F100 Big Block Swap

Ford trucks stole First Place from Chevrolet in 1972 and trucks like this F100 Styleside helped turn the tide. But was the big block originally fitted to this example? Or was it swapped in? Watch and see how to tell for certain. Plus a rear axle surprise!

[@danielscott6787]

I had a 67 F100 "Ranger" short bed fleetside. Originally a 352 3 speed. Took a 69 Camper special and put all the H.D. 5 lug suspension under it, C-6 auto, power steering and the under dash A.C. Got a 68 Mercury 410 crankshaft and bored out a 390 and basically made myself a 428. I also put a 3:50 Trac lok out of a 71 E 350 camper van.

[@rightlanehog3151]

Steve, It is reassuring to be reminded that we survived and even thrived without oversized, overpriced, 400+ hp, 4x4 pickups for so very long. 😉

[@DanEBoyd]

...overpriced 400 hp, 4x4 mom-trucks... Fixed it for you...🤣

[@bobbbobb4663]

@@DanEBoyd The number of $1000 per month payments on trucks is shocking

[@danw6014]

I can live without power windows, AC, an automatic transmission, but I use every bit of power and four wheel drive all the time. Those old trucks with a big block would give a new truck a run for the money.

[@CODA-Improvements]

There’s something about the 96 month financing that is unsettling….

[@CJColvin]

Trucks today are nothing only overpriced but they're also made out of plastic as well and I know most of (especially those overpriced EcoBoost trucks) won't outlast my old 1996 Ford F150 with a 5.0L (302) Windsor V8.

[@rob1129]

I love these little daily snipits of Automotive History !

[@willhorting5317]

Back in the late '80s, my 1st wife found a truck she wanted..... A 1972 shortbed F100 Sport Custom. The guy that we bought it from, had stuffed a 460 ("donated" by a wrecked '74 Lincoln)...backed by a C6. Rear gears had been replaced with (I think I recall) 4:56 gears. Admittedly, the truck was far from "original". And it was a beast! My wife didn't drive it until I got it home. And then, she only drove it one time! I remember telling her to, "ease into the throttle", when leaving a stopped position. Did she listen? Nope.😁 Although she didn't put the throttle to the floor, she did press down more than needed! That truck got super squirrelly and nearly put her in the ditch! After that, she refused to drive it again... even though she was the one who wanted to buy the truck. 😂😂

[@mattbauckman9907]

My grandfather had a 1970 F100 Farm and Ranch Special. 140 hp 2bbl 302, three on the tree, 11” clutch and a 4:12 9” rear. I remember him taking off in 2nd gear and taking corners in the neighborhood in 3rd at 10-15 mph and it would chug right through with those gears. I can still hear the sound of the door handles and squeaky hinges. I wish I had that truck today.

[@terrygugel3803]

Great video Steve, bumpside,dentside,bull nose, brick nose, obs,great trucks...when they were trucks

[@SteveMagnante]

Thanks 👍

[@johngrein3325]

the old Broncos had the 9 inch diff and were 54 inches wide. Fit perfectly right under most cars with a little electric glue for spying perches or control arms. The Lincoln Versailles had disc brakes so the housing was webbed around the center section for strength. Wish they made more of that great stuff.

[@bbo40]

My dad was a drywall contractor. Must have owned about a dozen F-series Fords from the early 70's to the late 80's. He used to say "A Ford truck will make you money."

[@brandonbell3089]

A ford will spend your money in repairs aswell 😉😉

[@carmudgeon7478]

Dad was right. Fords were my main source of income. If it weren't for Ford, my tools would rust.😁

[@mikepelz7004]

Those saddle blanket seat covers a mandatory accessory if you owned a pickup in California in the late 70's and 80's😀😃😄😁

[@zzzoo2]

Thanks Steve! These lessons in the small details are really interesting. There’s so much that goes into automotive design and manufacturing that many don’t appreciate and it adds to the enjoyment of stuff.

