bump usable as a winter daily?

[deuceofhearts]

i have been lurking on fordification for a few years now reading threads, everything from reliability threads to winter use threads, and nothing quite answers my question. so i would like to ask for some opinions on a few matters.

so here it is: i will shortly be in the market for a daily driver, which will include the harsh north eastern ohio winters. i work from home so would be driving relatively few miles, the longest trips i would be making are 20 mile round trips to school daily and the occasional jaunt up to see my friends or folks 100 miles round trip. mostly it would just be around town.

-300 I-6, is it enough power for winter roads? i do not foresee myself doing too much towing, maybe some light hauling or whatever.

-i have never owned a vehicle this old, much less one with carbs. i have heard talk of severe problems for old vehicles come winter because they were carbed. is there truth to this?

-2wd vrs 4wd - i have owned a 2wd ranger which performed well in light snow but could easily get stuck because the rear axle was rubbish. is there a 2wd option (posi-rear?) that makes snow/ice/rain easier to deal with? is 4wd a must in this climate?

-i don't care about rust, as long as it isn't structural. i know the common points to look for on bumps, but would submitting it to salty roads kill it overly fast because of aged metal and other facts?

i love the look of the bumpside fords and have always wanted one, and thought this might be the time to buy one, i have tried a few other times but never found the one i wanted or had enough cash to get "the one". i have also considered the newer 80s-96 trucks as well since finding a 4wd or 2wd 300 I-6 stick shift isn't as hard as finding a similarly equipped bumpside, and i feel like i wouldn't be killing a rare treasure. but that leaves me back at admiring bumpsides on a website again. so, what do you all think? does anyone winter daily a bumpside in the north-east/north mid-west?

[choptoptruck]

The 300-6 has plenty of torque to keep you going. All I've ever driven in winter has had carbs. It was never a problem for me. We used to have a 72 chevy 1/2 ton and it didn't like to go in the snow, so when snow or ice was in the forecast, I would put 4 concrete blocks in the back right by the tailgate and then we didn't have many problems.
Another thing I used to do was put a bottle of heat in the gas tank, so if you had any water in the gas it wouldn't freeze.
Good Luck!!

[1982 flareside]

My daily driver is a 82 ford f150 4wd 300 I6 4 speed. I drove it during the winter and 8 ins of snow it had a lot of power and no problem with traction. For the 2wd part my neighbor has a 79 ford lwb 2wd 300 3 speed with a load of wood it went fine no problem thru the snow. Also the other factor in the snow is the driver.

[Ranchero50]

Consider any vehicle a candle, consider corrosion the flame. The harsher the running enviroment the quicker the candle nelts away. Four year old vehicles are rusted in that area, why kill a bump for five months of crappy weather when there are so many '80's or '90's F150's out there with 4wd for nothing right now?

Jamie

[R.Smith]

I drove mine all last winter and had no problems wrt weather. I would definately agree with choptop about putting some weight in the bed if it's a 2wd truck though. As for the carb, I had no problems. It started every time. I do have a manual choke which I prefer though. My main complaint is that the engine takes forever to warm up but, I have a 390 and they're notoriously cold natured. That and the defrost, which works fine but tends to focus on a narrow section of windshield. I usually start the truck and let it warm up for about 5 minutes while I go back in the house and fart around. This solves the heat and defrost problem plus, it gives the old truck time to wake up.

[mk]

If your heart's set on a bump, grab one. I've driven bumps in extremes from -40 to 100 degrees and they've rarely given me any problems beyond anything you'll find with a newer vehicle. They have good heaters and the basic carb fuel system works well in any weather as long as it's maintained properly. The humidity and moisture of the northeast is the real killer so make sure that you've prepared the body to take it by spraying a form of rust preventative in areas like the inside of the roof at the front, floor pans and up inside the box sides. I've installed the plastic front fender liners from the 77-79 Ford trucks in my '68 to further keep the water away from the cab mounts. New trucks may have a little more comfort and convenience but overall I don't consider them to have anything we don't have with our trucks provided they're kept in good mechanical shape.


mike

[ForingaMex]

...or even dually vrs normal as there are a few for sale in the area i would love to hear some more opinions.

I would definitely stay away from a dually or even wide single rear tires for the snow. But that is just my

[Montana71-F100]

I've started my 71 f100 with a 360 at -20 without a heater because it doesn't work. I pump it a lot as I turn the key. Using a heater is better and I should replace mine.

The rear end is light so I can't get traction sometimes when angle parking so I use the 4wd then. Weights in the bed may be a good idea. The poor gas mileage while driving in town may be an issue. I haven't checked it for a long time but I think it was in the 5-6 mpg area.

[jeepgod]

I drove a 69 F-100 2wd 302 as my dd in Des Moines IA. My truck did great in the snow and never ran out of power. I put brand new goodyear a/t tires on it and My cab leaks form every window and seal so it was a bit cold. When It would get below 0 I would have to cover the Radiator to keep it worm for the heater.

[rjewkes]

Th trick to Winter Driving a bump is at the end and if posable once a month get the underside cleaned. and on the last day of winter when it all starts melting, especialy in places where liquid potasium is used avoid driving it to keep the nasty crud from getting spread all over your under cariage.

[deuceofhearts]

The poor gas mileage while driving in town may be an issue. I haven't checked it for a long time but I think it was in the 5-6 mpg area.

i have a summer project car that gets over 30 when it feels like running, so it all equals out in the end...right?

I drove a 69 F-100 2wd 302 as my dd in Des Moines IA. My truck did great in the snow and never ran out of power. I put brand new goodyear a/t tires on it and My cab leaks form every window and seal so it was a bit cold. When It would get below 0 I would have to cover the Radiator to keep it worm for the heater.

i have never been in iowa in winter, does it get as bad as say chi-town? i used to do the covered radiator with cardboard trick with my old ranger. thing took forever to warm up.

thanks everyone for the input. i don't quite have my heart *set* on buying a bump right now, as i said i am considering a newer truck for the fact that they have fuel injection and get better (relative) mpgs. i am doing further research. sadly there are half a million ford f-series in my area...and they are all rust buckets from the 80s and 90s. the bump and dent sides are getting quite rare up here.

[AlleyCat]

if any more locals want to chime in about 2wd vrs 4wd, or even dually vrs normal as there are a few for sale in the area i would love to hear some more opinions.

I've lived in western PA all my life. While I've had 4x4's in the past I've had nothing but 4x2 pickups the last 15 years. Driving on ice and snow is a skill. Sadly it's a skill that some folks never learn. I've lost count of the number of times I've passed high end 4x4's that were stuck in a 4x2 pickup that had mediocre winter tires and a couple hundred pounds of sand weights. When the roads get bad it's time to slow down a bit, hang up the cell, turn down the juke box, duct tape junior's mouth shut and concentrate on the road.