Info and thoughts of a '78 F150

steiny519 · May 28, 2006

I am currently looking at buying a 1978 F150 4x4 for around 3000. The body is farely solid other than the rust above the wheel wells on the bed. I comes with a 429 thunderjet. I have been looking for specs on this engine. I know that it has the same block as the 460 but other than that all that i have found out is that it has a 2 bolt main. If anyone has anything to say about it post there ideas. looking for more info. thanks jonathan

jake_262 · May 28, 2006

steiny519 said:
I am currently looking at buying a 1978 F150 4x4 for around 3000. The body is farely solid other than the rust above the wheel wells on the bed. I comes with a 429 thunderjet. I have been looking for specs on this engine. I know that it has the same block as the 460 but other than that all that i have found out is that it has a 2 bolt main. If anyone has anything to say about it post there ideas. looking for more info. thanks jonathan

if you find out what a thunderjet is tell me, ha,ha. If its anything other than just special jetting in the carb I would be suprised. I'm sure the engine is a transplanted engine, but what it is out of I have no clue, I've never heard of a thunderjet, ford used to make a cobra jet motor, but that was an FE motor (428 fe) I'm not sure if the guy got the engine out of a thunderbird and decided to call it a thunder jet??? if you can't find out what the motor is, then I would look the truck over very well before buying it, I have had a truck where they took a 390 out of a galaxy, even though it was a 390 in the truck before, the teeth on the flywheel were a different count, and they didn't seal up the rear oil galleries very well. It doesn't sound like that big of a deal, but when your 18 and changing the stupid ring gear on the flywheel every couple months wondering wtf, you come to hate the guys that swap engines and then get rid of them when there is small problems. anyway hope this helped good luck

b-ran87 · May 31, 2006

jake_262 said:
if you find out what a thunderjet is tell me, ha,ha. If its anything other than just special jetting in the carb I would be suprised. I'm sure the engine is a transplanted engine, but what it is out of I have no clue, I've never heard of a thunderjet, ford used to make a cobra jet motor, but that was an FE motor (428 fe) I'm not sure if the guy got the engine out of a thunderbird and decided to call it a thunder jet??? if you can't find out what the motor is, then I would look the truck over very well before buying it, I have had a truck where they took a 390 out of a galaxy, even though it was a 390 in the truck before, the teeth on the flywheel were a different count, and they didn't seal up the rear oil galleries very well. It doesn't sound like that big of a deal, but when your 18 and changing the stupid ring gear on the flywheel every couple months wondering wtf, you come to hate the guys that swap engines and then get rid of them when there is small problems. anyway hope this helped good luck

A Thunder Jet was the baseline 429 during the early 70's. There was a FE Cobra Jet (the 428), but there was also a 428 super cobra jet. Ford also used cobra jet on the 429 as well. The was a 429 cobra jet and a 429 super cobra jet. I hate people who think they know everything and tell everyone else what they do and don't know when they themselves don't know what they are talking about. This is a fourm to help each other with problems not to prove who knows the most.

By the way, the only differences between a 429 and a 460 is the crankshaft and pistons. Cobra Jets had upgraded heads with bigger valves and ports and also beefier webbings in the block and super cobra jets had holley 4bbls and 4 bolt mains from the factory. There was also 429 police interceptors and the legendary boss 429 which had hemi heads. A 429 thunder jet is just a plane jane 429 block that was given a cool sounding name. Hope this helps.

jake_262 · May 31, 2006

1978 F150 4x4 Toploader Swap said:
A Thunder Jet was the baseline 429 during the early 70's. There was a FE Cobra Jet (the 428), but there was also a 428 super cobra jet. Ford also used cobra jet on the 429 as well. The was a 429 cobra jet and a 429 super cobra jet. I hate people who think they know everything and tell everyone else what they do and don't know when they themselves don't know what they are talking about. This is a fourm to help each other with problems not to prove who knows the most.

By the way, the only differences between a 429 and a 460 is the crankshaft and pistons. Cobra Jets had upgraded heads with bigger valves and ports and also beefier webbings in the block and super cobra jets had holley 4bbls and 4 bolt mains from the factory. There was also 429 police interceptors and the legendary boss 429 which had hemi heads. A 429 thunder jet is just a plane jane 429 block that was given a cool sounding name. Hope this helps.

ouch..... didn't get laid lastnight toploader?

b-ran87 · May 31, 2006

jake_262 said:
ouch..... didn't get laid lastnight toploader?

Don't get mad just because I put you back in your place. And actually that is on department I don't have to worry about consider I have a girlfriend. Although I can't feel your pain because, I have never had to expirence how hard it is to find a gay mate to sleep with when there are so many straight people in the way. HA HA! On Gaurd!