New member from Nebraska...

[FORDification]

Hey all. I just joined up to start research on the bullnose-era trucks, and since I've known Gary for a while now and the guru that he is, I couldn't think of a better place to start.

If you're at all interested in the earlier generations of Ford trucks, you've probably run into my FORDification websites and Facebook groups which cover the '60s-'70s trucks. Well, I might be in the market within the next few months for a new daily driver and I decided I'd look into adding a bullnose to the stable.

Here are a few pics of what I've got now:


This is my '67 F100 SWB and my latest acquisition, a '64 F100 LWB pictured in the newly-completed shop.


This is my '68 F100 choptop project. It's currently pushed off to the side while I work on the other projects.


My '75 F250 Supercab Ranger XLT Camper Special. It's fully loaded...460/C6 and a limited-slip Dana 60 w/ 3.54 gears. PS/PB, A/C, cruise control (the first year cruise was installed in Ford trucks), dual exhaust, dual tanks, bedside toolbox, swing-out spare tire carrier...it even came equipped with factory air horns.

==============================

So while I'm pretty knowledgeable about Slicks, Bumpsides and Dentsides, I'm pretty clueless when it comes to Bullnose trucks and aim to correct that. I'm going to be asking a lot of questions, most of them the 'extreme newbie' variety, so please take it easy on me while soak it all in and research what's best for me.

[Dee1986]

That's a nice collection you got going there. Welcome

[Gary Lewis]

Welcome, Keith!  Sure glad you joined.  

Do you mind if I put you on our map?  (Bullnose Forum/Member's Map in the menu.)  Yes, I know where you live.

You said you are interested in picking up a Bullnose.  Tell us more, as in Style vs Flare.  Or Bronco?  What cab?  And, more specifically, for what purpose?

If I was looking for a daily driver and wanted to get some MPG I'd consider an EFI'd 302 w/an AOD.  You can see the spec's here: Documentation/Engines/Windsor.  Click on the 302 tab and then the Specifications tab and scroll to the very bottom.  These are pages from the dealer facts books, and they put both the 302 and the 351W on the same page, where you can see:

          302                   351W

HP: 190 @ 3800    210 @ 4000  (Under 8500 GVWR)

TQ: 285 @ 2400    305 @ 2800  (Under 8500 GVWR)

Or, I'd seriously consider the 300 six w/a 4-speed overdrive.  David/1986F100Six routinely gets 20 MPG with his.

The issue is that the Bullnose era was when EFI and overdrive transmissions first came in.  But only the 302 got EFI during that time, and the AOD wasn't available on a bigger engine.  It wasn't until well after that the E4OD and the ZF5 made their debuts.

In the interim we had all sorts of complicated carburetion and ignition systems foisted upon us, such as EEC-II and EEC-III with feedback carbs and TFI ignition.  When they worked they were fine, but most don't work well at this point and yet they aren't smart enough systems to really tell us what the problems are.  So by now most of them have been hacked to the point they don't run well, or changed back to non-feedback and a DS-II ignition.

But again, tell us more about what you want to do with the truck.

[grumpin]

Welcome!

I have visited your sites. I like your 75. I had a 74 or 76 Supercab. Jeez, can’t remember now!

[1986F150Six]

Welcome to our forum, Keith! Wow, I am jealous of what you have in your corral!

[ArdWrknTrk]

Glad to have checked you in Keith!  

Welcome to Gary's little get together.  😉

You certainly have an amazing stable going!
Those hubcaps look like they belong on a Country Squire.

When you get yourself a Flareside you'll fit right in.  "

[Gary Lewis]

ArdWrknTrk wrote

When you get yourself a Flareside you'll fit right in.  "

Keith - Beware the FOG.  It is coming in on little cat feet.








Flareside Owners Group.

[FORDification]

Thanks everyone. I'm just needing a daily commuter / general purpose vehicle. I'm currently leaning towards a 4WD Supercab styleside. I'll be doing some occasional towing with a 16-ft trailer with a truck project on the back, so I need to find out if the factory engine/transmission options will handle it. I'm less concerned with mileage as I am performance and reliability. Probably 98% of the time it'll unloaded and just be used for driving to work and back.

[Gary Lewis]

Keith - Big Blue, which you've seen, handles my car hauler trailer just fine, even though at the time it had a really worn-out 460 in it.  

The tow ratings for these trucks are in Documentation/Specifications/Towing.  And I'd guess that you are talking about a trailer of 2000 - 2500 lbs and a project of 3000 - 5000 lbs.  So you could be dragging 5K to 7.5K behind a truck weighing maybe 6K with fuel, tools, people, etc.  So, I think you are in the F250 - F350 category.

