I bought my 1988 F-150 2 years ago, which originally spent its life in Nevada and was driven to an Illinois dealership 2 months before I got it. My Dad drove it home (I was only 15 then) and it's been sitting alongside our driveway ever since then, until Sunday. My Dad and I had to move it a little farther down the driveway last Fall, but it wouldn't turn over. In fact, there was just about no charge left in the battery. Apparently, the battery's warranty expired in 2003, and it had gone completely dead, so we had to tow it to its new location. After sitting there all Winter, we installed a new battery last weekend, and the truck roared to life after about 3 seconds of cranking! I drove it up and down the driveway and off in a bumpy clearing a few times to make sure everything was running smoothly. Except for pulling to the left a little from a low tire, there were no problems during the short drive. You can't kill a Ford! 8)
My plan is to get it completely restored to factory condition. Because it was a Nevada truck, there is no rust anywhere, so there won't be much body work to worry about! The fun part about this project is that I can use techniques that I've learned as a phone restorer; one of which will be using 50/50 bleach to get rid of the yellow from the headlight lenses. Since these pictures were taken Sunday, I've removed the trim around the wheel wells and installed the new license plates (that's why it still shows an Illinois plate in the rear! ::) ). It will cost a lot to get replacement parts and get it repainted, but for now, I'm priming the little rust there is and repairing anything necessary. It also deserves fresh oil! :)
It's a 4X4 as well, very nice.
Here is video on how to clean up those headlights.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8KzRFo1K8Y (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8KzRFo1K8Y)
It'll be effort well spent . It looks mighty good to begin with. In the event the lenses are flatted like ground glass, you might price new housings on Ebay. The sharp dog that had my truck before me tried renewing the lenses by applying brake fluid to them. I got new housings for around $35 apiece. LMC truck is a good source for parts as well. Here is another big help for used parts. http://www.car-part.com
Thanks guys!
There are reproduction light assemblies on LMC Truck (I will be using that site for the majority of the parts I need) but I would prefer to restore the originals. I'm using a phone restorer's philosophy with this project; use what original parts I can. Besides, $86 for a reproduction part is pretty expensive when the originals are in great shape.
The problem between your '96 F150 and my '88 is the assembly was never designed to be disassembled, so I will apparently have to pry the lens apart in order to clean/bleach it. On top of that, I read that the battery and coolant tanks need to be removed in order to access the screws to remove the assembly! A lot of work for headlights! :o
That truck, when you get the headlights cleared up again, will come in handy when you pick up your first DMS-100 switch in Cincy soon:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/360159860836
8)
The coolant tank is easier to remove than it seems, just remove the tube from the radiator end and the power cable and set it aside with the washer tube on.
Quote from: 19and41 on April 20, 2016, 02:38:38 PM
The coolant tank is easier to remove than it seems, just remove the tube from the radiator end and the power cable and set it aside with the washer tube on.
I know; not very difficult, but still time consuming.
One thing that I like about the interior of this truck is it has a cloth bench seat! Both of my parent's trucks have leather bucket seats, and I've almost grown to hate them. The leather makes it uncomfortable to sit in, and you can't really shift around in them, they hold you in one position. In the winter, the leather cracks and feels rigid, and in the summer, it's burning hot and sometimes gets sticky. I think the bench seats are a lot more practical, and the cloth feels nicer!
I guess the buckets appeal to this old back because of the reasons you don't like them. That is a great interior. A smoker can louse up a fabric interior something awful. Yours looks untouched.
Quote from: 19and41 on April 20, 2016, 03:28:34 PM
I guess the buckets appeal to this old back because of the reasons you don't like them. That is a great interior. A smoker can louse up a fabric interior something awful. Yours looks untouched.
Whoever owned this before me took very good care of it, but left it uncovered outside. The inside smells exactly like a 30-year-old car should (sort of stale and damp, but no smoke smell or stains anywhere) and the seat isn't torn or broken. Heck, there isn't even a low area in the driver's spot! I've seen some Red and Blue interiors on trucks the same age that look like they were at the bottom of a lake for a year! :o
I have to hand it to the previous owner; they knew what they were doing by installing stick-on window tint. I personally don't like it, but despite being a Nevada vehicle for 26 years, the plastics have remained supple and crack/warp/melt/fade free. It's in Wisconsin now, so I will be peeling it all off! :)
The paint couldn't hide from the sun, though; The paint and primer on the hood and roof is baked off, with surface rust peeking through in some areas. Not a problem, a little preventative maintenance (I.E. Rustoleum Primer) will stop any more rust spread!
Looks good to me just as it is, after a complete tune up. I would like to pick up something like this, a longbed, single cab truck (preferably a standard) for my wood shop this summer.
Are you going to daily drive it?
Ben
Awesome! Congrats on a great truck! The inside looks like it just left the showroom, amazing! There are plenty of kits out there to restore the plastic headlights. They stay looking good for about a year or so! You have to remove the damaged outer layer so be sure whatever kit you use has sandpaper or a fiber pad to sand them smooth, otherwise the results will not be good!
Ben:
I originally wanted an extended cab with a short bed, but I'm starting to really like the classic lines of the standard cab with a long bed. I will be using it as a daily driver, but to prevent more rust from spreading, I won't be driving it much (if at all) in the Winter, despite being 4 wheel drive!
Harry:
The headlights look like normal oxidized headlights in the pictures, but they look foggy because of moisture on the other side of the lenses, and are thoroughly yellowed from the Nevada sun. I actually polished the outside of the lenses last year, but they still look the same; it's all moisture inside the assembly, a common problem with this era of Ford trucks.
I made some progress today (a first for a non-phone project for me)!
Apparently the headlight assembly was secured directly to the bulkhead behind the lights/grille with only 3 nuts each, so they were very easy to remove.
My Dad figured out that the lenses were given a bad clear coat. I gave them the Easy Off treatment, and the foam almost instantly turned dark yellow (a good sign that it's removing the paint) and after a few minutes, I wiped it off, and the lens was perfectly clear! Whatever the original owner used was probably designed to give a glossy appearance to the weather-beaten matte plastic, but didn't work (sand was trapped underneath, giving it a textured finish; they never cleaned/prepped the surface!).
I then wetsanded it with 800 grit, followed by 2000 grit, followed by polish. I took a before/after shot just before I started on the next lens. Yes, the paper underneath the lenses is full-width paper towel, just to give you an idea of how huge those headlights are, they seem so much smaller on the truck! :o I also polished the turn signal lenses and cleaned the housings in the dish washer (put away the clean dishes already in there so my Mom couldn't get too mad... ;D )
I have off school tomorrow, so my next plan may be to prep the grille for repainting. I found some paint that seems very close to the factory color, and will probably be using that.
