1989 f150 *unknown* project

Well I've picked up 2 trucks in the past month. One is the 70s for and then this 89 f150 lariat. I'm considering on letting my buddy have the 70s ford, as he's been looking hard for on like it. So I picked this up last week for 600:
Those were the pics my buddy sent me. Everything on it works, 4x4 302 5 speed. I'm at work right now trying to decide on a direction I want to go with this thing. I honestly want a deisel street toy with a lower/ aggressive stance. I figure ill draw up a concept sometime this weekend. I will be fixing the cosmetics and suspension before I even mess with the motor or transmission. Input, ideas? Anything?

Cool start, looks rust free.

I've been on/off for about a year on a 1/2 ton swb PSD myself.

I wouldn't even bother with a diesel. Factory 302, means for relatively cheap, you could build a 331, or 347 stroker for it. Have a healthy little street truck, and be a hell of a lot cooler than the $15k you'd have tied up in getting that litle half ton to handle the weight/torque of a modified diesel in it.

Jason said:

I wouldn't even bother with a diesel. Factory 302, means for relatively cheap, you could build a 331, or 347 stroker for it. Have a healthy little street truck, and be a hell of a lot cooler than the $15k you'd have tied up in getting that litle half ton to handle the weight/torque of a modified diesel in it.

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:doh:

Not even sure where to start but... no.

A 500 hp W will net about 370-410 RWHP and be TOTALY undriveable.
A 400 RWHP 7.3 HEUI on the other hand is stg 2's and a 17* pump. TOTALY driveable with a mean power curve that will destroy the tires NOW at any speed. That's $2000 worth of parts not $15,000. A donor 7.3 truck is about $2000 and will have everything you need. That's $4000 complete, a W will cost that and only make the 500 past 6000 rpms. The front end will handle it no problem!

http://i888.photobucket.com/albums/ac85/1800joedaddy/IMAG0327.jpg

Eh? A 347 stroker kit, heads, cam, intake...would be about $6k on the extdremely high side..that is machine work included. Make 390-430rw, and be very driveable. Parts selection and tuning will make or break it.

$15k was motor, sht to stiffen up the front suspension to help support the heavier motor, donor truck for everything needed, that little half ton frame is not going to like 1k rwtq much at all...so stiffening will be needed to do it right, drivetrain items etc. The stroker motor will be faster and more enjoyable in that little truck. I dont know what that thing weighs, but id assume 4200lbs..buddy of mine went 11.30's at 120mph in his '94 cobra at 3500lbs with his 347 doing 390rw, 389tq. For daily screwing around, taking it to the track etc...the gasser will do him better and not add 700lbs over the front end.

Only rust I've found on it so far is on the hood and cab, and it's minor. Love driving it for some strange reason. I've got the short bus and a 99 mustang gt convertible here and my gf can't figure out why I like it so much. I told her there is nothing like driving a vehicle that could burst into flames and your first reaction would be to take a photo of it burning to the ground for fb.
Ill do the diesel swap if I can come across the motor cheap enough. I have a buddy who is a diesel tech and he is going to see about getting me a 4bt core if he can. I also have a 4 cylinder kabota on hand that I've been saving for a buggy or a ranger, but even with a turbo I believe it won't have enough umph to it. So the 302 is probably going to stay for a while. Like I said, that will be the last thing on the list. Purpose of this truck will be to get me between towns. I'm wearing out my f250 making these sort 15 mile trips between the slaughter house, restaurant, the farm, and where ever else my boss sends me. Seems like a waste when half the time Im using a truck twice the size of what I need.

I don't want to derail this, OP if you want to do the diesel get with me.

If it makes any difference, I do all of my own fabricating, and what machine work I need done I can have done at a cheap price.

JoeDaddy said:

I don't want to derail this, OP if you want to do the diesel get with me.

