1981 F150 Blue. Named Walter, for now anyway

[rcarlisle]

Thanks.  I was a little surprised too about the hose.  But, when they replaced everything, they may have just used the quickest thing they found.  This truck is not one to use as a reference for correctness, for sure.  

The interior is just about completely done.  Not much else I can do on the cheap.  Time to stop on it.  I guess new carpet and sound deadener will be up sometime.  But it's road ready for now.  Nice enough to take the wife out in.

Next big project is going to be the choke.  I have materials.  Just have to set aside a day to mess with it.  

[rcarlisle]

Update 7-5-2021:  Been a while.  That's a GOOD thing though - means nothing going wrong and nothing needed desperately.   I was going to a cruise in on 7-3, so I washed the truck and took some current photos.   While I was waiting for truck to dry, I was thinking through things "to do".   I've been hung up on the truck needing lettering to make it look like what I wanted.  Ran through a bunch of things and came up with "Opa's Garage".   My grandson calls me Opa.  And I think I've worked on every vehicle in the extended family so that was the winner.   Back in the 90s I worked in a sign shop doing hand lettering and bought lettering brushes recently for the tailgate.   I sketched it out in my mind, got all the stuff together - china marker, brushes, some white exterior latex house paint, tape, tape measure, etc.   Drew it out on the door.  Painted it.   I would NOT recommend house paint for lettering that is supposed to look new.  BUT for this, it worked perfectly.   It was not opaque to start with.  A little windex on a blue paper towel and here's what I ended up with.   It's not the same from side to side.  Not really good at all.   So it was perfect for this truck.   Everyone seems to like it and got quite a bit of positive feedback.   Next time I wet sand, it should further age the lettering.   And at some point, it can be redone.  Maybe a little neater next time.  





Also see the sandblasted and painted spare.   With a new used tire on it.   It's going to live in the bed for now.  Or in the carport.   Not in the carrier.  Tailpipe in the way and too much hassle to get it in there.  



Cruise in was fun.   Did a couple laps with windows down.   Wife, grandbaby, and daughter rode in back, son & I rode up front.   Waved a lot.  Later, did a couple laps with windows up and AC blowing.  LOL.



 

Sunday, I got up and changed the oil.   Rotella T4 10W -30.   Hope that's thick enough.  How many qwuarts does a 302 hold?  5 qts had it full before I started it.   Probably needs one more.   I bought an extra 20W 50 to thicken it up some.   Oil was $20/gal at Advance.  We were at Lowes last night and same gallon was $15 and some change.   Will be looking at Lowes for oil next time.   Will still get a FL-1A though - not at Lowe's.  It's reading 94,9** miles.   Figure I'll put it on a 5K schedule.  Not sure how many actual miles are on it - PO replaced the cluster or had it fixed - so I just use that number as a reference for maintenance.  

Looked at stuff on the bottom - still has cat, but tube coming off of it is crimped shut.   Wonder if it has been gutted.   I don't have inspections of any sort in NC, so it could be eliminated - would that increase my mileage?  Pretty sure I need front shocks, from driving and bouncing on the truck.  They seem pretty soft.   Going to tackle the choke project soon.  

[rcarlisle]

Couple more photos just for my reference on where I am right now on project.











Interestingly, once I added the door lettering, the crappy paint suddenly doesn't bother me as much anymore.   I can live with it now.   At least I'm not worrying about painting it so much.  Had to add some bumper stickers and window stickers for a little more personality.   These were collected years ago when we went to Memphis and Clarksdale with my son for a music workshop.  

And thanks to the friend that sent me the decals of an 81 Ford truck that is like mine should look.  Those show up in a couple photos.   Those could probably be sold if friend was interested in doing so.  

Truck is pretty much done appearance-wise.   I will work on mechanicals as needed - shocks, carpet, sound deadener.  Probably need door panels eventually.  And anything we may find at a swap meet that will fit?  

I look back and see this is still less than 4 months since I bought it and it's been a ton of fun.  My wife is actually on board as a fan, too.  WHen we bought it, she didn't see it as anything but a clunker to haul stuff.   Now she is even into the Cruise in thing and speaks proudly of the old heap.  

[Gary Lewis]

Cool!  I like the lettering.  It fits right in, and now that we know the origins of "Opa" it makes a whole lot of sense.  

And I agree, the lettering pulls it all together.  It isn't a new truck and doesn't need to look like one.  But it is a clean, solid truck and can be very useful as well as fun.  

[grumpin]

Looks good!

[Bruce moose4x4]

Love the lettering, When I was a kid, in Missouri even personal trucks had to have a name and gvw on the door.

[FuzzFace2]

I love the lettering also
It dose bring it all together.

On the cat I dont think it will do much for the MPG.
Maybe for power if the insides are coming apart and choking the system.
Even more so if it is being pushed into the muffler.

When I got my truck it was running a cat only, no muffler, and it was coming apart.
Now I dont know if it was helped or not?
I removed it, added EFI manifolds (300 six motor) and factory pipes just forgot to install the cat  
My MPG are not great for a six.
Dave ----

[rcarlisle]

THanks.  

I'm going to say I'm pretty sure the cat has been gutted and put back top pass a visual inspection.  Truck pulls like a small horse (302).   My ex wife was bad about driving slowly and clogging cats, so I am aware of what that feels like and I got none of that.  Exhaust is new from cat back and I think it is all slipped to gether with clamps.   Might be worth a look back up into the cat.  There are welds on engine side of cat like it was removed/replaced.   Then new from there back.  