[@SteveMagnante]

Glad you like them!

[@daveridgeway2639]

Hi Steve, I used to be a Front End "steering and suspension" specialist at a large Ford dealer. Bending the Ford Twin "I" Beam(s) to set the camber angle is not difficult at all, and in many cases, actually easer. That Ford 9" rear MIGHT be a 31 spline axle Vs. a 28 spline, due to the fact that the center of the hub flange is flat with two drill index marks on either side of the center and if so, that Ford 9' is worth more. This is how the 31 splined axles are identified, I.e., Boss Mustang's, some Shelby's and some 427 Fords. 28 splined axle flange centers have a big lip on the outside and a concave cup with a center center drill index mark. You can convert 28 spline to 31 spline by installing 31 spline axle gears. The axle gears are NOT the spider gears, but you should replace as a set. By the way, 28 splined Ford 9" axles interchange with all Ford 8" rear ends "same spline" Please reply. Dave...

[@alanwhite3280]

Tried replacing my 28 spline Galaxie axle with a 31 spline oiut of a 429 T-bird. The 31 spline axle shaft has a larger dia and despite the fact thst both rears had the same flange to flange width, the axle shafts were a different length. The pinion gear on those T-birds are humongous.

[@daveridgeway2639]

By the way, the large pinion gear on the Ford 9" rear makes it the strongest rear second to only the Dana 90 rear. With a large pinion gear, the pinion gear must be located further away from the ring gear, this makes it a stronger rear but in the mean time it is a less fuel efficient rear, (more rotational resistance) this is why Ford replace it with the integrated 8.8 rear. The Ford 9" rear is stronger than the Chevy 12 bolt and/or the Chrysler Dana 60 rear. The Ford 9" rear is the most popular drag racing rear no mater what kind of car they are in and the Dana 90 rear is the second most popular rear for drag racing, but in the mean time, the Dana 90 rear weighs about twice as much as the Ford 9". Please reply. Dave...

[@lewdachris7721]

Those dealer information for expanding a separate truck sales facility is so cool

[@xfactorautomotive1496]

Do the 65 Nova sedan in the background, please....😁

[@maidenrulz73]

I love how the literature is so strategically placed…..your vids are awesome Steve 👍👍

[@sirmister4411]

Yes they had a complete hyd set up to bend the I beams. A little heat a lot of Hyd pressure and thre ya go. Did many of them back in 70s and 80s on a hunter light a line front end machine

[@normende]

Steve, I admire your encyclopedic knowledge and your thorough documentation of every relevant aspect of each subject. Also, I love seeing grease on your arms and shirt. I look forward to your lecture series every day!

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

I'm not a Ford fan but these 'bump side' trucks are pretty cool.

[@matttravers5764]

Many 390's had 2 barrell's. I had a 1968 Mercury Monterey with a factory "regular fuel 9 to 1 compression" 390 2 barrell autolite 2100 carb.

[@DanEBoyd]

Moronic Mcnamara...

[@richardcranium5839]

that "rag joint" may have helped with vibration transfer but its main use was to allow some misalignment from the steering shaft and gearbox caused by frame flex body movement and allowing a separate steering shaft for crash purposes. not only did the columns collapse but the rag joint was there for side frontal impacts to keep it from being transfered through the column. this also give engineers wiggle room for offsetting the column some without binding

[@TrashcanGarage]

I replaced the rag joint in my 57 Pontiac earlier this year. I wound up just pulling the column to do it as I resurrect this beast.

[@davidpawson7393]

This is why I read comments. Appreciate the info.

[@NLJosh83]

I run OBS Fords religiously. My current truck is a 95 F250 with a 460. A couple years ago, I bought a 92-96 supercab F150 that had a 460 put into it from an 88 van. The guy who sold me the truck insisted it was a factory 460 truck, built with leftover parts. Never mind the VIN code, decal on the rad support for the 302 belt routing, the butchered wiring or the fact it was illegal for Ford to put a big block in a half-ton truck in the 90s. lol Thanks for informing me about Bernardston Auto Wreckers, I my need to do business with them when I need parts when I'm in MA.

