And pickup truck sizes return to 1976 sizes, pickup trucks then were plenty big, hauled and towed more, and the right height..
true story...15 years ago I got from a friend a 1979 F350 SWCC with a 351M and a C6, 2WD. It was in MD and zero rust, including the all important cab mounts.
The tranny had a blown pump seal and would bleed bad when running. BUT! the person who sold it to my friend also sold a badly rusted F150 with the same 351M and C6. powertrain pulled, body junked. so I get this for $350 for a resto project as my friend was selling out at scrap prices - he had 2 acres of cars/trucks.
But alas, I got jammed up so I decided to sell it myself and popped it on ebay. Now recall what stuff looked like in 2004, the gas and D engines mades TONS of power. I put up a 5 day ebay auto auction and described the condition to a T.
5 days later it pops for $1450. Guy drives to MD from upstate NY hauling a trailer to get it - a F350 SWCC is a LONG truck. they are prepared to winch it up as this truck sat for 8 years, no battery, no gas etc. So I said, put in a battery, and take a gas grill tank and put the outlet in the carb throat. They looked at me like I was teaching calculus, but did it. And it worked and it drove up on the trailer, rough yes, but did. and true to form it left a red trail from the front pump.
they buyer was in a real better mood cuz now the target vehicle ran, drove and we then winched up a parts 351 and a known good C6 AND 2 new Ford doors to replace the dented front ones.
Moral of the long story is, this was to haul a horse trailer they have, 4 horseys from event to event, and have 4-6 people ride along. The 1978-79 351M 2bbl made I think 157hp. The C6 was a non locking non OD 3spd and the truck had 3.73 rears and the huge weight rating. But it was enuf to get the job done.
And similarly, the last truck I did restore was a 1981 F100, I6, SROD, 2.50 open 9", 2wd.
As part of the restore It was still a I6, still had the SROD, but I grafted the springs and axle from a 1989 2wd so now it had an 8.8" 3L55 axle on 5400 springs instead of the original 4700 springs. We had a 24ft sunline satellite camper (4000lb on the hoof) and pulled it over the hill and dale to the kelletville campground on the tionesta crick. All 122hp. The tranny was still technically a 3spd + OD, but with the axle change was now a wide ratio 4spd. Did I mention it had 122hp? and I maintained the speed limit (45-55mph).
I fail to see the need to pull 35ft 5th wheels 70mph up the grapevine and less than 5% of the buyers overall, have large work trailers...so ya, its a pee-pee stretching exercise.
ps: yes I split with my friend the profit on the truck