Looks good!
Two thumbs up for great job, looks good. Dishwasher eh, now you have me thinking.......... ;D
After almost 2 years of waiting (plus a few nightmares of my driver's test in the last week), I finally have my license!!
I discovered in the past couple months that the truck had been repainted at some point. When I tried using a wire wheel to remove a spot of rust on the rear fender, I started grinding through some surprise Bondo, revealing about a 7-inch long section of rusted through steel on both rear fenders! :'( The stainless fender rims must have trapped rain water against the body for long periods of time, causing it to rust. Nothing serious or structurally damaging, but it still annoys me! >:( The good news is I checked the rocker panels, doors, and cab corners, and they are completely rust-free!
The truck is being repainted at some point anyway, so I removed as much rust as I could, primed the bare steel, and will let the body shop work their magic.
I was going to install the headlights/grille when they were done, but the original pins that held them in place were all brittle and breaking apart. I tried searching all over the Internet, but couldn't find that part. I will be going to the local Fastenal to see if they have a decent replacement.
I sandblasted the very corroded battery tray, and my Dad powdercoated it in textured Black. Now it looks like I bought a brand new one! The idea to leave the metal uncoated was not a moment of brilliance on Ford's part! :-\ I'll try to get a picture of how it looks later.
Congratulations, Mr. Independent Wheels!
My dad had a '74 Ford F100 that had a rusty battery tray and underneath was a huge hole. When we sold it in the late 1990s, that battery was about to fall through the rust hole. The same thing happened to our '72 Ford station wagon. You could see daylight under the battery. We had to get creative with holding it down. Yes, that's one place they skimped at Ford way back when.
They usually had a plastic tray the battery sat in, when new, about the thickness of a paper sack.
A really nice truck! Old pickups can be fun and easy projects to piddle about on, fixing up this and that all the while you drive them and use them. My first car when I was 15 was a pickup, a 1973 Chevy C10, and I've owned a truck of some sort ever since. (35 years or so)
You've got a good classic there, the single cab long is almost extinct. Old school with the two-tone paint. Good work on those headlight covers.
Here's my 1972 Ford, sold it a couple of years ago. That's all original, the paint, trim, glass etc.
Thanks everyone! It's not much of an accomplishment that I'm getting it only a little over a month before I turn 18, but I get to appreciate it more than a 16-year-old, right? ;) It's interesting that everyone in my family got their licenses at 17, but I'm the only one that passed the test the first time.
It is kind of sad to see that body style going away, but with full-sized trucks getting bigger overall in the last few years, the standard cab looks a little ridiculous on a modern truck.
McHeath:
Very nice '72! You don't see old trucks with original paint in mint condition. When I searched for my truck, I couldn't find a single '87-'91 F150 like mine for sale with the original paint in great shape.
I couldn't get a picture of the battery tray, but here are some of the grille. I sanded down the original metalized coating that was starting to wear off, and repainted with a spray paint that matched the original finish, followed by clear coat. It looks great now, but I just hope that it lasts through car washes, salt, snow, cold, heat, bugs, etc.
That grill looks amazing, great job.
Nice work! those bugs and other debris hasn't got a chance against you keeping it ageless.
Very nice Christian. My first car was a '62 Thunderbird with a 400 under the hood. It's amazing I am alive to tell about it. Way too fast for a young kid......and I was young.........Then....... Doug
More progress!
I decided to try re-coloring the plastic pieces of the locking hubs on the front wheels. I know, I know, it's not exactly helping me get it on the road, but it's something that had to be done eventually! ::)
It's hard to tell from the 'before' picture, but they were originally red. Someone else had success with Rit dye, and Rit has produced a new product this year called Dyemore, which is designed specifically for plastics and polyester. I tried it out, and the result looks great! Not only that, I tried scratching the surface after dyeing, and none of the color scratched off. The color seems very deep. The picture does lie a little, as it looks darker and not pink at all.
As for phones, I'm still working on them, and will be posting a thorough chemical polishing topic this weekend.
The applied trim on my truck was faded about that bad and I tried that Outlast from armor all. It did a nice job on that and the plastic portions of my rearview mirrors.
Quote from: 19and41 on December 02, 2016, 11:26:06 PM
The applied trim on my truck was faded about that bad and I tried that Outlast from armor all. It did a nice job on that and the plastic portions of my rearview mirrors.
If this had more of the original pigment left, something like Armorall may have worked. I assume Outlast for you gave the plastic a wet look, but after using Acetone to clean these parts, I realized the wet look for these was a pale pink at best. :o There was a thick layer of oxidation that took me an hour to scrape off with my fingernail, so the color was long gone.
I used Mother's Back to Black for some trim on the bumpers awhile ago, and while it's not permanent by any means, it sure looked great temporarily! It also cleaned the trim, so while it washed off already, the plastic still looks black after being thoroughly cleaned.
I finally got my baby road-worthy today!
I tried starting it up yesterday, and again, after sitting for almost another year, it started up instantly! The problem: the only exterior lights that worked were headlights and parking lights. It took about an hour and a half for my Dad and I to realize that someone must have stolen several working fuses and replaced them with blown ones.
I drove it around the block after sunset, and everything worked great! For a 30 year old workhorse engine, it sure didn't mind letting the rear tires slip a little when I floored it! ;D
I have a new job that starts tomorrow, so I wanted to get everything working before then. I still have a long way to go before everything's working perfectly, but at least it's on the road! :)
Sounds great! Good luck with the new job - hopefully it doesn't interfere with your "permanent" job - collecting and restoring phones!
Jim
Quote from: compubit on January 22, 2017, 08:17:35 PM
Sounds great! Good luck with the new job - hopefully it doesn't interfere with your "permanent" job - collecting and restoring phones!
Jim
Thanks!
It shouldn't interfere too much...except for allowing me to buy more! ;D
Christain, is that that a 5.0?
Ben
Quote from: WesternElectricBen on January 22, 2017, 09:30:06 PM
Christain, is that that a 5.0?
Ben
Yup! So far, it seems to be a great engine. I'll let ya know when it lets me down! ;)
Here's a picture I got the other day at school.