[@daynadiggle8169]

In them days Ford had a camper special . I had one with a slide in camper on it and loved it . And yes , love , love , love them big blocks ! I run a 454 in the 4x4 Suburban today even with high gas prices . Thank goodness for Social Security !

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

We're all pulling for you Steve. Hope to see you soon

[@LuciFeric137]

Love those old 4 speeds w/granny.

[@MichaelandCathy1999]

4th, with a comment. I had a ‘72 Ford Maverick with the 302/5 liter. I juiced it up with top end clean up( intake manifold and carb rebuild), true dual exhaust, rebuilt transmission with a shift kit. Was planning a differential replacement, going from 2.76 to 3.23 ratio, but sold it before I could get it done. A real 4 door sleeper that fooled more than a few guys around here ( Montreal Canada). Miss that car. 👍🇨🇦

[@chrisscearce]

Great vid Steve as usual. Everytime I see a 67-72 Ford F100 I'm reminded how tough trucks really were built just check out Charles Bronson in Mr. Majestyk. They punished that Ford and that twin-I beam construction took some hard landings. Namaste Steve 🙏🏼

[@googleusergp]

"You make sounds like you're a mean little ass kicker" as he takes him out and blows the speaker off of the truck. Charles Bronson was a quiet bad ass indeed.

[@chrisscearce]

@Rich Rishel Ford would have been foolish not to...namaste bro

[@chrisscearce]

@@googleusergp can't say I've ever seen a bad Bronson film and another Ford Bronson didn't show much respect for was the 72 Mach1 in the Mechanic. "If you read this it means I didn't make it back. It also means you've broken a filament controlling a thirteen second delay trigger. End of game. Bang, you're dead." Namaste bro 🤙🏼

[@googleusergp]

@@chrisscearce Bronson, Eastwood and McQueen were all bad asses in their time and beyond.

[@anibalbabilonia1867]

Man that most have been a hot rod Truck back in the day! A kinda sleeper if you will! V8, 4speed on the floor and limited slip differential! Nice 👍 by the way! You should do a video on that, what looks like a Chevy ll nova on the background!😃

[@fordman4287]

Being around the 67-72s most of my life I know how easy it is to swap the tag on the door, wouldn't surprise me if they did also.

[@CAROLDDISCOVER-FINDER2525]

Back by 1995 there's a guy that's getting rid of one of these and I don't remember it was a 67 through 72 the body run and it had a 468 in it F100. The numbers proved out. I don't know why I didn't buy it.. there's $100 and a decent shape! That fiber connector you talked about and said they're supposed to keep vibrations out of the cab. Well on the sister of that truck it might save from Chevrolet 67 - 72. It's supposed to break away in case of a accident so that it did not show your steering column up into your chest. Of course it was right down by the steering box. I had a beautiful one back in the day. 1968 CST Chevy. 327 built to the hill except etc. That's fiber connector went out and I went into the local Dead Man's curve and I'm going to cut it short but thanks to some improvement on that curve I was the first one to survive a crash and did not go over the bluff, when I came to your kind of walked away from it here the telephone Man thought he's going to come back at 5 corps. Anyway heating the front axle on that Ford is sometime the only way you can do it but it says right on it do not heat or bend. Says it only some of them. Yes I've seen them hate it with torches many a times and bent back in the day because it would eat up because by supply tires in nothing flat. I'm sure Rita radios but where I grew up you didn't put anything with my supplies on those old trucks. The 69 I had was absolutely gorgeous but the title screwed up and that was 25 years ago and impossible to straighten up and guy bought it from parts. I still getting upset stomach when I think about that one. Thanks for another great episode

[@joninpgh]

The 360 and 390 FE big-blocks were factory options on Ford pickups of the day.

