When my 1969 F-100 finally accumulated more problems than I was willing to remedy (and which rendered it inoperable), I started poking around the local area for a newer, but still basic, plain old work truck. I eventually found and purchased a truck, but the relationship would turn out to be a stormy one…
The story of our family’s 42-year history with the F-100 is documented here–with all those memories, it was really hard making the decision to move on. However, I simply didn’t have bandwidth to take on a full restoration, and even a quicker “remuddling” project to get the truck reliable and safe again wasn’t that palatable. So I started looking for a safe and reliable replacement.
Options within my budget ($2,000) were limited and essentially boiled down to balancing the amount of rust on the truck against its mileage. I ended up with a 1995 F-150 4×4 with a 3″ lift kit and copious rust for $1,700. It also had a mere 112,000 miles, spotless cab interior and a DMI bumper hitch (perfect for pulling hay racks). While I would have preferred a manual, its EO4D automatic transmission sat behind what was perhaps Ford’s best engine ever, the 300 c.i.d. (4.9L) “Big Six,” making 150hp and 260 ft.-lb. torque. 1996 was the last year the I6 engine was used in production vehicles.
Things unfortunately didn’t get off to such a smooth start. The PO had mentioned the truck would often stall when put in reverse (and indeed, it did just that on the test drive). Some googling before I purchased revealed this to be a common problem, easily set right by dropping the transmission pan and installing a new filter. The truck also pulled and vibrated badly when the brakes were applied, and I figured a set pads would quickly set things right. Well, that was true enough, but the problem actually turned out to be caused by rust on the caliper rails causing the pads to hang up, which in turn had badly scored the rotors. Being a 4wd truck, this meant disassembling everything down to the axle shaft and pressing the rotors off the hubs. The first side took about seven hours(!), the second, with the benefit of experience, took about two. Additionally, the front gas tank leaked like a sieve, so off came the bed for a junkyard tank replacement (pic is from later, when the rear tank started leaking, natch).
The other big frustration was that the truck was literally eaten up with rust–every trip underneath (and they were frequent) resulted in showers of rust flakes in my eyes, mouth and ears. After numerous pressure washings and enough miles on our pothole-laden, teeth-jarring Illinois roads, it finally got where I could work under the truck without *too* much rust falling in my face. The lesson I eventually learned was that I should have opted for a higher-mileage, lower-rust vehicle! In my defense, I am from the South, where this kind of rust is generally not a problem.
The lift conversion had also not been well done, and it took repeated trips underneath before getting the undercarriage to stop shifting around (with resultant scary changes to steering inputs while driving!) due to improperly sized bolts being used to attach the lift brackets. I eventually got things reasonably sorted and put the truck to work hauling hay and picking up construction materials for our perpetual farmhouse remodeling project. The COLD a/c was a welcome change from the F-100’s “two-sixty” a/c (roll down two windows and drive sixty mph). The ‘Big Six’ was easily the most reliable part of the truck. The 4wd also came in handy when doing work out in the pasture where the 2wd F-100 had often gotten stuck.
But while the truck was back on jack stands Yet Again (failing U-joints this time), a tornado struck our farm and destroyed part of my large machine shed.
This was actually the second time the rear window had been broken out of the truck–the first was caused by the high school kids I hired to help with the siding tear-off on the house. They were blindly tossing stuff into the bed, and sure enough, one of them put a board right through the glass. In this case, along with all the tiny pieces of tempered glass, the storm dumped torrents of rain and debris into the cab. *sigh* Another trip to the U-pull-it and a few sweaty hours replacing the glass and cleaning up the mess eventually got that back in order.
I had owned the truck about two years at this point, and wasn’t feeling much charity toward it–it was definitely turning out to be a high-maintenance (literally) relationship. One morning when making my monthly landfill run, I noticed a pretty clean (with virtually *no* rust!) F-250 Powerstroke for sale in the tiny town of Victoria, IL, and stopped to check it out on my way back home. I ended up making an impulse purchase (saw on Saturday, drove home on Monday), because I was simply fed up with the F-150 at this point. The F-250 has a few minor issues itself, but has been a much more reliable vehicle so far.
