early 80s body question

[Freight_Train]

does anyone know if the front clip is the same on a gasser or a diesel Fseries truck from 81-86(think that is the body style years).I know fenders,hood and grill are the same but how about core support and other parts?

 

[towcat]

The core support between the gassers and diesel are completely different.

 

[160k87F250]

The core support is different due to the larger radiator.

 

[NJKen]

Lke posted above, everythings the same except the radiator support.
Ken

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

I will also add that I haven't found a body part supplier yet that has the radiator core support for a diesel of these years.

Seems odd to me since there are way more diesel trucks that are being restored than gassers.

 

[hheynow]

I will also add that I haven't found a body part supplier yet that has the radiator core support for a diesel of these years.

Seems odd to me since there are way more diesel trucks that are being restored than gassers.

And when you finally find the radiator core support...it will be for diesels w/o a/c.

 

[The Warden]

And when you finally find the radiator core support...it will be for diesels w/o a/c.

That's odd...I always thought that most diesels came with a/c?

Maybe I'm the odd-man out, but my truck basically came with every option available from the factory at the time...and I had sort of figured that most (obviously not all, though) diesels were "top of the line" models?

 

[Freight_Train]

That's odd...I always thought that most diesels came with a/c?

Maybe I'm the odd-man out, but my truck basically came with every option available from the factory at the time...and I had sort of figured that most (obviously not all, though) diesels were "top of the line" models?

gotta think how many made it into slave duty as a company work truck.Pretty much a ford and chevy race back in those day and Chevy came with the nice little label about not towing a heavy trailer......kinda a dumb move for a diesel equiped rig!Even today,AC is an option on new superduties.....

 

[Agnem]

That's odd...I always thought that most diesels came with a/c?

Maybe I'm the odd-man out, but my truck basically came with every option available from the factory at the time...and I had sort of figured that most (obviously not all, though) diesels were "top of the line" models?

Yup. Odd man out. ;p Ordered mine with basic everything. No power dohickys, no AC, no problems. Lots of space.

In working with the Bronco, which has the 34" rad, I have found out that the parts stores treat the diesel radiators as two styles, and that is the 37" Wide (and not so tall) rad, like the one in the Moose Truck, and the 34" tall narrow AC radiator. Both use different lower radiator hoses. Now in previous information finding probes, polls performed on TDS showed a lack of correlation between the AC and non-AC rad styles, in certain model years, suggesting that at some point Ford decided to use only the AC rad regardless of the presence of AC or not. In seeking out a lower radiator hose (no longer available from Ford), I found most stores stock the AC hose, but not the non-AC (37" rad) hose.

 

[82F100SWB]

If you have the "short" rad, you can use a gasser radiator support. That's what we used in my buddy's 88 F350, and we re-used it's existing rust free gasser core support. I'm not exactly sure what it took to get the rad he's running, but, he's got 2, and the truck that the one he's using came out of was an 85 reg cab F250 4x4, 4 speed, with no options.
My 81/86 F250 has the big honkin heavy duty cooling unit as it has A/C... I've yet to run into another truck with the same radiator as John is runing.