1973 Ford F-250 “BIG AND UGLY”

The 1973 model year brought the sixth-generation Ford F-Series, nicknamed the "Dentside" for the concave bodyside crease that is the visual opposite of the previous Bumpside's outward bulge. The 1973-1979 Ford F-250 is the three-quarter-ton truck of this generation, sharing its cab and front sheet metal with the rest of the F-Series. The biggest lineup change came for 1975, when Ford introduced the F-150 as a new model between the F-100 and the F-250, created in part so a heavier half-ton could sit above the federal 6,000-pound gross-weight threshold that triggered stricter emissions rules. The 1973-1979 Ford F-250 was gas-only; the first diesel did not arrive until the next generation. The base engine was the 300-cubic-inch inline-six, with the 302 and 351 Windsor small-blocks, the FE-series 360 and 390 big-blocks through 1976, the 335-series 351M and 400 from 1977, and the 385-series 460 (7.5L) big-block. All ratings in this generation are SAE net. The 1973-1979 Ford F-250 4x4 used a solid front axle, typically a Dana 44 with a heavier-duty Dana 60 available. The SuperCab extended cab arrived for 1974, and the four-door Crew Cab and Camper Special continued. The 1978 model year brought the largest restyle, with a single-piece grille and rectangular headlamps on the upper trims.