First thing, Mello needs a refresh. The 302 is tired, the clutch is toast, the SROD synchros are shot, rear end has a noise, 2.73 gears suck, front end is waaay loose, but I love her as my Texas truck and great body.
Got a friend that has a half way taken apart '89 Bronk with a strong 351 and wants 300 bucks. Gonna pick that up no matter what, and I figure can use the motor sometime in something, carb convert or EFI.
Next I have a good 4x2 M5OD-R2 that I can make work with said 351 and with a hydro clutch mod make work in Mello, but still leaves a lot of other front end work and it's still a 4x2 with 2.73's. Unless I swap in a spare 8.8 with 3.55LS I kept from a F-150 I scrapped. More and more other truck pieces and less '79...
Then I find this on CL.
1974 FORD F-250 4 X 4 HIGHBOY PURCHASED NEW BY LOCAL FIRE DEPT WHERE IT WAS FIREHOUSE KEPT UP UNTIL 2002 , IT HAS 29 K ORIG MILES AND MECHANICALLY IT IS 100 % . 360 , 2BBL , AUTO , FACT 4.10 RATIO DIFFS , HAS MANY DENT , ONLY RUST IS CAB CORNER AND LOWER FENDER . ALL BODY PANELS ARE AVAIL IN AFTERMARKET VERY VERY LITTLE COST . CLEAN TITLE --2800 FIRM
Cheeze and crackers this is tempting. Highboy frame, axles, and divorced case + M5OD-R2 + carbed 351w freshened up + Mello body and bed. Shoot, sell that cab, use the beat up camper special bed on mellos rear frame and axle as a trailer, freshen up Mello's 302 for sale or a future project some day, and hold on to the 360 if I need it for the '66.
If the highboy is still around after payday, really tempted to have my friend pick it up.
Thoughts?
Adrianspeeder
Congrats on the score of the 4x4. Mello will look great sitting up there. Keep yourself out of trouble while deployed (I am assuming over seas) and keep us updated on yourself and your thoughts of your projects. Always good to hear from someone doing the same as I have with their truck. My '66 is on a '76 Highboy. Many many pics in my album.