73-87 Chevy Truck vs. 73-79 Ford Truck?

[Cheyenne]

I had several 79s and a 77 ford f150,one was a supercab few were 4x4 few 2wd. I dislike ford very much so I got rid of my 79 that was really nice, they always seemed to have trouble after trouble.. They call them dentsides as most of you know, and us chevy guys like these box trucks.. The 78 and 79 ford were the same grille front end etc I liked them best of that era. That 77 and back ford in the grille was nice.. However

Growing up my family had a 78 chevy 2wd Cheyenne my dad had restored in 85.. Maybe that's why I go with chevy,or that I'm a chevy guy.. They both have both rear ends I prefer the chevy though the tailights are better and the look from behind..

The ford has really nice side view with the dentside I really enjoy there look.. The ones I came across the fords did not rust as much as the chevy..

The chevy grille take the win I like 73-80 style.. The 4 speed fords are far granny gear I had one with a 302 that was the fastest truck I had.. However they mounted the ignition coil on the block.. The exhaust ran by the starter and I few starters go out on the fords.. A flywheel to also went out on a supercab I had..

There both great trucks but chevy takes it I sold my 79 ford f150 custom on eBay to get my 80 Cheyenne k10.. I did not want to bash the era of the ford I like them but not like the chevy trucks.. Style being reliable is why I choose chevy to.. However I do admire the fords from that time but it's not me I have started in another post how I'm trying to make a 79 ford f150 urban cowboy look into my chevy..
I'm taking the rim look and roll bar look.. Make my two tone look a bit tougher..

The reason for the post i wanted see if people enjoyed the dentsides also or maybe a dodge from those era to if so why?? We like are chevy all those old school trucks are made in the USA and I see one I look..

[NevadaNeal]

I have a 75 ford and its my baby. its the first truck i bought at 14 and i still have her and drive her all the time. ill never part with it. I love my 73 chevy, but it has never been as reliable as my old ford. saying that i also own a 74 international, a 76 jeep j10 and a 77 dodge.its my rat pack. the 70 trucks are my passion.when i was a kid my father had a 72 f100 bumpside.that truck was a part of the family. so likewise i bought a ford as well when i had enough money to do so.My family owned a dairy so i drove it around the the farm tell i got my license. Drove it all the way through high school.
 I think what i love most about the bumpsides is the style and solid build. you said you had problems with them..Ive never had any of those.i did roach the motor once when i was 19. being young and dumb out playing..way to many revs will eat any motor after a while. I built the 390 thats in it now in 95 and she still starts every time i turn the key
What i didn't like about my ford. It had manual steering when i got it..was not a problem for me..ex wife thought otherwise.
Had a single speed Dana 21 transfer case...easily resolved when i learned that a Dana 20 from a early bronco was a bolt in swap....took me swapping to a NP435 with a married NP205 to find this out. The NP205 started to lose its primary shaft baring so i looked to swap back and viola.
Expensive as heck windshield..all that curved glass has a nice price to it.
cons on my chevy.. the one i hate the most..the weak frame..which i broke twice.
12 bolt rear end..i blew out to many.
Gm adjustable steering column..Ive rebuilt 3..not a fun chore.

All trucks have there demons. with all my rigs Ive learned that each manufacturer had there own idea as to what the consumer wanted. Take my international for example..that truck is build ridiculously well.. but if anything ever breaks i have to sell my children to get new parts. or the dodge which seems that dodge could have cared less to quality control and more about the bottom dollar. its a good truck..now..i got it from its original owner, i dig the truck but what dodge thought was ok for the time don't cut the mustard with me.They cut allot of corners.

[Cheyenne]

I like reply man that's really cool you have a bit of each.. Some have trouble with a ford or chevy with me I took it that ford had a great body those dentsides are nice.. The 2wd and 4wd are nice body styles.. You name what go wrong with those besides the motor I had it with them.. Do dodge cut corners lol figures ha... I don't like the 351 I really like the 302 those are great motors!! I just prefer over all my 350 I grew up with though.. It's nice to have all 3 your lucky...

[78 Chevyrado]

We seemed to always have Chevy Trucks and Ford Cars, so genrally that's what I like.  We had the old 77 C10 and a 69 mustang and a 78 lincoln versallies and a 64 impala SS.

I have come close to getting a ford F-100 a few times.  If I do get one its this one and has to have this exact grille


I think I got liking those body lines from the 69-70 F-700 My grandad used to have.

[Lt.Del]

69 mustang

You had a '69 Stang?  was it a fastback?  Those are the most beautiful cars ever built. Ever!.  I still say one day I'm gonna get a '69 Boss 302 / Mach 1 351 or Boss 429--though the true 429's are going for over $300k each now. Beautiful car.

My dad had a '70 F-100.  Loved that red truck.  I was a kid, I don't know if he had a 6 or a 302.  I have several 289's from previous mustangs and such and would love to put a 289 in one of those old furd pickups. 3 on the tree.

