We Bought A Classic Ford F-150 For Just $900 That Runs Great (Sort Of) | Gunsmoke Ep.2

[@kmschlais]

I forgot to mention when I was being interviewed that I bought the truck 7 years ago for only $1000. Bought the topper for another $400. Got me through three cross country moves (San Diego to Mississippi, Mississippi to Maryland, and Maryland to Colorado), hauling motorcycles in the bed, and for a few years was my daily driver. Was sad to let it go, but I needed something that's better in the snow. RWD wasn't getting it done. Love seeing all the comments saying my truck should be restored instead of the 350. Either way, cool to see it get a new life. Well done on the video. Thanks Tommy!

[@terracestevenkennedy9198]

Love that truck

[@YouTubesucksdix]

That old inline 6 4.9 liter was in the old ups trucks back in the Dae

[@nlbowen1]

That 300 straight 6 is one of the best truck engines ever.

[@legostar55]

Damn straight

[@marathonbaker]

legostar55 engine might be great but the rest of the truck is still over 25 years old. You will run into a lot of random problems

[@regsparkes6507]

It's a good one, similar to GM's 292.... that 300 CID engine ( in good tune ) has lots of grunt!

[@snakebyte130]

@@regsparkes6507 I had a long bed 2wd with a 5 speed and loved it! Too bad we use the trucks for road trips or I would have kept the single cab rig..

[@regsparkes6507]

@@snakebyte130 I've owned three of these F-150's over the years and never a regret in having bought one, One of them had this engine, and the others were 302 and the Navistar Diesel. Great trucks all!

[@joatmon1857]

As a 30 year mechanic the old 300 is by far and away one of the best factor motor Ford EVER made!!!

[@Skitter302]

The Plastic cam gear wasn't the best Idea. :/ Mine are metal now.

[@getlosttoday4045]

And the easiest to rebuild if needed!

[@robbyparsonson2051]

1st off: you got a great deal 2nd: I would seriously consider fixing that F-150 up as well as the F-350.

[@logdon17]

i agree, a rust free example like that with some TLC will hold it's value nicely. no need to chop it up

[@CJColvin]

@@logdon17 Exactly mate.

[@twotone3471]

They should have tried for a sponsorship from a Flatbed supplier for Gunsmoke. Lots of places like Truck Defender in Vale SD, or Hillsboro Industries in Hillsboro KS might have some old inventory they could use as a tax writeoff for advertising.

[@nukewiller4083]

Errmmm.... Your donor is in better shape than your recipient.

[@spamfried894]

Divide baby to mend grandpa. Makes sense.

[@Lamar-zx5tp]

If it made sense, it wouldn't generate clicks.

[@AkioWasRight]

@@spamfried894 Sink the Queen Mary to save the Titanic.

[@jacksonsmith1890]

WillerNK that’s why it’s called a donor truck

[@LuisGutierrez-lf1kn]

Save f150 and just buy a bed(300.00) in southwest

[@goingofftherails9877]

Tommy is right. Even though the F-150 is relatively clean , the F-350 has a stronger frame, is a 4x4 with a dana 60, 8 lug wheels, 5 speed manual transmission , near perfect dash and interior, and best of all a GUN Rack. Forgot to mention that IDI hauls A$$. ( Yes I'm bias because I did give it to TFL.)

[@dat1gamer462]

Going off the Rails my dads 89 f150 has a five speed transmission

[@markbremmer8642]

For another 900 You can rebuild that I-6 and trans and keep it on the road. Make it a shop truck.

[@andrewb5415]

Fix it a bit and leave it alone lol , put a flatbed on your diesel.🙂

[@bradh7472]

Yeah flatbed the F350, they look good that way! it will make a great ranch truck then 4x4 and Diesel, where a rancher can haul round bails with a spike on the back. That 300 inline is probably the best engine ever made by Ford! I had a friend with one in his f150 and couldn't kill it even with low oil......