I'm glad to say that the paint on the grille seems to be holding up very well, no chips or flaking! I noticed a bubble in the chrome front edge a few months ago; if it progresses, I'll send it to a plating company to have the entire grille stripped and re-plated (including the original plated finish on the inner silver part). The headlights look nice too! :) Don't worry, the 4x4 logo is in my glovebox! ;)
You can see the rust on the rear fenders. It's not too serious, and it's the area most prone to rusting through on these old trucks. I ordered some patch pieces that will replace the rusted panels when it gets repainted.
When the patch panels arrive, I'm going to meet with the body shop owner to discuss getting my truck repainted. It should get painted sometime in the next month or so.
Looking good! Great first ride, it's in such good shape and a classic.
The day is finally (almost) here! ;D
I will be meeting with the body shop tomorrow to discuss bodywork. My mom is going to Hawaii with her friend next week, so the plan is to use her truck to go to school/work while she's gone, and my truck can start being stripped down/repainted.
Oh yeah...I discovered more hidden rust! >:( The lower rear sections of the bed sides are rusted through and Bondo'ed over. Fortunately, it's not too bad, and I already have the patch panels on order.
NICE TRUCK. 88s forever
Nice Bronco! ;D Is it yours currently?
Christian;
One nice looking truck.
D/P
Thanks D/P! ;)
My truck has been at the body shop now for a week, and they're sending the body panels down the street to be stripped.
It looks like the restoration will take longer than expected, about 3 months. To speed everything up, the body shop wanted to simply replace the bed sides with reproduction versions, and it would cost roughly the same as patching the rust on the original fenders like I wanted. The problem is, the only manufacturer that makes the entire bed sides is a Chinese company, and is known for using much thinner, lower quality steel than OEM material. They also have issues with panels not fitting properly, and the thinner steel means ripples that would need to be smoothed over with Bondo.
The patch panels I bought are American made, and are actually slightly thicker than the OEM sheet metal. I decided to use the patch pieces instead of replaced panels, as I would rather have a mostly original fender with thicker steel pieces than a thin reproduction fender, even if it means it will take slightly longer.
I'm from California, so we don't have the rust problems you do. So I take it you can't find a good bed & just swap out the beds, like we do out here.
Christian,
Good choice, are you planning on having the truck sprayed with rust proofing when the body is finished?
Yeah, finding completely rust free beds for a 30 year old truck up here is impossible. Even the rust on my truck wasn't from salt; the body shop manager guesses that it was dirt that was trapped in the fenders for years. The dirt held water, causing the metal to rust.
Yep, it's getting undercoating (I'm thinking either Ziebart or Line-X) and rustproofing in the fenders. Anyone in the salt belt knows that leaving underbody steel alone or lightly coated in paint will be rusting away in a matter of years.
My Dad has had experience with vehicles that had fenders rustproofed. He said that one van was in perfect, rust-free condition (driven daily) for years, but eventually formed a tiny triangle-shaped rust hole in the fender well. Sure enough, when he checked behind the fender, there was a triangle-shaped spot the undercoating guy forgot to hit! :o
I'll also be getting Line-X treatment for the bed, the only real 'modification' I'm making to the truck. It's one of those things that I know I'll regret when something rolls around back there and chips my perfect paint! :'( I'm destined to use my bed for hauling stuff; it's the longest by far of all 3 trucks in the family! ::)
Even though Line-X is more expensive, I'm keeping costs down for the initial paint job because there won't be as much labor involved in making the paint in the bed look perfect, it's getting coated in Line-X anyway!
My Dad stopped at the body shop today to drop off some parts. There was a pretty big hailstorm recently, and they were swamped with repair work on other cars until now, so they only recently started work on my truck.
Look, rust is repaired!! ;D
It's been awhile since an update, and I know everyone is just dying to hear more... ::)
Not much progress has been made recently; the truck was supposed to be done by mid-June or so, but it doesn't look like it'll be done by then. The bed was repaired and sent out to a local media blaster (owned by the father of one of my co-workers) and it came back with spots of untouched paint everywhere. In order to have the rest of the truck done right, the blaster wants to charge extra, plus it would take about a month longer to have them get around to it. The body shop told us that they could hand-sand the rest, and it wouldn't cost as much, plus it would take less time. Needless to day, I took the hand-sanding option!
Here's how the bed looks now:
From the factory, my truck came with a brushed Aluminum trim panel mounted to the tailgate. Somewhere along the line, someone replaced the entire tailgate, and the trim panel went with it. I found a cheap replacement on eBay, but it was heavily oxidized, with little white and black specks everywhere. I tried Brasso, which removed the specks, but there was still a thin film of oxidation, plus an ugly, uneven brownish tint that you could see in broad daylight. (You can see the splotchy tint on the far end of the panel in the first picture of it.) I then tried sanding, which removed some of the surface scratches, but did nothing else.
I decided to buy some Aluminum Deoxidizer and metal polish from California Custom, which is supposed to work wonders on Aluminum diamond plate.
Step one was to rub the liquid Deoxidizer into the surface, then immediately follow up with the polish. When I started rubbing the Deoxidizer in, I noticed the brown tint was being removed with the Deoxidizer. Remember, I tried water and soap, Meguiar's Compound, and Brasso: NOTHING ELSE removed that brown. The Deoxidizer is just Liquid, no abrasives at all! It also removed the white film.
The center strip that looks polished is where the red reflector will go. Unfortunately, that area didn't clean up very well, but it seems like it has a coating over the Aluminum that washed off the exposed areas.
The 'After' is in the foreground, and 'Before' is in the background. It's hard to see, but the difference is definitely there!
Here are some more:
Mine had the panel missing. An ugly sight. I found a replacement gate on car-part.com. Your restoration is coming along nicely.
Well, it looks like the restoration is going along smoothly!
For the longest time, my truck sat outside the body shop without its bed; probably around a month. The manager kept dragging his feet with making progress, saying that 'the guys' preferred working on collision vehicles first, which I don't believe. He's a nice guy, and really seemed enthusiastic about everything when we talked to him, but only made progress when either I or my Dad bugged him about it. Since he initially said it would take around three months back in mid March, I expected it to be done about mid June. It didn't look anywhere near being less than a month from completion.
Last week, he was transferred to a different location closer to where he lived, and the day his replacement arrived, my truck was in the shop; every body panel--except the cab--off the frame. I had the chance to take a look at it today. Every single repair had been completed in less than a week; the bed ready for paint, hood and fenders sandblasted and being prepped for primer, the doors and cab totally stripped down, sanded, and ready for primer.
