Thinking about a Mid 80's F150 (pics)

[rhyno]

Anyone have experience with a mid 80's F150? There is one for sale near me ($3000) and I stopped by today to have a look. Pretty clean for the age I guess, not much rust at all, even underneath. 300/I6, 4 speed, 4x4. Flat black paintjob, looks like a DIY job. 33'' tires with good tread, nice rims, decent interior. Through the window it looked like 50k on the odometer which i am sure is 150 or 250?? Called the contact number but got a machine. The sign says its a 1988, but I think that is incorrect. Any opinions? If I decide to make an offer, what would be fair?

 

[sjr033]

Nice looking truck. The 300/I6 is a great motor. IMO it is one of the best Ford has made. It is not a high Hp but is will have great Tq. Ford changed from that body style in 87 so at newest it is a '86. I think $3,000 is a fair number if the inside is as clean as the out. But less is always better.

 

[Exploderpilot]

it's a nice truck. i would pay 3 for it.

 

[FROADER]

PM SVO, he's got a sweet 85 flareside.

 

[Dan Whitaker]

Other then the '55-'56 & the '78-'79 Ford trucks the '80-'86's were the nicest looking ones Ford made IMO.

 

[rhyno]

PM SVO, he's got a sweet 85 flareside.

I saw his thread, and he got his for $1500
I would love to pay around $2000 for this instead of 3.

This would not be a daily driver so I am trying to justify the cost. I really wasnt even looking for one, I just happened to pass by this one on the road today and it really caught my eye. Thanks for the input. I am going to call the guy to get some more info.

 

[SVO]

rhyno,

What a great looking truck!!

Belive it or not $3000 is not an uncommon price for the truck you have pictured, it is now strating to be the going rate again as prices start to rise.
Even though I got mine for $1500 that was several years ago, and it was also cause I knew the guy, even with on 92k original miles on the clock.
Funny when I signed up on www.fordsix.com I got a PM from a guy in Michigan offering $4500 for it right off the bat even after I had posted that I got it for $1500, he said they just don't get cool trucks like that up there without any rust.

At a swapmeet here, one with a scuff and squirt paint job, plywood replacement floor in the bed, 140k miles, late model wheels, 302 and XLT package was going for $6500, here's a camera phone pic of it:

What you have there is an 1983-1986 body style.

Even though KBB and NADA consider it a classic, like my state (Texas) it has to be 25 years old before they'll let you run classic plates.

Just like moday when I went to pick up a motor for a Camaro I'm working on, the guy there was commenting on my truck and how you hardly ever see them, one reason is because he has an F250 4 door 7.5 4spd that I went into the back to look at to see if it had a decent dash pad in it, and/or door panels.

Although Dash Tops makes a plastic dash cover, it look like crap, and the replacement door panels are even worse.

These two items are the hardest to find, and the most hammered by the sun and show deteroration.

Every time I go some where, salvage yard, or taking back roads, I keep my eyes peeled to see if I can find parts for my truck.

I have even payed $90 on ebay for a work factory AM/FM/Cass to replace the CD player someone put in the dash, which ment I also had to find the trim piece for it.

Now pending on the year, that truck could actually have the big block sixxer with an EEC IV feedback controlled 1bbl carburetor on it, if so be for warned that even rebuilt I purchaced one through Auto Zone for damn near $400, this is something you really don't want to rebuild.

Now mind you everything here I'll be talking about is for "ORIGINALITY"

Since it's the next wave of Ford trucks to be restored and become classics there are very few places that sell parts for them,and the ones that do, are not NOS, or "From the Mold" except for Dennis Carpenter, and he is damn sure expensive, but then again worth it, and still limited!!!

LMC, sells some stuff and offeres a free catalog, consult before purchacing stuff to see weather your getting a quality part or cheapo re-pop parts.

I also just got my Early Flat Head V-8 membership and there is another person supposedly selling parts (see I told you I keep my eyes peeled ALL THE TIME)

Chuck's Trucks is an ad I ran across in my monthly news letter:

www.chuckstrucksllc.com

Dennis Carpenter whom I mentioned before, buys the Ford molds and tooling to make the NOS parts for sale:

http://www.dennis-carpenter.com

JC Whitney sells some parts like weather stripping and such, but it's pretty much the same stuff that LMC sells.