[NevadaNeal]

The 70's trucks are just sexy  It took me a long time to build my little collection,but i wont trade them for nothin.

I dont know what dodge was thinken when they put 5 on 4 1/2 lug pattern on a fullsize truck.a 4 wheel drive at that. and something else i found was a wiring harness that was a joke. They put the same basic parts Chevy and Ford used, but then do somthing to make it weak. My dodge has a chevy wiring harness with a mopar wrap on it. shhhh dont tell anyone..mopar guys get freaky about that sorta stuff.

[zieg85]

In 1981 I bought a 1978 F150 from my uncle, the same guy who had my 1985 C20 Scottsdale.  Anyway it was an awesome truck, 300 6 cylinder with the 4 speed manual OD transmission with a Posi in back.  F150's all came standard with power brakes but it had manual steering.  Open the hood you had 1 fan belt to deal with.  That got me 20 mpg all the time back when gas was gas and the torque of the 300 was impressive.  Unfortunately someone liked it better than me and it was stolen never to be seen again.  Never even got a picture after it was freshly painted with the 2 tone Blue overall with the silver in the middle, all with brand new moldings.... I still miss that truck...

[Cheyenne]

I love that front end of the yellow truck thats a 70 you said? I post pictures of some of mine later.. Those dentsides have nice body's.. Ford trucks have outsold chevy 34 years straight?? I just can't have a ford truck even though I really like there body's ya know.. I like the 92-94 around there f-150 I was thinking about getting one for my company.. Not sure I can do it grew up with the chevy love.. The urban cowboy movie always made me like the 70s fords they looked so cool than.. The brown from smokey and the bandit yup!!

Zieg it get stolen in nwi sorry about it getting stolen I had my 81 regal get stolen from a car lot in hammond in but they found it missing a lot my first car still have it to!!

[78 Chevyrado]

Found a pic of the old F-700 after I got it out and cleaned it up to get it running again.  It had a Big Block 330 V8

69 mustang

You had a '69 Stang?   was it a fastback?  Those are the most beautiful cars ever built. Ever!.  I still say one day I'm gonna get a '69 Boss 302 / Mach 1 351 or Boss 429--though the true 429's are going for over $300k each now. Beautiful car.

My dad had a '70 F-100.  Loved that red truck.  I was a kid, I don't know if he had a 6 or a 302.  I have several 289's from previous mustangs and such and would love to put a 289 in one of those old furd pickups. 3 on the tree.

No, just a coupe.  I agree though they are super sexy cars.  


That was one of those things, I had to get rid of it AND my 77 C10 to get the focus.  the economical focus made many things better for me except the cool factor...    I have my truck now and I'm fairly actively hunting for an old car now.  but I'm keeping the truck too.

[Cheyenne]

That thing is huge!!

[slammed79]

I've pretty well owned all big three vehicles, toss in a few VW's a Yota's 2 MG's and an Alpha, all said and done I loves my GM rides. If I was to ever give up my GM Love, it'd be for Lincolns, even that Lincoln Badged F150, still technically a Lincoln.

I dug my 74 F100, but I hated the 8mpg the 360 bigblock got. The 383 bigblock in my 69 Fury got 12...

Since I don't see that happening anytime soon, If I want spartan and easy to work on, I've got my 74, If I want a recliner on wheels, I've got my Caddy.

Dodge, especially the 70's and 80's trucks have a very small following, but it seems like every Mopar I've owned or been associated with has been an electrical cluster****, too bad cause its really hard to kill the 318 engine.

[NevadaNeal]

Dodge, especially the 70's and 80's trucks have a very small following

That's just to true. finding parts for anything newer then 94 is difficult. The International is allot harder..but i expect that for a truck that ceased production in 75.

[mach1mustang351]

I have worked in the parts business for years.  I had a customer that came in every day for weeks picking my brain on how to fix his old Dodge work truck.  I eventually offered to help him change the rear main seal on it.  He gave me a '72 Ford F250 for my effort.  It was a 360 4 speed.  I had 9 cars at the time including two mustangs and never got to it.  Sold it to a guy that made it a sand dunes rig.  I like those trucks too.  Not as must as my 73 GMC but they are cool.

[monkeyspunk79]

I've owned both Fords & Chevys from that era, and I must say I miss the torque of the 400M motor that was in my 78 F150. Compared to the 350 4bbl that's in my C20, it was much more punchy and felt stronger, even though horsepower numbers were probably the same. And the truck towed a little nicer. Here's a shot from 10-15 years ago pulling home another project.



But I will say for hauling, I like the C20 better. I've loaded the bed down with firewood, car engines, and it doesn't even feel like I've got anything in the bed. Overall, I like the Chevy since I was raised a Chevy guy. But I wouldn't count out those tough I-Beam Fords.

[gto109]

I almost bought a 77 f250 2wd, but I seen the 85 k10 for the same price.  I had an 87 f250 HD extended cab for a while.  Only reason I sold that truck was it got 6mpg.  That truck I could load down and it asked for more.