[@stephenbartram7377]

@a steinmann that was their plan - but the rabbit hole goes sooooo much deeper

[@jimgould2829]

@a steinmann Most old Fords are like that! Especially the 289. You can't blow up those either because the oil pump pickup goes very close to the bottom of the pan.Ive ran my 289 almost out of oil(oil plug came out lol) but decided to drive it home 10 miles and made it fine.

[@drewh999]

An f 150 with a good frame and body is few and far between i hope they dont ruin it

[@stephendee7839]

Service bed ftw.

[@poppyneese1811]

My faith is restored, young folks with sense! Farmers loved the 300 inline 6, don’t think there’s a harder test!

[@josephwhiskeybeale]

I’d rather repair that I6 than that 7.3 diesel 😂

[@Dankcatvacs]

somebody should weld 2 300 6 togeather

[@josephwhiskeybeale]

That would make a seriously long hood.

[@pacheco8245]

@@josephwhiskeybeale Weld them at the crank then.

[@josephwhiskeybeale]

This some Red Green sh*t right here.

[@iventonart9474]

@@pacheco8245 I would weld them at the head and make it opposed piston.

[@richsarchet9762]

It has oil pressure - if it didn't the hydraulic lifters would let you know.

[@MrBdavis99]

Exactly!

[@fatharmonix]

The oil pressure “sensor/sending unit” in those trucks is literally just a switch that turns on above around 7psi. And the “gauge” in the instrument cluster is essentially an idiot light.

[@Skitter302]

truth. oil gauge and temp gauge seem to go with age.

[@skylercolvin8119]

Just an idiot light with a needle on it essentially lol I guess people wanted to look at a needle over a light

[@benjaminkline4855]

Most of the time it's a switch. You have to check the dash cluster for a resistor to be sure what it's supposed to have.

[@rumbo1818]

i used to get my guage working again by giving it a slap on top of the dash,... Thump. Has started my stuff many times in my fords.

[@GhostOfAMachine]

The Ford straight six is the best truck engine out there, and the box body and the simplicity is highly sought after

[@TatersUnited]

$900 and not even surface rust on the underside. I need to move out west. Lol

[@mullinsjm1]

Or south. I have a 98 f150 with zero body rust

[@Beandiptheredneck]

TatersUnited they come straight from the dealer with surface rust here in southern Ontario 🤨 I envy southerners and their rust free stuff

[@Andy47357]

in Georgia you can drive your old cars year round too

[@jeffreylines1535]

I really like your enthusiasm, you almost yell ITS PERFECT! without checking the oil, without driving it, squidgy brakes...to me that is someone who looks at what it can be with a little blood, sweat and tears. Looking forward to Gunsmoke's future.

[@terrymillard9255]

300 strait six one of the best ford engines there ever was count them 7 main bearings factory ordered mine in 1996 f-150

[@christopherwilson9140]

I'm more interested in seeing an I6 f150 than a 7.3 f250 lol.

[@norman_sage2528]

Drive the diesel off a cliff. Save the six.

[@sodapop9283]

same

[@wyattfollestad8872]

@@norman_sage2528 diesel is better it's 4wd and has more torque and power

[@norman_sage2528]

@@wyattfollestad8872 I agree with you. The I6 never gets any love though. I drove a three speed on column with an I6.

[@juhberkey8067]

@@norman_sage2528 Why drive it off the cliff tho? Surely someone out there prefers the diesel over the straight 6

[@legostar55]

PLEASE do a video comparing it to a new V6 f150

[@greenman2515]

That 300 straight 6 is the most reliable engine on this planet! I’m more interested in your donor truck than the other lol

[@markbremmer8642]

Also go to Arizona for the body parts you need. MPG loop that F-150.

[@keithmiller5261]

You have to do something with the 4.9 300. I had two vehicles with that engine. Torque all day long and had timing gears instead of chain or belt. Will run forever. I have a 1986 Bronco with the 302. Wish it had the 300 in it.

