1977 Ford F-150 - Raymond - Cheap Truck Challenge 2013 - Four Wheeler Magazine
The first complaint often levied against my truck is that it doesn’t look like a cheap truck. Any kid would love to drive it. Look a little closer though and you find a series of leaks, poor steering geometry, and an engine that barely runs—but hey, nothing’s perfect. I went there to look at a set of Ford axles, but I ended up getting the axles and a complete truck as well for only $1,250. These generations of Fords have really good running gear and are cheap to purchase. My ’77 F-150 has a V-8 engine, NP435 transmission with a 6. 69:1 First gear, a gear-driven NP205 transfer case, a high-pinion Dana 44 front axle with disc brakes, and a big-bearing Ford 9-inch rear axle. I also got a second high-pinion Dana 44, a 9-inch, and some lift components included in the $1,250 purchase price. My plan was to put used 33s under the fenders and a $30 mini spool in the rear and go win the Cheap Truck Challenge, but Fred Williams told me that was boring: “You need to think like a high school kid. ” Hmm…how would a high school kid think. A clearer head would have recognized that the four 411?2-inch Pit Bull Rocker radials cost more than my $2,013 modification budget—and I still had to get the truck running, fit the tires, and find wheels to mount them on. Some high school kids... They do usually have an abundance of time and energy though, so I started wheeling and dealing (literally) to get Pro Comp steel wheels and the rest of the parts I needed. Source: www.fourwheeler.com