[@googleusergp]

Correct, when you get the VIN, you win: F10 for F100 2WD, E for Mahwah, NJ assembly, G for 302 V8 with two barrel and the rest does line up with January 1972 production, making this a 1972 model year truck. The Mahwah, NJ plant operated from 1955 to 1980 and was located on Route 17 in Bergen County, NJ. Today Amazing Savings and Land Rover and Jaguar have offices on what was once that site. The last vehicle came off the line at Mahwah on Friday June 20, 1980. For a time, Sharp Electronics USA's headquarters was also at that site, but they have since moved to Montvale, NJ (in the same area where Mercedes Benz had their US office). Going further, when you get the tag, you can brag: 115 for the truck's wheelbase in inches aka "Short Wheelbase Truck", (something that is still on a Ford truck door jamb certification tag today), V for Mallard Green exterior paint, F103 for F100 2WD with 5,000# maximum Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, 6 for Light Green and Medium Green vinyl interior trim, 3 for Flareside pickup, F for four speed manual synchronized Warner Gear model T-18 transmission, H2 for 3.50:1 Ford T.S.(Torque Sensing) produced locking rear axle, 5000 for the maximum GVWR in pounds, 134 for the net HP at 3600 RPM and 13 for New York district sales office. Correct, just a wheezy 302 V8 with about 154 HP and 8.2:1 compression ratio. But, you didn't buy a truck like that for power per se. You bought it to haul and do work. Today, while pickups still do work, many are more of a status symbol than a work truck. Yes, that is correct that the VIN for Ford trucks through the 1980 model year doesn't have a character for the model year (like Chrysler and GM did back then), but some door tags on certain years actually state what model year that they are on the bottom part of tag. Ford passenger cars and earlier Ford trucks did have a model year code in the VIN. But yes, no matter what, as I have said for a long time, "When you get the VIN, we win and when you get the tag, you can brag". Or in the case of a GM, "When you get the SPID, we're glad that you did."

[@livewire2759]

"3 for flareside"... Wait, wasn't that Ford's term for a stepside bed? So maybe that's not the original door for this truck then. Also the interior is red, not green... so this truck may have had the 360 from the factory, but if it did then it might not have the limited slip rear axle...

[@googleusergp]

@@livewire2759 We can only assume that the door belongs to the truck, unless we have proof otherwise. The four-speed transmission, the paint color (I think I see evidence of it under all the other colors) and everything else match up. 6 should be the code within the body type for green interior trim and 3 comes back as Flareside, but I do agree, that this is likely more a Stepside style bed. Flaresides usually had steps on the sides. Both Flareside and Stepsides came in 115" wheelbase in 1972. The literature states 3 is Flareside. Could a mistake or two have been made? Sure. I saw a low mile Grand Prix shown on YT that had "Final Assembly Point: Pontiac, MI" on the original window sticker but the VIN supported it being a St. Therese, Quebec Canada made vehicle, complete with the maple leaf decals on the door.

[@DanEBoyd]

@@googleusergp I didn't see any green on the truck, inside or out. The cab was obviously red. The bed says Custom, but those look like they are Ranger XLT interior door panels. Rewatching at 3:51, I can see what looks like green paint poking out from under a chip around the head of the Philips screw, above the Warranty Tag. In this case, the tag might just be a wag, so we need to consult the frame in order to stake our true claim. Frame VINs on a '73-'79 are on the passenger side rail, one under the alternator, and the other under the floor, requiring a mirror, a camera phone, or a hole in the floor to confirm. My guess is that it is really a red big block truck. Another REVISIT request for Steve...😁

[@googleusergp]

@@DanEBoyd Possibly. Tough to say after 50 years to say what it was. As Mr. Magnante said, things could have been swapped and switched over the years. I do spot some darker green on it, which is consistent with Mallard Green on the tag.