[@lilsammywasapunkrock]

Nothing wrong with a 302, but I really like the 300 I-6. My dad had a 78 e-150 that he bought off his parents. 4spd overdrive and a 1 barrel carb you could get 20 mpg highway. However, it at those 4spds bad. More then once I had to drive it home stuck in 2nd or 3rd gear with no clutch. I am a 302 guy though. I have 4 cars with a 302, one has 350k miles and still passed emissions at 291k before I moved to a non emissions county. Then I have one at 240k miles and my daily is 220k and I have another at 178k. All if them could light up a tire stillm

[@keithmiller5261]

lilsammywasapunkrock I agree that the 302 is a good engine. Just better in a car application. I merely would like a little more low end in my truck for off road and towing purpose. Also like I said for longevity and ease of maintenance. Defiantly don’t want the I6 in a car it’s not exactly fast.

[@supersnot4]

I've got both. '89 F-250 302 AOD, and '96 F-150 300 5spd. The 96 is the best year IMO for the F-150. Old, reliable and stout design with OBDII and R-134A. The 300 is an awesome engine, runs butter smooth and love the flat torque curve. But, I love my 302. I've seen the odometer roll over twice since I've owned it, and I know for sure it's rolled over with the previous owner at least once. I'm guessing 330K - 530K is the actual mileage. Passes smog, always starts, and I still trust it to haul my Lance camper and dirt bikes 3 hours into death valley every year. The 302 truly is an underrated engine. Oh, and 19-21mpg on the highway unloaded, 15 loaded. Both trucks pass smog in California.

[@scottbirch6095]

I have a 1990 bronco with the 300 and it can turn my 38 inch super swampers

[@iduimovic]

Do a PRD (paintless dent removal) and no need to add "bondo" body filler. do a easy paint job and move on.

[@davidseinen3483]

Fix the I6 instead and do a super Ike!

[@AndresK5Blazer]

NO bondo!!! Keep it clean. Repair dent and let the new owner take care of the paint job (if wanted).

[@danatkinson6698]

That has the big radiator! And no bondo! Please dont ruin it with bondo. Oh and use 15w40 in it and you'll be fine

[@ajmedeiros77]

Miss my 89 with the 4.9! Best engine ever!! Timing gears! Would still be with us if it didn’t rust out from 23 years of New England winters

[@paponertelo88]

ditch the diese love the inline 6 truck

[@carlbutcher9854]

ford 300 in line 6 one of the best ever

[@robertoarriola-bustamante9169]

All 6 in line are Great

[@wyattfollestad8872]

Diesel is more useful than the 300

[@goingofftherails9877]

Case is a good addition to TFL! Seems to have good instincts about budget builds.

[@goat4298]

For anybody that doesn't know the 4.9L was originally used in tractors before they were put in pickups, that's why they are so reliable

[@danh655]

Didn't know that, ty for sharing!

[@MstaEd]

yes they were... also the old brown UPS trucks also had them and many other industrial type vehicles like airplane tug truck.

[@Hobbywelder617]

Yeah, those gauges are more an on off than actual reading. Well, oil pressure is anyway. The 300 I6 isn’t a bad motor, but they do love to puke oil all over hell and back. I would save the 150 for a later off road rig or something. I still say find a turbo for that 7.3, its a fantastic motor; however slow.

[@granthopper5]

FYI, the oil pressure gauges in those trucks are dummy gauges, which means that once the oil pressure sender senses the minimum pressure required, the gauge should read somewhere in the middle. Either reads oil pressure, or it doesn't. I had the same issue with my truck and once I changed the sender, it worked fine. I have a 93 302

[@danielsmith4090]

Them 4.9s are bullet proof. They're in all the old airline Tug tractors at work and I've pulled around 50 thousand lbs with them. Has a lot to do with gearing of course but I'm not sure why anybody will make another old fashioned I6. Would be a good farm truck.

[@jesusrochin2772]

Those i6 motors are amazing! Super reliable and lots of torque. I’ve had a couple of those trucks the have all made it to 200k no problem

[@shaunwood2365]

I put 358k on my 1990 F150xl with 300 6cyl. Would pull any load I put on it. I once put a load of gravel in 16ft trailer, it weighed more than the truck and trailer combined. Pulled it easy!

