Junkyard Musings and Questions...

[Rembrant]

I must have walked past this truck below a half a dozen times, and I had been kind of ignoring it because it had "1995" written on the front fender. I happened to see it from a different angle this morning, and thought that the headlight looked like a Bricknose light...and then I noticed that the 5 had been crossed and it was now listed as a 1991. The certification label is missing, so I can't tell for 100% what year the thing is.

The reason I'm curious that I'd grab the cowl panel off of it. If it IS a Bricknose, the cowl panel will fit, right?
Can anybody confirm?





There is also another truck there, listed as a 1992, and with a certification label of 12-91. The cowl panel looks to be exactly the same as the other one. (Both trucks are from the same company, and both painted the same silver).



Will the 1992 panel fit?

[grumpin]

I don't know, but I'm interested. I would like to put one on my truck.

My Bronco has this style of course, much better.

[Dyn Blin]

Center Caps - Lesson Learned

'Was at the yard this morning.  They are down to a single Bullnose, and it's picked pretty clean.  Next to it was a 93 with 4WD and some shiny front center caps.

I took them home, but the openings are too small to fit over the front hubs of my 82.

Likely others know this, but it was news to me.

[Gary Lewis]

Yes, the cowl should fit.  It is a nice upgrade to keep leaves and other debris out.  Doesn't look exactly right, but does a better job.

Big Blue is sporting one of the polka-dot cowls, but Dad's truck will keep the slotted one with plastic screen glued under it.

As for the center caps, I certainly wasn't aware that the later ones were smaller.  How much smaller?

[Ford F834]

Were the caps by any chance 2wd ones with the center disc removed?

[Steve83]

Rembrant wrote

The certification label is missing, so I can't tell for 100% what year the thing is.

Read the 10th digit of the VIN, or the VECI label (under the hood somewhere) has the year in plain text.  This caption gives a few other locations for build dates:

Rembrant wrote

If it IS a Bricknose, the cowl panel will fit, right?

Yes.

Rembrant wrote

Will the 1992 panel fit?

No.

Dyn Blin wrote

...a 93 with 4WD and some shiny front center caps.
I took them home, but the openings are too small to fit over the front hubs of my 82.

The hub snout is the same size on all 1/2-ton D44IFSs ('80-96).  It might be larger on an early D44IFSHD, and it's almost certainly larger on a D50IFS.

Ford F834 wrote

Were the caps by any chance 2wd ones with the center disc removed?

That's possible, but not if the caps were on a 4WD truck to begin with.  The 4WD caps have a straight axial lip around the hub snout.  The rear caps (2WD fronts) have a stepped lip for the center discs to be glued to.

[grumpin]

Gary Lewis wrote

Yes, the cowl should fit.  It is a nice upgrade to keep leaves and other debris out.  Doesn't look exactly right, but does a better job.

Big Blue is sporting one of the polka-dot cowls, but Dad's truck will keep the slotted one with plastic screen glued under it.

As for the center caps, I certainly wasn't aware that the later ones were smaller.  How much smaller?

 Do you have a thread on this? I might try this.

[Gary Lewis]

I don't think there's a thread on gluing the plastic screen on.  In fact, I haven't done it yet.  But, my buddy John, the paint and body man, has done it on other trucks.  I'll get with him to get the details and get back with you.

[grumpin]

Thank you!

I cleaned it out this summer and already it's piling up in there! I sweep it off and reach and grab stuff but, boy it doesn't seem to take long to get debris in there.

I'll do something to try to stop it, or make it an annual clean up. I was thinking I could blow it down the sides and get in from the cab again.

[Dyn Blin]

Here's a pic.  Indeed, there is a "lip" (the '93 is on the left).  

I wasn't paying close attention, but would auto-locking hubs be smaller in diameter?

Anyhow, if anyone can use this, it's free for the cost of shipping.  I cracked the other one trying to punch the lip out.

[Steve83]

grumpin wrote

Do you have a thread on this?

I put activated charcoal filters in mine, and it stays in place.

grumpin wrote

...it doesn't seem to take long to get debris in there.

It doesn't all come through the slots, anyway.  Much of it slides down the w/s, behind the trim, and under the wiper valance into the cowl.  Look at the PREVious several pics in that album, and this one:

Dyn Blin wrote

...would auto-locking hubs be smaller in diameter?

No, and the locks aren't the issue, anyway.  It's the snout of the actual wheel hub.

[grumpin]

Steve83, thanks!

I've been gently lifting the trim and vacuuming it out. May have to remove the trim.

[LARIAT 85]

Why do you think it doesn't look right?  Other than the holes, a 1987 - 1991 cowl panel is an exact match.  

You would want to use a 1987 - 1991 cowl panel, not the 1992 - 1996 version.  The difference is in the body lines on either side of the cowl panel.  Both the 1980 - 1986 trucks and the 1987 - 1991 trucks had body lines on the hood that carried over to the cowl panel. The 1992 - 1996 cowl panel does not have those lines and is completely flat, and would not look right at all on a 1980 - 1991 truck.

I have one on Lucille and the holes in the later cowl panel match the holes in the center dash pad speaker grille perfectly.  If fact, I will go so far as to say the later cowl actually looks *better* than the earlier slotted grille for that reason alone.  Plus, it does a better job of keeping debris out than the earlier cowl panel.  Just like the later sun visors with the clips, this is a worthwhile modification because no one can tell the later cowl panel is not original to my truck.  I wouldn't have it any other way.  

[Steve83]

It's worth removing, and there are instructions for using that tool in the caption of the leaf pic.  It's very easy to make that tool, if you don't feel like buying one, and have some tin snips & scrap metal.

[Rembrant]

I see another Bullnose has arrived at the local Pick N Pull...
Can't get access to it currently. It's on the other side of the fence where they first come in. IT's either waiting to be drained of it's fluids, or possibly it's waiting to go straight into the crusher. I have to drop back in a couple days and see if it's out in the yard.

It's an '82-up obviously, and appears to be an F350 cab/chassis truck as it has some kind of a tank on the back of it. Looks like it has the large mirrors on it...and I don't think they were ever on 1/2 tons were they? Not much there that would be any use to me, but still curious to see what's there for parts. Bullnoses never show up in the yards here.

[NotEnoughTrucks]

Hate to see them stacked like that.

Usually means the short line to the crusher.

[Gary Lewis]

[Rembrant]

Ray,

I checked today and they tell me it will be heading out into the yard...they just don't know when. It's currently waiting for space, or to have it's fluids drained...or both.

I don't need much for parts anymore...but they're always worth a look.

[Gary Lewis]

One of these days someone is going to find the behind-the-seat storage or gun cabinet in one of these trucks.

[1986F150Six]

Next time I am in your area, let's look at the one behind the seat in my truck. It is black plastic and shaped to fit the space. Sometime, I will need to take it out and see if I can find some sort of identification.