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Dentside, bumpside, styleside, flareside... what is what?
The term "dentside" in the Ford world refers to the 6th generation (1973-1979) Ford truck body style, which has a concave horizontal body line running down the side, along the belt line. In many cases, that body line has trim accenting it. This is in contrast with the "bumpside" Ford trucks, which were the 5th generation, the 1967-1972 Ford trucks, which had a convex body line that protrudes out from the body (see image below). Some bumpsides have trim over the "bump", some don't.
So what about Styleside and Flareside?
Flareside refers to the bed type. The Flareside is essentially the equivalent to the "Stepside" in the Chevrolet truck world, where the rear wheel wells sit outboard of the bed, and act as the fenders.
Styleside is the equivalent to the Fleetside in the Chevrolet truck world, where the wheel wells extend into the bed.
More Background on Ford Dentsides:
The 6th generation of the Ford F-series introduced various changes, with the model line expanding. For the 1973 model year, the regular cab F-350 became available with a wider "Styleside" bed - and as mentioned above, Styleside is . For 1974, a "SuperCab" extended cab pickup truck was introduced, between the 2-door standard cab and the 4-door crew cab. For the 1975 model year, the F-150 was introduced; it was a higher-payload version of the F-100 and it would become the most popular version of the model line, ultimately replacing the F-100 in the line up.
Another new offering in 1973 included the addition of the "heavy duty" F-350 V8 to the F-series line up. This new heavy duty pickup truck was built specifically for all of the professional contractors and camping enthusiasts of the world. It featured a longer wheelbase than an F-100 or F-250, measuring in at 140 inches versus 133 inches, yet retained the same overall length of the other models. There was also an option to order a "Super Camper Special", which was designed for the significantly heavier slide-in campers that were being sold at the time. It turned the F-350 into a full fledged RV.
There were some changes in the trim packages for the Dentsides. The base and Sport Custom trims were not offered for the Dentsides, making the Custom trim the standard trim package. The Ranger and Ranger XLT trim returned, with the Ranger Lariat trim package introduced in 1978. The Lariat trim included cloth interior trim, specific two-tone body and tailgate trim.
Trim Packages:
Engine Options:
New engine options were introduced for the Dentsides, including the 400 V8 and the 460 V8. The 360, 390, and 460 V8 will be dropped from the line up after the 1976 model year.
Dentside Tech Library on Fordification (great resource with a bunch of specs)
Post a reply here and share a photo of your Dentside!!!!
The term "dentside" in the Ford world refers to the 6th generation (1973-1979) Ford truck body style, which has a concave horizontal body line running down the side, along the belt line. In many cases, that body line has trim accenting it. This is in contrast with the "bumpside" Ford trucks, which were the 5th generation, the 1967-1972 Ford trucks, which had a convex body line that protrudes out from the body (see image below). Some bumpsides have trim over the "bump", some don't.
So what about Styleside and Flareside?
Flareside refers to the bed type. The Flareside is essentially the equivalent to the "Stepside" in the Chevrolet truck world, where the rear wheel wells sit outboard of the bed, and act as the fenders.
Styleside is the equivalent to the Fleetside in the Chevrolet truck world, where the wheel wells extend into the bed.
More Background on Ford Dentsides:
The 6th generation of the Ford F-series introduced various changes, with the model line expanding. For the 1973 model year, the regular cab F-350 became available with a wider "Styleside" bed - and as mentioned above, Styleside is . For 1974, a "SuperCab" extended cab pickup truck was introduced, between the 2-door standard cab and the 4-door crew cab. For the 1975 model year, the F-150 was introduced; it was a higher-payload version of the F-100 and it would become the most popular version of the model line, ultimately replacing the F-100 in the line up.
Another new offering in 1973 included the addition of the "heavy duty" F-350 V8 to the F-series line up. This new heavy duty pickup truck was built specifically for all of the professional contractors and camping enthusiasts of the world. It featured a longer wheelbase than an F-100 or F-250, measuring in at 140 inches versus 133 inches, yet retained the same overall length of the other models. There was also an option to order a "Super Camper Special", which was designed for the significantly heavier slide-in campers that were being sold at the time. It turned the F-350 into a full fledged RV.
There were some changes in the trim packages for the Dentsides. The base and Sport Custom trims were not offered for the Dentsides, making the Custom trim the standard trim package. The Ranger and Ranger XLT trim returned, with the Ranger Lariat trim package introduced in 1978. The Lariat trim included cloth interior trim, specific two-tone body and tailgate trim.
Trim Packages:
- Custom
- Ranger
- Ranger XLT
- Ranger Lariat (1978–1979)
Engine Options:
New engine options were introduced for the Dentsides, including the 400 V8 and the 460 V8. The 360, 390, and 460 V8 will be dropped from the line up after the 1976 model year.
| Engine | Model Year | Power Output | Notes |
| 240 CID Straight-6 | 1973–76 | F-100 only | |
| 300 CID Straight-6 | 1973–79 | 117 hp | |
| 302 CID Windsor V8 | 1973–79 | 130 hp | Only available in 2wd pickups |
| 360 CID FE V8 | 1973–76 | 143 hp | |
| 390 CID FE V8 | 1973–76 | 161 hp | |
| 460 CID 385 V8 | 1973–76 | 200–239 hp | Only available in 2wd pickups |
| 351 CID 351M V8 | 1973–79 | 156 hp | |
| 400 CID 400 V8 | 1973–79 | 169 hp |
Dentside Tech Library on Fordification (great resource with a bunch of specs)
Post a reply here and share a photo of your Dentside!!!!
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