[@pacheco8245]

I'd pull the 7.3L and sell it, scrap the rest of the truck, and then I just keep this.

[@antonioortiz5139]

Get another donor with a blown engine so I'll make more sense to take parts off of it. The current donor looks like a pretty solid truck.

[@regsparkes6507]

That's a good deal with a 300 CID in-line 6,..that's a winner,...almost a shame to part it out!

[@NoName-tz5ji]

Reg Sparkes not even close to almost. It’s pathetic to part that one out.

[@krusejonathan01]

Old ford engines are more reliant upon oil volume than pressure. Low oil pressure on an old ford engine isn’t that big of a deal.

[@ChillingwithMalc]

My daily 1990 f150 with 5.0 when its fully warmed up... at idle I get 5 psi. And about 20 psi while driving.

[@GreatEgret]

Replacing the oil sending unit might fix that gague.

[@philgriffin8966]

Now you have a rear tank as well as a new bed for Gunsmoke. Best way to change the rear tank anyway, pulling off the bed. Make sure the fuel pump works as well as clean the tank while it is out. Phil from Louisville

[@markusroads3779]

300 6 is a GREAT ENGINE. Had 2 Bronco's 87 & 89 with the 300 6

[@yoitsjoe84]

Really love what your doing with the channel between the truck and the Mercedes ML build, keep up the awesome content!

[@Wittyusername82]

Love it! I want to see it do the Ike gauntlet! That old straight 6 is a workhorse.

[@Skitter302]

4:08 Exactly how I bought my '88 F150 with the Big Six under the hood. Great truck!

[@ronsmith7880]

My first truck was 78 gm...Solid running 250 straight 6 it was best motor ever..no prblms....I'd almost say that 300 6 is way better motor than the diesel...I like that motor for its reliability.. I got a buddy who had one of those motors in F150 5spd manuel...had to sell it for kid to go to college.

[@americanrambler4972]

Get a PDR (paintless dent repair) guy out to address the dents. Might save a tone of work. They could possibly remove the bed side dents to almost perfect condition and you would not need bondo.

[@griffparker1466]

I have a 77 F150 with a carbureted version of that 4.9. There's no evidence that the engine has been rebuilt and I'm pretty sure the truck has been in somewhat consistant use since 77. Who knows how many miles are on mine and she still does whatever I ask of her. Great engine and gets me at least 20mpg on the highway.

[@robertschneider1977]

You can sell that straight 300 and make back part of what you bought the truck for. The oil sending units on those are right on the side of the block and super easy to change out btw. Drove an 84 straight 300 through high school. Torquey motor and near bullet proof.

[@tivowillieb]

"Are we showing some oil??" "Yeah we're getting to the add part." Bahahahahahahaha

[@duggydo]

Those 300 straight 6 engines are great. They lug down really low and run forever. It’s worth a lot to someone out there.

[@billsharko3007]

Change the oil pressure sensor and you gauge will probably work again. Very easy and fast fix!

[@sidior12]

Bought a 1987 F150 extended cab and bed in 2003 for $1000, and it's a real workhorse. Dash sift gauge doesn't work and loaned it to my brother last year and he drove it in low gear and when I got it back the trans slipped and the truck overheated. Parked it and going into the shop this month for repair. I love this truck. Just minor standard repairs all these years.

[@BretM]

I love these bricknose trucks, and you got one with one of the greatest gas engines of all time. Please make more videos with it! And please don't part it out!

[@thinde88]

I’d be super interested in a mpg, 0-60 and towing test. Almost bought a super clean manual f150 with the straight 6 2 weeks ago and now I wish I had.

[@ylidk]

In my 89 f150 with the big 6 I average 15mpg combined, towing ~3500lb I get around 10-12 highway. Without towing I maxed around 18 highway, cruising at 75 for majority of the trip. 0-60 when towing was.... A while. It'll get you where you're going, every time. But it won't always be quick 😂

[@ryzen4368]

I owned a 91 f150 with that motor. 0-60 is 2-3 business days

[@jimconway3301]

I am doing a 1994 F-250 4x4 .It is a fun project .Parts are easy to get and real cheap if you get them at a junk yard. It is a hunting and fishing hauling anything truck. Have fun with it.

