- 34,949
- Indian Falls, NY
- slashfan7964
After being told a 🤬-load of times to post a damn thread for this thing, I finally decided to stop being lazy. The first few days this thread is up I'll probably be editing it a lot so keep an eye on it for minor changes. Here's the backstory.
This...this is the machine that made me a Ford guy. My love for everything and anything (old) Ford came from this. Why? Because my dad built one hella-badass pickup. Now you might not be a truck guy or girl, but hear me out. They say every car has a story, and this truck, I can assure you, quite does. This post might get long, so get your reading glasses.
When I was a kid, this thing was the 🤬. It didn't look like anything on the road. It didn't sound like anything on the road. It was bigger and badder than anything on the road. And it was bloody fast. I always loved that about it. My dad bought this truck around 1987-1988, just a few years old. It was clean, had a bed cap (though was sold before he bought it), and no damage other than a setof broken rear springs and a trashed rear bumper. This was the first vehicle he ever worked and saved up for and because of that, according to him, is exactly why he never sold or got rid of it and why he hangs onto it. That truck taught my dad the value of a dollar. So for those of you who see just a rusted out hunk of steel, think about that.
Over the years it's gone from many states of tune. The truck was nothing special rolling off the lot when it was new. It was a base model, meaning the lowest trim you could buy, F-250 4x4. The only option on it was an automatic transmission, a 3 speed at that. The interior was very basic. There was no air conditioning, only heat, so there are no vents on the dash. The seat was a plain-jane vinyl bench, suitable for 3 people. The floor had no carpet; instead, it was a rubber-like vinyl mat that covered the floor underneath. There was no special badging, chrome or luxury items, it was simply a work truck. Tried and true. Nothing more and nothing less.
The original engine was the legendary Ford 300 Inline 6 cylinder, or a 4.9L straight 6 for you non-US chaps, equipped with what was called a "feedback carburetor". Basically, this was the very first iteration of computer controlled engines and emissions with on-board diagnostics, or OBDI. This was eventually dropped in favor of what all modern cars come with now, OBDII, in 1996. In the exhaust pipes, there was the first 02 sensors, which sent signals to the computer which would then adjust the carburetor as needed. In theory it would work (and does, although todays cars use fuel injection, but remember this was primitive), but it flopped, and flopped hard. It was more or less and experiment, and hardly worked new. The first thing that was done was swapping to a better carburetor and completely cutting out the computer system. It might sound counter-productive, but in reality it was actually an upgrade since it was new technology that was, for the most part, pretty unreliable. However, the engine is well known for being extremely reliable (having been used in marine, UPS/Fedex trucks, industrial and light duty applications) and was used for 35+ years in various states of tune. Even though in this year it made a whopping 120 horspower and 240 lb-ft of torque, it made power at a diesel like RPM (very low), which made them very desirable for heavy duty usage.
As most everyone here knows by now, for my dad that didn't suffice. The engine was pulled making way for a 351 Windsor V8, sourced from a 1974 Ford Ranchero. If you're not into Fords, something you might not know is that the 300-6 engine uses the same bolt pattern to connect to the transmission as the Windsor engines (aka the 289, 302, 351W and a few others), so the swap was relitavely easy knowing that the same transmission could be used (and could hold the power); the only major item needing to be changed was the engine crossmember which it bolts to. Since my dad didn't want a 302 engine, thinking it's too small (and really doesn't make much more, if anymore power than the 6 cylinder that was in it), the 351 was the best option without too much work to swap to a big block 390 or 460 engine that had been considered (and still is; more on that later). The engine was built, as was the drivetrain beefed up.
Unfortunately the engine was so highly modified it didn't last very long; after a severe oil pressure loss, the oil pan was pulled to see all the piston skirts had broken off. When the engine was removed, it was determined that the cylinder walls had been ruined, and too out-of-round in spec to be machined to be straight again. This engine was removed and now sits in my garage as a bare engine block. The engine put in it is its current engine, and is another 351 Windsor, from a 1975 or 1976 (we are unsure), Ranchero. (After checking out the casting numbers it appears to be a 1979 mold cast on March 1st, 1980.) This engine is extremely tame in comparison, so much so my dad claims it's "stock". This engine was a "hurry-up-and-get-it-together" kind of ordeal, since he needed a ride to work. It's currently got 50,000 or so miles on it since it was put together.
