I have a 94 f-150, 302, reg cab, 8 ft bed, 4x4, and need to replace my tailgate...the one on the truck now is pretty smashed up from hauling stuff, it's beyond repair...so now i want to buy a new one, but need to find out if it is possible to replace it with the type that have F O R D spelled out in raised letters on the rear...right now, the one on the truck has a silver panel screwed to the rear, it doesnt match the truck and I dont like the look...Im pretty sure that the one i am talking about is from an older year truck, but will it work? thanks

 

Yes you can. I had the one with the silver panel on it and I hated the way it looked, plus one of the joints rusted out on it so I went to the junkyard and found one with ford imprinted on it. It fit in perfect. I don't think they changed the tailgate brackets very often. Even the angles and body lines met up the same, so you cant tell its not original

 

Oh and yea the ones with the imprinted letters are older. I dont remember exactly, but I think I took mine off an 86, but who knows if he took it off another truck too

 

if you take that silver panel off, your tailgate says FORD. they were all the same, the trim piece, i heard, was an optional item.