Blurby Back Ribs

[Ghastlyship]

Hey all,

My name is John and I've been a Bullnose owner for 7 years now. My 1983 F100 300 i6 styleside lwb was my first vehicle right out of high school and I've recently (past 2 months) become captivated with making my truck something of pride for myself. Unfortunately, the younger, "less educated", version of myself did not take very good care of it and now it is no longer road worthy in it's current state.

My plans for the future of it will be to find a project truck and use my current one as a parts truck. But, as I live in NH, the rust belt has taken its wrath out on poor frames and bodies, which happens to be what I need the most.

So, while I am procuring the things I need to make a truck I'd be proud to call mine, I am using this site as a way to get me on track to understanding what I need to do to be ready for such a commitment. Learning is one of my favorite hobbies and I hope to do just that. And if I am able to help along the way, I guess that's not so bad either.

John

My '83 in 2010

[Gary Lewis]

Welcome, John!  That was a good-looking truck, and I'll bet you can get it back in shape - with another truck and a bit of help.

What are your intentions for the engine?  Transmission?  Will it remain 2wd?

Again, welcome!

[Ghastlyship]

As of now, I am working to get the engine running. It's sat for two years and I really need to get it to move so I can put it under better cover. I am working on the Alternator wiring harness now and need a couple of fusible links and pigtails to rewire it. I pulled it off because green corrosion was coming out of the middle like a pixie stick.

If I can find a shell for the drivetrain that would be ideal. If I find the whole kit and caboodle then I'll use my 300 for backup or sell it. I would like to keep the 300 as my engine and maybe the c6 but I'm not opposed to switching Transmissions. If I were to do that, I think I'd go with a m/t as I like that option.

If I can I'd like 4wd but it isn't necessary. It's got a c6 in it that will do me well once properly dealt with. We get several feet of snow here in NH, however, I know how to handle it with a 2wd vehicle and am not very concerned in that regard. Plus I don't plan on using it for offroad or big tow jobs so more may not be better.

I'll add pics later of its current condition but the complete break in the rear of the frame between spring mounts kind of puts it off the road for good.

P.S. The green corrosion is NOT lime flavor.

[Gary Lewis]

Not everybody sees/reads these introduction threads, so you will probably want to start a new thread/topic on fixing up your truck in the main section in order to get a larger following and more helpers.

As for the transmission, the C6 is one of my least-favorite units if you want MPG.  It is robust, but w/o an overdrive or lock-up torque converter it is a gas hog.  There are only two autos that offer those features and bolt to that engine.  One is the ED4OD or its later brother 4R100, and those take an expensive electronic controller to function.  But the AOD will bolt up and it does lock up and has an overdrive.  However, it isn't the stoutest of transmissions, so wouldn't be a good choice if you are towing heavy things.

But, if you aren't going to drive the truck a lot of miles then the cost of changing transmissions is probably not worth it to get the gas savings.

[Ghastlyship]

I'm not worried about MPG right now. I am really just getting what I have to function enough to get around the yard. I'll start a thread about the wiring harness as you suggested.

Thanks for the warm welcome, hope to be of use at some point.

John