Since the rear fuel tank on the F-150 had started leaking, and the front tank fuel level sender wasn’t sending, the truck got parked for a while. As seen several photos up above, the bed eventually came off again for another junkyard tank replacement. I also pulled the front tank pump and cleaned the contacts, which put it back in working order (for a while). At this point, Son Number One had started gutting the house where he and his new bride were living in downstate Illinois, so I decided to trailer the truck down for his use in hauling debris and new materials. He was quite happy to have use of it! As I left for home, I reminded him that the transmission leaked and he would need to check the fluid level every few fill-ups (cue ominous music).
Well, the short of it is that he forgot, and a few days later rented a tow-behind construction lift for a video shoot (he’s a filmmaker by trade). The shoot went fine and the truck did great pulling the lift through the hilly roads in rural southern Illinios–at least until the EO4D ran dry. Bereft of fluid, the transmission ceased to transmit and they ended up stranded by the side of the road miles from town after dark. After spending the night in the truck(!), Son’s Father-in-Law brought a trailer and hauled them back home; I recovered the truck a few weeks later. I seriously considered repairing it Yet Once Again–it would not cost that much to replace the EO4D with a junkyard unit–but a replacement would be of unknown provenance and require several weekends to do with my current schedule. “A man’s got to know his limitations,” and this truck had clearly taught me where mine are. You can only put so much lipstick on a pig, and I’m outta lipstick. Anyone need eight extra quarts of transmission fluid?
Nothing sadder than a tale of a good Ford gone bad. You have probably learned by now how we northerners will buy the biggest, nastiest piece of worn out automotive crap as long as it’s not rusty. It can burn oil, the tranny can be shot, the interior is shredded and the heater core can leak, but if it’s a southern or western car with no holes in it, then it’s the most beautiful thing ever and we yankees will fight each other to buy it.
Yup, even ignoring the fact that it’s a Ford product, I would’ve never considered buying a truck with so much visible rot. Lots of other problems come with a body that’s that rough looking.
Good luck with that Powerstroke. I hope it’s not a 6.0L.
7.3L, FTW
Rust is definitely not fun. That big six engine is still good by the sounds of it – why not swap it into the classic F100?
I was going to say that I hoped you hung onto the old F-100 for eventual restoration. 42 years is a long time even if it wasn’t within your gameplan at the moment and it looks like storage space isn’t an issue!
Sounds like the F150 had the two common Ford maladies–rust and a wonky transmission. Still generally good trucks, but maybe yours had a little less “good” than some.
Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point of view), I sold the F-100 already.
My famiily’s Plymouth Volare (yes, I know…) went to an early grave due to rusting through with near-lightning speed. It only spent 5 winters in Ohio before we moved to Florida, but the damage was already done. I vividly remember watching the asphalt racing by underneath me through the rust holes in the floorboards. It was sad because aside from legendary rust issues, it was a nice, simple car with a bullet-proof slant six. I’ve often wondered if one could make a few bucks on the side transporting southern beaters up north and selling them as basic, rust-free transportation.
A road trip to Las Vegas this spring had the wife and I spending a few nights in motels along the way.
One motel in Arizona had a 73 or so vintage F-150 parked in the corner of their parking lot.
Given the sorry shape of the truck you could tell it was the Motels beater truck for hauling garbage , pulling a trailer or whatever.
Having come from Minnesota land of road salt ,and beat up as the pickup was, I was still in awe of its rust free condition.
I feel so lucky not to have lived in the rust belt. I was able to keep my old truck for 30 years and it still was rust free, but it was so worn out most of the rivets holding the frame pieces and the idler arm assemblies were loose and everything was shifting around. I suppose all those areas could have been welded and it could have been restored, but I would have had to spend as much as the new truck to upgrade with ac, ps, disc brakes and still would have no back seat or more modern safety equipment, I have been able to keep my car for 23 years, and rust is not an issue. Good luck with your F250, sounds like this truck will be more trouble free.