A very short list of things done to this current engine (first 351 I do not have much information on, also this may not be everything):
.030 overbore (the cylinders are 30-thousandths of an inch machined larger than stock)
Felpro gaskets
Wiseco stock style .030" over dished pistons
9.5:1 compression ratio
Pressed fit wrist pins
Stock crank turned .010"
Forged steel connecting rods
Entire rotating assembly internally balanced
C9OE-9245-E Ford Intake w/ ported 1.80"x1.02" ports
1969 (C9-D4 code) Ford cast iron heads
Heads magnafluxed
Full intake and exhaust porting
Heads milled .030"
2.02/1.54 valves installed (stock were 1.84/1.54)
3 angle valve job (triple ground)
Hardened valve seats (to run unleaded fuel)
Triple valve springs
Shortened pushrods
RV-style camshaft (unsure on specs, similar to Comp Cam 252H-260H area)
Holley 4160 600cfm 4 barrel carburetor with vacuum secondaries and electric choke
MSD Blaster 5900 ignition box
MSD Blaster 2 ignition coil
Blue Streak distributor cap and rotor w/ vacuum advance
Ford D0AF-12131-A distributor shaft
C9AE distributor drive gear
Accel Super Stock Spiral Core high temp 8mm plug wires
Autolite/Motorcraft/NGK copper core spark plugs w/ .55 gap
Ported Lincoln log-style exhaust manifolds (headers don't fit)
Straight-up double roller timing set
10* initial timing
34* total
Holley "RED" Fuel Pump
Mr. Gasket 4-6-8 Fuel Pump
High Torque Starter
Dual 1050 Semi Batteries
Magnaflow 99200 Hi-Flow catalytic converters hollowed out
ROL Stainless 2 1/4" true dual pipes
Walker 18646 Sound Solution Universal Mufflers
Electric cooling fans (removed)
460 V8 radiator
Needless to say the engine was built to push snow and get to work. It's not a high revving engine, but it makes serious torque which is what's needed to get a tank like this moving. It sounds nice, has the V8 burble you'd expect at idle (note the camshaft in it does not allow it to be all choppy at idle like most do) and the roar of a Mustang when you get on it.
What are the other things done? Well, a Chevy snow plow frame made by Fisher (including a 7.5" blade) was rigged on and welded to the frame rails. An extra leaf spring was added to the front, Gabriel Gas Ryder VST nitrogen-charged shocks were installed. The rear end has Gabriel Pro-Guard model 751018 shocks on it. The transmission was rebuilt in 2003 (years fuzzy) or so and was beefed up to hold more power than we'll ever put through it, even if we changed the case to accept a big block engine (under consideration). The front axle is a Spicer 44 (now known as a Dana 44 TTB, or Twin Traction Beam), the rear is a Dana 60, both with a 3.73 ratio traction lock gearset. The rear axle has 4130 chromoly 35 spline axle shafts with Timken tapered roller bearings. The transfer case is a NP208F that has been rebuilt. Driveshafts are stock steel (front replaced) with Precision P/N 434 and 369 u-joints.
Many things have come and gone. The truck was torn to a bare rolling frame and rebuilt all the way up including fresh paint sometime in the mid 1990s. Every year the frame was oiled to prevent rust, and thank goodness it did. The truck is due for it's next refresh, and we've been gathering parts. We currently have a complete front clip ready to bolt on as well as body mounts, bushings and all other parts you can think of. So it's nearly ready to be torn down again. 33" tires have been installed, the wheels powdercoated in red/white two tone. A pushbar with dual KC lights with black/orange covers came and went, rollbars with several different style lights, as well as old school bug deflectors, a CB radio and many other neat things like a big digital clock hanging from the ceiling as well as gun racks (murica), and a bunch of other neat things. The hood even has a draw light for you to see while you're working.
I'll add more later, but for now, feast your eyes on some pics.
My parents, presumably around 1990. The first mods were installed as you can see here: the 33" tires and wheels, fender flares, a bug shield, CB radio etc. I don't have any pics of when he first bought it unfortunately.
This is a slight photoshop, but this is how it looked after rollbars and wheels got primered. The rear bumper was built; a double 3" set of schedule 160 pipes with 1/4" thick diamond plate. It was built for weight to avoid sandbag use in the bed in the winter, and it was so heavy that "he had it put on with a lift-truck".
Center caps were added, as were longer chrome lugnuts and double bladed color-keyed wiper blades.
This is the current motor; ignore the fact it looks like dog-doo, remember it was thrown together practically in a weekend. It only has 50,000 or so miles on it. It runs very strong.
Here's a better shot of the rear end and the bumper. The tailgate (this it's 4th one lol) is getting replaced, the bumper will be sandblasted and repainted.
All time favorite interior. I love how all your little indicator lights appear in the cubby-light channels at the top of the dash. You'll also see some of the guages we've put on, and the fuel pump, ignition and other switches down below. There's several more in other places.
Work that needs to be done: complete body swap
The floor is gone; it's been repaired but it just won't stay nice. So we are planning on cutting out the back wall and floor completely and rebuilding with as much 1/4" stainless as we can get our hands on. But more info on that later.But like I said I'll edit more in; that's the gist of it for now. There's a hell of a lot I left out, but that's enough to get started I think.
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