429 Thunder Jet: 1978 Ford F-250 Ranger
As original and clean tow vehicles go, this 1978 F-250 Ranger is probably up there with the best of them. It is a solid vehicle that would possess enough power and torque to tow a small moon, and it’s a cool looking vehicle that still wears its original paint. If this is a vehicle that appeals to you, the Ranger is located in Vancouver, Washington, and listed for sale here on eBay.
The owner says that the Dark Brown Metallic & Nectarine Metallic two-tone paint is original, and while it is a bit thin and faded in a few spots, a recent polish has given the Ranger quite a pleasing shine. The Ranger also rides on its original steel wheels, and the poverty hubcaps add to the great look of the vehicle. A close look at the photos doesn’t reveal any obvious rust issues. The owner has also fitted a new windshield and gasket to the vehicle.
Some owners will make great claims about the towing abilities that their vehicles possess, and then you find that you have a vehicle with all the towing capacity of an asthmatic donkey. This Ranger appears to have the muscle to do the job rather well. A previous owner has ditched the original 400ci V8. In its place, they have fitted a 1970 429ci Thunder Jet D0VE-C engine, and that should produce enough horses to tow the heaviest loads. Taming that is an automatic transmission, and you get power steering and power brakes as well. The previous owner used to tow his horse trailer around, so you also score a heavy-duty tow hitch, trailer wiring, and a trailer brake control. The owner says that the Ranger runs and drives soundly.
The interior of the vehicle is a mix of old and new, and of some professional work with the dye. While the windshield was out for replacement, the metal on the dash was repainted, and the dash pad was professionally dyed. This treatment also extended to the headliner and visors. The interior was also fitted with new door trims, new carpet, new seat upholstery, along with new door sill plates. The Ranger is also fitted with a tilt wheel, and while there are a few spots that could use a clean, the general presentation of the interior is pretty good.
If you are looking for a tow vehicle, to me this is a bit of a “no-brainer.” This F-250 has been set up for towing, it has the power and torque to do the job easily, it’s a cool looking car that seems to be solid, and the owner has set a BIN price of $5,750. I doubt that you will find a better tow vehicle for the price.
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Comments
Wow, talk about something that can work and look cool at the same time.
Simply can’t go wrong here. These trucks were the best of the best. Since it’s not an extra cab, probably a small camper the way to go. I had a friend that won a truck like this in a raffle. It was an extra cab, had a diesel and every option you could think of. It was a very nice truck.
“That’s no moon. That’s a space station!”
“Too late! They’ve got a tractor beam on us!”
“So what? Watch this…(floors gas pedal)”
(aboard the Death Star…)
“What was that lurch? Are we under attack?”
” Sir, it appears that the vehicle captured by the tractor beam is pulling the Death Star! “
So, I have a question, as someone who lives across the river in the Portland, Oregon area where vehicles of this vintage must pass DEQ.
Let me preface my comment by saying that if this was completely a 1970 Ford pick-up, it would be exempt from DEQ…you know, if it was a 1970 vintage truck to match the 1970 vintage 429 engine.
I think you know my question: you take this vehicle to be DEQ’d, and the DEQ analyzer indicates that this 1970 engine does not meet the 1978 emission standards (since this IS a 1978 pickup). Now what?
I otherwise think this truck is awesome, but…
I don’t think the D0VE-C had hardened valve seats in 1970 either. Good luck on today’s unleaded fuels.
That is the 1st thing done to the heads when building a DOVE engine…..since the 1980’s. ANY decent machine shop can easily install them. If it hasn’t been rebuilt, then the original steel head-gaskets are overdue for rusting through and a good excuse to pull them, rework the exhaust ports, polish & port match them for an easy 50hp gain. I did it in one day on my ’76 Camper Special Super Cab Super Duty(with a ’79 front, 3.73 14-bolt) and then towed my brothers 16,000 Peterbuilt COE from Miami to Port Charlotte, FL @ 62mph(stock fuel pump would let the 780 run dry at 65)….@8mpg(13mpg empty) ….before I went to sleep that night. That was with a C-6…today I would put the E4OD in it for a better mileage & towing(lower 1st gear than C-6, .78 overdrive & lock-up torque-converter). That brown beasty is a thing of beauty that I would MUCH prefer to a new version.
If it just has to run as clean as a ’78, that 429 can EASILY be tuned to do that(and then once past inspection, spend a Saturday re-tuning it – BIGGEST change other than compression was the timing chain crankshaft gear and ignition timing). If it has to have ’78 emissions equipment in place, it is easy to put a fake AIR system on it(take the vanes out of the pump). However, the (429 can pass for a 460 unless they check numbers)460 was ONLY available in 1-tons and heavier starting in ’78.
How many miles on IT?
I have a 2006 f 250 that I will trade……even swap…..5.4, auto, extended cab.
Why is the truck referred to in the first paragraph as original then farther down says it has had a heart transplant?
Original is original or it isn’t.
