Ah, remember when this truck was what we all thought was all you needed to tow a #6000 TT with AND have a slide in canopy in the bed with the 2 kids and dog back there! ;)This is my Dad's 1971 F250 with the 390/C6 that he just recently restored.. He bought it brand new in late 1970 when I was 7 years old. I so remember the day we picked it up! I wanted him to get one of the brand new 1971 Mustang Mach 1's they had (with the 429 in it.. :) )But, this is what we used to go camping with.. We started with 8' slide in cab over campers and eventually got the TT and the little slide in canopy that my sister and I rode in for thousands of miles with the dog of course too.. :)Anyway, no AC, no power steering, no nothing! But we did just fine in it and I'm sure it was overloaded anytime we went out, but it made it every time!Anyway, just had to post because I learned to drive in the truck and it drives and handles the same way it did back in the day and It just brings back a lot of good memories... I'll get this truck someday, but not too soon I hope! ;)Just proud of Dad for keeping it all these years and bringing it back to life again.Mitch:)

Enjoyed reading that, thanks for sharing.

In the cab 18 gallon fuel tank! That brings back memories!I had a rare 1975 F-350 supercab! Trailer life did a test report on a white one, and I test drove that truck before buying mine in 1987. I got mine in red and white. Had a 460" V8 and C6 transmission. I had a 3.73:1 rear axle, something that was a excellent ratio, considering it did not have overdrive. Plenty of power, and still low enough RPM at 65 to get 10 MPG.I also had a camper on the truck most of the years that I had it. It was also able to tow about 10,000 pounds. Without being over it's 9,600 pound GVWR. I had 9.5R16.5 tires on the back rated at 3,450 pounds. Front tires where a little smaller, and lighter duty. The 'better' camper truck was the F-350 Super Camper Special, with the 7" longer wheelbase, spare tire under a cover on the passenger side, just behind the passenger door. It also featured a 40 gallon aft of rear axle fuel tank.In 1974 Ford dropped the in the cab fuel tanks. Something about if the truck got on it's side (in a accident) the gas cap would fall off or rotate loose, and all the gas would spill out, then catch fire. GM had the same problems, and after 1975 all gas caps needed to be in recessed area, with a door over it.I had great power steering! Extremely light, I could palm the steering wheel, and make three turns in a couple of seconds! That brings back some fun memories!So is your dad's F-250 above or below 8,600 GVWR?Have fun camping!Fred.

Ha, I think it's only #7700 GVWR! It's a "Camper Special" with the "Custom" trim.. (2wd)I think it has 4.10 rear gears... All I know is it revs like a SOB going 65 mph and gets 9 mpg towing or not.Yes, when I heard the sloshing of the gas in the tank right behind the seat, that brought back a lot of memories... If you took a hard right turn with a full tank of gas, you'd get gas fumes in the cab!!The brake controller he had back then was one that slipped over the brake pedal itself! Remember those! It was like a sewing machine pedal.. The more you pressed down on it, the more power to the trailer brakes.. If you didn't need much trailer braking, you had to angle your foot and put more pressure on top of the pedal and press down so the trucks brakes engaged...I remember going up the Grape Vine pass being in the camper in the bed, towing that old 1976 Taurus TT with Mom and Dad up front with that truck in 1st gear going maybe 25 mph and Dad's foot to the floor.. Oh yeah, he had to turn the heater on full because it was also running hot.. :) This was when it was already 90* outside!Ah... The good ol' days! :)Mitch

Good looking restore!! Had a '72 GMC w/ in cab gas tank as well. 350 cu in, 4 speed, manual steering. Had it for 5 years or so till it mated w/a tree.

Excellent post. I wish I still had my 79 F-250.Thanks for sharing.

Remember the good ol' days... | Good Sam Community

35 Replies

RobertRyan
Explorer
Jul 11, 2015
Many locally built F250/F350's we're customised
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Jul 11, 2015
"Everything from the 360 bolted right up to the 390 and was a direct swap"

They are the exact same engine. The only difference is the cam, crank and connecting rods. When changing mine to a 390 the performance was vastly improved along with fuel economy.
MitchF150
Explorer III
Jul 11, 2015
The experience I gained from that first 390 swap in Dad's truck I used to help a buddy swap out his dead 360 in his 1974 F150 4x4 when we were around 21 years old (we had to be at least 21, because he "paid" me with beer!)

