79 F350 4x4 beater build

[ford141]

Well, I figured it was time that I started a project thread about this truck. I am copying some of the original thread from the general section so you can get some background then I will post an update.


Hello, my name is Eric, I'm a junk addict...

So I was checking out Craigslist a few days ago and came across an add for a '79 F350 4x4. For a little background for those who don't know, '79 was the last year for the dentside trucks, and the first year for the F350 4x4. The F350 was around for years, but was only available in 2wd. In 1978 Ford started offering the F250 "Snowfighter" package, which got you a high-pinion Dana 60 front axle for use with snowplows. In 1979 this evolved into the F350, which gave you a higher payload rating as well as the high-pinion D60 front. These truck are pretty rare, since Ford changed the frame design in 1980, and the D60 fronts used from then on will not fit the dentside trucks without custom fabrication.

Because of the rarity of these trucks, and the desirability of the high-pinion Dana 60 front axle, the axles alone will oftentime sell for $800-1000 regardless of condition. Also, as a consequence of the desirability of these trucks, people will oftentimes list their F250's on Craigslist as F350's to get people interested. Regardless, I decided to respond to this ad to see if it was a real 79 F350 4x4, turns out it is. When I asked about the price, they said $500 or best offer, so I was on my way to check it out.

Turns out the truck is very rough, with serious cancer in the cab, fenders and hood, but on the plus side it has a rebuilt 460 (not original), pretty nice frame that had been sandblasted and painted a few years ago, and the doors were decent, plus it has the desirable high-pinion D60. After a little negotiation, I got it for $400, and now I have another project on my hands with not enough time to work on it.

Here are some pics of my junk find:









So, I got more junk. I know I'm in good company here though...

[ford141]

Re: 79 F350 4x4 beater build

Just an update on the 79 F350 that I bought for $400. I got it home, ran some fresh gas to it, threw in a battery, and she fired right up! The 460 runs real smooth and the tranny works great, all of the drivetrain seems fine. I pulled the bed and sprayed the whole truck down with tire cleaner to get the mold off of it, here are some pics for you all...











I also took a closer look at the frame. As I mentioned before, there are a few crossmembers that need replaced, but the rails themselves are very solid. I already have a new crossmember for behind the rear axle (from my parts truck), and I have a lead on a crossmember for in front of the rear axle. I'm also going to replace the rear spring hangers, and will be incorporating some lift via longer hangers and a shackle flip at the same time. Here are some detail pics of the frame crossmembers.





Check out the curtains!



For all you guys in dry climates who think your surface rust is bad, here is some real rust! This is just the hood :o





That's all for now. I'm thinking of starting up a thread in the project cars section about the resurrection of this thing. It's a little out of the ordinary since it's 4wd, but I think you guys would enjoy the buildup. The plan for right now is to add 4-6 inches of lift via creative spring choices, fabricate a cross-over steering setup, replace the body, swap the motor and convert to 4-spd, and do it all on a tight budget. There will be a lot of low-buck tech, with an emphasis on strenghth and durability. I'm saving for a new shop which I hope to start this spring, so I can't sink too much cash into this thing. What do you guys think?

[ford141]

Re: 79 F350 4x4 beater build

Update on the progress of the 1 ton. When I originally bought this truck I had planned to take my time, build everything right the way that I wanted it. I'm trying to build a house this fall, so I really didn't have time to work on it now, and I had the '77 for heavy hauling, general beating and off-roading while clearing/preparing land for the house. Unfortunately, last week the '77 finally died, which really put me in a bind. I've had to use my '05 F150 FX4 for hauling chainsaws/brushcutters/fuel/etc. in and out of my land, which is really hard on it. It gets covered in mud daily since there is no established driveway yet, and I've constantly afraid of rubbing a tree or scratching the paint. Don't get me wrong, it is a truck, and I use it like one, but when you spend $38K on a truck you try to keep it nice as long as possible.

So, ultimately I have decided to throw the F350 together and get it roadworthy as quick as I can so I can use it for the dirty work instead of the '05. The goal is to make it safe, reliable, and capable. Looks are not important at this point, but I'd like to make it look respectable, if for no other reason but to keep the cops from bothering me. I am also directing most of my cash towards the house at this point, so low cost is also a major focus.