The ONLY thing claimed as “original” is the paint, wheels & trim…..”reading comprehension”, instead of nit-picking on a beautiful truck and well-written article.
Ease off on the attitude – this isn’t Facebook. For the record, the first sentence reads, “As original and clean tow vehicles go, this 1978 F-250 Ranger is probably up there with the best of them.” Comprehend that.
“The attitude” was MY POINT exactly: ALL the comments up until the “nitpicker” were POSITIVE, so if YOU want to go all nitpicky – “As original and clean tow vehicles go, this 1978 F-250 Ranger is probably up there with the best of them.” was a PREFACE of comparison…It does NOT say that THIS truck is original, just that it “is probably up there with the best of them” THEN Adam goes on in quite a bit of detail on just about everything about what is and is not “original”. There is NO 40 year old tow rig will EVER qualify as “original” unless it was put on blocks in 1978….and then at the very best, the tires will NOT be safe for anything other than staying on blocks. I enjoy the informative/humorous/POSITIVE comments and usually do not comment unless I have something POSITIVE/ INFORMATIVE to contribute, but I just get a little tired of the nitpickers that contribute NOTHING other than ONLY to LOOK for SOMETHING to criticize about the vehicle, price, (ANYTHING to criticize and feel “big”) or the CONTRIBUTOR who made the effort to write and post an informative article. Interesting that you had no problem with “the nitpicker” just MY “attitude” for chiding him on his attitude, and actually defended his nitpicking(you WELCOME nitpicking?- did I offend the “nitpicker guild”or something?)….So yes, this is one of my RARE negative posts – a MORTAL SIN compared to the childish “it’s a POS”, “Crush it”, “Pay some one to haul it off” well articulated spam with such BEAUTIFUL “attitude”. When is the last time you spoke up about THAT? I promote this site to everybody I encounter, especially because of the INFORMATIVE comments, but I’m getting tired of having to caution them to just ignore the negative trolls and their spam. Or do you just read the comments to ENJOY the nitpicking and car-bashing? I do not. I guess I’ll just skip the comments from now on and leave the little posers to their nitpicking…BYE, I’m done.
i have 68 f250 cam. spec. put a warmed over dove-c & c6 one owner, no rust or accident’s,text
me
Adam, I take offense at the “poverty hub caps” remark….and so does my dog. Those are known appropriately as “dog-dish” hubcaps.
I cannot speak for other states, but in Ohio they do not worry about transplants after 25 years.
This thing would definitely pull a house down! Very nice truck, and very nice upgrade!
Still-hauling….you wouldn’t believe me if I said the motor was just freshened up about 1988 but does have a fresh trannie from about 1991….here towing off a gutted – loaded up fifth wheel trailer – when I moved out of my shop in 2015. A little rough around the edges but a keeper.
That ain’t no Ecoboost.
Nice rig, though!
The 429 was around well into the 90s, I think 96 was the last year of it.. it was used in the larger trucks… it was fuel injected at some point and called the 7.0L but it was the 429 none the less 😉
That 429 I believe you are referring to, was a medium duty truck engine available only in 2-ton and up(370/429). SOME parts interchange with the car/light truck 429/460, but it is WAY heavier/thicker castings with a cast iron timing cover, larger oil pan, crank is different, provision for front and rear motor mounts, air compressor, etc. – small valve – low compression-low rpm torque beast. There was talk of a concept car/possible production, of a 2019 Boss 429 Mustang and F250 last year, but I haven’t seen any updates since November.
Love this vintage Ford truck. The 429 is awesome, but man, it must get single digits for milage.
I question the claim of it coming originally with a 400. I has the huge 4 core radiator that was installed when the 460 engine was ordered. I dont remember that radiator being available with the smaller 400.
Still its a nice pickup but for pulling the longer stroke 460 would have been a better swap than the higher revving 429. Find a 79 460 deep skirt block, drop in a stroker crank and make it a 521 or 545 stroker. Now you can pull!
Only way it could have come with a 460, is if somebody had real pull with corporate as it was official policy(government/insurance pressure – politics) that nothing under a F350 got the 460. They lightened EVERYTHING in ’78. I had a ’76 F250 Supercab(came with 4bbl 390 – I put a ’71 429 and then a ’74 460 in it – 429 was faster but the 460 pulled a little better), and also had a ’78 same model except had to be a F350 single wheel to get the 460 – side by side identically equipped, the ’76 was about 750-1000 pounds heavier.
I must beg to differ. The 460 was a common option on half ton Fords up through 1979. If my memory serves me correctly, the VIN would have had the “J” code indicating the 460. I’ve owned 3 different 79 Ford F150 pickups all with the original factory 460. The 1980 was the redesigned F100/F150 which was in fact lightened up and the 460 was no longer available. Attached is a photo of my most recent 79 F150 that came with the 460. We did a frame off resto on it and turned it into a 545ci stroker, although the appearance was left 100% stock, including the Ford-labeled dealer installed topper.
That is a sweet sweeping paint effect on the canopy (cap). Cool rig.