The new guy assured me that the truck will be totally done by the first week of June. Earlier than expected!!! ;D
I'm really excited to get this guy back on the road! (Not the manager, the truck!) ;)
That's cool. The new guy probably said to one of the guys "What's that out there?" and when he got the history, put an end to that stall. Probably a liability issue involved with parking it there that long also.
Your story reminded me of a Huey we had in the corner of a hangar which was used to cannibalize parts for the rest of the fleet to keep those birds up and running. Parts were hard to get in that most went to Nam so if a part was needed, it came off that one bird to be replaced when the part actually and eventually did come in.
One day some ranking officer toured the hangar and when it discovered the Huey hadn't been started or flown in over a year, told us to get it up and running in two weeks or loose the aircraft. I'd only been there for two months when that happened but guess what, it flew in less than two weeks. They even found a test pilot willing to take it up on it's post maintenance test flight (aircraft that aren't run for a period of time can develop seal and bearing issues causing not no nice landings with a helicopter (they like to be flown often), nothing worse than a planetary gear failure in the transmission). Amazing how a change in management can get things moving and/or done.
Anyway, only a year late ( :-\ ) but I'll be seeing you on Sunset Drive, soon . . . Right?
Quote from: TelePlay on May 19, 2017, 01:48:34 AM
They even found a test pilot willing to take it up on it's post maintenance test flight (aircraft that aren't run for a period of time can develop seal and bearing issues causing not no nice landings with a helicopter (they like to be flown often), nothing worse than a planetary gear failure in the transmission).
Cars are the same way. People will always get really excited to find an old car with really low mileage, thinking it's a great deal. May be a good buy but it will need a lot of work very soon. As with the helicopter seals & gaskets have dried up from not being used and will start leaking once the car is driven. There is a lot of seals and gaskets in a car, engine, transmission, shocks, differential, etc. Also any rubber parts like tires, hoses, belts, weatherstrips, etc will be in the same dried out condition.
Great story, John! Yep, it sure sounds like my situation all right!
You will also probably see me driving down Sunset on the weekends this Summer! ;D Just don't confuse my truck for a rusted out Burgundy one; that's an idiot from school... ::)
Harry;
That's the flip side with buying a barn find, both in the phone and car world! Still, I'd prefer replacing seals, bushings, bearings, and gaskets than rotten floorboards, rocker panels, cab corners, cross members, etc... :o I guess my lightly-driven desert truck was the best of both worlds! ;D
My Dad has a ton of pictures on his phone, but here's one that he sent me. Notice how the dyed locking hubs faded again... :'(
There was a freshly repainted Red Camaro or Chevelle in the background. My paint should look that nice pretty soon! ;D
Quote from: WEBellSystemChristian on May 19, 2017, 08:57:22 PM
You will also probably see me driving down Sunset on the weekends this Summer! ;D Just don't confuse my truck for a rusted out Burgundy one; that's an idiot from school... ::)
Christian, it would be pretty hard not to notice you in your truck on Sunset summer . . . ;)
It's a one of a kind that will be impossible to miss, or confuse with ANY other vehicle . . . ::)
(http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=16095.0;attach=161850;image)
More updates!
Yesterday, we went over there to drop off some parts, and saw everything in fresh primer!
When we went there today, the bed, tailgate, and cowl were all in Dark Gray, ready for the two tone Silver. I had my doubts, but it's looking pretty freakin' fantastic at this point! You can't even tell that the bedsides were patched!
Nice!
It's looking sweet! Can't wait it to be finished.
Thanks guys!
Believe me, I can't wait for it either! It should be done either sometime next week or early the week after.
Lots of progress!!
The doors, hood, fenders, and cab are all painted Dark Gray now. The new manager seems a lot more enthusiastic about this than the old manager. He realized that I wanted this to look completely factory, so he kept all of the original factory stickers and labels in the door jambs, even some that had no use at all, but were original nonetheless. He also noticed that the wheel arches on the bed were slightly rippled (even though I couldn't see it) so he made the staff re-do those areas so they were perfect.
He also told us specifically that when he was transferred there, he was frustrated to see my truck sitting outside when there were fresh accident vehicles getting red-carpet treatment. He wanted my truck done a lot more than the other guy did!
The next step is getting the body panels attached to the truck so they can do the two-tone Silver. After that...full re-assembly! ;D
The end is near... ;D ;D ;D
The body shop manager told me they are projecting my truck to be finished and out the door on Friday!!!
Today, they finished assembling the body panels after painting the silver two tone. They got the roof two tone section dead-on, but the silver stripe is about an inch or two lower than factory. From the factory, the bottom inch of the tailgate was painted the primary color, but the tailgate is completely silver now other than the top bulge. It actually looks better this way, and follows the lines of the truck better. Plus, you see more silver from the back. As far as factory looks: I'm sure I'm the only person who will ever notice it, but it still looks great this way. I just wish I wasn't so finicky with details like that! :-\
The paint makes the truck look far better than brand new. I can't see anything here that makes this paint job seem--even remotely--like a local bodyshop did it. When they painted the primary dark gray, they wetsanded it, polished it, wetsanded it again, and then applied clearcoat. That's how much attention they pay to detail.
The current manager there didn't know that the former manager and I discussed rustproofing inside the fenders and doors. I'm glad we mentioned it today...they told us that asking in another day would have probably resulted in getting the rustproofing done in six times as long, as all the interior pieces would most likely be in by then, and they would need to be taken out again!
Holy cow, does it look beautiful...
Sweet!
Was that you I saw driving down Sunset yesterday?
Quote from: TelePlay on July 02, 2017, 12:05:26 PM
Sweet!
Was that you I saw driving down Sunset yesterday?
Did you see me in one of my parents' trucks?
As a matter of fact, I was on Sunset yesterday.
Did you see a red/orange Raptor? My truck isn't quite done yet, but it's almost there!
Here's a sneak peek!
The bodywork, paint, pinstriping, and trim are all finished! The only trim pieces that aren't attached are the aluminum fender trim rings, but those are going on tomorrow.
Apparently, after sitting without running for months, my truck has several problems, including several fluids that leaked into others! It was ready to go today, but they sent it to a mechanic's shop down the street to replace the fluids and give the engine a tune-up.
It should be with me tomorrow or the day after! :)
Fluids that leaked into others?? That is not something that should ever happen, sitting or drving. If you can you should get some more information, find out exactly what happened. Fluids mixing could be a major issue. I was a mecanic for over 38 years and still work in the auto repair industry so I speak from experience on this.