I don't think mpg is good on any of these trucks really.  Heavy truck, weaker motors from back in the day.  Good news is they last forever if maintained?  I would consider mine for DD status if it got better mileage, but 2 - 3 gals a day just to drive to work?  Not likely at current gas prices - $2.89ish here.  

[Jonathan]

Great job on the hand painted sign. It looks really vintage with the fading! It reminds me of my dad's old work truck in the 80's. It had a hand painted logo on the door.

[rcarlisle]

I did forget to mention that I had to fix tailgate last week as well.   One side quit working.   Rod came out of the handle.   Simple enough really, once you take them apart.  Little plastic clip that holds rod in handle had disintegrated.   Dorman lock rod kits to the rescue.   Not real happy with the clip I ended up using - the yellow one seemed best but I broke it not being careful enough and had to use one of the others.   We'll see how long it lasts.   I did take time to clean and lube all working parts while I had it apart.  

Is there something that goes in the cup on tailgate side of hinge to reduce the slop in that pivot?  I have nothing.  I guess it's part 12 & 13 on this page at LMC.  https://www.lmctruck.com/1980-96-ford/bed-tailgate/fd-1980-86-styleside-tailgate-parts

But looks like lots of good parts available there if your tailgate needs fixing.

[Gary Lewis]

Yes, the clips are necessary, and when they break you'll need to take it apart and replace them - carefully.  

As for the tailgate, that link to LMC pops up a request to tell them the make, model, etc of the truck, and I refuse to play that game so cannot tell what parts you are talking about.  (Don't get me started on LMC's catalog!!!!!!)  But our page at Documentation/Exterior/Beds, Tailgates, & Components has a nice illustration on the Tailgate tab.  You can get the base part number there and then click the Part Numbers tab and get the full part number.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I'm 100% with you on the new LMC website.   😠
If you don't make it simple for me to look at your products I'm not going to use you at all.

I'd thought the Fordifacation guy had started working at LMC and you expressed your dismay.
But obviously he doesn't have the power to change their front end, even if he is tasked with sourcing and sorting out their Ford parts.

[rcarlisle]

I use LMC for more reference than anything.  I see lots of little parts I could use and would order like I do Amazon (on a whim), but $5 shipping on a dollar part isn't good business for me.   I think I have less than $100 invested in parts from there so far.

I've gotten so used to entering in all that crap when searching for parts, that it is just an annoyance at this point.   I do wish they would just me choose the proper catalog and search for myself.  

[Gary Lewis]

Yep, Keith doesn't have the power.  I explained to him that with that popup they will NOT get my business, showed him the comments in our Vender folder, and he's shared all that with the powers that be.  All to no avail.

I personally think we should tell LMC we are boycotting them until they change.  I certainly am personally, but don't want to state that for the rest of you.

[Jonathan]

Gary Lewis wrote

Yep, Keith doesn't have the power.  I explained to him that with that popup they will NOT get my business, showed him the comments in our Vender folder, and he's shared all that with the powers that be.  All to no avail.

I personally think we should tell LMC we are boycotting them until they change.  I certainly am personally, but don't want to state that for the rest of you.

I came up with a new nickname for LMC (Lots of Mismatching Crap).

[ArdWrknTrk]

I can't speak for anyone else.
I'm just a cranky old man, who refuses to play that game.

Jonathan, you should just be glad that they have parts available.
Most of it matches very well even if quality might not be that of OEM

[Gary Lewis]

I have a request from a non-member to change our documentation to show that LMC's part numbers for the cab bushings is wrong.  And he gave me a link to FTE where it was discussed.  And in that discussion Cory/Rembrant said:

The LMC part numbers for those cab mount rear lower bushings is incorrect and it has been for years. I found out the hard way also. I've replaced them all in two Bullnoses, so I can confirm that the listing was wrong several years ago, and it was still wrong in 2020 when I ordered a second set for the 2nd truck. I just checked the website now, and they are indeed still wrong LOL. I even emailed Keith Dickson (he works there) about this a year or so ago, and it looks like LMC has no real interest in correcting the mistake.

None of this endears me to LMC.  Even when we supposedly have an advocate, someone I've met and for which I have great respect, we can't get them to fix things.  

[rcarlisle]

Personally, I think the biggest issue is our trucks aren't old enough to have a wealth of restoration parts and too old to have all the replacement parts we could need.   So we're left scavenging for whatever we can find.   So far, I've used LMC, NPD, Dennis Carpenter, Summit Racing (weatherstripping best price - go figure).  Plus Amazon and ebay, the local parts stores when possible.  Some vehicles you can basically build a whole vehicle from a catalog.   Finding Bullnose parts can be tough.  

Last time I had a "project" vehicle was before internet, so it's nice to be able to search the world for parts now, even though it's tough to find good parts that fit right.  

[ArdWrknTrk]

Both Shaun and Cory have pointed that out before.

There's no way I'd ask anybody to cross reference a vendors catalog.
Especially someone who already puts in so much time making the data available in the first place.

If you want the part, figure it out yourself!
I hit on this before when Vic wanted you to waste time with the diagrams.

[Gary Lewis]

Yes, we have a problem - our sources for NOS parts are drying up, and the vendor catalogs have errors.  I'm torn with the best approach on this so I've started a thread called Help With Ford Part Numbers vs Vendor Info.  Let's move this discussion there so as to not take over Randy's thread on Walter.