Shared by @oilburner_75. The timeline and plans reflect the owner’s original account.
Sean bought his 1975 F-250 in 2017 after about a year of searching for a solid Highboy. He drove five hours to northern Georgia to get it. The flatbed truck was brown, a color he initially disliked but that grew on him.
He was its fifth owner. The third owner had repainted it brown and installed a 1982 302 with a 1993 small-block ZF5. Two months after buying it, Sean fitted a 7.3 and ZF5. He ran that combination for three years, traveling through the northern and southern United States for work and parts.
The work and the years behind it
A VE-pump Cummins followed in 2020. When Sean shared his account, it had a second Cummins, a P-pumped 1995 engine, and a repaint in the truck’s original colors. Five engines and four transmissions had passed through the Ford by then, and he was driving it daily.
His first old Ford was a 1978 Freewheelin’ Bronco restored with his dad and still kept in the garage. His dad was a diesel mechanic, and Sean learned by watching him. The later swaps were his own trial and error. Clearance was the biggest challenge with the 7.3. For the Cummins, the hard part was finding a good engine. Sean shared his truck and the earlier swap and sale-listing photos as @oilburner_75.
Read the owner’s original account and build details
1975 f250 I bought in 2017 and it had a flatbed and a 302 in it. 2 months later I put a 7.3 zf5 in it and ran it for 3 years traveling the north and south United States working and buying parts. then came the first ve cummins in it in 2020 and now the second one a p pumped 95. The truck is daily driven along with a repaint of the original colors. 5 engines and 4 transmissions have been through it as of right now.
Yes, I am the 5th owner of it. The 3rd owner was an old man who repainted it the solid brown and who put the 1982 302 with a 93 small block zf5 in it
How the truck came home
Actual pictures of the 7.3 I put in and the listing pictures from 2017 with the 302, I had spent about a year looking and I couldn’t find a solid truck. I hated the color brown but I figured I could always repaint it if I wanted to but it grew on me
How the truck came home
Yes I have owned many of these but no highboys but this one. My first was a 78 bronco Freewheelin I restored with my dad and still have kept in the garage. I always wanted a highboy but man they are rare where I’m from. I drove 5 hours for that one in northern Georgia
How the truck came home
Yes and yes he was, a diesel mechanic I learned all I knew from watching him. The swaps were on me though that was trial and error.
You bet lol the hardest on the 7.3 was clearance, the hardest on the cummins was finding a good cummins haha
From the original story: oilburner_75.
Keep the old Ford story going
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