[@thedirtlifesupreame]

YOU NEED TO DO AN IKE GAUNTLET TEST WITH THESE TWO OLD TRUCKS TOWING AT MAX CAPACITY. DO IT!

[@BriansRCStuff]

Yes yes yes!

[@kasinko]

As someone that owns a 1981 F250 4x4 with a T18 and a 300, I would LOVE to see a 300 build. I got my truck with a 4" lift, bald 35" tires, water in the engine oil, almost no rust (Oregon), plenty of dents, and water in the transmission all for $1,000 and many years later and some TLC I learned how to work on it (on carbed engines you can see EVERYTHING) and it runs strong as can be. It even tolerated me learning how to tune a carb, how to find vacuum leaks, how to search junkyards for parts, and it still has the tiny 3.55 gears with those 35's. You think that YOUR truck is slow..... For what it's worth, I understand that Gunsmoke is for charity. Despite all of us 300 fans, you should push on with the charity project and strip Jr. because promises have been made. However..... don't be afraid of showing us what "the least desirable Ford" can do. Some of us don't need to tow 10,000 lbs. Show us what an old $900 2wd truck can do with that old straight six. Show us the family beater with a heart of gold! Make a flat bed, swap the Gunsmoke grill, clean the headlights too, do minor maintenance, and see what a cheap family truck can be like when you pick a solid foundation like that one! Maybe someday do a carbed 300 4x4 like you did Big Green, I've seen some 4 barrel intakes replace the stock 1 barrel carb with a 2 barrel efi on a 2 barrel to 4 barrel adapter work beautifully. You need the higher intake velocity, since these engines rev so low. The 4 barrel was just too high end rpm focused for an engine that doesn't have anything left past 4,000 rpm :P They are a VERY tough undervalued engine, and with a T18 and a Dana 44 front and 60 rear, I like to think of mine as a fat Jeep made by Ford :P If you can appreciate the 300 passion in this comment section, let the 'ol tractor engine into the spotlight! :D Please!

[@Trip1of3]

Just for fun you should drag race the two trucks.

[@samtucker2487]

Mpg loop please, towing, 0-60 the works love these old fords

[@larryw5429]

The difference between a car nerd and actual car guy.. A car guy always checks the oil on anything he is going to run!! Just saying!

[@stephensmiley9000]

Now that you have a parts truck. I would definitely replace the second tank. Added range is always a plus. I had an 89 f150 5.0 4x4 and I wish it had dual tanks. Definitely make sure there’s no vacuum leaks. They were pretty common on those years.

[@bradh7472]

Love the older flat fords.

[@Desertfox92308]

I love the enthusiasm of these young men! Great buy on GS2👍🔥 Definitely do a couple of videos with the "donor" truck before you strip it out.

[@kennethisaac3799]

I think it would be interesting to run it through a lot of the same testing as the new trucks. MPG run, towing test, etc. It would be interesting to compare the results.

[@robertmorris3892]

I had the same truck in a short wheel model. Blew a fuse every 100 miles. The engine was solid though. It had plenty of power to pull horses and cattle.

[@supersnot4]

The '87 - '96 F-series trucks had some seriously underrated drivetrains. Every engine in the lineup is known to run forever, even if you don't take care of them. 300 I6 - Slow as hell but can pull anything and never dies 302 V8 - More everyday driveable, lasts forever, and can still tow and haul as much as the I6 351W V8 - More than enough power for decently heavy towing, decent efficiency, lasts forever. 460 V8 - As long as you don't care about gas, it will pull whatever you want forever. 7.3 IDI - Bulletproof diesel pretty similar to the 300 but with more torque 7.3 Powerstroke - True turbodiesel power, with amazing reliability.

[@TFLclassics]

Great comment!

[@erickisel8668]

Oh and Case deserves a promotion!

