A tough, reliable, powerhouse
Water pump gasket blew at 18,000.
Seat is wore a little.
The 360 V-8 performs like nothing else I have ever seen.
With glass packs on, you can hear her coming from a mile away.
Steering is a little loose, expected with 130,000 miles on the vehicle.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 17th January, 2003
A real farmers truck
Thermostat failed and caused overheat the first weekend owned.
Transmission slips when hot.
Heater core broke causing antifreeze to flood the cab.
I first saw this truck sitting along the road on the way home from work. Sitting along the highway with a sign "For Sale $600" and it had to be mine.
I sold my 1982 F-350 4x4, 400cu, 4bbl and a shot transmission for the cash to purchase the 1976 Forest Green F150 Custom, 4x2, 302cu, automatic.
(My F350 had been flipped, restored, had a tree fall on it, not really restored, 2 400cu engines, clutch, power steering pump, and that was pretty much it. Not too shabby for over 300,000 miles. Best tires ever ran on it were Kelly Safari RVR, got nearly 80K on them. Factory Firestone All Seasons were bad.)
Other than the abundance of water related problems I've had, thermostat, water pump, heater core, probably head gasket (haven't got around to changing it), the truck is a solid runner with very little rust for a 1976 in Pennsylvania.
I just love running this truck. The Bench seat has plenty of room for 3 adults, there is abundant headroom, the cracked and broken vinyl on the dash just pulls at my heartstrings. It's everything that a pickup should be.
Durable, solid, needing constant tinkering, and always ready when you need it.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 11th November, 2002
There is a pretty good chance your '76 F150 is a 390. I have a '76 F150 Ranger that I am currently refurbishing and I purchased it for a mere $800. Copy your vehicle identification number and call your local Ford dealer and they should be able to tell you. Be sure to put some glass packs on if it is if you don't already have them. They sound GREAT!!!
It may not be a 390. And the VIN may be useless for determining this. IE: my 1976 F-150 Ranger 4X4 has the 428 From a 1967 T-Bird. What you need to look at is the engine identification number. This should be stamped into the block. And with old cars that means you will have to do a lot of degreasing.
The guy with the comment about checking the block for its stamping is 100% correct. Besides even if it is still the stock motor I have a 76 custom with a 360 CID motor.
This is true, and I may be a little late for the comment, but my F150 Explorer came stock with a 300 straight six (a reliable motor), but I needed more power for hauling wood, so I rebuilt a a 302 from an Econoline van I had sitting, and it's been a dream (other than the head gasket).
The most loveable headache
Shift column broke after time, total cost to repair with junkyard model: 470.00. Starter dissolved after 4 months of ownership, probably due to old age. Carburetor throttle broke and required a new spring. Head gasket finally said goodbye at 24000 miles on a "rebuilt" 390 V8, radiator and heater core replaced near end of ownership.
Beside the fact that this truck was old and somewhat neglected, it was a workhorse and made modern cars look like tinfoil. The factory 4WD was unstoppable, and the power was enough to get me out of the most precarious situations (eg. 2 feet of mud). The interior was in good shape, but sun baked from sitting in the hot New Mexico sun. By today's standards, it is a worker's no frills vehicle, designed for hard work as opposed for comfort. The spacious bench seat could accomodate 3 people without squeezing inside, and the all-metal dash is indicative of quality craftsmanship. After a few pumps of the pedal, fuel rushed to the mammoth 4bbl carb. (It even had a manual choke, unusual for 1976!) For the most part, it was a reliable tank and I miss it very much. The 390V8 was a fun engine to play with prior to the loss of the head gasket. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a solid truck, but also has a decent aptitude for repair of older vehicles. Also, I recommend a 2bbl carb, as the fuel economy on this dual-tank truck was around 11MPG highway and 8MPG city. Bottom line: This truck may give you some headaches, but it grows on you. Despite the problems I had with it, I'd take it over anything modern.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 2nd July, 2002
18th Sep 2004, 20:52
I need to know if my F-150 1976 custom what size engine it has I think it has a 390 V8.