That swap went well (in a weekend). We found a 1969 390 out of a Thunderbird that was rebuilt and ran great for $500 (no idea where the T-Bird was). His 74 had headers and dual glass pack exhaust.. Everything from the 360 bolted right up to the 390 and was a direct swap.

The gas mileage sucked of course, but it was a fun truck for 2 buds in their early 20's that where room mates after leaving the "nest".. :)

He's still my best 'bud' to this day and we talk of the old days all the time.

I had a 1971 Ford LTD 2dr at the time.. It had the 400 in it and that was a fun ride too!

I really shouldn't be alive now, with all the stuff we did back then!

But, that's just the way it was back then..

Keep the stories coming! It's great!

Mitch
BubbaChris
Explorer
Jul 10, 2015
Fun, fun memories!

My grandad had a '67 Chevy C10 with 3 on the tree and inline 6. He pulled some little TT with it, but that was before I could remember any details. When he passed (around 1985), a neighbor almost convinced my grandmother something was wrong as it was difficult to start -- he didn't remember the manual choke.

Luckily she gave it to me along with a few other things. I still have his hammer. And some of his Craftsman sockets are a part of my TT's tool kit.

My dad had an '84 F250 that was purchased with the idea of getting fiver, but he never pulled the trigger on the RV. I helped him sell it 22 years later when he wanted to downsize (and my sister got his replacement Tacoma when he passed).
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Jul 10, 2015
Had a 69 Ranger 1/2 ton that was the turquoise color but painted the exterior metallic emerald green and had BFG 60 series tires with Craigers. Dang good looking truck. It was a DOG!!! So I swapped out the cam, crank and connecting rods and turned it into a 390 and added a 4 barrel manifold and Holley carb. Also rebuilt the C6 with a TransGo shift kit. Holy******did that truck haul AZZ after that!
RobertRyan
Explorer
Jul 10, 2015
A 351 with a home made Camper, RHD
colliehauler
Explorer III
Jul 09, 2015
MitchF150 wrote:
Thanks for the additional stories guys! Great stuff.. Sometimes, you just have to go back to when things were (at the time) easier.. ;)

I did so much more stuff in that old truck during my teens that my Dad would cringe if I ever told him "everything".. :)

Anyway, good stuff.

Mitch
You to huh, it was one tough truck to survive me.
eichacsj
Explorer
Jul 09, 2015
I love those old trucks. I am actually thinking about going to the Jackson-Barrett auction and getting my next truck, hate these emissions.
DaveF-250SD
Explorer
Jul 09, 2015
Your F-250 looks great. My good old days truck is in my signature. A '77 Chevrolet C-20 Scottsdale Trailering Special. It is far from basic, though. has all heavy duty suspension, cooling and charging system options, as well as dual tanks, A/C, tilt, cruise, factory stereo option and factory tachometer. Great running 454 with factory dual exhaust/TH400. I sometimes haul large cars on a car hauler trailer, total weight just under 7,000 lbs. Granted there is no aerodynamic drag from the load, but it never fails to maintain 65 mph going up hills, even the Grapevine. It has been and continues to be a great truck.
RobertRyan
Explorer
Jul 08, 2015
MitchF150 wrote:
Ah, remember when this truck was what we all thought was all you needed to tow a #6000 TT with AND have a slide in canopy in the bed with the 2 kids and dog back there! ;)

This is my Dad's 1971 F250 with the 390/C6 that he just recently restored.. He bought it brand new in late 1970 when I was 7 years old. I so remember the day we picked it up! I wanted him to get one of the brand new 1971 Mustang Mach 1's they had (with the 429 in it.. :) )

But, this is what we used to go camping with.. We started with 8' slide in cab over campers and eventually got the TT and the little slide in canopy that my sister and I rode in for thousands of miles with the dog of course too.. :)

Anyway, no AC, no power steering, no nothing! But we did just fine in it and I'm sure it was overloaded anytime we went out, but it made it every time!

Anyway, just had to post because I learned to drive in the truck and it drives and handles the same way it did back in the day and It just brings back a lot of good memories... I'll get this truck someday, but not too soon I hope! ;)

Just proud of Dad for keeping it all these years and bringing it back to life again.

Mitch

:)

These are pretty familiar to Australians as they were made here, lasted till 1979, the locally built versions

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Remember the good ol' days...

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