[@livewire2759]

@@googleusergp You're right, and I agree, the tags don't lie, so aside from the info they tell us, we can only assume, but something clearly doesn't add up, therefore, I could understand someone replacing the bed, swapping a "flareside" for a fleetside (or whatever Ford called it), and then painting the exterior, but it's highly unlikely that someone stripped the interior, painted it, and replaced everything inside to match the red paint... THEN after doing all of that work, let it rot in a salvage yard. It's much more likely that the door was replaced, painted to match and the red door panel was swapped to the new door.

[@terrystewart2070]

I owned several Ford trucks ranging from 61 to 78 models back in the day. I hated the 360's, they were just a gas hoggin' dog of a motor. I mostly yanked them out and put 390's out of station wagons in them. I could get a great used mill for $75-$100 bucks then, get a buddy and a case of beer, change it in one day on a weekend no problem. Darn exhaust manifolds were always a problem on the FE engines. They were prone to cracking for some reason. The pre 77 power steering set up was funky as well.

[@samiam5557]

Bring back the hubcap game!!!

[@lloydgreen4091]

Yes-- Lansing had Two Ford Dealerships Including A truck Dealership also. One of the Auto Dealerships went "belly under" but the truck dealership Is Still going Strong. Another Nice Video Steve

[@vettekid3326]

Back in the early 1980's I had a 1971 F100 that originally had a 360 but when I got it someone had stuck a 390 in it. It had gobs of torque so with the three speed manual you could turn a corner at slow speed and leave it in third gear and it would just chug right along. It was great at starting even in the coldest weather. One Christmas morning it was 38 below zero and out of five vehicles at my in-laws house it was the only one that would start and it was also the oldest. Later on I put a 302 in it for the greatly increased mileage it had to offer.

[@chuckwhitson654]

The 360 was a boat anchor sucking gas faster than it could sink to the bottom

[@robbyaugtel5189]

Had a 69 F100 with the factory 360 that grandpa bought new. Two tone orange and white. He had an after market ac installed called “artic air “. It would get so cold it would form cubes of ice in the vents and blow out on you !

[@TheopolisQSmith]

I enjoy watching these vids. Great concept by a knowledgeable host. Hope you don’t run out of cars anytime soon.

[@yellowdog8092]

My first pickup was a 72 F100 long box plain Jane with the 240 6 cylinder and a 3 on the tree. 2WD I loved that truck.

[@DannyWalker1949]

Steve, YES they used to Heat-up the I-Beams to set the Alignment on these trucks. My Dear 0l' Uncle did them himself for many years, including 1 of mine to get it right. YES it's True.

[@paulday6875]

I remember seeing some of the vans done in the dealership as late as the early 90's when I started as a tech.

[@DanEBoyd]

@@paulday6875 I have a '77 F150, and on the Ford Truck Enthusiast forum, heating and bending is still the way to go. Need a large truck shop for that typically.

[@robertlyman9789]

Nice old sleeper 64 nova in the background!

[@jameswilson9368]

You are correct about front end alignment, years later Ford put camber alignment capability. I owned many Ford pickups my first one was a 1945 1/2 ton v/8 flathead. She was rough but I had it for years. 3 spd on the floor.

[@ditherdather]

My very first vehicle was a 74 F100 with a 240 inline 6 with a 4 speed on the floor. I think it originally had a 3 on the tree. Had a broken motor mount that would allow the engine to torque up off the frame and cause the clutch pin to come off of the pressure plate and fall onto the ground. Found myself chasing after it one day as it was rolling across a bridge. When it would fall out, you couldn't pull the truck back out of gear. Had to let it roll to an almost stop, step on the brake and let it stall to a stop. lol. Took me a while to figure out that I had a broken motor mount and that it was what was causing it.

[@VWbaru]

Awesome video look forward to the next one!

[@shrek_428]

360 and 390-2V FE's were common in 1972 F-100's, good chance that door came off another truck.

[@MikeL-vu7jo]

Another good one Steve thanks .

