Flareside wheelbase

[cipsmithers]

Ive got a friend with a '76 f150 4X4 regular cab shortbox (styleside). The body is in reletively good condition with the exception of the bed. The truck has a 500hp 460, rebuilt 4 speed thats built to handle the engine, 3" of lift on top of a factory 3" lift, 35" tires, 1 ton rear axle (thats what he called it, Im thinking dana 60?) and on and on and on with heavy duty parts to stand up to his lead foot. So he told me he has about $7,000 wrapped up in it and I could buy it for 3,500. My question is, are the wheelbases from a styleside to a flareside the same? Could I (If I could find one) put a flareside bed on without any modification? I like flaresides, and its another chance for me to start correcting the ignorant. (ie. calling it a stepside)

 

[LEB Ben]

Yes, they're the same wheelbase. Dunno if the bed bolts will directly line up, but nothing a drill couldn't handle. As far as a "factory" lift...no such thing on a 150...unless he's just talking about a rear block. And if it's got 6" of total lift, you could probably fit 38's under the rig. I'd assume by '1 ton rear' it would be a D60...unless you lucked out and he swapped in a 10.25/10.5 Sterling. Sounds like a fair price...not too high and not a steal, but sounds like a fair starting price to me if it's as good as you say it is. And you don't have to own a flareside to be able to correct the ignorant

 

[NOCO77]

The bed bolts will line up, but it'll likely be just as hard to find a nice flareside box as a styleside. Has the front diff been modified too?

 

[cipsmithers]

Very tight Limited slip front and rear, d44 up front. I was sceptical when he said 3" factory lift, but he is one of those people you don't correct so I didn't. He also has custom driveshafts on it. I think he said the shafts in the axles are upgraded too.

 

[bucks77ford]

Sounds like a pretty decent truck.

 

[cipsmithers]

Yeah he has done quite a bit of work to it. The 460 has about 10,000 miles on it. Ive seen it in action and it does very well. Some people look at it and think its a total piece of s**t, but then its the truck thats pulling you out backwards. He has kept it pretty low profile as far as saying exactly what it has, like, the engine looks like its about 100 years old, none flashy rims, the body is a frankenstein so about 6 different colors, exhaust isn't very loud, ect.

 

[LEB Ben]

Sounds like a great sleeper. If it were me, I'd have to make it all one color though. Hearing that though, would probably incline me to offer in the $2500-3000 range though.

 

[cipsmithers]

And if blue didn't need an engine/tranny so bad, I would consider it more. I can drop a 460 and a tranny into blue for about the same money as I could buy this truck. Id do it and just go easy on blue until my money builds back up, but dad won't let me bring toys home, even if im gunna park them down in the field out of the way and where no one can see them.