[@jruvalcaba77]

You can't beat the extraordinary reliability of a Ford 300. Don't worry about the oil pressure gauge. I don't know how many sending units I replaced on my '87 F150 with an inline six 300. The fix was a simple "T" fitting off the factory to a mechanical gauge. Oil PSI was 35 at idle and 50 PSI at 1500 RPM. Get that F150 fixed up and get some parts from LMC to fix up Gunsmoke.

[@chriswillman5829]

Can’t go wrong with the mighty 300 i6

[@lanceripplinger8352]

Nice finding a donor truck to fix Gunsmoke. I'm sure parts will swap over fine. Ford would have used the same parts across the F-Series trucks back then to keep costs down. It would have been cost prohibitive otherwise to have to tool up factories for different parts if the F-Series trucks were all designed completely differently from one another. Back then, the F-150 through the F-350 were really the same. I think all Ford did was do different axles on up the line, and change the spring rates to handle higher loads. Frames might have been different possibly also.

[@wadefarris308]

The straight 6 is virtually indestructible & has a ton of torque. My dad had an 89 4x4 with the 302 v8 & my uncle had the exact same truck with the 300 straight 6 & my uncle's truck could out pull my dad's truck without straining a gear!

[@miguelblanco3629]

Are you guys going to make videos of you swapping the parts over and fixing Gunsmoke up or are you having a shop do it?

[@donlorenzo5718]

Yeah, I guess it's content, but this isn't something we would do. The donor truck is better shape than the donee truck. That's kind of backwards, isn't it?

[@dchawk81]

Not when the recipient is several steps up in classification.

[@erikswensen425]

Tommy you should fix the brake issue and do a super classic ike gauntlet and show off what that 300 is made of, review the mileage etc like you do a new truck, and do the same for gun smoke

[@terrencejones9817]

I had a 1993 F150 302 with a manual. 400k miles ex logging truck. Manual locking hubs, everything works.. body was horrible. But she ran and 4wd worked. Owned it for 5 years.

[@danhambrick6331]

The First thing you do when looking at the engine is check the oil!Inspect it for metal and make sure it doesn't look like a milkshake....

[@ChillingwithMalc]

When I bought my 1990 f150. They brought it to me running. Drove it around. Seemed pretty nice. On the drive home the oil pressure gauge was bouncing around in the low. Got home. The radiator was empty and the oil dipstick was rusted shut.super dry.. With no oil. So yeah CHECK THINGS BEFORE YOU BUY. lol

[@alexbevington1105]

I would love to see a comparison video of the way that this truck would have towed versus the current trucks with a base model engine

[@advguy84]

Sadly it won’t light a candle to the new F-150 with the base 3.3l Non turbo. I have both trucks now however both truck are awesome.

[@headrickjames]

Awesome deal. Nevermind the haters. Anytime you can purchase a running classic for under a grand you've made a smart deal. Can't wait to see you the finish on the F350. Matter of fact, I'd like to see the 150 refurbished and that big 6/300 turbocharged. Keep up the good work!

[@williampennington5307]

Had a full sized bronco 300 inline 6 best engine ever had

[@neilw.7153]

I got one for free with a 302 and fixed it running and driving with zero issues for $200.....

[@MrFlavadave]

First, bring in Mr. Truck Kent for resourcing the build on the f350. He surely has ties to all of the old school guys that built up the older trucks. Swap the front end bits you need. Sell the bed off the f150 for half your buy in. Get a flatbed with bulkhead rack from a scrap yard (rattle can paint it) and install on the f150. Add new seat covers, wipe it down and sell for 1350 bucks. Double your money and stick to the f350 build. Design a flatbed truck with multiple purposes. Flatbed atv hauling, Towing and gooseneck towing, weekend over nights, and last a drop on flat bed camper. Build the driveline with 37s Dana' s recovery gear, etc... Add on air and arc welder. I bet shops would lineup for the exposure across your channel to give services, materials, and parts.

