab in 2 wheel drive. Wish I would have hung onto it. Hope your build goes well OP. I really like old Ford trucks. |
"Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision." Joel 3:14 KJV
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Ephesians 6:10 KJV
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Ephesians 6:10 KJV
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Originally Posted By mojo7: I had a 1979 Ford F-150 Super Cab in 2 wheel drive. Wish I would have hung onto it. Hope your build goes well OP. I really like old Ford trucks. My dream truck would be a 79 Super Cab 250 or 350 4x4. That would be at the top of my lottery list. |
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.
Doesn't have a thing to do with the various projects, but had some over hood pov & scenic stuff close to home.  79 Ford truck in the Ozarks. |
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Alright kids, I've got an idea I'd like opinions on. Due to some changes in my when / how I'm gonna get crap done schedule, I'll have some extra parts around I can throw at good old Bob. He's currently got a 351m that I'm not really sure about, lots of top end noise now that I can hear the engine. C6 transmission & Np205 that seem to be good, shifts through all gears anyway. Dana 44 front & 9" rear with 3.50 ish gears. Basically a bog standard 79 Bronco. Now I've got a bunch of crap on hand & can change that up a good bit. My options. Healthy 400 with a variety of carb options. T-18. Needs rebuilt, but I've got the rebuild kit already. Np435. I've got it, but know nothing about it in particular. Dana 70-1u rear with a Detroit locker & 3.50 ish gears. Dana 60 rear with a posi & 4.10 gears. Needs a good going through. I've got the 8 lug front D44 that will donate everything from the knuckles out to match either rear axle & a 4.10 gear set if needed. Set of 5 37x12.50x16.5 on 8 lug wheels that are essentially new. 4" rear lift springs no lift blocks, straight spring. Would need to get front coils. 6" lift kit I think. But it stacks blocks in the rear. I've got the extended lines & what not as well. Fender headers. Saginaw power steering. Hydro boost brakes. American Autowire full harness. Electric fans & some other little odds & ins. What combo of that crap would you use if we're you doing it? |
Playing around some the other day.  79 Ford truck in the Ozards. Up & down we go. |
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Did some Bronco work over the weekend between rain storms. So not nearly as much done as I'd have liked, but progress at least. Moved to the front floor pans, not done with the rear yet, waiting for the money to buy some forming tools. By the time I'm done with this bastard, there won't be much left of the factory floors.    These floor pans are absolute garbage. Really bad fit & shape. If you're after some for a project, check out a company called Tabco. American made in Cleveland & of actual 18ga material, with a good price. The wait can suck balls, but they put out a good product. I'm using these because I'm a cheapass & they were free.    But fit they shall... when in doubt, get a bigger hammer.   There's been some judicious trimming of the craptastic floor pan going on here.  And the obligatory YouTube video.  Bob the rusty 79 Bronco restoration. Starting the front floor pans. #broncoii Not sure how much more of the projects that'll be shared. Membership is up in a month & I've not decided yet if I want to renew. It's weird, once we bought land where I can shoot all I want without ever having to leave the front porch, I hardly ever shoot anymore. Put 10 rounds down the pipe Saturday testing an Ar10 I've been putting together & that's been it for months. I rarely ever leave the car sub forum here & never venture to GD anymore, cause to hell with that level of stupidity. So I'm still debating whether or not the membership is worth it to me. |