1980 Ford F-250 “The hand-me-down”

The 1980 model year brought the seventh-generation Ford F-Series, nicknamed the "Bullnose," the first complete redesign of the truck since 1965. The 1980-1986 Ford F-250 is the three-quarter-ton version, sharing its all-new cab and sheet metal with the rest of the F-Series. Two engineering changes define this generation for the F-250. First, the four-wheel-drive F-250 moved from a solid front axle to Twin-Traction Beam (TTB) independent front suspension, using a Dana 44HD on lighter trucks and a Dana 50 on the heavy-duty F-250 rated over 8,500 pounds. Second, the 6.9L IDI (indirect injection) diesel V8, built by International Harvester, arrived for the 1983 model year as the first diesel ever offered in the F-250. The gas engines included the 300-cubic-inch (4.9L) inline-six as the base engine and the 302 (5.0L) small-block, with the carryover 351M and 400 (335-series) big-blocks offered for 1980-1981 before the 351 Windsor (5.8L) replaced the 351M for 1982 and the 400 was discontinued. The 460 (7.5L) big-block left the lineup for 1980 and returned for 1983. Electronic fuel injection arrived on the 300 and 302 for 1985. The 1980-1986 Ford F-250 was offered in regular-cab, SuperCab, and Crew Cab forms, with the Camper Special package available.