Hey guys, haven't been on here since 2016, crazy how fast time flies.I unfortunately sold my 1980 F150, and I kick myself every day for it. Here's the last picture I took before I sent her away. :hammer:Buuuuttttttttt two years later I started to really miss having a project, so I bought...

Thanks!Don't worry, I still have the brown one too. smilieFordlogoI bought her a set of the 78-81 factory slotted mag wheels so she can look more like an all original truck.

Wow, my little Ranger sure was cute back then.Now:

Thanks guys!I don't even remember where 16-21 went!

I just noticed that. Not sure what happened, but I fixed it.

I love how you're taking the time to clean up the casting leftovers. My 400 is full of rough edges as well. :hammer:

As do you! :)

I'm glad to see the lack of Electric Shift Buttons. :DManual T-Case FTW!Lights look great man!

Depends on part wear. Some people have needed an alignment, others haven't. I needed an alignment, but it was only slightly off.As for Tie-Rod angles, it's not enough to make a difference.The problems start when you add the aftermarket Torsion Keys that are indexed differently than the Ford...

What Randy said is technically true. However, I really haven't noticed. I don't think Torsion bars ride well in the first place. Besides, I bought a truck. If I wanted butt cushioning, I would have bought a Lincoln. smilietease

So ever since I bought my Ranger, I've known that the leaf springs and torsion bars were sagging. I didn't really have any desire to fix it, until a few weeks ago.So far I've installed an Add A Leaf kit, installed #1 (The strongest) Torsion Bars, and cranked the Torsion bars. I'm currently in...

I just fell in love. Light Brown metallic Dentsides and 1980-1981 trucks are sexy when they're polished up.

It's a late 1981. That truck doesn't have slide locks, which would mean it was built after December, 1980.

The 351M was actually built as the replacement for the 351C. It was introduced in 1975 for cars, and then 1977 for trucks.The D7TE blocks actually have reinforced main bearing support webs. The car blocks eventually received the reinforcement in 1978, and were deemed D8AE.I'm extremely picky...

Well, new variable. A 351M just came up for sale locally. This guy wants $150 for it, but is willing to negotiate in order to get it out of his garage.However, I'm still not sure if it's a car or truck block. I want a truck block, and so if it doesn't say D7TE, I'll pass.

Before you do anything else, you need to unwrap all the wiring on the passenger side fender well and check the fusible links. Once you unwrap the wiring, trace it. Somewhere along the wire will be a big fat black rubber piece. That is your fusible link. On my '80, there are about three or four...

I still have plenty of these center caps. All of them are the red medallion type, and they're all in average condition. They aren't show quality, but they would still look good on a driver, especially if someone stole your caps. The silver rings in the medallion have all faded to gold.Make me...

I agree, I can't even see anything "1980" about it. It looks more like a 1985-1986 to me.Definitely a grouping of parts from all kinds of years.I can't hate too much though, I originally did the same thing with my F150. But then I snapped out of it and now the details are the most...

My crank is already .020 undercut. It's only good for another .010.As for your question, the NP203 and NP205 were no longer used after July 79. The aluminum case NP208 replaced them for 1980, and from 1980-1982, that is what came behind the 351M/400-C6 combos. However, the 351M was dropped...

I actually need the engine more than anything. My Trans and Transfer case are fine. :)

I've seen 351M/400's go for $400 here. They're getting rare in Florida, and most people that have them know what they are. They'll talk crap about them all day long, but when it comes time to sell, they want 460 prices. :hammer:As for my Ranger, the most weight I've ever carried is 500lbs...

My 03 Ranger is already trying to rust out at the bottom of the driver's door. Nobody every cleaned the drains out, and they were blocked by dirt. My truck has been in Florida for all of it's life.

The chance has come for me to pick up a 351M off of Craigslist for $250. From what I can tell, it's a stock motor with no rebuilds, and from the brackets on it, I can tell that it came out of a 1980-1981 F-Series truck or Bronco, which means it's all correct for my 1980 F150.To sweeten the...

Yep. The spring hangers themselves are different as well.

You totally just added 200hp to that truck with those stickers!Progress is great Chris! Good to see you finally were able to get a semi-performance engine in one of your trucks.

I'm not really sure. He always said it was Red, but it looks Orange to me in the photos.

Agreed! My dad always had trucks with red on them. He also had a Red/White 79 F150 4x2, one White/Red 1991 F150, one White/Red 1995 F150, and a Gunmetal Grey/Durango Red 1987 F150.

I've mentioned my dad's 1979 F350 here a couple of times, but I've never had pictures....until now. These are the only two he took of it, and I'm very lucky he even took these. If I had to guess, they're from the late 80's. He brought this truck from Indiana down to Florida, and shortly before I...

1980+ all had rear sump oil pans. Here's a picture of my old 300. You can see a little bit of the pan.

Makes me sick.A similar story happened with my dad's old 79 F350. He sold it to a 17 year old kid who did some redneck modifications with the steering, and ended up destroying the truck in a wreck. He said that he was just going over the railroad tracks and it wouldn't steer. His mom tried...