Remember, too, they were going to offer it to Ford as a seeming co-Presidency (for which I’m glad it didn’t end up with him. Because while Ford was a nice man, he was also a liberal RINO).
Ford as VP in 1980 would’ve likely meant no Bush presidents FWIW. VP has little effect but the question is: would Ford have run for POTUS in 1988 (he would’ve been about 75)? Maybe, but impossible to say.