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Going on a Trip without the Avion... in a 41yo Truck!

garryk6
Explorer
Explorer
So many of you know of our adventures here in Alaska with our 1966 Avion C-10 and our trusty 2002 F350.

Friday we depart to pick up from Western Washington a 1976 F100 with a canopy and deliver it to our son and daughter-in-law in Twenty-nine Palms, CA.

This 41 year-old truck was recently inspected by an old Navy buddy of mine to see if it would be a solid pickup for my 21 yo tank-mechanic in the Marine-Corps. Back track to this past fall when his wife got a good job working for the news paper as a reporter, but now with a reporter and a tank mechanic with hours the exceed most logic, a single car was going to prove challenging at best. So he called me and asked if I would start looking for truck that was old enough that he could repair and maintain, one that got relatively decent mileage, has A/C and all that for around $3000.

So as I searched CL up and down the west coast from Seattle to San Diego, I found there was a large diversity in prices. In the desert country east of LA/SD there was a nice 1976 F100 302 V-8 three-speed with no A/C but fresh paint and 20" rims and rubber-band tires for $12,700. We found this one family owned truck with the son of the original owner had been garaged all its life, 302 V-8, 3 on the tree, with PS and A/C. The truck was very clean and was original down to the original hub-caps and beauty rings. The Carb was messed up, and barely running and had a few other drive-ability issues, so we settled on $2,200 and he would deliver to my buddy's house.



This is what it looked like when it arrived.

Absolutely no-rust. Have had to machine the fly-wheel and replace the clutch and pressure plate, replace the starter and battery and fix the wiring the son of the Original Owner messed up. Rebuilt the Carb, tuned up the truck, installed a canopy (I know its not a TC, but it's only an F100! ๐Ÿ˜‰ ) Chased down several electrical gremlins and got all the lights, heater twin tanks etc all working. Planning on a set of tires when we arrive in Washington Saturday.

So hopefully my Navy buddy has found all the gremlins and the trip will be just great, but figured I'd post with our TC family from RV.Net to see who may be along the way...

Headed Sunday from the Olympic Peninsula to Ellensburg then down through Yakima to Grandview to stay with friends. Then Monday head across the river through Hermiston, OR, across the Blue's on 84 to Nampa for lunch with old friends then on to Twin Falls for the night. From Twin we head south through Jackpot into Nevada and all the way down to Las Vegas. Get a room and then up on Wednesday to the final leg over to Twenty Nine Palms, CA.

Hopefully all will go nice and smooth, but if you happen to live on the route, and see a grey haired old guy in a tan Ford with a black canopy broke down, you'll know it's probably me...

Thanks again!
Garry (normally in Kodiak, Alaska)
Garry K
Wife + 4 kids
Retired Military Family.... Alway's on the move....
2002 F350 CCSB 5.4 6spd 4x4 in AK
1966 Avion C-10 Truck Camper
21 REPLIES 21

sharkman
Explorer
Explorer
"Wow" great find, I'm jealous, i really like that truck.
Camper: 2005 Lance Lite 815
Truck: 2003 Dodge Ram Loramie 3500HD, CTD, DRW, Q/C, L/B, Draw-Tite Front Hitch
Boat: 1985 Alumacraft Trophy 175 - Evinrude 90 HP

garryk6
Explorer
Explorer
Thanks Guys! I figure that it won't be super great on mileage. I has tall rear gears at 3.00. The PO had 235-75-15 and my buddy tells me that he has to feather the clutch to get going from a flat dead stop. Factory tires were I believe F78-15 which is roughly a 205-75-15 or 215-70-15. The tires I am getting are 245-60-15 which should put me closer to the size of the original, if not a bit shorter but should greatly help take-off and give a bit wider foot print for the highway and desert where it is going to be daily driven. I've heard reports of well tuned F100's with 302/3spds or autos getting 14 to 19 mpg, while I am optimistic and hopeful the realist in me says anything over 12 will be appreciated. Thanks again all!!

Anyone in Oregon, Idaho or Nevada that I may be passing?

Thanks!!

Garry
Garry K
Wife + 4 kids
Retired Military Family.... Alway's on the move....
2002 F350 CCSB 5.4 6spd 4x4 in AK
1966 Avion C-10 Truck Camper

burningman
Explorer II
Explorer II
I've had many of those Fords. Even a yellow 1976 1/2 ton... although it was 4WD and had a big block. And I carried a 10-foot camper and towed a boat with it, with nothing but some helper springs, bigger tires and Rancho shocks.
Those are great trucks, reliable, well built, easy to work on, and nowadays they're cheap.
The one thing you mentioned that I'm telling you right now it won't do is get good mileage.
That's why I always ended up running big blocks... it's gonna get rotten mileage anyway, so you might as well have torque.
I'd probably still be driving one of those if they existed as a 4x4 crew cab dually.
I was going to build one, but I've gotten tired of doing everything the hard way.
2017 Northern Lite 10-2 EX CD SE
99 Ram 4x4 Dually Cummins
A whole lot more fuel, a whole lot more boost.
4.10 gears, Gear Vendors overdrive, exhaust brake
Built auto, triple disc, billet shafts.
Kelderman Air Ride, Helwig sway bar.

Grit_dog
Navigator
Navigator
Great find! What a rig! After living here in WA for a little while, I think it's one of the better areas to find good old cars.
Good luck on the trip.
If for some reason you're having issues before you get up to I90, I'm about 10 min off of Hwy 18 just past Auburn. Got a shop and your welcome to use it.
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5โ€ turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

Rubiranch
Explorer
Explorer
Looks like a great truck for a more then fair to you price. 302s never die and it probably has a bullet proof small case C-6 trans behind it.

That would be ahard deal to pass u even if you didn't need it. ๐Ÿ™‚


I bought this '72 Ford F-250 Ranger XLT Camper Special back in Aug 2005, it had 31,000 miles on it. It hadn't been moved since 1991. I was dating the owners daughter when he bought it new in Aug 1972.
390, C-6 and 4.10 gears.
I sold it in 2010 with only 41,000 miles on it.
I sold it for more than 3 times what I paid for it.
It was a really nice truck.
Camp Host, from the other side.

gbopp
Explorer
Explorer
There isn't much cooler than an old truck. :C

jimh406
Explorer III
Explorer III
Looks cool ... less gremlins with less technology! ๐Ÿ™‚

'10 Ford F-450, 6.4, 4.30, 4x4, 14,500 GVWR, '06 Host Rainer 950 DS, Torklift Talon tiedowns, Glow Steps, and Fastguns. Bilstein 4600s, Firestone Bags, Toyo M655 Gs, Curt front hitch, Energy Suspension bump stops.

NRA Life Member, CCA Life Member