1979 Ford F100 review from North America

After I had it a few months, I rebuilt the engine, transmission and installed a new clutch. Also various wear items (brakes, front end and suspension parts, heater core, ect...). Typical stuff for a 28 year old daily driven truck. Keep in mind though, it already had over 200,000 when I got it.

It's been a good truck so far. With the stock engine, it was pulling 18.3 mpg (mixed driving about 80/20 highway/town). Now that it's been rebuilt (and approaching 100,000 on the rebuild already) it's been getting 24.3 on the same loop at the same speed.

Keep in mind, this is a shortbed stepside F100 (Free Wheelin' package) that has AC, PB, PS, a 302 V8, factory SROD 3 speed overdrive, and 3.00 gears. At 75 mpg it turns about 1900 rpm. I normally set the aftermarket cruise on 68 (about 1800 rpm) for best highway mileage.

Other than the above options and the factory white spoke wagon wheels, it has no other options. It didn't even have a radio or cigarette lighter.

It's also factory candy apple red, and oddly enough, I've been looking for this specific truck for over 20 years.

The truck looks rough and is currently being stripped down for a frame off restoration. The rebuilt engine was bored .060 over (as it as .030 to start with as it's on it's second rebuild) with the following changes over stock. Slightly more aggressive 'rv' type cam (slight lope at 650rpm), 9.5:1 compression, balance and blueprinted, ported and polished heads, slightly bigger early 351W valves, Edelbrock Performer intake with screened intake gaskets, 570 Holley Avenger, Jacobs Mileage Master (older one) ignition with a Accel updated factory style distributor, Hedman small tube headers, 2.25 exhaust with Walker Dynomax mufflers. Oh, and lots of good tuning (played with the timing and jetting for weeks to get the best results).

I've been very pleased with the results, considering it's in a 3800 pound truck with the aerodynamics of a brick. Again though, I built the engine as a unit with a specific purpose, and it gets far better fuel economy and much better performance then stock.

When I first for the truck (no changes) I ran at the local drag strip a few times and it did 16.30s, now with no other driveline changes other then the slightly upgraded engine, it's running 14.92, which not exactly top fuel territory, it's not bad for a fullsized pickup with a mild 302 engine and high gears.