[@jaspal666]

My dad had a ‘69 F100 Ranger shortbed with the 390 and column 3 speed. Man, that truck would romp. Wish I had it now…

[@knutbkristiansen]

Awesome episode

[@mikerosetta9140]

that is correct the i beams must be bent to get alignment,but they also must be bent to be out of alignment very hard to make happen

[@thecommodoredecker]

Ol tony angelo needed that bumper a while back for his olds, he ended up finding one with a fitting name for the car, on a vanity plate installed on the bumper when he got it!

[@raynus1160]

Love those old 'Power by Ford' valve covers.

[@josephdipalma5989]

I remember a Ford truck dealership in Newburgh NY. There was a time that Ford had a sizable share of the medium and heavy duty market, Just like GM & Dodge. I was so sad when they moved away from those markets.

[@danielc5205]

My high school vehicle was a 1972 F-100 4x4, which I still own. I graduated in the 90's BTW.

[@wakkogn9351]

I'm always amazed that you write in your books and vintage magazines. While it doesn't really matter, it's just been drilled into my head to never do that. YMMV.

[@bjr2379]

Steve keeps duplicate copies of his books and magazines. One of them is written in and one is kept pristine.

[@wakkogn9351]

@@bjr2379 Oh, cool!

[@paulresca6681]

These videos are packed with information. Spent my life on the south shore and still don’t know where Bernardston Ma. is! Still learning 56 years later. Thanks

[@kenttalsma7906]

71-72 were, due to the styling of the grill, my favorite years. 76-77 had a similar grill patern. Now, regarding jumping the truck or any vehicle that I've attempted to take flight in, every time I've done it I've broken a shock mount. EVERY TIME. It was fun, though

[@rustyshackleford6811]

Square bulb 79 is the coolest 👊

[@purpurahaze9179]

@@rustyshackleford6811 what about a square bulb 78

[@Glenn_123]

Can not get enough of these videos! Love them!

[@greggc8088]

Always amazed me how the Twin I-beam was supposed to be so tough but they messed up all the time. Radius arm bushings go quick and cause pulls along with tire wear due to camber being way out. They did finally make camber kits incorporated with the ball joints. Kind of a nice paying big job with those. Glad they did away with that set up on the light trucks.

[@brandonbell3089]

The twin i beam was a very oldschool design that sucked. Not a lot of adjustment and alignment changes at every point of articulation. Known for wearing tires. It was a cheap affordable design which is what Ford was known for.

[@brandonbell3089]

GM and dodge trucks always had more modern luxury designs before ford ever did. Ford was always built cheap in comparison.

[@purpurahaze9179]

@@brandonbell3089 I don't have any problems with mine I got a 69 Ranger besides couldn't be that bad they used it for a long time

[@toddbob55]

I have driven Twin I Beam trucks for 40 years never had any issues..... 1995 F150 had original parts at 260,000 miles still drove straight

[@brandonbell3089]

@@purpurahaze9179 they used it for a long time because it was cheap to produce and easy to repair. But so are control arm suspensions. Sorta like a flat fender jeep. I mean hell twin i beams didn’t even have camber adjustments only toe in and toe out. And the alignment changes at every point of articulation in the front suspension because they articulate from the center of the truck. It was a pisspoor design plain and simple. I have a 72 F350 flatbed in my front yard aswell. When you compare the twin i beam to the GM and Dodge Control arm front suspensions which are fully adjustable along with sway bar options. The alignment also stays the same on a control arm suspension regardless. Much much superior design theres a reason control arm suspension is used on vehicles to this day. GM also had the control arm suspension long before fords independent twin i beam. GM also had front disc brakes in 71. Ford in 73 after

[@marioncobaretti2280]

Thanx Mr. Steve

[@ricksaint2000]

Thank you Steve

[@1984xlx]

I was a mechanic at a Ford dealer in the early 90's. They sold WAY more trucks than cars!

[@paulday6875]

Same here. I am in eastern ky coal country and during my tour of duty 92-2017 always had very few cars on the lot up until about 2001.