[@tomthinks2089]

There goes Roman whining again. Can only imagine what was said off camera. Lol

[@scottrarick9249]

Ford 300 is tough as nails... glad to see mine wasn't the only one that shows little to no oil pressure! You may consider swapping over wiper arms from a 90s F-series pickup as they are a direct replacement for the pin style and will come in a more universal j-hook allowing you to run lots of different wipers. The vans DO NOT swap if I recall. Had an 1981 with the 4-speed/300 I6. Miss that truck and wish you all well!

[@RochaRanch]

Make the diesel F350 a custom flatbed off roader and for the gas F150 a daily driver project These trucks need live! :D

[@skylercolvin8119]

On those trucks the oil pressure sending unit is actually a switch so if it's bouncing then dont pay no attention to it lol my 92 f150 oil gauge bounces between normal and just above L

[@kerryrwac]

Paintless dent removal , it's a thing . You just have to find someone who does it locally .

[@DJLuDog3]

I have a 1989 F-250 and my oil pressure gauge also works on or off too and the squishy brakes is another common issue I had a larger master cylinder put in and that stop to it always going out and I have the exact console. I'm currently driving and restoring as I can with my 89 F250 XLT lariat. Cant wait to see more in this series

[@nava_jorge1988]

4.9 300 cu in. greaaat engine. had a 92 .5 spd. sold it with 358k .did not burn any oil at all

[@jamesc.5734]

Gun Smoke Jr. is a 6 shooter ;O)

[@danatkinson6698]

I think 6 shooter should be its name

[@twotone3471]

Run Gunsmoke Jr up the Ike Gauntlet (of Course) and watch the beauty of the straight 6 do its thing.

[@Big.Ron1]

The 300 6 cyl always was a great engine. Bonus is the seat covers. Yeah baby! I love those old trucks.

[@davva360]

I think the new truck is the better one and you should save them both by finding another wrecker to restore gunsmoke. Someone else mentioned putting a flatbed on gunsmoke. Maybe that would be a good way to go just not sure about the cost.

[@joebuck66]

In my opinion the 240ci and 300ci ford motors are bulletproof. If nothing else I would put the 300ci in something else. Another project.

[@shaneolsen9394]

Please keep the f150 turn it into a fun shop truck its perfect for that all the reasons you said people dont like it is what makes perfect for a shop truck

[@white09stang]

I would keep the donor truck. My friend had the 300 inline 6 in a 4x4 which was lifted and used for mudding. He beat the hell out of that truck and wouldn’t die.

[@chrismartin153]

Put the rusty bed, topper, and bad grill on the ford f150 so you could just use it as a beater (you know just to screw around with on gravel roads and stuff) You could see how it holds up. Might want to put some new cheap brakes on it though. You could also see if it could run the Ike with like 750 lbs in bed just for fun. And if you don't want to use the rusty bed I guess you could put a flatbed on it but I think that the rusty bed would be cheaper and better looking in some respects.

[@jeepcollector91]

After you remove all the parts off the donor, swap the parts off the project truck onto the donor and resell the donor or keep it as the beater truck to run errands in... That 4.9L is a fantastic engine. I've owned several vans with that same engine. I actually like that F150 better than the F350 you have. Can I have it??? LOL

[@Andy47357]

i bought my 88 bronco knowing it ran when parked (kinda similar to y’all) and found out it runs great when you put a battery in it. it’s ashame you’re making this cleaner frame a parts truck. gunsmoke should be your parts truck. information from a fellow square nose cannibal, I have 7 of them and 5 of them all run but i’ve restored 3 more

[@Pepe1999]

Got me a 95 regular cab, short bed 5 speed i6 and it’s one of the best trucks and only truck I’ve own. I had a ford escort before it and that car was also very reliable and even after neglecting it for 6 years, it would always run. Not sure what engine it was but I’m sure it was a i4, I recommend y’all finding one and doing a video on it, it was basically bulletproof imo. It’ll still be here if it wasn’t for a drink driver crashing into it in the middle of the night. Replaced it with the f150 😢

[@JacobAAllen]

You should turn Gunsmoke Jr into a Pre-Runner once the bed and other parts have been transferred and go rip across the desert.

[@browncty]

Owned a 1979 F100 with a straight-six it was a great running truck.