Dear god...
How can the US get so little power from such massive engines?!!
4.1l I4 - 85hp
7.5l V8 - 225hp
If you knew the history behind it and the crap they were given without redesigning an entire engine series, let alone several engine series, you'd understand. This isn't a sports car, it's a work vehicle. ...and why should they? Gas was insanely cheap and the engines were reliable. No one asked for Ferrari horsepower when you bought on of these. You bought them to work, not go fast.
That being said, this truck still had the horrible I-beam suspension
4x4 models didn't have the Twin I-beam suspension (which was option), they had mono-shock leaf springs as well as the later 80s models but they lost the solid axle in the F250 for the split axle type Dana 44 TTB. Only 2WD models had that, and just about everyone at Ford Truck Enthusiasts will tell you that's just about the best suspension setup Ford's ever put in a truck, providing exceptional ride quality.
Those engines were tuned for low-end torque above all else, and were ruined by the EPA.
This. The engines ran low compression, retarded timing, mild camshafts, heavy air flow restricting in the heads and intake manifold, and terrible exhaust setups. In case you haven't forgotten, the 460's brother, the 429, is a well known performance motor, and, it's actually the same engine with a different crankshaft
What's that tell you about the 460 hehehe. Same with the rest of the engines. 390? 1968 Mustang in the movie Bullet anyone? Same engine but factory detuned people....
The 300 I6 rating is wrong IIRC. Should be closer to 125, I think at peak it hit 140.
Anyways....
Absolutely sub zero.
This is the pinnacle of pickup trucks. Despite the low power ratings, which we all know what was going on, they still have incredible power potential, and it's not uncommon to see them churning out in excess of 550 horsepower even in the small blocks. Loads of aftermarket parts, and make for very easy restoration projects.
These were the trucks you could just beat to hell and back, and they would never die. Granny gears in the transmissions made the impossible to tackle offroad possible. Gear driven transfer cases were a perfect combo...in short, these things had some of the strongest drivetrains you can buy in a vehicle. Ever heard of Dana 60 axles? Yeah, these bad boys had them factory stock front and back. Highboy models had incredible factory ground clearance, some even had very large tires designed specifically for offroading. They could haul nearly what new ones can, despite weak gas mileage (c'mon this is a 35 year old truck!). They had the thickest frames with just the right amount of give and flex when necessary, strong bodies, good power for the time etc. Pair that with the fact the are exceptionally easy to work on just makes a perfect combination. Also, the lack of a ton of electronics reduces risk of screwing up a computer when it gets wet. You could literally spray a hose through the cab to clean it out.
The 300 I6 alone gives it a sub zero, as that is one engine you simply cannot kill. Anyone that questions the 300 I6's reliability is a moron. It's that simple.
Even though all you see is the redneck lifted trashed trucks, in stock form from the factory and unmolested, they are great machines that last forever when taken care of properly. It is not uncommon to see a ton of miles on these things.
Then there is the sound of those V8's. They simply sound fantastic, something that cannot be beat in my eyes. Remember that GT390 Mustang in Bullet? Yeah, that motors in this puppy. How about the motor from the Fox Body Stang? Got that too.
Last of all, they have that recognizable styling you simply just cannot miss when seeing it go down the street. Fantastic design in my opinion. This is when a truck was simple, not this bull:censored: they call a truck these days.