To be honest, I have searched catalogs, and have even a few more here, but really I have settled to just look for the trucks and just take what I need off of them, and or repair/restore the take off parts and use that, as the fit and finish are spot-on and the grain texture, for interior is correct.

There are also some hang-ups, that rear bumper, for instance, is BEAUTIFUL, but it's irreplaceable, it is no longer available and I have yet to find one, the flares, are the same not available as the bed parts, tail gate, the tail gate chains are.

The bed floor is about $400 for a re-production kit, it is Oak and in sections, with the trim strips.

The tail light lenses are still available as are the turn signal lamps and side markers.



Ok, so I could keep going on about this you got the point that I'm about restoring my truck and not molesting it, the only thing that was changed on my truck, that I changed back was the radio, ther rest now is to keep it restored.

I would love to see you get this truck, it would be great, what ARE your plans, if you need any help I wuld be glad to throw you a hand, these are some what rare, especially in good to great shape, this is more of an investment if you think you can hold out that long for it to truely turn.


Ok enough of my rambling, and here's you a few pics to keep you salivating.

Jeff - :navajo:


P.S. buy it!, buy it, buy it! :

 

[SVO]

By the way, what desegination is it, IE: Model Level?

Is is a base (no desgination), XL, XLT??

Mine is a base model with three options, intermitent wipers, A/C and premium wheels package.

I have manual window/locks, rubber floor, vinyl bench seating, the guage cluster reads: Speed, Water Temp, and Fuel.

Oil and Charging idiot lights, an XL and XLT will have full guages including a 5k Tach and Oil/Temp guages, there is a resistor on the back that goes bad causing these to read funny, LMC sells it for $7.00

If the vent/wing windows haven't been opened, DON"T, they will start making boat loads of wind noise!

Check the cab corners/rockers, bottom back corners of the fenders for rust, check the forward section of the bed for rust and rotting of the oak floor, plus the back of the bed, the front is especially the place to check as it doesn't have drain holes and hold water, park the vehicle with the rear facing down a slope.

Check the tail gate for someone whom has dropped it on the bumper without securing the chains first, most newbies, and people whom aren't used to it will not know to secure the chains before letting go of it and will let the tail gate slam against the bumper causing damage.

If the roll down windows rattle that is because the weather stripping is bad, they call this an anti-rattle kit.

Your truck prolly came with the smaller mirrors as why it has aftermarket mirrors on it.

All of these trucks have a hefty rake towards the front, a reverse drop shakle will take care of this and will help keep water from standing in the front of the bed, and creates a "flat" stance that is very sporty.

The bed is seperated from the frame with blocks of oak, make sure there not rotted, and will have to be tightened occasionally, or the bed will make a rumbling/rattling noise while driving, it's a wierd ghost sound.

if it has A/C the hoses are not available and will have to be repaired, I have had to do this with mine, and the A/C is not super badass, a converted to r134a system really need a bigger condenser to be effecient, and one is not available, so you only get medioker (SP) cooling.

The big block sixxers are not fuel effecient, on a good day I get 12mpg, the best I ever got and have no idea how was 14-16mpg.

The lifter cover on the driver's side of the block is common to leaking and is a PITA to try and fix,mine still leaks after jacking with it many times.






Jeff - :navajo:

 

[manaen]

man those were great trucks, and that 300 is an awesome engine. It has the perfect type of power for a truck lots of low end pulling torque. It didn't sell well because of it's HP ratings, by the time people realized that it was an engine that would run forever Ford stopped making them.

Just watch the frame, those years had some issues, but as long as he took care of it, then I would go for it.

 

[Tbars4]

...i used to have a fleetside like the brown one pictured....the lt.brown/dark brown metal flake was inverted...i thought a couple things on that truck was the coolest things ford ever did for the trucks...the map lights, the full time digital clock at the top center of the dash, and i beleive some models had a digital trip meter at the clock also...mine was a v8 stick...just wanted to share...

 

[briwayjones]

300/I6, 4 speed, 4x4.

If you go with a manual trans. I would get at least a '87 so you can get a 5 speed instead of 4 speed. It'll make quite a bit of difference on the road and on the engine. My grandfather had a '86 which had a 4 speed and the RPMs on the road were just too high.

