1979 Ford f 150 Series Pickup
In 1979 Ford started their "Built Ford Tough" slogan. The F series still dominated the American market. The sales continued to be strong and the trucks still offered the same power, durability, and reliability as always. For the popular hard working farm and ranch pickup, the 1979 Ford F 150 they had a selection of trims:Custom,Sport,Ranger,Ranger XLT, andRanger Lariat. there was also the lesser knownIndy 500 pace truckandFree Wheelin'. 1979 marked the end of the sixth generation of "F Series" (full-size pickup) run. In 1979 they introduced the rectangular headlights, the surrounding grille insert was now available in black or chrome to match the aluminum grille frame, and an optional chrome-plated "F O R D"letter-set was seen on the hood right above the grille. The F 150 was considered a "heavy" 1/2 ton with a 6,050-6,500 GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) max. The GVWR's for these trucks has been tied to a combination of wheel, spring, axle and brake combinations. Which model can be found by the series code on the ID tag and from that it can be determined what weight rating each truck has. 4x4 trucks can also be identified by the VIN number and on the ID plate as a serial number. For example, F10 is a F-100 2 wheel drive but F11 is a F-100 4x4, and it climbs in this fashion. Serial numbers beginning with X are Super-Cab models.The choices in stock engines included the 114 horsepower, 4.9 Liter 300 in-line 6 cylinder; 5.8 Liter 351M; 6.6 Liter 400; and 7.5 Liter 460 (the 460 was not available for short-beds or 4x4s). With the F-150 came the choice of transmissions: a 3 speed and two 4 speed manuals, the bulldog, which has a low first gear, and theSROD (single rail overdrive), which essentially was a top-loader with the gears switched around, making it a 3 speed plus overdrive. Automatics were mainly the heavy duty C6 3 speed (non overdrive). Most of the 4x4s had a NP205 part-time transfer case which was used with the 4 speed bulldog and automatics.You could order special Explorer Packages which could be added to any trim and featured special paint and stripes. You also had choices of cab, bed, and tonneau configurations. Style-side models were shipped a super-cab, extended crew cab, with fleet-side and flare-side choices.The 1979 Ford 150 still makes for a fun ride as well as a tough one. Its durable ruggedness is great for the off-road adventurer, and tuners around the world have turned many into an after-market work of art.
