I am 17 and already have a car, but I would like to own an older car. I found a 1979 f100 on OfferUp that I really want to buy. It is $1000 and has been on their for 5 months. It has a 302 cubic inch engine, c4 transmission, holly 650 carb. The guy said all it needs is tires, carb adjustment, and a little brake work. I have a job and have always wanted a truck, but does anyone think it will cost me lots of money. I haven't yet gone to look at it and wanted to weigh the pros and cons before I look at it.

If you can afford to replace just about everything on the truck then buy it. If you can't, then don't. It's almost 40 years old and just about everything major and minor on that truck will need to be replaced sooner than later.

I figure a 17 year old has time to learn how to fix most things so as long as there isn't any drastic damage to the frame or engine then you should be fine.

But also remember that you need space to store it along with paying for insurance, taxes, and tags for it.

I can't imagine being 17 and owning multiple vehicles but give it a shot if you can try it out.

I would jump up a few years and find one that has EFI. My F150 with I6 (1989) was bulletproof and required almost no maintenance.

I'd be wary if that is an after market carb. One really has to 'know carbs' to get them going correctly

See if all those parts are available and add up the prices . Price a stock carb .

Do you have the tools and the know how to do all those repairs ? Do you have a mentor to teach you ?

Best of luck , :-)

I would recommend you start saving money and learning to invest for your future . Then when financially stable you can think about toys. 79 F150?

These types of ads are common with used vehicles, I suppose because they work. In reality we tend to trust people and see positives and can let our guard down. The thing to keep in mind is, if that's all it needed why wouldn't the guy put $500 into the truck, get it all fixed up, and sell it for $5000? Be careful.

If you buy it also buy a new ignition box. Mount it on the fender next to the other one so when one quits you are already set to plug the new one in.

650 cfm is too big for an otherwise stock 302. I recommend a used ignition box over a new one. At least you know the used one worked. The box was also used on Grand Wagoneers. The typical scenario with the stock box , is that it got changed for an unrelated problem. Now on top of the problem it didn't fix. there is a really iffy box. I used to keep a couple old ones hanging in my shop. They worked, I tested them, but I never needed them. Those aftermkt boxes scared the points and condenser die hards just like fuel injection did to carb guys.

I own a '67 Suburban and '85 Chevy 1-ton, have owned several other carburetor-era vehicles in the last 10 years, and restored a Jeep CJ7 this year.

It is a rare seller that is being fully honest and considerate of the buyer's concerns, and is fully aware of all the vehicle's problems. If more people undertook to own and thoroughly maintain pre-1990 vehicles the motoring public would be better off (from the standpoint of knowledge and skill) so I fully support that, but a 38 year old truck that "needs a few things" should be interpreted as "project that you'll be hard pressed to make a profit on if you're concerned about its value, and needs repairs in 80% of the systems to be reliable". In the group of folks prone to wrenching on '79 Fords there are far more people than not that, if the vehicle doesn't run or drive right, it's probably due to their lack of care or skill.

There's an exception to every rule, but 99% chance is the thousand dollar truck will require another thousand or two, and months of tinkering, learning, re-fixing, and much perseverance to be really decent. If you're up for that, go for it.

Smells fishy to me. Several months on an older truck that screams fix me up. Ill bet its been looked over and it needs much more that tires. .

My dad just parted with a 1979 F-100 that he bought brand new after college. It was a great truck and we rolled the odometer over a few times in it's life. That being said, the last 2 or 3 years we were constantly monkeying around with the carb. We even got a mechanic to go through the engine top to bottom and change just about every single wear item, including cleaning the carb, and it was still a bear to get started sometimes. It would definitely be a fun project truck, but I wouldn't count on it starting every time you want it to.

An aftermarket carb could only be an improvement over the Variable Venturi carb that the vehicle probably had when it was new.
Ask me how I know.

If you do decide to look heres a small checklist.

1) rust/water in the gass tank
2) rusted break lines (rustbelt vehicle)
3) wheel bearings.
4) steering linkages
5) is there fesh oil in the engine or old. How long has it been sitting?
Fresh could be bad if there is a head gasket leak and the mikshake was drained and replaced with fresh oil. Oil could be bad if it was never changed or satup for a long time. Look under the oil cap and inside the valve colvers with a flashlight, Any heavy gooy tar or milkshake, run

Also check the oil thickness, Too thick could mask some engine noise (chain rattle, valves, etc)

Shouod be something like 10w40, If its 20w50 with a few cans of stp in it ...run.

6) real end fluid. (Clean or full of metal shavings)

7) tranny fluid (clean or black and full of shavings). (From the stick). Brand new lookin could be a bad sign too especially since you cant drive it.

8) Is the engine stock or modified with that new carb on there (hot rodded)

The the basics

9) ac vents and fan work,
10) turn signals, headlights, breaklights, dash lights, etc. electrical problems can be a pita.

Carburetor adjustment usually means carburetor rebuild, which isn't too big of a deal on a Holly 650. I am guessing it has vacuum secondaries? It has been a looonnng time since I have worked on Holly!