How Well Were The New Bullnose Trucks Received in 1980?

[LARIAT 85]

When the Bullnose generation was first released in late 1979 as all-new trucks with a completely new design for 1980, how well were they received by the general public?

I would love to hear from the older guys in here who can remember and hear what their first impressions were at the time.

[85lebaront2]

I was kind of, hmm. A good friend bought one when they first came out, and had it over at our house. We compared it to my 1958 F100 short bed and found it to be close in size. I remember being surprised that the 460 was no longer available and wondered how it was going to stack up in the towing world.

[Gary Lewis]

Good question. And as one of the OLDer guys on here, I'll attempt to answer it.

I don't remember thinking about the new trucks when they came out. But I do remember when Dad got his '81, albeit used. It had been several years since I'd had my '72 F250 and I was amazed at how much more modern the '81 seemed.

But the body styling wasn't that much different than the Bumps and Dents, so it seemed like just a natural progression. It wasn't until '87 that the styling changed radically and, at least from the front, there was a big break from the styling of the earlier trucks. And inside as well.

[Gary Lewis]

I was kind of, hmm. A good friend bought one when they first came out, and had it over at our house. We compared it to my 1958 F100 short bed and found it to be close in size. I remember being surprised that the 460 was no longer available and wondered how it was going to stack up in the towing world.

Oh yeah, I forgot the engine. My '72 had the 390 w/a 4bbl (QJet). Dad's had the 351M w/a 2bbl. Absolutely NO comparison. Don't think I ever towed w/the '72, but we had a 9 1/2' self-contained camper on it, and it handled it fine. Dad's wouldn't have shifted into 3rd gear.

[85lebaront2]

Oh yeah, I forgot the engine. My '72 had the 390 w/a 4bbl (QJet). Dad's had the 351M w/a 2bbl. Absolutely NO comparison. Don't think I ever towed w/the '72, but we had a 9 1/2' self-contained camper on it, and it handled it fine. Dad's wouldn't have shifted into 3rd gear.

My 1977 F150 had a 390 Camper Special engine I installed complete with the correct Holley 4 barrel and distributor. With the 3.25 gear and a C6 it did deliver 16-17mpg highway empty and would move if you stood on it. I carried an 11.5' Wolverine slide-in with it and when we fist bought our 5th wheel pulled that with it. Only problem I had towing the 5th wheel, brakes were a bit marginal, particularly when asbestos brake linings were banned. I completely fried a set taking it to a campground near Gordonsville VA.

[Nothing Special]

My 1977 F150 had a 390 Camper Special engine I installed complete with the correct Holley 4 barrel and distributor. With the 3.25 gear and a C6 it did deliver 16-17mpg highway empty and would move if you stood on it. I carried an 11.5' Wolverine slide-in with it and when we fist bought our 5th wheel pulled that with it. Only problem I had towing the 5th wheel, brakes were a bit marginal, particularly when asbestos brake linings were banned. I completely fried a set taking it to a campground near Gordonsville VA.

I was only 15 when the '80s came out (in '79). So my reaction probably wasn't the most... mature. But an F-250 was my dream vehicle at the time, so I was definitely paying attention (and I got my '85 F-250 5 years later!).

Gary mentioned engine differences. I think that actually came in '77. Earlier there was the 300, 360, 390 and 460. Everyone knows the 300 and 460. Those were earlier versions, maybe not quite as good as the later ones, but still good. The 390, as Gary and Bill recall, was a good engine. Decent mileage (by the standards of that day) and good power. The 360 was not so good. A lot less power than the 390 and about the same mileage (maybe worse when loaded).

In about '77 the 351M replaced the 360 and the 400 replaced the 390. They were "good" replacements. By that I mean the 400 had decent mileage and good power, much like the 390 it replaced, while the 351M had a lot less power and no better (maybe worse) mileage, much like the 360 it replaced. I was glad that the Fairmonts weren't gobbling up 351Ws by '85 so my truck had that engine instead of the M.

Losing the 460 in '80 was a downer, but at least it did come back in the 250 and 350.

Oh, and I think the 302 came into trucks around that time (or was it earlier?). I didn't pay very close attention to that engine then so I can't really speak to it now.

Body-wise I thought (and still think) that the '80s weren't nearly as good looking as the '79s. But then again, I've thought that every new look that Ford has come out with since the late 60s was worse than it's predecessor with the exception of adding the blue oval to the grill in ~'83 and the '92 restyle (although I still think the '92 - '97 doesn't look as good as the '83 - '86, just better than the '87 - '91, but I would put it higher than the '80 - '82).