 

[manaen]

If you go with a manual trans. I would get at least a '87 so you can get a 5 speed instead of 4 speed. It'll make quite a bit of difference on the road and on the engine. My grandfather had a '86 which had a 4 speed and the RPMs on the road were just too high.

The 4speed is more like a 3 speed with creeper 1. True it does run higher RPM on the highway, but that 4speed was a great tranny, and it was a brut for towing. The combo 300 4speed is a good match, depending on the gears in the rearend.

And it all depends what you are going to use the truck for. If you need to drive 200 miles everyday on the highway then maybe it's not the right truck.

I had a 95 with the 302 and 4speed I routinely ran it on the higway and it did great. It also towed motorcycles to races all over the east, it was perfect for that.

It's just a matter of perspective, Just don't think that your going to be cruising down the highway at 100 MPH for long periods.

 

[SVO]

Remember the body style changed in 1987, and because this is a "used" vehicle he doesn't have the choice if transmissions.

Unless he changes/converts it himself.

In 1987 it also went fuel injected, and uses a different bock/head set-up.

You also have to remember that the national highway speeds at the time were a mandated 55mph, look that the previous post of my speedometer, because of this gearing was not adjusted for high speeds, I myself have a top speed of 60mph due to the fact that the C-5 tranny (3 speed auto) and rear gears being 3.08's, the truck will run faster, but at 60mph it twisting 3000 rpm's, the big sixxer is not one to like high rpm's, it considered the "regular fuel diesel" as it's a low rpm grunt torque mosnter with a whopping 109hp and 250ft.lbs. torque.

Running higher rpm's also lead it to over heating, as the cooling system can't keep up.

It's not stellar fast that's for sure but I have towed a 18' flatbed with a 4100lbs. Mark VIII with it at 55-60mph with no problem, it just takes a while getting there, belive it or not it almost accelerates as fast loaded as unloaded, almost

As long as it's maintained it will last 300k miles easily.

And Clifford Performance does make hot-rod parts for it as well, making 300hp and 500ft.lbs. of Torque is not that hard, head porting is definately needed though.

1983-1986 uses a VIN code "T" block/head which is specific for those years.




Jeff - :navajo:

 

[rhyno]

SVO and everyone else.....

Thanks so much for the wealth of information. I hope to make a decision on this truck very soon. I will keep you up to date.

 

[SVO]

ryhno,

So what was the out come of this deal, how about an update.

And here in a few hours it looks like I may have another 7th generation F series pickup to say the least.



Also I have have located another Flareside too:

http://austin.craigslist.org/car/499683980.html





Jeff - :navajo:

 

[SVO]

Well you gotta hate it when **** goes wrong, luckly it could have been a lot worse, and happened in a far worse location.

You gotta love full floating axles, but only when thier full of fluid, note the dry bearing and axle housing, the bearing siezed on the axle housing/hub assy causing it to shear off and depart from the truck, the housing is wasted, this is a complete rear axle replacement because of this.

Correct fluid amount as you can see can be crittical to the parts you trust, I was an hour away from home, buzzing down the hwy at 65-70mph when this happened, it made to squeeks and then let go, no other warnings, and as you can tell by the sky, shortly after the pictures the sky opened up and dumped tons of rain.




Jeff - :navajo:

 

[Tbars4]

...glad you are ok...it could have been baddddd...

 

[FROADER]

Bummer Jeff!! It doesn't look like the tires damaged the fender at all though.

 

[SVO]

No damage to the truck accept the axle assy.

And yes this could have been a lot worse, damage to the truck, and lots of damage on the hwy if I hadn't gotten ot off when I did, can you imagine that dually set-ip and axle twirling it's way in I-35 traffic at 70mph???

Holy **** that would have gotten ugly really, really fast.

Really funny that I just happened to have my camera with me too, funny how that is.

Yeah I'm just glad the only damage is what you see in the pictures.

And I glad that I have friends like Anderson Auto Salvage that came to my rescue and picked me and the truck up and are letting me keep the truck there for the time being, and for Lori driving all the way from Austin in rush hour traffic and down pouring rain to come get me, and take me home.

WOW I REALLY OWE IT TO SOME FANTASTIC PEOPLE!




Jeff - :navajo:

 

[storlied]

Cool Pink Flamingo.

And it's gonna be a work in progress, I bet once you get the kinks outta that truck it'll be awesome.. keep us all updated.