In my opinion, I'd hold out for an '85 or '86 F350.  I may be wrong on the '85 F350, but I think it had the D60 solid front axle like the '86 F350 did.  I've just converted Big Blue due to the rough ride it had with the TTB & leaf springs as the solid axle with leaf springs is supposed to be significantly better.  I don't have it on the road yet, but if I were buying, I'd hold out for the solid front axle.

For the engine, I'd opt for the 460, although a lot of guys on here like the IDI.  But are you thinking automatic or manual?

Also, are you willing to fly to get it and drive it home?  I ask because the guys here find all kinds of nice stuff in the Pacific North West at reasonable prices.  And from Nebraska it isn't as far as Okiehoma.

Speaking of Nebraska, did you see my question about the map?

[FORDification]

Yes, you are more than welcome to add me to the map, though I don't actually own one (yet).

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm going to be spending some time doing some reading here and will keep that in mind. I'm going to wait on some of my newbie questions until I at least read what you've got here first, to prevent others from telling me to do so. ;)

As for the transmission, I'm open to either a manual or standard, though if there were one of each side by side in equal condition for equal price, I'd probably choose the automatic. And I'm thinking I'd rather have a gas engine, not diesel.

I'd also open to location. A few years ago when I was shopping for my '75 Supercab, I had a pretty specific list of features I wanted it to have, and looked for almost two years before I found that one on E-bay. It had everything I was looking for..well, except for the color, I was hoping for blue, but I decided to pull the trigger anyway and hope it grew on me. It has. It was located in Wisconsin, so my wife and kids and I made a mini-vacation out of driving up to get it and bringing it home. If it's within a state or two I'd be happy driving it. If it's halfway across the country, I'm not sure.

[Gary Lewis]

You are now on the map.  Doesn't matter that you don't have one.  We have several members who don't currently have one, and even one of our admins doesn't.

And nobody is going to tell you to go read before asking.  That's not what we do.  But we might point you to a thread or a page that has the info for which you are looking.

On the transmission, for an automatic Ford only put the C6 in a F250HD or 350.  In the manuals, the 460 and IDI got the T-19 while the smaller engines got the T-18, neither of which have an OD gear.  But, a ZF5 is a popular upgrade, and that gives a lower granny gear as well as an OD top gear.

[ArdWrknTrk]

The unfortunate thing about the C6 is that it is very good at turning power into heat.
There's no lockup, and if you're towing heavy there's going to be a lot of slip.

They are very stout though, and if you do your job with a proper cooler will last just fine.
Mileage suffers, but if you've got a 460 you better not be concerned about that.

[old55pete]

Welcome to the group sir

With all of the talk about towing I wouldent walk away from a pickup with a 5.0 EFI and an AOD trans. I have towed with mine several times. A two horse trailer and a 16 foot car trailer with a 73 Riviera from California back to AZ. It wasent a barn burner in the mountains but you could pull it out of overdrive and let her walk on up. Not to mention that my Bronco got 20 on the highway when not towing.

Just a thought

[Gary Lewis]

That's a good point.  Our member Steve/FoxFord33 has a 1993 F-150 XLT Super-Cab 5.0 EFI 2WD E4OD 8.8" with 3.55 gears.  He recently came over and tried out my heavy car hauler trailer and I was impressed by how well it towed it.  In 3rd gear it accelerated up a steep hill very nicely.

And the AOD is similar to the E4OD, although 1st and 2nd are taller so starting wouldn't be as easy:

Gear AOD  E4OD
1st:  2.4    2.71
2nd: 1.46  1.54
3rd:  1.00  1.00
O/D  0.67  0.71

I think the key is the rear gears.

[old55pete]

I was supprised to find on the tag in the door that mine is supposed to have 3.55 in the 8.8 and the front diff. 9H or H9 code. When the pinion bearings went bad a few years ago and I had to change the ring and pinion, found it has 3.08 gears in it. On my to do list in the future is to change it to the 3.55 front and rear. It might give the old girl a little more zip.

[Gary Lewis]

Better confirm what gears you have in the rear.  Put both wheels in the air and turn the driveshaft while counting tire revolutions.

[old55pete]

I know it has 3.08, I bought the gears off of the vin number at the local Ford dealer and had to take them back and swap them for the right ones. The parts counter guy was even scratching his head trying to figure it out.

We even did the tooth count and the math twice to conferm it. Then he found the part numbers on the ring and pinion and they were for 3.08 so that's what I put back in it so it would match front and rear.

It's not the first time I have ran into this kind of thing over the years and I am guessing it wont be the last time.

[Gary Lewis]

Ahhh, got it.  Both are 3.08's.  Yes, 3.55's will give you some more zing, but it'll hurt the MPG - unless you have an OD transmission, and I don't know as you don't have that in your signature.    But 3.55's work nicely with an OD tranny.

[Rembrant]

Welcome aboard. I must have missed this thread previously. I know I've been on/read Fordification pages many times. Great stuff.