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Y'all are fine. I'm honestly wanting to hear what everyone has to say. Like I said, nothing is definite yet. Only motors I know much about are the ones I've owned, so I've got the 4.6,5.4,6.8 and 6.0 covered. Everything else I'm honestly clueless about.

This isn't the 70's anymore, that stroked 302 can and will make power to 7k if you want. Get out and enjoy modern technology. Stroked/high rpm is where it's at. Not old outdated 400hp 7.3 trucks.

The truck I posted was a bricknose frame, just like yours. And a five speed. All I had to do was pull the donor PSD truck motor mount plates and install on the Bricknose frame. Only 1 bolt out of 8 was off. The dash will swap right out as will the inner fenders. The ECM and IDM mounts I don't know about. Seems like you might have to make a mount. I used a OBS cab so it already had everything. The front will handle the extra weight, you can use the 3/4 ton coils even.

A 4BT will be easier as far as wiring but you'll have to make mounts.

I bought several complete running PSD trucks last year for under a grand. Rust = cheap! LOL

Jason said:

This isn't the 70's anymore, that stroked 302 can and will make power to 7k if you want. Get out and enjoy modern technology. Stroked/high rpm is where it's at. Not old outdated 400hp 7.3 trucks.

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Really... cuz I know nothing of 2500 HP quad turbo gas engines. :doh:

If you want to stay gas I wouldn't waste a second on a 5.0. Spend the dough and get a aftermarket block. Go 440ci+ and CHI 3CV heads. You could make a reliable 500 hp at 5000 rpms and it will live 70,000 miles. Google Jon Kaase.

If I'm gonna swap motors I'm going with a diesel. If it narrows the options down, I'm looking for decent milage, at least 16mpg. The previous owner says he thought it got 18, but I'm skeptical, between the slight fuel leak at the filter and the motor running 2 grand when cruising at 55mph. Haven't had a chance to see what gear ratio it has in it.

LOL 18 would be exceptional but not unheard of. Drive 55 and don't hot rod and it could happen. I'm expecting 25 mpg when I'm done.

Oh Joe you know I love banter on the web. I really don't care what way he goes, I just like tgroowing an idea out against the regulars around here.


But yeah OP get with Joe...he'll have your **** up on a homemade 2"x4" gantry in the midke of a wheat field alongside your doublewide. ***in hillbillies!

Jason said:

Oh Joe you know I love banter on the web. I really don't care what way he goes, I just like tgroowing an idea out against the regulars around here.


But yeah OP get with Joe...he'll have your **** up on a homemade 2"x4" gantry in the midke of a wheat field alongside your doublewide. ***in hillbillies!

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:slap:

Jason said:

Oh Joe you know I love banter on the web. I really don't care what way he goes, I just like tgroowing an idea out against the regulars around here.


But yeah OP get with Joe...he'll have your **** up on a homemade 2"x4" gantry in the midke of a wheat field alongside your doublewide. ***in hillbillies!

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Lol actually I do Iive in the middle of a corn field...... In a barn...
Like I said, I might just stick with the 302 since I already have it in front of me. It'll be a while before I get to that. So if i come up with a good donor then ill drop in a diesel. But untill then I'm stuck working on my other project (a house that needs to be livable within two months before I get married). I haven't decided if I want to call that one project "constant bitching" or "yes dear, it'll be done. Now get the *** off my back"

i had the sorta same truck. same color only way rusty all over and a 300 6cyl 4sp. kinda wish i still had it. so i could throw a super duty turbo on it gated around 2-4 psi and run the chit out of it.

live life full throttle

There really isn't much you can do to the SD (Speed Density) 5.0's, add a CAI and some headers. Maybe some good plugs and hot ignition. These really won't do much. Mega Squirt MAF (Mass Air Flow) and you can boost it and add fuel. That's getting into $$$. Yank the EFI and run a roller mustang block EH E7 heads and 4bbl intake and you could have a little 390hp screamer that will still run in the winter. Either way you spend money if you want a hot rod. While as Jason said Tech has advanced, it's spendy and can be complicated.