Come on Harry.
No big deal. A little saw dust or oatmeal will fix it right up. Anyway, a little antifreeze in the oil is good for the cam. Keeps the high points nice and cool.
Stan S.
Honest Stan's Used Cars
Come on down!
I'm with Harry on getting more info about this. One possible issue (as Honest Stan pointed out) is coolant showing up in the engine oil. This is frequently caused by head gasket failure, as the coolant system is pressurized. Obviously not good, and expensive to repair. Get the low-down from the mechanic on this one....
Harry and Paul
Remember the Cadillac HT-4100 engine? Cast iron block, aluminum head.
'We don't need no stinkin head gasket.' Use a liquid gasket material-faster and cheaper.'
One part antifreeze+ one part oil= zero camshaft.
Total tear down TWICE!
Three cheers for Roger Smith. FORMER CEO of General Motors
Stan S.
Yeah, those were not GM's best years. The next Caddy engine, the North Star star always leaked at the engine split, the block was basically cut in half! To try to reseal that required head removal which ripped the head bolt threads out of the block. I did that job only one time! After that I sent them back to Cadillac!
The one I thought about is the brake fluid, which will sometimes take on moisture during idle times. I had a Bronco II 2.8 that always had a coat of what looked like chocolate flavored cold cream on the valve cover interiors. It was long after I traded it off before I found out about the heads on those engines that were prone to micro cracks. It never adversely affected the engine, though.
It was just some gasoline that got into the oil. Apparently, it's just something that happens on 30-year-old trucks, especially after sitting for 4 months without running. Anyway, it wasn't a big deal; the oil was flushed and replaced, and all is well. There are several other dried-out seals, gaskets, and parts that are being replaced too.
The front brakes are also bad, so new disks are being installed. The mechanic told me that I shouldn't bother getting rear brakes, they're about 75% intact. It's seems like they're a pretty honest enough shop to tell me that--they could have just as easily told me to let them replace all 4 brakes, which would give them an easy profit. :)
Something else that scared me when I drove it was the idle. When I sat at a stoplight for a few seconds, the engine would start revving funny, and the tachometer needle would start spinning back and forth! Almost every time, I feared it would die if I let it idle too long.
Apparently, my Idle Air Control Valve, which regulates the engine speed at idle by controlling the intake airflow, was bad. That's being replaced too.
I'm glad I didn't have any more serious issues, like coolant in my oil! :o Sorry guys, I should have elaborated on that one! These guys are pretty trustworthy; they would tell me if I had a serious problem on my hands!
When the diaphragm in the fuel pressure regulator begins to fail, it will allow fuel to get into the oil. It can cause erratic operation of the engine as well.
Quote from: 19and41 on July 11, 2017, 07:24:04 PM
When the diaphragm in the fuel pressure regulator begins to fail, it will allow fuel to get into the oil. It can cause erratic operation of the engine as well.
It seems to me like the odd idle and gas in oil were unrelated problems. The engine ran beautifully when it wasn't idling.
The Idle Air Control Valve sounds like it kicks in only when the truck knows it's idling. It makes sense if that went bad...the problem starts at about the same time every time I stop (maybe a couple seconds after the truck is completely stopped) and they start on a dime.
If, say, the valve malfunctioned by closing and opening rapidly, that would explain why my tachometer goes nuts...the air being let into the engine is being cut off and forced in rapid-fire. Plus, it explains why it starts immediately after idle: it's designed to kick in when it knows the truck is idling.
The fuel pressure regulator might be bad, too. There was a whole list of parts that are being replaced, and they rattled it off to me, but I was too preoccupied staring at my truck! ;D
Can't blame ya for that!
Is the truck Fuel injected or carburetor ? If carburetor, fuel in oil could be intake manifold gasket leak.
D/P
Quote from: Dan/Panther on July 12, 2017, 11:56:39 AM
Is the truck Fuel injected or carburetor ? If carburetor, fuel in oil could be intake manifold gasket leak.
D/P
It's Fuel Injected. I'm not sure what it is, but it doesn't seem to be a big deal. I'm sure it was a seal that was dry-rotted and leaking--Nevada may have been kind to the sheetmetal, but not the rubber components! :o
My truck is apparently finished at the garage; they drove it back to the body shop so the body shop can finish working on it. The last little bits to do are attaching the trim rings around the wheel openings, and giving the truck one final cleaning before I get it back! Yay!!! ;D
I had a car redone like you are doing to your truck a long time ago...so exciting! I'm happy for you!
Enjoy!
Your truck looks great, I hope you get it back soon.
Thanks guys!
Any day now...
The truck is completely done, except...
...the rear trim pieces for the wheel wells aren't fitting right! ::)
It looks like the sheetmetal for the bed was slightly warped when they cut out and welded in the patch panels for the rust. The section behind the rear wheel wells is probably about a half inch higher than it should be, so the trim rings look like they're a half inch lower. It looks like the only fix will be to cut off and sand/polish the section of the ring that sticks out.
Other than that, done!
It's still there, but they're going to take care of the rings before I get it back.
Looks great. Also, I think it needs the Ford logo on the tailgate.
Quote from: WesternElectricBen on July 13, 2017, 06:49:51 PM
Looks great. Also, I think it needs the Ford logo on the tailgate.
Thanks Ben!
I still have the original trim panel for the tailgate which will be attached after I finish restoring it. That has a red reflector that has "FORD" in the righthand corner. This was still in the 'block letter' era, just as blue ovals were making their way back onto Ford vehicles.
Agreed, looks great! Congratulations.
How about before/after set of pics?
Great idea!
When I get it back, I'm going to try taking 'after' pictures from the same angles that I took the 'before' pictures. I didn't take very good pictures when I was there, but I will when it's back.
For now, here's the front: before and after:
Awesome!
It's finally here! ;D
When it's sitting in the driveway, everything about it looks so much nicer! My phone's camera doesn't show the red stripe along the side very well, but it really looks great in person!
There are still some emblems and trim pieces that I have to replace, repaint, powdercoat, touch up, etc, before it's completely done.
You can see where they cut off the bottom of the trim ring on the back. It's not obvious, but I'm going to do a little more work to make it look more factory.
;D ;D ;D SO HAPPY!! ;D ;D ;D
Finally! Congrats, looks great!
Sorry about being away from phones for awhile. I'm so busy trying to get my '88 into shape!
