Any F100 Collectors/Experts?

[RifleBowPistol]

That's a nice 69, F100. My daughter has a 69 F100 short bed. Once I get my shop built, I am going to get back to restoring it.

We have had multiple 60s and 70s Ford trucks over the years. My parents bought a 78 Bronco, with a 400 in 78, then my first vehicle was a 78 F150 super cab, 4X4, with a 400 and C6. Then sold it and bought a 78 Bronco, with a 400 C6. Then I have had a 67 Bronco and a 71 Bronco with a 302. Now we have the 69 F100. I plan on buying another 78 or 79 Bronco and a 70s High Boy 4X4, at some point.

I don't like the 80 and up Ford trucks, I like the 92-96 F series in appearance, but they have too many problems. My favorite trucks are the 67-79 F series, unless it's a Bronco then I like the 66-79s.

[Milkfisher]

Certified bump guy checking in! I’ve got a 4x4 68 highboy (all stock) and a 2WD 72 2WD that’s just about complete. (Full coyote swap, AOD trans, crown Vic front, mustang IRS rear, Viking coil overs….should be fun).

Bumps are selling for crazy prices in the last couple years and just seem to be going up. I will say that if you want to resto mod one AND build value…you need to stay With a Ford drivetrain. If you want to build something for yourself to keep for ever you can certainly save a pile of money dumping an LS into one but it won’t have near the same resale value.

[RifleBowPistol]

Family members truck and isn’t for sale. But they would strongly consider my advice so I am trying to be fully informed.

Looking at restoring an old ‘69 F100 but want to best understand long term value. This truck has the original 302/C4 combo. Has a rusty cylinder that I was able to free up but a rebuild is in order. Is there a vin number marking on the motor/transmission on these old Ford Trucks? A coyote swap is not the budget/vision but another block may be required. Therefore I’m trying to figure out how big of a deal to push for sleeving the cylinder vs finding a readily available 302 donor block. Or if doing a 347/429 build would create a more valuable truck for not much more money.

Same in regards to the transmission. It’s a C4 truck but I assume for not much more money it could be AOD swapped, stay original

I’m consumed in a Mid-Year Corvette Restoration and it’s boarderline insanity with how the market values originality when compared to any modifications that by normal standards would be an upgrade.


Just trying to determine some insight if any of y’all are more involved in the F100 market?

Most Fords did not have a VIN stamped on the block back in those days. The only Fords that had VINs stamped on the block, were some of the 69 and 70 Boss 302s, Cougar Eliminators with Boss 302 engines, 69 and 70 Boss 429s. Even then, it was only some of them.

Now the blocks did have casting numbers that indicated what general type of vehicle it was made for. I had 2 69 351W engines about four years ago, one had a casting number, indicating it was made for a truck, but that was obvious by the pulleys, and carb linkage. The other block was made for a Mustang. I also had a 69 Boss 302 block, that was VIN stamped. I tried for about two years to find the car, it used to be in, but it seems that car was destroyed many years ago and or turned into a race car years ago. That car was not listed anywhere in the Boss 302 registry, was not listed in the known cars in the registry, was not in the known stolen cars, nor was it listed in known totaled cars. I eventually sold the block. Had I been able to find the car, that block came out of, and that car was still a running car or fixable, that block would have been worth a lot of money.

Me personally I planned on putting a 347 in my daughters truck, but now thinking about a 408. I think a 347 would be a good choice for one of those trucks. As for the C4, I would replace it. The 69 and older C4s have a lot of problems that were cured with the 1970 up C4s. If you ever put a C4 in a vehicle, always use a 70 up C4, stay away from the 69 and older.

My choice, for a auto transmission, would be around a 1998-2001 4R70W, they are very durable transmissions can be beefed up if needed. A lot of guys have put stock non rebuilt later 4R70Ws, with a aftermarket convertor and valve body, then a aftermarket trans controller in cars, with engines making 700+ wheel hp. The 2004 is the strongest of the 4R70Ws, but somewhere between 99-01, Ford dropped the mechanical speedometer drive gear. If you use a aftermarket electronic speedometer, then that is not a problem.

In my experience a later 4R70W, with a transmission controller, is the best choice of transmission. The vehicles that have 4R70Ws that will work, are Mustangs with 3.8 V6s or F150s or E150s with 4.2 V6s, and the 5.0 Explorers. But the Mustangs and the F150s have better valve bodies, the Explorer valve bodies should be replaced. But all of the guts in the transmission, as far as planetary gear sets, drums and shafts are all the same, for every model of vehicle. Those parts only change with production date. The valve body, will change depending on type of vehicle or production date. Then the transmission case/bellhousing depends on the engine it's bolted to.

As for transmission controllers, I have used US Shift trans controllers, they are pretty good, I really like them.

Then me personally, I would do EFI, the fuel mileage, lack of problems outweighs the idea of a person who does not really know carbs, to try and keep a carbed engine running correctly. As for EFI, I would stick with either a Holley Terminator, or Holley HP. I have dealt with FiTech and the Holley Sniper computers. I don't like either, way too basic, pretty much a waste of money. For the money the Terminator is a very good computer, but if you go that route, make sure you get the USB cable for it and not the touch screen. The touch screen greatly limits what you can do with that computer, but with a laptop, the Terminator is virtually identical to a HP, which is a great computer.

There is a small group of collectors who want old vehicles all stock. Those guys don't drive those cars or trucks, but will pay a lot for them, so they can sit in their personal museums. The next highest paying group of people are the well off, to fairly well off guys who want cool looking old cars or trucks they can take out and cruise around, but have at least semi modern stereos, power steering, power disc brakes, fuel injection, over drive transmissions, A/C, and a smooth ride. They don't want to have to adjust a carb every couple months, they don't want a heavy brake pedal, they don't want to deal with 4 wheel manual drum brakes, they don't want drum brakes at all. They could not deal with one drum getting out of adjustment and locking up and sliding, causing them to wreck or look stupid. They definitely don't want to show up some place drenched in sweat. Nor do they want a old vehicle that turns a lot of rpm and gets 6 mpg, while they are sweating and hoping the left front brake does not lock up like it did last weekend when they almost hit that new Corvette.

I can handle all of those things, but got to admit, that a nicely tuned EFI supercharged 347, with a 4R70W, and four wheel disc brakes and A/C would be a lot more desirable.

But then there is my daughter, who wants a manual transmission in her truck. So I may put a T56 in her truck. But I have a 2003 4R70W, then a 95 AODE output shaft and tail housing that I may swap onto the 4R70W. But a T56 would be cool.

If you ever have questions about Ford parts and what will interchange with what, just send me a message. This is what I have done for the last 35 plus years.