I started into it hard last week. So far, I got the body from the cab forward patched back together enough to get it to pass PA inspection. Major issues were holes in the cab corners and floors. I have another rust-free cab for it, but don't have the time to swap it right now, so I did some Bondo art on the cab corners, and screwed some metal panels over the floors. Flame all you want, but the cab only has to get me past inspection and last about a year. The drivers side door was pretty bad, so I replaced it with a better spare that I had, and both front fenders got pitched in favor of better ones. I also had a spare '79 grille shell that was straight, so that went in along with grille and bezels from my large parts stash. I salvaged the hood off of the dead '77. Everything is getting spray-bombed Rustoleum flat brown for color uniformity. Here are some pics so far of the progress:





I scored a seat from a late-80s F150 from a swap meet a few years ago for $40, and since the seat in this truck was pretty much shot it got swapped out. This thing is really comfortable, and the material is still in pretty good shape.



More progress to come in the near future.

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: 79 F350 4x4 beater build

Did the '77 barf parts?

How did it go out?

Brian

[ford141]

Re: 79 F350 4x4 beater build

I wish I had a better story, but to tell the truth, it just ran out of power...

The '77 has had 2 dead cylinders since I bought it (damn burnt valves), but I've been driving it like that anyway because I could care less if the motor let go. Lately, however, power output has been dropping, and it has been running worse than ever. I hauled some scrap with it last Monday, and on the way there it was having a really hard time making it up some of the hills. I thought that I just had a really heavy load on it, but when the scrap only weighed in at 700lbs, I knew I had a problem. When I pulled out of the scrap yard, the truck could barely hold the speed limit on a level road. I made it to the local auto parts store about a mile away, but it was pretty hot by that time and would only stay running for about 10-15 feet at a time. I called for a ride and ended up trailering the truck home.

I always said that I'd drive the '77 until it became unreliable. It did on Monday. It has never let me down til that point. Not bad for a $500 POS. Ultimately, I think the 351M ate another valve or two. It will still start and run enough to move it in the yard, but I decided not to mess with it anymore. It is due for inspection in September and will need a lot of metal work on the floors to pass, so I bid farewell to the old girl and started transferring good parts over to the 1 ton. Old Fords never die, they just become little Ford angels to help other weary Fords along the way, or at least that what they teach us in Sunday School here in PA...

Before I cut up the '77 I think I'll set a brick on the accelerator and see if it will barf parts, I think that will be fun...

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: 79 F350 4x4 beater build

VIDEO!!!!


(or it'll do what a 305 we blew up did....float the valves until you start getting sadistic by throwing stuff down the carb. )

[ford141]

Re: 79 F350 4x4 beater build

fo sho bro... ;)

[milner351]

Re: 79 F350 4x4 beater build

It always amazes me how fast MAJOR progress can be made by someone that is very familiar with what they are working on.

NICELY DONE! the flat brown looks really original from the pics - like it's just faded old paint - GENIUS!

I had that very same seat in my '88 250 - comfy - but the driver side was beat down... if your lower back starts to get sore, pull the lower seat cover off and put some wood paneling between the springs and foam, and pull the cover back over.... makes a HUGE difference! The foam pushes through the springs over time and you end up on just the springs.... put something between the two - and BINGO.

I've done that on a '95 and '97 since - works great.

Does "big brown" have a 351, 400, 360 or 460?

[tiresmoke!]

Re: 79 F350 4x4 beater build

Chevy guy weighing in on this thread( :D)

I've always had a soft spot for the "dentside" Fords(my grandfather's last new truck was a '73 F250 2wd).

This 1-ton 4WD being as rare as it is warrants full attention....there's enough aftermarket coverage for these trucks that it shouldn't be any issue to get this thing in top form.

Are you gonna bolt the flatbed back down on it, or are you going to yank the factory bed from the '77 and put it on the '79?

Brown seems to suit these trucks well.

[SpiderGearsMan]

Re: 79 F350 4x4 beater build

is brown really a color ?
there are like 50 trucks in the yard ...use one of those

[Bamfster]

Re: 79 F350 4x4 beater build

I thought the cutains added a certain amount of coolness to it.....