I bought a similar used truck with similar mileage, a 1994 F-150 4×4, 5.0/E4OD, with somewhat similar results. The thing was a California rust-free truck, but a money pit and never totally satisfactory in performance. That generation of F-series is macho looking, but looks are in this case deceiving. E4OD being the most expensive piece of trouble, but the 8.8 inch Sterling rear axle also gave out.
Its replacement, a 2005 Tundra, has been 99 44/100 percent perfect. I still get idiots who claim its not a “real” full sized truck. I think that is because of the styling resemblance to the earlier T-100. I can haul a stack of plywood or drywall in the back, flat on the floor, with the tailgate shut. How is that not “full size”? Anyway, the same load that bottomed out the Ford suspension and overheated the brakes doesnt even make the Toyota breathe hard.
It’s a shame to see an old pickup succumb to cancer, but it happens. Selling my old ’87 Dodge 3/4 ton was a heartbreaker, so I understand the mixed thoughts about selling this one. However, with your 3/4 ton, you have stepped mightily up the pickup chain.
What county is your son in? My first 20 years were spent in Southern Illinois.
They’re near Harrisburg.
You don’t mention whether the F250 was 4wd so guess it is not. You will miss that. I’ve only had mine for a few months and it has saved my bacon several times. I concur that the 300 was a truly excellent truck engine and think it should have been used in some of the large sedans. The torque argued for it but the U.S. was in love with V8s.
Can’t help but agree with those who think the 300 should have found a home in the F100. I had a 100 that same color. A 73 with side boxes. It was a worker but frankly it was anything but trouble free. Envy your garage Ed. Not your tornado.
Very enjoyable read.
Looks like it could be 4WD, per the decals on the side of the bed.
You are dead right. Had to blow it up to see it. Some things never change. I have had a problem seeing good for the past couple years.
I think if it hadn’t been for the damn rust flakes and dust raining down on me, I would still be fixing cars for a living now. I wasn’t overjoyed with getting all greasy anyway, and the smell of hypoid lube that almost everything leaked back then was another turnoff, but the rust in my eyes, nose, and mouth was probably the last straw. I was thinking about possibly going into business with a friend of mine, as there was a very good garage for sale, but after spending a couple of days under a friend’s great looking, but horribly rusted Trans Am swallowing rust, I decided not to do it. My friend got a job teaching auto service training for a local school about the time we had to make a decision, so that was that.
I am jonesing badly over that old Cornbinder L Series pickup……..
-Nate
I owned two of the straight six fords. I believe that they were an 82 and a 95. I bought the 95 new and deep discounts.were offered, if ypu bought the 5 speed. They were good motors but kind of anemic. The 5.0 basically got the same mpg and seemed to be much quicker. I do remember the falling rust when working on them once they had aged a bit. Nice article.
I’m quite certain that I see two dozen twenty-plus year old Chevy/GMC pickups for every Ford of similar vintage. I see about as many old Dodge pickups as I see old Fords. There’s bound to be a reason, and it isn’t about what sold in bigger numbers when new.
The aftermarket, for whatever reason, supports RWD Chevy powertrain parts far better, making replacement parts affordable, keeping more fully depreciated GM trucks on the road.
I maintain that my situation is opposite in VA and NC. I see a ton of old Fords, and relatively few old Chevys, though they are more numerous than Dodges. I don’t know if it’s demographics, rust resistance, or what…but I know what I see every day.
It’s also possible that more Fords survive in urban areas and there are more Chevy/GMC out in the country, though again I’d be hard pressed to explain why if that is the case.
Oddly I see more of the 1967-72 generation of Chevy pickups than I do 1973-80. (Yes, that’s only half a generation, but there’s a nice visual distinction point with the 1981 refresh and 1981-87 are nowhere near as rare.)
It’s definitely heavier on the Fords in our area, rust notwithstanding.
And what rarity showed up at casa del Steve recently?….well, rare in Michigan…a 1990 F-150, rust free, owners recently relocated from AZ.
The brougham of truckdom!
You got a very good one. 302 powered?
Yup, 302. 74K original miles. Dual gas tanks, and yes, the solenoid valve still works.