The 'XLT Lariat' emblems were in pretty bad shape, and were some of the parts that needed attention that the body shop couldn't restore or find parts for. The 'XLT' section was bright red plastic, and was dual-injected with the surrounding chromed emblem, and 'Lariat' was just indented and filled with flat black paint.
30 years worth of sun, rain, and sand didn't treat them very well--'XLT' cracked, chipped, and bleached itself to pale pink, while the paint 'Lariat' was filled with was chipping and peeling. Worst of all, both original emblems had peeling chrome on the top edge, one worse than the other. I ordered two extra used emblems off eBay, but one had the chrome completely worn off the top. I decided to use the less-peeling emblem from my truck, and the near-perfect emblem from the set off ebay.
I ordered Gloss Red and Satin Black epoxy paints from Klass Kote, which arrived last week. Last night, I filled the 'Lariat' letters in with Satin Black, which was pretty easy. Today, I coated 'XLT' in Bright Red. It's flush with the rest of the plastic, so I had to use the tip of a drill bit to fill them in without letting the liquid overflow onto the chrome.
Phew! It was a lot of work, but it was worth it!
Looks like a lot of work for 2 little emblems. A lot of effort to spend on something probably nobody will notice. But you are right, it is well worth it, it is the little things like this that make the difference between a good looking paint job and a fantastic looking one!
Quote from: HarrySmith on July 24, 2017, 07:46:01 PM
Looks like a lot of work for 2 little emblems. A lot of effort to spend on something probably nobody will notice. But you are right, it is well worth it, it is the little things like this that make the difference between a good looking paint job and a fantastic looking one!
A lot of it is me being finicky about how the truck looks: I would cringe if I had to walk past those pink and cracked letters every time I got out of the truck.
I doubt anyone but me would notice the black letters, but I have a feeling that the red ones will stand out. Every other truck on the planet like this has severely faded 'XLT' lettering, sometimes to the point of being unable to read. Along with the bright red pinstripe, manual hub knobs (which I will coat in this stuff), and eventual pinstriped wheel rings (plus tail lights and reflector on the tailgate) the lettering will really look great with all of the other red touches from the factory!
Here's how they should look when the epoxy is cured! My Dad held it up so I could take the picture.
You can see how nice it looks with the red pinstripes!
There are two 'pegs' that are supposed to be inserted into corresponding holes in the body. Each emblem has one peg broken off, so I will have to 'wing it' when I attach them, to get them level. The other trouble is, the paint is layered pretty thick in the holes, so I will have to sand the peg down so it will fit.
Christian - Regarding the emblems, I would do the same thing if it were my truck. With the paint looking that good, you just can't put the old faded emblems back on there without restoring them also. Besides, once it's all done, you'll have to park away from everyone else to keep that smooth sheetmetal clean! Then you'll have lots of opportunity to appreciate the details on the long walks back to your truck...... ;)
Quote from: WEBellSystemChristian on July 24, 2017, 09:26:26 PM
Here's how they should look when the epoxy is cured! My Dad held it up so I could take the picture.
You can see how nice it looks with the red pinstripes!
There are two 'pegs' that are supposed to be inserted into corresponding holes in the body. Each emblem has one peg broken off, so I will have to 'wing it' when I attach them, to get them level. The other trouble is, the paint is layered pretty thick in the holes, so I will have to sand the peg down so it will fit.
The emblems all used to be attached like that, with studs and speed nuts on the back. On the newer vehicles they are attached with double sided tape. You might be better off cutting the stud that is left and using the double sided tape. The other option would be to apply the tape around the stud and use it for alignment.
Thanks guys! I do park away from everybody else...either that, or park next to someone with a really nice truck (less likely to be smacked by their door).
Quote from: HarrySmith on July 25, 2017, 08:01:53 AM
The emblems all used to be attached like that, with studs and speed nuts on the back. On the newer vehicles they are attached with double sided tape. You might be better off cutting the stud that is left and using the double sided tape. The other option would be to apply the tape around the stud and use it for alignment.
These emblems are actually a cross between the two. The studs are simply for alignment, and they were attached with some kind of rubberized glue from the factory. When I put it on, one side will have to be 'eyed up' to make sure everything is level before permanently taping it on.
The Ford emblem on the grille is attached with the stud-and-lock nut method. All emblems on this truck are plastic, so the studs themselves are actually plastic--the nut is self-tapping, and threaded the stud as it was bolted on!
On my '96 F150, the pegs are to index the emblem with holes in the fender that is then attached with double sided tape.
Quote from: 19and41 on July 25, 2017, 08:22:02 PM
On my '96 F150, the pegs are to index the emblem with holes in the fender that is then attached with double sided tape.
Yep, that's how it is on my truck. I'm pretty sure the F150 emblems on new trucks have the same method.
The only difference with mine is that there is a border around the edge of the back of the emblem where the black adhesive was applied. I think they used the same stuff for the tailgate trim panel where it contacts the tailgate, to prevent scratching.
I will be using 3M double-sided tape for my emblems when I put them back on.
One other thing, If for any reason you are not completely satisfied with how the emblems appear, You can often find better examples on Ebay. That's what I did.
Quote from: 19and41 on July 25, 2017, 09:45:39 PM
One other thing, If for any reason you are not completely satisfied with how the emblems appear, You can often find better examples on Ebay. That's what I did.
One of the emblems I'm using here came from the best set I could find on ebay. Even that one had bleached and badly cracked letters--it's pretty obvious that Ford didn't have much of a grasp on UV-stable plastics in the '80s...
One company makes reproduction emblems, but they only have 'Custom' and 'XL', the other two F-Series trim levels at the time. The only one they don't make is 'XLT Lariat', for my truck!
I'm perfectly happy with these, as long as the epoxy stays in good shape! ;)
Great old truck there. Nice job with the details.
I'm waiting for the show off "Glamour Shots"!
Great truck! Looks like it's ready for another 30 years!
Jim
Quote from: WEBellSystemChristian on July 25, 2017, 11:25:34 PM
One of the emblems I'm using here came from the best set I could find on ebay. Even that one had bleached and badly cracked letters--it's pretty obvious that Ford didn't have much of a grasp on UV-stable plastics in the '80s...
One company makes reproduction emblems, but they only have 'Custom' and 'XL', the other two F-Series trim levels at the time. The only one they don't make is 'XLT Lariat', for my truck!
I'm perfectly happy with these, as long as the epoxy stays in good shape!
I had a '79 Ranchero in which all the internal white plastic in the instrument panel began to turn to chalk and crumble to bits. That was a dissapointment. It took finding 3 other assemblies to get one acceptable one.