Suspension is where my lack of maturity comes in. I really liked the TTB in '79 when it first came out on the '80 models. All of the advantages of a 4WD but better ride and handling! After getting an '85 F-250HD, and having driven a couple of older solid axle 4WDs, I generally prefer a solid axle now. But at the time my 15 year old self was excited about it. In fact, while I said my dream truck was an F-250, for a while at least is was more the idea of a '67 - '72 body on an '80s chassis. Like I said, I was 15.

[Dorsai]

I was only 15 when the '80s came out (in '79). So my reaction probably wasn't the most... mature.

Speaking of which...I was 10 when my grandfather bought his 1980. I don't recall having an impression of the styling, but what I do remember was how smooth and quiet it seemed. Of course, I was comparing it to his previous truck (probably a '77 F-100, I don't know for sure) and my dad's truck ('57 Dodge D-100), so I didn't have a lot to go on. Plus it was the first truck with an automatic transmission I'd ever seen, so there was that as well.

 

[Dyn Blin]

I was only 15 when the '80s came out (in '79). So my reaction probably wasn't the most... mature.

Speaking of which...I was 10 when my grandfather bought his 1980. I don't recall having an impression of the styling, but what I do remember was how smooth and quiet it seemed. Of course, I was comparing it to his previous truck (probably a '77 F-100, I don't know for sure) and my dad's truck ('57 Dodge D-100), so I didn't have a lot to go on. Plus it was the first truck with an automatic transmission I'd ever seen, so there was that as well.

No many years on you. I was 16 when my grandfather brought an F250 extended cab home in Ford blue and white in his first year of retirement to pull the 5th wheel he purchased. He loved that truck and traveled the country with my grandmother from our little town in ID and much across Canada. I was a diesel, so it must have been the 6.9 in early '85. I dreamed of buying from him when he traded the 5th wheel in, but the buyer wanted a package deal.

I remember it as positively luxurious compared to the IH pickup used to deliver John Deere parts from his shop (the engine in that IH truck was Caterpillar Yellow)

I recall having to move the red/white fishing float hanging from the ceiling far forward. and we still had to use the side door of the garage to get to the house when that cab and bed filled every inch!

I also liked the square instruments over the Dodge circles in his other shop truck. It seemed really modern.

The only negative thing I remember, and it wasn't about styling, was when I was in the passenger seat and watched it pop out of park and into reverse when we were parking the 5th wheel on a trip. I managed to slide across the seat and hit the brake, but man was he sore! It took a lot of convincing that I hadn't been fooling around and moving the truck. He watch it do it again a couple weeks later without the grandson factor, and start rolling overpowering the parking brake. I still loved it, though, and was really careful to set that brake tight and make sure the shifter was fully seated whenever I put it in park.

 

[FuzzFace2]

No many years on you. I was 16 when my grandfather brought an F250 extended cab home in Ford blue and white in his first year of retirement to pull the 5th wheel he purchased. He loved that truck and traveled the country with my grandmother from our little town in ID and much across Canada. I was a diesel, so it must have been the 6.9 in early '85. I dreamed of buying from him when he traded the 5th wheel in, but the buyer wanted a package deal.

I remember it as positively luxurious compared to the IH pickup used to deliver John Deere parts from his shop (the engine in that IH truck was Caterpillar Yellow)

I recall having to move the red/white fishing float hanging from the ceiling far forward. and we still had to use the side door of the garage to get to the house when that cab and bed filled every inch!

I also liked the square instruments over the Dodge circles in his other shop truck. It seemed really modern.

The only negative thing I remember, and it wasn't about styling, was when I was in the passenger seat and watched it pop out of park and into reverse when we were parking the 5th wheel on a trip. I managed to slide across the seat and hit the brake, but man was he sore! It took a lot of convincing that I hadn't been fooling around and moving the truck. He watch it do it again a couple weeks later without the grandson factor, and start rolling overpowering the parking brake. I still loved it, though, and was really careful to set that brake tight and make sure the shifter was fully seated whenever I put it in park.

At 20 when the 80 models came out I was not paying much to them as there was no way I had dollars to even think of getting one.

What I do remember is when helping a buddy at the gas station a customer stopping in with a dark blue one, don't remember the year, with gold pin stripping and thinking it was a nice looking truck but that is as far as it went.

Cant even tell you why I picked the truck (flare side) I did other than it cough my eye and the price ($800) was not bad at the time LOL.

In 86 when looking for a new full size SUV I don't even remember looking at Ford Bronco's. May have had to do with motors for pulling a trailer?

Only gave a quick look at Dodge (could get a 360) but was hooked on the GM diesel in the Blazer and could not get a diesel in anything else.

Dave ----

[Gary Lewis]

In 86 when looking for a new full size SUV I don't even remember looking at Ford Bronco's. May have had to do with motors for pulling a trailer?

Only gave a quick look at Dodge (could get a 360) but was hooked on the GM diesel in the Blazer and could not get a diesel in anything else.

Dave ----

But, I hear it was a dog, stock?