My 1984 F150 2wd Flareside Project "Blue Mule"

[Gary Lewis]

Cory - Looks fantastic!

As for rolling the window down to close the door, I've heard that the later trucks have vents just because of that.

[ArdWrknTrk]

My truck has lovers in the lower door section with the 'liner' like a flap behind them.

I still noticed my windshield had come loose back around '13 because I slammed the door and the wipers would jump.

[FuzzFace2]

Rembrant wrote

The Blue Mule and I had a sensual Meguiars session last night before going out for a drive. As much as I love my Flaresides, they're a little more of a pain to clean compared to a truck with a Styleside bed!

In any case, I thought I'd let you guys know that my doors are already a little easier to close, especially the driver's door that obviously gets used 100x more than the passenger side. One thing that is a big help is to roll the window down before closing it. Once I do that, it closes pretty well now.



Filled up again this morning an got 16.7 mpg on this recent tank. That's a half a dozen tanks now all within 0.5 mpg of each other, so that's nice and consistent.

Going to pick up my cans of SEM Color-Coat in a little while, so I'm pretty excited about that. Going to try and get my door panels all RE-installed this weekend.

Truck is looking good.
I did not do the waxing but I did wash my truck today, first time in a week it has not rained, also did the wife's car.

I also find if a window is down a little the doors, mostly the passenger door, is easier to close also.

I hate you on the almost 17 mpg

Good luck on the door panels and color coat.
Dave ----

[Rembrant]

FuzzFace2 wrote

Truck is looking good.
I did not do the waxing but I did wash my truck today, first time in a week it has not rained, also did the wife's car.

I also find if a window is down a little the doors, mostly the passenger door, is easier to close also.

I hate you on the almost 17 mpg

Good luck on the door panels and color coat.
Dave ----

Thanks Dave!

I'm getting more and more used to the 5spd and 3.08 gears. It's not bad. Really, for all intents and purposes, I drive the truck like a 4spd, and only use OD on the highway or on level ground where there is no real load on the engine. The MPG means a lot to me...a few months ago, gas was $5 per gallon here, so that can quickly put a damper on how much I get to drive the truck.

As of today, the truck now has 69,360 kms on it, or about 43,000 miles. I have now put about 8k miles on it since buying it in 2017. However, just about everything has been replaced now...so the only items that are still original to the truck are the starter, the 1G alternator, the clutch fan, and the 8.8 rear end. I think everything else has been replaced by now.

Hoping to have the door panels all painted and reinstalled this weekend so they're not kicking around the garage anymore.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Every time you post a picture I'm not only impressed by your composition, Cory, but by the incredible beauty of Novi.

Once you linked that video of "Cape Breton Chats" and I found it so uproariously funny I watched a few.
Now YouTube bombards me with videos of the Cabot Trail, Highlands, and of course Tracy & Martina.

Now I have a yearning to get back to Dingwall and Sydney, and I don't know what to do....  

[salans7]

Truck looks good Cory! I've never been a huge Flareside fan, but the F.O.G is making me feel otherwise.

[Rembrant]

ArdWrknTrk wrote

Every time you post a picture I'm not only impressed by your composition, Cory, but by the incredible beauty of Novi.

It's not a bad place to live if you don't mind the weather;). Black flies just arrived a few days ago, so that's something to complain about now that it's nice and warm...lol. Cape Breton Island is especially nice, with the Cabot Trail being our premier tourist attraction. We're hoping to get around a bit with the RV this summer and see some of the local scenery ourselves...you know the stuff you kind of ignore because you live here...lol. I had to check out Tracy and Martina...I hadn't heard of them...lol. Definitely from the Sydney area. It's like a whole other country up there. They have their own culture, accent, etc.

salans7 wrote

Truck looks good Cory! I've never been a huge Flareside fan, but the F.O.G is making me feel otherwise.

The Flareside, and step side trucks in general have always been a huge interest to me. We all have different tastes interests, and that's a good thing. I have always been a big fan of the Bullnose body lines. Funny thing is, now that this truck is starting to feel like it's almost finished, I'm having urges to do it all over again...lol. I guess that same old saying applies, that it's the journey and not the destination?...I dunno.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I kinna wish your response was more about your talented photography!
But there's a lot to be said about a culture that can have so much fun poking fun at themselves.

Here's hoping that you and your wife get on with the master redecorating plan and have a chance to enjoy some of that beauty in your new RV.

I've got to think that harsh weather in the Maritimes is nothing compared to the northern plains provinces and the Yukon.  
But that's just me...  

[Rembrant]

ArdWrknTrk wrote

I kinna wish your your response was more your talented photography!
But there's a lot to be said about a culture that can have so much fun poking fun at themselves.

Here's hoping that you and your wife get on with the master redecorating plan and have a chance to enjoy some of that beauty in your new RV.

I've got to think that harsh weather in the Maritimes is nothing compared to the northern plains provinces and the Yukon.  
But that's just me...

Ha! Well, I'm just about to pour my second cup, so maybe I'll take the old Bull on the scenic route when I leave the house and snap some pictures for ya. Lots of stubby trees and big rocks!