[@natemofield281]

I know that out here in corn country Ford trucks are top of heap, the only factory supported dealer is the Ford dealer.

[@lynnmccurdythehdmmrc2561]

Had a 1969 F100 360, truck slowly fell apart (rough driving in the desert) but the engine started and ran every day. Pulled a lot of other vehicles out of that same desert.

[@ericwilson2585]

Ya really gotta love those Ford 9 inch differentials, most versatile and plentiful rear end ever.....

[@scootergeorge7089]

I owned a 1974 F-100 that came from the factory with the 390 and C6 automatic.

[@robertgembala8532]

Great trucks

[@saturnfivehynrgrc581]

Great videos Steve. Do enjoy the class room. Ford trucks and Mopar FWD vehicles are my favorite. And the Bronco/Blazer too.

[@pl5624]

Bumpside vs dentside

[@brandonbell3089]

67-72 73-80 GM trucks >> Ford. But bumpside>dentside

[@TomTom-qm4mq]

Is this a question of what you prefer? If so I'm going bumpside but I like them both.

[@brandonbell3089]

@@TomTom-qm4mq as I answered 😂😂

[@brandonbell3089]

@@TomTom-qm4mq bumpside looks a million times better

[@pl5624]

No quiz just putting terminology/slang to Steve's comparison.

[@martininfante5230]

Worked at my father's Ford dealership in those days, "final assembly: Mahwah NJ" on the window sticker made the hair on my neck stand up. Absolutely the worst plant in Ford history. Everything loose, bad fit/finish, lunches behind door panels, "mystery" rattles(Coke bottles inside frames), you name it. One legendary story of the Coke bottle rattler found by a dealer tech with a note inside..."now find the bomb!" Story goes the customer was present when the tech found it! Guess what happened next!!

[@steelwheels327]

Its funny the shorts beds look huge compared to the so called beds they offer now.

[@wreckerjonny6144]

I have 70 f250 wrecker with a 390 . 71 F1 351w . I have about 12 other 73-96 Ford pickups

[@johnsondrivewaycustoms1153]

Thanks steve!

[@racekar80]

I love the clamshell hood, my father in-law had one forever, 390 was a great truck, he destroyed it being a contractor.

[@martinheredia6124]

Them short bed old fords are becoming very popular lately for a coyote swap

[@jamesthompson8008]

I liked the vid, but STEVE- where the hell did you find that dealer plan book!!??? THAT is the coolest thing in the vid!

[@jamespetersen3933]

Keep on crawling!

[@slick-px4pq]

It was common for rag joints to fail due the cab settling

[@DanEBoyd]

It was common for the front cab mounts to rust out, leading to cab settling.

[@willhorting5317]

Uh Steve... that is NOT a short bed.🤣🤣

[@BriBeast8566]

i remember the camper special long bed versions with rear axle pushed further back. my grandfather had one of those.

[@googleusergp]

@Rich Rishel No, the 1972 Ford F Series literature clearly shows it for 1972.

[@DanEBoyd]

F350 Camper Special, or Super Camper Special. I think it was a 140" wheelbase. With the spare tire stowed in the passenger side bedside, just behind the cab, under a removable panel.

[@googleusergp]

@Rich Rishel Sure thing.

[@googleusergp]

@@DanEBoyd No, the 1972 Ford literature does show a 159" wheelbase in the F-350 Camper Special line. It was only the F-250 and F-350 for the Camper Special in 1972.

[@antarcticmoongiant2691]

@@googleusergp 159wb without a bed,duel tires. Cab and chassis

[@TomTom-qm4mq]

I found that it was more common to find the locking diff in 2wd trucks. I guess it was for pulling and hauling loads because they didn't have 4wd.

[@dougackerman4182]

Great video Steve

[@SteveMagnante]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@randallgee5026]

You absolutely have to bend the beams to set the camber on the early models that used king pin style knuckles. Later model ball joint equipped models have adjustable bushings for the upper ball joint to set camber and caster.