[Scott Liggett]

Re: 79 F350 4x4 beater build

Curtains? Must've been a chick truck at one time. ;D

[andy30thz]

Re: 79 F350 4x4 beater build

That sucks on the 77!!! That truck just had tough written all over it!!
Get this 79 in the air a little and put the 77's wheels and tires under it (wait, they're different lug aren't they....damn) With a real bed on it, it will also be pretty sweet!
I can't imagine how much better a stock 460 will feel over a 400 with two burnt valves.

I hear you on the bondo repair, been there done that!! But trust me nothing sucks more than beating up your brand new truck during a house project...... Getting this thing on the road will be worth it

[ford141]

Re: 79 F350 4x4 beater build

That sucks on the 77!!! That truck just had tough written all over it!!
Get this 79 in the air a little and put the 77's wheels and tires under it (wait, they're different lug aren't they....damn) With a real bed on it, it will also be pretty sweet!
I can't imagine how much better a stock 460 will feel over a 400 with two burnt valves.

I hear you on the bondo repair, been there done that!! But trust me nothing sucks more than beating up your brand new truck during a house project...... Getting this thing on the road will be worth it

You read my mind. I started swapping the wheels/tires from the '77 over today, got the rear ones on, but I gotta put the front hubs back together before the fronts go on. I'm adding a leaf to the front packs to get maybe an inch more lift for now, I'll lift it more later as time allows. I'm also pulling all of the new brake parts off of the '77 for this one, gotta make it safe. And believe me, this truck will not be lacking any attitude when it is done.

And yes, the bed is also getting swapped from the '77, its very solid despite it's looks, but the dents add character.

The 460 is also getting a little attention before it hits the road in fury. I had a spare Edelbrock Performer manifold, so that is going on along with a "better" stock Holley carb. After I get it on the road I'll take a Saturday and swap the timing chain out for an early-model one to advance the cam. My buddy is also trying to talk me into putting a cam in it at the same time, and if I do it will get the same Lunati Voodoo that my green '79 2wd is running. I like that cam and it works quite well.

Oh, and as luck would have it, a guy driving by my house today noticed that I have a large collection of 70's model Fords, so he stopped by to see if I needed any extra parts. I ended up scoring a set of REALLY clean fenders and a tailgate, all very straight and RUST-FREE. Total cost: $65. SCORE! Now all I need is a solid driver's side door...

I'm going to hit it hard again tomorrow, I got sidetracked today by the local truck pulls. I'll snap some new pics tomorrow of the progress as well...

[andy30thz]

Re: 79 F350 4x4 beater build

Awesome!! I guess I forgot the 77 was a 250 and the wheels will work! Will they clear with just another inch up front?
I thought I saw a set of headers under the cab in one pic.....
If you're going though the trouble of swapping the timing chain and you're gonna change the intake.....pull the valve covers, radiator and swap the cam!!! Its worth it. Hell, with stock bolt down rockers you don't even have to set the lifter lash! Just make sure to run some good oil (we're using Valvoline VR1 racing oil) with zdp/zinc to break in the cam. After break in we just ran regular oil with no problems.
Our way whipped stock 460 was a whole new animal with the sumK3500 summit racing cam (204/214 dur) I think its 89 dollars with lifters! Cheap nonroller pre 72 Tchain was like 35 bucks. We did add slightly better valve springs, but it was out of breath by 4 grand so you might get away with the stockers.
But, how do you know this motor hasn't been played with already?

Can't wait to see it doneish. If you put it together with the same ideas as the 77 it'll be killer!

You've got to hit it hard now....once the house starts, expect to loose a year and a half of your life, if you're doing it yourself!!!

Oh..... I also started to think..."wonder what he wants for the 77, I've got that old small cam 460 laying around......." But the last thing I need is another project!! The wife would shoot me!

This kind of build is time consuming but awesome. We did a $700 farm truck with plow I got on the road for the father in-law. total investment $1600 bucks. Ugly, but functional. We never worried about scratching it, overloading it or bashing though the brush lot!!
He was too cheap, but a set of 16.5x8's and 33x12.50's and a small lift would have made that truck sweet.

You're doing the right thing!