Our weather is nothing like the upper Midwest or the Canadian prairie provinces. There are some benefits to being at sea level;). I always joke that we get Boston's weather a day later. For us it kinda depends on which direction the weather is coming from. If it's coming east from upstate NY, then we're getting piles of snow. If it's coming up the coast with the Gulf stream, wind and rain. It was 80F and clear yesterday, just about perfect. I think we'll be lucky to hit 60F today, but there's no rain in the forecast for another week. If it was up to me, it would be 75F all year long with just enough of a breeze to keep the flies at bay;).

[ArdWrknTrk]

I see now that you're looking for another Flareside!

His & Hers maybe?
You narrow bed fans are absolutely taking over this forum, and I don't know how I feel about that...

[Gary Lewis]

Cory has a good eye for photography.  As does Jonathan.  It is obvious in their pics.

How do I know?  'Cause when we lived in the UK I bought every photography book and magazine they had and read every one.  I understand the technology behind a shot, and can replicate a shot.  But I can't create one on my own.  It takes that special "eye" and I don't have it.

As for the weather, it is funny what people will tolerate.  If you grow up there you seem to accept that place's weather, regardless of how bad it is.  Having moved around a bit we've come to observe the weather in various locations and realized what we like and dislike about them.

Anyway, I'm for you getting another Bullnose - even if it has a narrow bed.  I'd love to follow along on the journey.  

[Rembrant]

Gary Lewis wrote

Cory has a good eye for photography.  As does Jonathan.  It is obvious in their pics.

Gary, a friend of mine that is/was into photography once told me that anybody can be a photographer if they have something nice to take a picture of. He mentioned a percentage at the time, but I forget what it was now...something about 20% skill, and 80% being something nice to take a picture of.

ArdWrknTrk wrote

I kinna wish your your response was more your talented photography!

Well Jim, here you go...I went for a scoot out the road from my place while I was sippin' on my second coffee. Nothing too special, just some grainy iPhone pics from the cab of the old Bull.

I live in Whites Lake, and the pic below is about all you can see of it. This is at the bottom of the hill about a half a mile from my house. PS: While I was pulled over here, a guy in a dump truck slowed down and gave the old Bullnose a thumbs up!








Some nice twisty roads out this way. Very popular with the motorcycle crowd. The province keeps the roads in pretty nice condition because of the tourist traffic. The downside is that it is often very busy in the summer, so if you really want to clean off your chicken strips, you have to go early in the morning;).




This is why I always joke about the big rocks and stubby trees! It's gets more and more barren as you get closer to the water.






Rolling into Peggy's Cove here.






You wouldn't think that you'd have to warn people, but you do. Somebody gets killed here every year or two, and I can assure you it's never a local.





Here are some pics from the Swiss Air memorial. You can see the lobster boats out pulling their traps.






That's it! I finished my coffee here, and had to start working my way back home. I had some precious weekend cargo, fresh Timbits for the dogs, and they wait anxiously by the door for me to get back;).

There you go. A few pics from the coast of rocks and stubby trees! (And a few shots of the old Bullnose to keep it on topic!)

[salans7]

Nice pics Cory! That area is beautiful!

[Rembrant]

salans7 wrote

Nice pics Cory! That area is beautiful!

Shaun, you'd probably find it a little cool up here when it's a blistering 75F out near the water in the middle of the summer...lol. Actually, it gets much warmer inland, but it's always cooler out along the water. Makes for a nice summer drive.

[salans7]

Oh yea, 75 degrees is freezing for those born in Florida.

Yesterday it was 103 when I got in my truck after work. I park the truck in an open concrete lot, so that's probably why. By the time I got home the truck was telling me it was 94. But when I checked the weather shortly after, the costal temperatures were all in the low 80's.

I prefer to live inland in the wide open spaces, but sometimes those are the hottest places.

[grumpin]

Great shots! Very nice! Coffee and a nice drive in the Bull, can’t beat that!

[Chris Guthro]

Looking good Cory!! It s Beautiful spot for a cruise! Gas is creeping back up now so enjoy it now 😜

[ArdWrknTrk]

 I can't believe I really posted that.

I've got no problem with rocks and windblown scrub.
The little lobster boat I used to pitch in on was from Nova Scotia, and we'd drive up there for traps every few years so the scenery is familiar as well as beautiful.

Light house pics never get old.

Give the pups a little scratch between the ears for me!
A friend of a friend is a friend.

[FuzzFace2]

What can be said that has not been said yet, vary nice.

I can take that summer temp but not the cold & snow and even more so now that I have been down here for 5 years, we only get a little ice and everything shuts down.

If I could find another bullnose (LB?) with a nice cab and that flare side bed for $300 was still around I would look into making an "express bed" flare side.
Back in the day they made 3 different size flare side beds, short bed 6', long bed 8'and the Express bed that I think was 9' long. Ok so I would make a long bed flare side Bullnose.
Dave ----

[Gary Lewis]

Beautiful scenery, Cory!  And good pics as well.

And I'd buy the 20/80 rule.  But for me it is 20 out of every 100 shots might be suitable for keeping.

Notice how on many of your shots there's something, like the road, that leads your eye right on into the pic?  That doesn't just happen.  It is the mark of a good photographer.