Almost wagonless now.......

Well, we were heavily into camping and we'd seen a few 5th wheel RV trailers. Since I was a big time trucker I knew a fifth wheel RV was like a semi trailer and much easier to handle and more stable.
I had to have one! This was early in the 1977 camping season, April or May.

Only a few miles from home there was a Sprinter 5th wheel for sale at a decent price. The couple who owned it went to a motorhome.
Like a fool............ something I'd never done or do again............ I bought the 5th wheel RV but only owned a 1975 1/2 ton supercab pick up. I needed a bigger and more powerful truck. Yet I didn't want a truck that rode like a truck.
A local Ford dealer just happened to have what I believe was a camper special, a one ton rated, 3/4 ton supercab truck. I always buy or paint my RV's and tow vehicle in matching colors.
The new 1977 Ford truck was sort of a deep metallic brown, matching the side trim colors of the 5th wheel. Yes, it was midyear but I had to get my trailer out of the seller's yard in a reasonable time.

I'd never seen a 1978 Ford truck so I was a happy camper with the '77 model. Weeks later ads came out with the '78 and I fell in lust with the nose which was similar to my past 1972 Gran Torino.
Wheels were spinning in my head. I'd already ordered the '78 nose and the needed radiator support. Being the lucky guy I am at 3AM on my way north to work in freezing rain on an already snow packed road a car load of drunks headed south lost control and attacked my new truck on a divided four lane deserted highway.
Some thought it stupid. But to avoid a head on, I moved over into the left lane, actually closer to the oncoming car. This caused him to hit the right front of my truck rather than head on, doing way less damage. I could only slow down, not stop, because of the icy conditions.

So after everything was said and done I took the insurance money and built a 1978 Ford truck out of a damaged 1977 Ford truck. Sadly after a few years valve float ruined the 460 and nearly ruined the replacement 460. It always happened at low RPM and low speed on my way to work. I could climb mountains at 70MPH pulling the 5th wheel.
This was the end of my love affair with Ford.
Now all my Fords are Chevy powered.

 

One thing I like about newer vehicles is they can make head and tail lights any shape or size they want to blend in. Sadly most new vehicles still look alike.

 

Hey Tedy, been gone from swf for quite a while, decided to check in and see that you're going wagonless for a bit. Glad you're getting other projects done and I like that you're sharing the fleet. I'm classic wagonless too but will someday own an even older one than the 1990 Colony Park. Best to you and the swf family, Owen

 

That would have been pretty neat, to have three trucks of the same color on the same street. Dark Jade green is a beautifull color on these trucks.

As far as the headlight discussion goes, I believe that the square headlight was a mid year (1978) introduction.
I had a 78 F-250 crew cab that came with round headlights, that I later swapped out for square, and a 78 Bronco that had square headlights from the beginning.



I have heard, but cannot confirm, that it was planned for the trucks to have square headlights from the introduction of the "new" model but it wasn't allowed due to some Federal Government regulation on the lights themselves.

 

Our government was strict on front and rear lites until about then. Even quad lites on cars took some factory convincing. From lanterns to super brite LED's has been a big change.

I actually forgot which headlite set up I swapped to with the '78 nose. Lucky I can still remember it was a Ford. If I had to choose I'd say I went to the square lite front end. That and the grille were my reasons for swapping.
Just a year or so later I sold the 5th Wheel and truck together and bought a '77 Concord motorhome with the single round lites. I swapped the complete nose for a homemade set up and I used Monte Carlo quad side by side rectangular head lites and '75 Ford amber parking lites.

 

Actually, the government allowed square headlights as early as late '74 for the '75(?) or late '75 for the '76 model year, can't remember which, as the GM Colonnade cars began to come off the line with square headlights, side-by-side or stacked. Ford, for whatever reason, had delayed, and in the '78 MY for the trucks, the round lights were standard, the square were optional; the next year, Ford eliminated the round headlights. And for my own record, I prefer the round headlights more.

 

So do I, if you were to ask me. Round headlights and round instruments rule. Square objects are for Squares.

 

I liked the square instruments on my 1941 Ford and 1946 Mercury. I actually liked the rectangular headlites side by side. Makes the vehicle seem wider.

 

Most, if not, all rectangular instruments produced before the mid-Sixties were stylish. In fact, it was during the mid-Sixties when people were calling others Squares, Sir.

 

That's, *ahem*, "L 7."

 

I suppose it all goes to personal taste. I find that in regards to the appearance of a vehicle I like it when everything in the design works in harmony. To me the round headlights in the very square grille of the 78 Ford truck looks out of place, while the square headlight fits the overall appearance much better.

It's not unlike what Chevrolet did with their trucks in the early 2000's. The 1999 chevy Silverado was a handsome, well proportioned truck that carried on the design cues of the previous generation, but updated them for the current era. It was a truck of soft and rounded edges, but not a jelly bean. Very nice. Then trends began to change towards crisper lines and hard edges. So, instead of updating the entire truck, they slapped an Avalanche nose on it.

Nice:


Er, whaaa?


To me it looked like a cartoon character that had a vacuum cleaner attached to it's snout. But unlike Wil E. Cyote, it never snapped back into place.

If a vehicle (car, truck or otherwise) has an overall aesthetic that is pleasing to the eye it all works. If the designers try to do to much or miss and match design themes it usually doesn't.

So, although I may tend to agree with the above statement that round headlights rule, if everything around it is square, maybe the lights should be too.

PS
Sorry tedy for contributing to the high-jackery of your thread.

 

I agree Orth, no matter what shape the lites or instruments are, everything has to blend. As I look at the '78 Ford square lites I'm sure that's why I changed from the round '77 headlites and to the more modern grille.
As for my 1977 Class A motorhome, at that time they were just a big box so the round lites on it were totally out of place. Even the park/blinkers were 4" round lites.
Swapping to the quad side by side from a Monte Carlo and the 75 Chevy parking lites gave the square front a wider look. I choose that particular year and style because they came mounted in a unit with a chrome rectangular ring so the lite units just slipped into a precut hole in my new plywood nose job.

I've always liked the 70's Chevy trucks and most later models. Compared to Ford and Dodge truck prices the Chevy's were gold plated and I still was mad at Ford.
Being wagonless we can high jackery Tedy all we want until he's wagonish again!.

 

Let me bring this all around full circle, back to the original subject.(sort of)I was going to mention my 79' Yamaha and the fact that it has a square headlight which I prefer, but I stayed quiet. Back on track, I am not getting rid of my wagon, rather retiring it until the kids are old enough to ride without those God awful safety seats. I humbled up on a replacement that was too good of a deal to pass up.(suckers are born everyday) I got an 02' Tahoe. Now Orth, I got a bone to pick (veering off topic again, sorry teddy). I disagree with your comment. I think those soft round edges do look like a jelly bean! The worst body style for Silverado. EVER. Also I think the pictures you chose to support your argument are not good examples. That red looks rediculous on that truck, as well as the extended cab AND bed. Three, four doors on a truck look silly to me. Try parking that thing at the gas station! I did not like the squared up nose at first either, but since owning one it has grown on me. It's a return to the classic 3rd and 4th generation that the rounded edges departed from. Here's some pics to make another judgement. Also check out the last pic, the hood on the squared body style is a lot like the 1st and 2nd generation where it is raised across the middle (if that makes sense?) long story short, don't be talking bout my truck Orth!!

 

It was my understanding that in '78, the lower trims got the round lights, and the upper trims (Lariat, XLT?) got the square lights. In '79, everybody got the square lights.

 

This makes sense.