[@clutchkicker392ison5]

How many of us pause to read the literature,? Luv ya work Sir . Cheers

[@DanEBoyd]

VIN location for the win? The frame rail. That is pretty much always going to take precedence from the VIN on the warranty tag in the case of a discrepancy. I don't know about those doors, the rest of the truck all shows signs of having been red, but I don't see any on the doors, save for a small spot on the driver's door, in the center just under the window, but that might be red oxide primer. And that truck, being a long bed, has a 131" wheelbase, and for '73 gained the same two inches, to become 133". The vernacular for that truck is Bumpside, with the '73-'79s being called Dentsides. The first truck I ever drove was quite similar. It was a '72 F250 Sport Custom, originally in that same red but repainted bright orange, with a 390 and C6. This truck had nearly every googaw from J. C. Whitney, including a clear distributor cap, Yosemite Sam mud flaps, and a Mack Bulldog hood ornament!!!

[@mexicanspec]

Dan, it is ironic Steve did this video when I have that blue and white truck I am trying to sell.

[@Jon-Bar]

Bending that twin I beam suspension is in the factory service manual.

[@michaeltessanne9108]

Looks like a oldsmobile cutlass bumper on the front end of the truck👍

[@markcole6475]

Yes, radius arms were bent to adjust caster! There’s an actual tool for it!

[@browncarp]

Door has been swapped on that one. Truck is a long bed 131" wheelbase, door tag says 115.

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

Back again. Gotta keep Steve's bills paid until he gets back to the Junkyard

[@danw6014]

I remember when I was a little guy doing the shifting in one of those trucks. My dad traded it in for his first new truck in 1976. An F 250 390 four barrel C6 two wheel drive. After he died in 2018 my mom sold the home farm and I dragged out out of the fence row. Someone wanted it for parts.

[@alfredhowe8217]

My dad had one, we swapped out the straight 6 with a 390 out of a police car

[@relaxinmaxin7246]

More great info

[@marioncobaretti2280]

Us mechanics call it a steering rag joint

[@CODA-Improvements]

Steve, any updates on the REM- Charger?

[@radiodeletedude]

I've asked a couple of times also. went to sleep I guess🥱😴

[@cwie2968]

Had a 1968 F150. 390. Replaced rag joints (steering coupler) all the time on that truck.

[@brakedd]

Yeah man, it was the thing to do - Heat up the I beams and bend em with a bottle jack. I've never tried it but I've seen some older fellas do it.

[@rondpert5167]

Bend for alignment? I'm sure that's true. Later trucks even had a warning (I think it was cast into the beams) "Do not heat or bend".

[@DanEBoyd]

Didn't stop a lot of guys...

[@muddywater6856]

The bending to align was standard procedure.. kits were available to perform the procedure. The process was done without heat when I obsereved it.

[@muddywater6856]

I think the "do not heat or bend" was for the cast beams vs. the earlier forged beams.

[@marioncobaretti2280]

Good ole days just before first oil embargo

[@falconman9554]

Yep if I remember correctlly a Y in the vin is the 360 although its very easy to swap in a FE into these trucks all you need is the motor mount pedistals and thats about it. 67-69 all the V8 trucks were FE I don't think they put the 302 in them until 1970 but I may be wrong.

[@rustyshackleford6811]

I can't even begin to tell you how many f trucks have been in my 54 years..

[@albertgaspar627]

If I remember, the FE (ford edsel) reference was for passenger cars and FT (ford truck)for pickup trucks, but also the Ford truck displacement sticker would end with a 1 instead of a zero at the end of the displacement of a big block Y design (361 cid, 391 cid), likely to mark a different crankshaft requiring different harmonic balancers and /or flywheels. The Lima seemed to avoid this.

[@alanwhite3280]

FT was for the medium/ heavy-duty trucks.

[@purpurahaze9179]

@@alanwhite3280 Well he got some of it right 🤣

[@albertgaspar627]

@@alanwhite3280 thanks