i currently own a '94 f250 4x4, single cab, long bed, 351w, 4spd, 38" swampers. she is dependable, but a beater and at 8mpg needs replacing. the body is shot, so i'm looking for a new used truck. always owned fords, but never a diesel. what do you suggest? i've been looking for a pretty identical truck, just diesel. also thought about a '70's truck or bronco and doing a swap. i'm an ok mechanic, so what would that en tale? i talked to a guy who did a 4bt swap into an early 70's bronco and he said it wasn't to hard, but he had a bit more money and experience than i do. i already have some promising leads on fullsize trucks and broncs from that era. what do you think? i want to keep things sort of low buck without going the wrong way. i can always drive the truck with the gasser in it until a diesel is ready to swap in. i know a few of you have done this and it is awesome. also what does your mileage look like, is it comparable to the mpg's of the mid 90's fords like mine that have a diesel?

Yes you can retain great mileage in a conversion. I would try to find a complete wrecked truck to aid in your parts search rather than buy parts and pieces as you need them. That is what seems to take the longest. First you have to decide what you want and how you want it to run, and what engine combo you want. Anything is possible anymore.

Have you got lots of parking spaces? Almost all of the people that I have known that do conversions have 6 or more spaces and a shed or garage.
Where the conversion shines is with stuff that never was diesel like old pickups or carryalls.
For less than a good rebuild on a pickup my favorite is a rollover that did not hit something hard. The glass and sheet metal leave the drive train for value.
The other part is ususlly the easy part - a nice cab or cab and bed with a dead engine, transmission or rear end. And the 1/2 tons are much more available and in better shape. The states that I have worked in use the vin# for registration and inspection, I left Calif before the 'referees' but the diesel running gear and engine pass smog in AZ, CO and FL. The only time that I had questions was when a 60 1/2 ton Dodge cab and bed went on a Ford F700 that had a 3208 Cat. The truck was blown over with a MH in tow and it was pushing 600k real hard so it was replaced as a toter. The cab came off a truck with a bad trans, freeze broke engine and radiator. I collected 'contact reports' from most of the scales, I think a lot of them just wanted to look at it, a couple of times it took a hour to get the port clearance for Kan with a modular trailer on or a stack of modular dollies.

keydl

Have you got lots of parking spaces? Almost all of the people that I have known that do conversions have 6 or more spaces and a shed or garage.
Where the conversion shines is with stuff that never was diesel like old pickups or carryalls.
For less than a good rebuild on a pickup my favorite is a rollover that did not hit something hard. The glass and sheet metal leave the drive train for value.
The other part is ususlly the easy part - a nice cab or cab and bed with a dead engine, transmission or rear end. And the 1/2 tons are much more available and in better shape. The states that I have worked in use the vin# for registration and inspection, I left Calif before the 'referees' but the diesel running gear and engine pass smog in AZ, CO and FL. The only time that I had questions was when a 60 1/2 ton Dodge cab and bed went on a Ford F700 that had a 3208 Cat. The truck was blown over with a MH in tow and it was pushing 600k real hard so it was replaced as a toter. The cab came off a truck with a bad trans, freeze broke engine and radiator. I collected 'contact reports' from most of the scales, I think a lot of them just wanted to look at it, a couple of times it took a hour to get the port clearance for Kan with a modular trailer on or a stack of modular dollies.

keydl
6 or more spaces? What are you talking about? I thought he wanted to know about whether to build a truck or to buy another used one? :poke:

here's what i've got so far. as far as space goes i live on post, so plenty of parking spaces available to keep vehicles. also we have what i'm told is a full auto shop with bays, hydrolic lifts, and any tools you could need. the only catch to useing it is having to take a safety class and it isn't open 24 hrs a day. it is a realy good deal, except the hrs because i am a moonlighter and like to work into the night(less people bother you that way). as for a swap, i have a few lines on late 70's 1/2 ton fords for good prices. i'm partial to these because i have owned a 76, 2 78's, a 79, and a 79 bronco, so i am pretty familiar with them. not to mention they are pretty solid and one of the most beautiful bodies out there. i am thinking cummins 6bt or 4bt, which do you think would be best? i'm not looking for a sled truck, but would like to have a little power under the hood and pretty decent fuel economy. i also am actively following a line on a '99 f250, powerstoke, 4x4, auto, xl, single cab, long bed, with 242,755 on the ticker. i'm not worried about the miles as it is in really good shape and was used as a service truck and still has the utility style camper on it and no 5th wheel or gooseneck hitch, so it wasn't worked to hard and the miles are mostly highway anyhow. if the price stays low i'm gonna pick it up, but i am still going to do a conversion and need to gather info anyway, so any input would help.

If you plan on staying 1/2 ton chassis, the 6 will overload it, and the 4BT isn't exactly light, but shouldn't be any worse than say a 390. You can build pretty impressive power from a 4bt as well. Mileage wise, the 4 will shine.

anyone who has done a 4bt swap have any info you can share as far as putting one in a 70's ford? what about build specs and recommendations? i'm looking at some info on 4btswaps.com also, but i have only found late 80's and early 90's swaps. also, any guesses as to what one can expect as far as power and fuel economy?

There's a couple guys on Fordification that are doing 4BT swaps. Those cover the 67-72's, and have a long thread talking about the swap. Talking on Post, is that Bliss, Sammy Houston, or Hood?

The remark on parking spaces comes form observing code enforcement and the parking police at work.You have a truck, your wife has a car and you want to do a conversion with a donor - thats four and now you need a little space to work, most don't do angle parking on the front lawn so something has to move to get the one out that you want to use. Why 6 because that in the normal suburban arrangement seems to offer the space needed to get on with the project. Don't forget the car covers because some one will get offended at scratched paint on a donor.

keydl

The remark

preciate the help. as for posts, i'm stationed in louisiana, ft. polk. so i got another idea last night and started looking at some trucks on e-bay. i am now contemplating a 50's f-1 with a 4bt. simple truck with a simple motor, clean and basic with no mods in a kind of rat-rod style. i'm looking at a pretty slick looking truck that is supposed to be a daily driver. i'll put the link below, but what do you think?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/clear_W0QQitemZ290166473011QQcmdZViewItem?hash=ite m290166473011#ebayphotohosting

Can't be that hard in that truck! 4BT with that much room and all mechanical stuff around it, that should be a weekend project with the adapter, flywheel, starter, new motor mounts, plenty of plate steel, and a good torch and welder! Sounds like fun, I wish I had the time to do somethin like that!

Wade

Looks like a very nice truck to start with. Good luck on getting it baught!