1978 f150 flareside project

[Bluethunder3320]

picked this up today! ranger package. it has a 400 v8, c6 auto, 4x4, solid front axle. frame is in pretty good shape, cab corners are gone but replacement panels came with the truck.

the bed floor is wood!

my plans are to get slightly bigger tires like 33's or 35's. maybe a small lift but it already has a really high center of gravity, handling sucks

the frame is good so i hope to keep it for a while!







cant figure out how to make the pictures medium size

 

[B man]

how much?

 

[Bluethunder3320]

how much?

995 lol

 

[B man]

995 lol

good deal. hows it run? this gonna be your mudder?

 

[Bluethunder3320]

it runs pretty good. illl take it off roading but wont trash it like the 89. lol. the frame is still very solid i plan to get it sandblasted and painted

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlNRh3f0Q7c&feature=youtu.be

 

[B man]

dang dude! replace that air filter. its crap. but other wise it sounds good. also might as well change your fuel filters to.

 

[Bluethunder3320]

yeah the air filter looks pretty beat. i wonder if carquest stocks them?

so this morning i show up at the guys house at 10am, which is the time we made a couple days advance. just as he comes outside a flatbed truck shows up with a guy also coming to look at the truck at the same time. thought this was odd? we were looking at it both at the same time and sort of ignored each other. it was pretty awkward. so im talking with the owner and he asks if i want to drive it. i took it for a spin and when i came back the other guy was leaving, said he passed. i thought i would have been bidding against him!

 

[Doc Sprocket]

That truck is much cooler than your previous! Hopefully, the frame is as solid as you think it is. Bad bodywork is inconsequential compared to bad structure.

Any idea which transfer case you've got in that thing?

 

[Bluethunder3320]

That truck is much cooler than your previous! Hopefully, the frame is as solid as you think it is. Bad bodywork is inconsequential compared to bad structure.

Any idea which transfer case you've got in that thing?

yeah, ill take a truck that looks like death but has a good frame over one that has a rotted frame and good body work. the frame is just the one thing not fixable.

i read the common transfer case in these would be a NP205. i hear its pretty tough.

its got a 4 speed shifter knob on it which confused me at first. the guy told me the pattern but i forgot it. ill figure it out. he says it is really tricky to shift, it helps to do it on a slight downward hill

 

[devino246]

Hold on there, Matt. It's a FORD, not a Chebby. Stepside is a Chevy term. That truck is a Flareside.

Nice find, though The Dentsides are great looking trucks, especially the 78/79

Who ever painted that grill and grill shell should be shot, though.

dang dude! replace that air filter. its crap. but other wise it sounds good. also might as well change your fuel filters to.

His fuel filter screws into the front of the carb. I'd suggest adding one of the cheepo universal clear ones inline between the pump and carb.

yeah, ill take a truck that looks like death but has a good frame over one that has a rotted frame and good body work. the frame is just the one thing not fixable.

i read the common transfer case in these would be a NP205. i hear its pretty tough.

its got a 4 speed shifter knob on it which confused me at first. the guy told me the pattern but i forgot it. ill figure it out. he says it is really tricky to shift, it helps to do it on a slight downward hill

4 Low
N
2 Hi
4 Low

Try driving in reverse 10-12 feet before attempting to shift your transfer case. It should make shifting easier. Hopefully you already know that you have to shift it while your truck is in neutral (ONLY neutral).

 

[Bluethunder3320]

Hold on there, Matt. It's a FORD, not a Chebby. Stepside is a Chevy term. That truck is a Flareside.

Nice find, though The Dentsides are great looking trucks, especially the 78/79

Who ever painted that grill and grill shell should be shot, though.

ahh crap. all this time i been calling it stepside youre the first one to tell me

i agree the chrome would look much nicer. cant decide if i like the bumpers. but if i ever got rear ended the truck wouldnt be hurt at all and their car would be destroyed!

heres a pic of the engine. to freshen it up maybe i will sandblast and repaint the valve covers. better headers, maybe a 4bbl

 

[devino246]

ahh crap. all this time i been calling it stepside youre the first one to tell me

i agree the chrome would look much nicer. cant decide if i like the bumpers. but if i ever got rear ended the truck wouldnt be hurt at all and their car would be destroyed!

No worries. I see and hear people calling them Stepsides all the time. Annoys the heck out of me.

Also, are you sure your engine is a 400 and not a 351m? 351m is just a destroked 400. The warranty plate on your door jamb can tell you. 400- S, 351m- H.

 

[devino246]

Recheck my original post; edited.

Grill shell isn't chrome, BTW. It's anodized aluminum.

New intake, 4bbl carb (Holley!!), cam (stock one is smog CRAP), "straight up" timing gears and chain, electric fan (either way, ditch the flex-fan), headers, and dual exhaust will have you a nice, somewhat affordable setup.

 

[devino246]

Found your thread on FTE.

Cool...glad to see another person represent those Flaresides...what's the plan for the grille shell?

 

[Bluethunder3320]

Recheck my original post; edited.

Grill shell isn't chrome, BTW. It's anodized aluminum.

New intake, 4bbl carb (Holley!!), cam (stock one is smog CRAP), "straight up" timing gears and chain, electric fan (either way, ditch the flex-fan), headers, and dual exhaust will have you a nice, somewhat affordable setup.

looks like someone put an aftermarket fan on it. after i start driving it ill figure out what should be modded. unfortunately gotta wait another week to get plates because the stupid DMV closes early today, and theyre closed sunday.

duals out the back would be sweet

 

[devino246]

looks like someone put an aftermarket fan on it. after i start driving it ill figure out what should be modded. unfortunately gotta wait another week to get plates because the stupid DMV closes early today, and theyre closed sunday.

duals out the back would be sweet

Someone did. They put one of those crappy flex-fans on it. The original fan was metal.

Expect no more than 7-8 city and 10-12 highway out of your truck.

If you're planning to rebuild your carb, here's a handy guide on rebuilding the 2150: http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/pdf_documents/motorcraft_2150_carb.pdf

Here's a page explaining the inner workings of the 2150: http://tekatlarge.net/Motorcraft-2150-2V-Carburetor-theory-and-operation.php

 

[Bluethunder3320]

why would someone replace a stock one with a flex- one? whats the benefit of a flex fan?

thanks for those links!

 

[devino246]

The idea is that the blades flatten out at higher rpm, supposedly reducing drag and airflow. The effect will be next to nothing on an old V8, however.

No problem.

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Man, if that's got a 205, it's bloody BOMBPROOF! You gotta get me a pic of the T-case. First thing to check- is the housing cast iron, not aluminum?

 

[Bluethunder3320]

its cast iron!

heres a pic of the new fuel filter. i bought a inline one also, but it wont fit right because the distributor is in the way.

Pic 1 & 2

front axle
Pic 3

t case
Pic 4