Quote from: Pourme on July 26, 2017, 05:41:08 PM
I'm waiting for the show off "Glamour Shots"!
Oh, those are still to come! I still have the tailgate trim panel, emblems, etc to install before it's really presentable. In the meantime, here are some better pictures I took on a sunnier day. I also threw a 'before' picture in there for comparison:
I got new tires yesterday!
These are almost as close as you can get to the factory tires today. Back then, they were just called "Firestone Radial A/T"s, but today they're "Firestone Destination A/T"s. The A/Ts are pretty expensive, at about $80 per tire.
At the last minute, I decided to opt for the more car-oriented Destination LE2. The A/T is slightly more rugged, and looks less modern, but an all-terrain tire doesn't really fit an on-road, sunny weather collector vehicle, and at $50 per tire, the LE2 seemed like a much better deal to me. Plus, it still has the classic Firestone white lettering--very fitting for this truck! 8)
These tires are now the factory size, which is several inches shorter than the old ones. I can't believe how much easier it is to get into the truck now!
Those are some pretty nice prices on those tires. The only ones one can find around here between 50 and eighty bucks are pretty much maypops.
Quote from: 19and41 on August 10, 2017, 08:02:28 PM
Those are some pretty nice prices on those tires. The only ones one can find around here between 50 and eighty bucks are pretty much maypops.
I thought it was a great deal. A friend of mine at work has bought BF Goodrich KO2s for all 3 trucks he has owned, and he's only 23. Around here, KO2s cost over $160 per tire! I think I got a great deal on some factory correct Summer tires! :)
Well, no updates as far as the emblems go--the fender badges are pretty much finished and need to be installed, and the tailgate trim piece was clear coated, but needs to have original plastic pieces repaired/replaced, and will be installed along with the fender badges.
Last week, I drove to Kenosha to get my bed Line-X coated. I didn't want the bed painted when it was at the body shop: That would have been incredibly more expensive, plus hard to maintain and keep scratch-free. A plastic drop-in would have looked really cheap, as they tend to warp, scratch, crack, and collect dust and dirt. This looks similar to how a period-correct drop-in would have looked.
I also got Collector Plates!
I also got it detailed today. It took 3 hours, but it was worth it!
That's a nice job on the truck, Christian. I can smell the new just looking at the pictures.
That is one sweet truck! Definitely puts my old Ranger to shame (not that I still have the Ranger...).
I'm guessing you'll have to get Winter tires also... (You may have to sell one of your phones for them...) ;)
Jim
Thanks guys! ;D It sure is a nice truck!
Quote from: compubit on September 19, 2017, 07:35:08 PM
I'm guessing you'll have to get Winter tires also... (You may have to sell one of your phones for them...) ;)
Well, incidentally, I won't be needing winter tires for it. The bodyshop manager originally convinced me that my truck would not last through a salty winter. No matter how thoroughly they rust-proofed it, rust would find its way into little crevices in the body panels. I want this truck for the rest of my life--absolutely no rust!!
After considering what I should do back in July (buy a beater, rent a truck during the winter, etc), I decided to buy new. I was planning on buying a new truck in 5 years or so, but since I still live with my parents and don't have many other expenses, and have a stable job that pays well, buying a new truck now was the best decision. I have a much safer truck that can handle salt better (it's an Aluminum body, so make that far, far better :) ), and makes for a great truck for driving to work all year, without putting miles and wear on my '88.
Here's my 2017 F150. I've had it since July, and you can actually see it in the background of most of the pictures of my '88 since then.
It's a
fantastic truck, but it's no replacement for my '88, which is why I have both! I actually detailed both on Sunday, and my new truck took 4 hours to finish!
Yes, it did and will cost me an arm and a leg for 3 years, but it was worth it!
WOW, that is a nice truck. :)
"They" say if you own two of something you have a collection.Now you have two collections!...Nice truck Christian!
Very nice! Be careful, that color attracts tickets. ;)
My last F-150 was red also. I drove it for a dozen years...I loved that truck!...I know you will enjoy your new red truck!
Benny
Now your goal is to keep the 2017 for 30 years also!!!
J
Thanks guys! Yeah, I guess I do have sort of a second collection now! :)
It blows my mind how fast that thing is--I'm trying to teach myself to only use the speed advantage when I need to use it!
I hope to have it for another 10 years, but who knows? My parents say I'll probably have to rent out a storage center for my collection of personal previous daily drivers! ;D
I finally got my '88 into dry storage today, but not without aggravation. I walked out to start it up, and noticed that it smelled like a mouse nest. I looked over on the passenger side floor, and saw some straw and droppings. Oh great...
I opened the glove box...TA-DA! A five pound mouse nest was sitting neatly in the glove box, with droppings lining the bottom of the pocket. My registration papers and other important info were in there, chewed up and part of the nest. I pulled out as much as I was willing to without pulling the whole door out. Fortunately, the owner's manual and original factory paperwork was in a plastic folder, and the mice didn't touch that. The other big fortunate part is that other than some foam seals around the glove box door, nothing was damaged. The floor was covered in cr@p, but it was mostly only limited to the Weathertech mat.
I also found another nest inside the hood, but it's easy to reach, and no wiring appears to have been harmed. The truck started right up and worked perfectly on the way to the garage. Cleanup this spring shouldn't be too hard, especially since the glovebox appears to be easy to remove.
I saw a mouse running around inside the cab during the drive, and as I write this, I guarantee it's still there. I put out some mouse poison in the cab and under the hood, and since I'll be going back to move the truck into a heated garage on the same property this coming weekend, I'll find out if the mouse decided to leave or got hungry.
I realize they can get into the smallest of openings but how did they get into the glove box when there is so many great places under or in the seats?
BTW: you may need to follow the decomp odor if they ate the poison. They don't die on the spot with many poisons. I prefer the spring loaded mouse traps from Walmart (cheap) with a bit of peanut button the the lever. That an instant end and you know where to look.
Good luck, a nasty problem, indeed.
Quote from: TelePlay on December 03, 2017, 04:47:05 PM
I realize they can get into the smallest of openings but how did they get into the glove box when there is so many great places under or in the seats?
BTW: you may need to follow the decomp odor if they ate the poison. They don't die on the spot with many poisons. I prefer the spring loaded mouse traps from Walmart (cheap) with a bit of peanut button the the lever. That an instant end and you know where to look.
Good luck, a nasty problem, indeed.
