1978 Ford F100 Specs
by Ma Wen Jie
The 1978 Ford F100 pickup truck was designed as a utilitarian working vehicle. Used in the trades and on farms, the truck's features focused on the basics that someone hauling, towing or working would need. Ford introduced the F-series of trucks in 1941 with the F-1 as its half-ton truck. The Ford F100 was introduced as a re-designed and re-branded F1 in 1958. Although the Ford F100 was re-branded the F150 in 1975 for the U.S. market, a truck branded as an F100 was sold both in the United States and abroad in 1978.
Engine
Although Ford put several different engines in the 1978 Ford F150, a common engine was the 5.8-liter, or 354-cubic-inch displacement (CID), V-8. This engine produced around 162 kilowatts, or 220 horsepower, or power. This engine offers 410 Nm, or 302 foot-pounds (ft.- lbs.), of torque. The bore and stroke on this engine are 101.6 mm and 88.9 mm respectively, or 4 inches by 3.5 inches, and provides a 9.1-1 compression ratio.
Drivetrain
Depending on the model, the Ford F100 came with either a three-speed automatic transmission or a four-speed manual transmission. The truck was only manufactured stock in a two-wheel drive version that used rear-wheel drive.
Aspiration & Fuel
The 1978 Ford F100's engine was designed to run on leaded gasoline. The engine had a stock, naturally aspirated carburetor. It came with a 16-gallon, or 62-liter, gas tank.
Dimensions and Weight
The 1978 Ford F100 had a gross vehicle weight of just over 6,000 pounds (2,766 kg). It was nearly 5.9 feet tall, or 1,696 mm. It was just over 16 feet long, at 4,879 mm, and just over 6.4 feet wide at 1,960 mm. At 1,800 kg, its rated towing capacity was nearly 4,000 pounds.
Writer Bio
Although he grew up in Latin America, Mr. Ma is a writer based in Denver. He has been writing since 1987 and has written for NPR, AP, Boeing, Ford New Holland, Microsoft, RAHCO International, Umax Data Systems and other manufacturers in Taiwan. He studied creative writing at Mankato State University in Minnesota. He speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese, English and reads Spanish.
