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Thoughts on a new (to me) truck?

952 views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  cadunkle 
#1 ·
Well I put my truck on craigslist today since I was considering another with a 460. Guy calls and seems pretty serious about buying it, wants to come look at it. If it sells I'll get more than I have into it.

My truck: http://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/904000811.html

It would be nice to have more power for towing my boat, and of course in general more power would be nice.

So I talked to a guy with basically the same truck as mine but a 460. Engine died so he replaced it with a good one from another truck. Says it won't stay running now because he rebuilt the carb (Edelbrock) and set float height wrong, so it pukes gas out the vent. Body sounds like it's better than my truck.

I figure as for work it would need just some some basic BS stuff and then a lift and manual trans conversion. Question is... I have a NP435 and truck bell I can use, would just need a flywheel/clutch/pressure plate. Preferred option is a ZF5, which I can get cheap locally from a diesel. I believe these are the same shape bell but swapping either one way or the other will require drilling out a couple holes in the bell for bolts. Is this correct? Are the ratios different in these transmissions? I could always find a 460 ZF5.

http://delaware.craigslist.org/cto/903393677.html

Also found an '88 with 7.3 with a ZF5. Guy says it runs good, has new inj pump and radiator. Needs a bunch of minor things. Was converted to dually and he converted front to single, has all parts for rear including a rust free SRW bed, just needs to be changed over. Never had a diesel, anything to look out for? Worth buying one? Also thought has crossed my mind to do a WVO conversion. IMO '87 and up trucks are fugly, so this would be a compromise.

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/864290695.html

So, what do you guys think? I really like my truck, just needs more power and some body work. Basically my preferred truck is an '86 or older supercab SRW 4x4 5 speed with 460 or diesel power. Thinking I may have an opportunity to make a couple bucks on my truck and with some work in another truck save money over what it would cost to get mine where I want it.

Or I could just keep mine, fix the cab rot, paint, change to 4.10:1 axles and swap 460 and ZF5 in whenever 351W dies.[/url]
 
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#2 ·
i looked for over a year until I found a decent priced zf for a 460. the junk yards wanted $1200 just for the tranny (no clutch, flywheel, master cyl, slave cyl, etc) I was told the bell housing might work from a 7.3L, but it takes an adapter plate that I was not able to locate anywhere. I heard two different stories (it will work and it won't work), so I went with the 460 zf. The gear ratios are different between the 7.3L and the 7.5L. I think the diesel tranny has higher gears.
 
#4 ·
What kind of budget are you looking at? If you are looking for a large truck then I wouldn't buy anything but a diesel. That torque curve is just to hard to beat. Unfortunately your early desires are non turbo and those are pretty lame.

Have you looked at just swapping a diesel in your truck if you like it so much? They make kits to put a cummins in there and that is the route I would go. The other option would be to buy a newer turbo 7.3 but that is out of your year range. I have a 2003 4x4 CC and since I chipped it I get about 21 mpg on the highway. You don't even notice a boat or car on the back. Of course if you load it down with a great big fifth wheel then your mileage will drop considerably.

www.fordcummins.com
 
#5 ·
Well I'm trying not to spend much more on a new truck than I would get for selling mine. The original plan was to just do a 460 in my truck. I peruse craigslist every now and again to check for any factory 460 or diesel trucks that are '86 and older supercab.

It may be cheaper and easier to find a solid and good running truck with a 460 (or diesel) in it than to convert mine and do rust repair and paint. In anything decent I'm looking at doing a small lift and converting to a stickshift, basically a weekends worth of work once I get the parts scrounged up.

Basically talking towing once a week in summer, I guesstimate my boat and trailer to be around 4000 lbs. Occasionally pull a car, but not often and typically not terrible far. Would be nice to bring my boat up to Maine on vacation with me but even with the smaller radial tires on my truck I don't think it would be a fun drive without more power or maybe a better gear ratio. There are some good hills up north. One other note is that empty my truck weighs about 5400 lbs (junkyard scale). Just seems like a lot of weight for a small block to drag around.

Diesel trucks are typically out my price range. I'd rather spend that money on my Galaxie. Just considering the one I mentioned because it seems pretty cheap, has a solid body, and needs only minor things. Sounds like it's a driver as-is. Maybe it's just cheap because it's a non-turbo. If a non-turbo diesel is not worth it then I'll forget about it and go back to the 460 plan.
 
#6 ·
Hopefully others will chime in as to whether or not it is worth it. The only non turbo truck I ever drove was a 6.9l and if that was the case I would stay with the 460. No matter what way you go I couldn't imagine it being worse than that 351 you have now.

I can understand about where you direct your funds to, I have a hard time so much as buying tires for my truck because that is perfectly good car funds. LOL.
 
#7 ·
Well I went and looked at the '85 460 truck last night. The cab is beautifully solid. No rust at all around the lower edges or corners. Bed has minor rust above wheelwells and back right corner of bed is rotted a bit. Engine fired right up and sounds healthy, not shaky and no audible miss. Supposedly engine is from an ambulance that was rear-ended.

Only downsides are it needs some brake work (front is all new, rear needs to be done), the color is ugly inside and out, but that can be changed as I'd paint it eventually anyhow. It's got those stupid cloth bucket seats, I'd find a vinyl bench to replace them. Other than that just a manual trans swap to either the NP435 I have or a ZF if/when I find one. Then a small lift, or take the lift off mine and sell my truck stock if no one wants it for the higher price with all the goodies.

Funny thing is I got to the truck before the guy, and he rolls up in an '88 crew cab with NA 7.3. Asked about it and he said he likes it, good power for towing and he got a good deal on it so he's using that instead of the 460 truck. So I don't know, I may or may not check out the diesel truck. Just taking some time to think about it.
 
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