Old beater work truck I found in someones back yard.

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Found this 1981 Ford F-350 that has been sitting for a few years. Paid a couple of hundred bucks for it and dragged her home. I was thinking of scrapping her out as she's worth about 5 or 6 hundred in scrap value. It needed a battery so I put an old used one in her only to find out the starter was bad. Replaced the starter, solenoid, and both battery terminal ends only to find out that it cranks good but is getting no fuel. Another trip to the parts house for a fuel pump.I pumped the gas pedal a couple of times while cranking it and she roared to life, purrs like a kitten even with a few year old gas in it. It does have an exhaust leak at the head, a blown out gasket on the drivers side. I will change that gasket in the next day or two but now I will have to decide whether to keep her or try and sell her. I am leaning towards keeping it as a back up truck or a scrap runner. Maybe modify the bed to better suit my needs and throw a quicky paint job  on her. Total investment so far is just barely over $300.00 Attached ImagesI am what I am, Deal with it!If necessity is the Mother of Invention, I must be the Father of Desperation!
Reply:Nice find!!Hobart Handler 187Craftsman (Century?) 250A Buzz Box
Reply:351M or a 400?...zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Woah..Wait..By the size of the exhaust pipe...300-6?...zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Originally Posted by zapster351M or a 400?...zap!
Reply:Beware of the crankshafts in those engines...Kinda soft from a bad heat treat back then..Those motors were not one of Ford's best efforts.....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:not bad for 300 bucks.
Reply:I had a '78 Bronco with a 351M engine, I think it bottomed out that year in terms of HP and torque, I'm sure yours will be fine.  I beat the snot out of mine, had the same tranny and it just kept on going.  Thats a great deal, man for $300  you don't find trucks like that laying around to often.  Keep it running and use it, you can always sell it for what you paid if it dies.
Reply:Definitely keep and sell if it dies or just sell as a running truck if you ever need some money.
Reply:I agree, keep it if you can use it. If uncertain, put a good price on it and see if anyone bites. The bed alone is worth 5-600 all day long.
Reply:KEEP IT!! Not much invested in it. Here in Ft Myers FL  a running stake bed dually truck will fettch "very" good prices. Non running stake bed trucks still fetch good prices.If after running it  for awhile its still going strong consider the paint job.Co-Own CNC shop:Miller :1251 plasma cutter, MaxStar 700 TIG/Stick, & XMT 456 Multiprocess Welder.&  2 Hypertherm HPR260's Plasma CutterSorry I had a bad stroke but now I am back.
Reply:So far so good.The body sure looks solid.So what trick did they use to fit  the dual rear wheels? Good Luck
Reply:Originally Posted by denrepSo what trick did they use to fit  the dual rear wheels? Good Luck
Reply:I had a 79' bronco and a 78' LTD that had a 351M motor in both of them.Maxus Pro-125 MigChicago Electric 90 amp DC flux-coreLincoln Electric AC 225 tombstoneO/A torchM/O mini-torch10 acres of flatland15 acres of holler
Reply:around here that would bring $1000 or more, cuz everything more than 10 years old has body cancer......
Reply:So what trick did they use to fit the dual rear wheels?
Reply:Dave,Man, way to nice to scrap.That thing's got "work truck" written all over it.Great deal.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:This morning I took the stupid looking wheel covers off of the front and then I got out the heat gun and peeled the old  tree trimming decals of of it. After that I cleaned off the old sections of privacy fence and other debris on the bed that came with it and found that it had a hole in the bed for a gooseneck hitch. Cut a piece of 11ga. sheet and placed it over the hole temporarily. I do have another hide a hitch that will get bolted in after i do a little clean up of the rust scale that needs to come off of it  and give it a coat of the roll on bed liner. Another 8 bucks and the exhaust manifold gaskets will be here in the morning, I'm sure that they will be loads of fun to change. Originally Posted by denrepSo far so good.The body sure looks solid.So what trick did they use to fit  the dual rear wheels? Good Luck
Reply:[QUOTE=zapster;478326]Woah..Wait..By the size of the exhaust pipe...300-6?...zap![/QUOTEBrings back memories of my old beater truck which had that motor. Was a Dow Chemical plant truck until I got it. One of the best vehicles i've ever owned.
Reply:I have seen a lot of these old Fords with these hubs on the front and dual rears.
Reply:Originally Posted by farmallMost folks don't grab the dually fronts when their SRW front hubs and suspension are OK. If you get some dually rotors you can swap next brake job.
Reply:probably longer studs and dually adapters on the rear. Have you pulled the back tires yet? that will tell you. The dually 10.25's are wider then the SRW Sterlings...  I have seen quite a few dually adapters on SRW trucks
Reply:300bucks might not seem like the deal once you've stuck a few tanks of Fuel in it. Christ it would cost us more over here than the purchase price to fill it once You lot might hate Rice burners but at least they do more than 10MPG
Reply:Originally Posted by Shox Dr300bucks might not seem like the deal once you've stuck a few tanks of Fuel in it. Christ it would cost us more over here than the purchase price to fill it once You lot might hate Rice burners but at least they do more than 10MPG
Reply:I think the Ford's a great value and the minimal amount of potential fuel savings with other types could be quickly erased with any number of maintenance costs.There is hardly anything major that can go wrong with the Ford, which with Debar and $300 thrown at it, it wouldn't be rolling again in no time. And actually, with the most common  maintenance items the cost would be much less, usually a $100 bill would get plenty of change. Try to buy filters, a starter, alternator, hub, brakes, water pump, head gasket, injection pump, etc. for Brand - J and see how far $100 goes.Good Luck