I don't know, but they found the most hidden, easiest to fix and clean, least expensive place of the entire interior. The perfect original seat has absolutely no droppings on it of any kind, and there's only one urine stain on the carpet. The floor looks perfect under the seats, so they haven't been hiding there.
The poison blocks we use kill pretty rapidly. We had a huge community of mice living in our garage a year or so ago. One night, we set those blocks out, and the next morning, we found a dozen or more dead mice out there.
We'll be O-Zoning the inside when it comes out of storage, killing any remaining smells and bacteria. I'll be bleaching the inside of the glovebox, just to be totally sure the germs are long gone.
They got in my camper one winter and I had some major cleaning to do...I know how you feel...
Nip it in the bud, or they will destroy your wiring.
D/P
Quote from: Dan/Panther on December 04, 2017, 01:04:34 PM
Nip it in the bud, or they will destroy your wiring.
D/P
Good point. Might be a job for the Batzner guy to fumigate the entire truck in a closed room to kill off anything and everything. They know the best and have the right stuff to do the job.
That might not be a bad idea--I'll look into that.
For now, though, the poison blocks and eventual Ozone should take care of that. Our entire garage was filled with mice. Less than a week later, by just using the blocks scattered around, the problem stopped. That was a few years ago, so the mice are back now, but our property is filled with mice. The storage building my truck is in apparently has no mice issues. It was abandoned for 8 years, and not one mouse was found during cleanup.
A cat makes a good as needed corrective measure for the rodents, if having 1 or 2 is practical.
Quote from: 19and41 on December 06, 2017, 01:15:56 PM
A cat makes a good as needed corrective measure for the rodents, if having 1 or 2 is practical.
We have three. ;D
We only have one who explores outside the house, so she is the only one who hunts mice. The other two (litter mates) are scared of the outdoors, and both actually treat the mice they find in the house like their own pets; carrying them around gently and setting them down to watch them run around the room! ::) We scold the one who actually kills mice, because she usually catches them outside (far away from the house), brings them to the back porch, and then proceeds to tear them apart. Not fun to clean up after her...
When I lived in Utah, I lived in a mobile home and there was an old cat that hung around the place. She would catch lizards and leave me what she hadn't eaten on my porch. She'd come by a little later and finish it off. Cats can be generous with their friends. ;D
Quote from: 19and41 on December 06, 2017, 02:18:08 PM
When I lived in Utah, I lived in a mobile home and there was an old cat that hung around the place. She would catch lizards and leave me what she hadn't eaten on my porch. She'd come by a little later and finish it off. Cats can be generous with their friends. ;D
I have two Siamese that are great mousers. Last fall, 3 got inside. I got one with a trap and they got the other two. They actually treat them as toys, play with them, so whenever I see both cats siting next to each other staring into a corner or crevice, I know exactly what they found, or cornered.
Cats who go outdoor like to show off their catch. That's why they move their catch to the door. Got to be an ego thing or just showing off. Mine never go outside, cheaper vet expenses that way. Train them not to want to go outside by putting them just outside the back door in a poring rain and a foot of snow. They can't wait to get back inside and never try to go out after that.
At $600 a cat, they stay inside. Yeah, I know, pure bread Siamese are not cheap but they are, in my opinion, the best of all cats to have. Others will differ, I'm sure.
My grandmother raised Siamese. They have a character all their own. I can tell you stories about them, too.
Quote from: TelePlay on December 06, 2017, 02:28:22 PM
I have two Siamese that are great mousers. Last fall, 3 got inside. I got one with a trap and they got the other two. They actually treat them as toys, play with them, so whenever I see both cats siting next to each other staring into a corner or crevice, I know exactly what they found, or cornered.
Cats who go outdoor like to show off their catch. That's why they move their catch to the door. Got to be an ego thing or just showing off. Mine never go outside, cheaper vet expenses that way. Train them not to want to go outside by putting them just outside the back door in a poring rain and a foot of snow. They can't wait to get back inside and never try to go out after that.
At $600 a cat, they stay inside. Yeah, I know, pure bread Siamese are not cheap but they are, in my opinion, the best of all cats to have. Others will differ, I'm sure.
Our inadvertent mouser is a Calico Tabby, who lived out in Southwestern Wisconsin (extremely rural area) for the first 3 years of her life as a feral cat. She was eating dirt to stay alive by the time we found her, but she had undoubtedly caught an unimaginable amount of rodents and small animals in her time. She is a devoted house cat now, but loves to go outdoors (as much as we try to stop her), catch a small animal of some kind, and perform an autopsy on it outside where everyone can see it.
We also do stuff like that with her, showing her what it really feels like outdoors when she wants to go out. She sometimes sneaks out when we let the dogs out. After the first snow, if she begs us to go out, we just drop her in the biggest pile of snow we can find and walk away. She usually wades through the drifts to come back to the door as fast as she can.
In the middle of Winter, if she manages to get out (which is a huge, flaunting victory during the Summer), we simply close the door behind her. After she realizes how stupid her mistake was, she pretends that she really does want to be out there, finding a dry spot on the railing, desperately trying to look interested at the lifeless back yard. She ends up admitting defeat a few minutes later, slowly walking back to the door to beg to come in. The other two cats seem to mock her as she begs, sitting next to the heating register by the back door. ;D
I swear, our pets are human... :)
Got my truck back from storage yesterday!
Back in December, I left my glovebox open to prevent mice from making a home there again. I forgot that my glovebox is lit when open, which drained the battery completely. It took about 15 minutes to charge the battery enough to get the truck to turn over, plus another charge overnight when I got back. As far as I can tell, mice destroyed nothing other than some paper in the glovebox. The only paper that wasn't destroyed was the Owner's Manual, which is in a plastic folder. The old registeration survived, but the new one for my Collector plates didn't. Gotta get a new copy of that... :-\
I never got around to going back to install the cover while it was stored, so it was FILTHY. It took 2 hours to wash and wax (although I started cleaning the mice nests and interior out 5 hours earlier), but it looks better now than it ever has!
I was quoted $299 to have my steering wheel re-wrapped in leather. Ouch. I'll probably wait on that one for awhile...I can deal with a cracked steering wheel for now... ;D
Nice truck, Christian - those last 2 pics look like they are out of a 1988 Ford dealer brochure....
Quote from: RotarDad on April 29, 2018, 10:58:08 PM
Nice truck, Christian - those last 2 pics look like they are out of a 1988 Ford dealer brochure....
Thanks! ;)
Yep, pretty much... ;D