My 1984 F150 2wd Flareside Project "Blue Mule"

[Rembrant]

Haha...Nabble will not let that 2nd picture post the right side up. I even tried flipping it 180 before loading it, and then Nabble posts it correctly...lol. So the only way it seems the picture will go is upside down.

[Rembrant]

Oh man, I need this thing like a hole in the head, but it's not all that far away...

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-details.html?adId=1369112254&requestSource=b

I'm leaving in a couple days to go offshore for a few weeks, and my wife would kill me...LOL., but still...Flaresides are like potato chips, you can't have just one...

[Gary Lewis]

I think you mean another hole in the head.  I mean, you already have one - truck/hole in the head - what's the difference?  (

But, for $2000 ($1500 US?) its a good buy - if it is all there.  However, if the trim isn't there or some other expensive parts, it'll add up in a hurry.

[Rembrant]

Gary Lewis wrote

I think you mean another hole in the head.  I mean, you already have one - truck/hole in the head - what's the difference?  (

But, for $2000 ($1500 US?) its a good buy - if it is all there.  However, if the trim isn't there or some other expensive parts, it'll add up in a hurry.

I had a chat with the guy, and it's all there...every bit and piece. Even the bed, as rotten as it may be, is all original. Still has the original wood in it, although it is in poor condition. It has (and had) the typical rust issues...front fenders, cab corners, etc.

This truck is a few hours north of me (which to me, is still "close"), and they do get much colder winter's up there. What that means is, much less road salt. So, as odd as it may seem, some northern (far northern) vehicles are kept almost as pristine as the southern ones.

My biggest issue is storage actually. I'd buy the darn thing just for the heck of it, but I don't have anywhere to put it;(.

[Gary Lewis]

Where's Ray/NotEnoughTrucks?  He seems to have storage galore.  

(Yes, I know he's a long ways away from you.  )

[Rembrant]

Ain't that the truth!

Ray is a few thousand miles west of me, and has a good 3rd of a mile on me in elevation...lol. (And I know that you know your geography). I'd probably consider outdoor storage out in the prairies...but around here, it's just too damp and wet...the brake rotors on my daily driver will turn orange with rust after sitting for only a couple days;(. Sad but true.

[Rembrant]

Nothing to report really in the way of project progress, but I did take told Blue Mule on a bit of a road trip today to visit my folks. I ended up putting 556 kms on the truck today (about 350 miles). The good news it that I managed to get 18.25 MPG. That was over a full tank, all highway driving between 60-65 MPH. I'm quite happy the mileage so far. I may make some further tweaks, and next time I'll even throw the factory air cleaner housing and air duct on for a test;).

[Gary Lewis]

That's excellent MPG for a strong engine like yours.  

And, good that you can take trips of that length w/o problems.  Well done!

[Ferdinand]

Awesome project Rembrant! I can't believe the MPG you are getting!!

[Ford F834]

Nice picture! I have heard that the 302 can return some good highway mileage if tuned and geared right. Do you happen to know your truck’s curb weight?

[Rembrant]

Gary Lewis wrote

And, good that you can take trips of that length w/o problems.  Well done!

Haha, ain't that the truth! Funny...I drove my wife to work yesterday as I'm on vacation, and she was all concerned..."what happens if you break down?, how will I get home, etc".

I wasn't really worried, I mean, that's what wreckers are for...lol, but still, I watched the gauges like a hawk, and listened for any little noises. The temp gauge is not scaled properly, so I need to get that fixed up in the near future.

I'd like to be able to drive this thing to Oklahoma one day for a Bullnose gathering;). I'll keep taking it on little road trips to test it out, and then maybe she'll be ready next year for a big trip. (and maybe I can hit 20 MPG...lol).

[Rembrant]

Ford F834 wrote

Nice picture! I have heard that the 302 can return some good highway mileage if tuned and geared right. Do you happen to know your truck’s curb weight?

I checked it not long after installing the engine, and it got 16.5 MPG at that time. I've now got a few more miles on it, and I've played with the ignition (a little bit). I'm really happy with the 18.25 MPG. Of course the 5spd trans and 3.08 diff are a big help in this department.

I know that the wide tires are not helping the fuel efficiency, but they're not going anywhere, so I'll have to work with them. If I installed a set of the small factory size (215/75-15) on there, I'm sure it would help bump that number upwards a little.

Something that would help is cruise control, and that is on my to-do list, but not this year. Hopefully that's something I'll have installed and working for the 2019 Bullnose season;).

I do not know the weight, but I've been very curious myself. I may check with the construction scrap yard up the road and see if they'll let me go for a drive on the scale.

[Ford F834]

I remember reading that 2wd flareside was the lightest configuration for these trucks... almost muscle car light... which made them attractive for go-fast toys. However it would also benefit those on a quest for good mpg. I don’t know how much it affects highway mpg (as I recall at higher speeds the weight factor is less significant than the wind drag), but it would certainly help the average mpg with start-stop city driving factored in.

[Rembrant]

Ford F834 wrote

Do you happen to know your truck’s curb weight?

Fresh off the scales this morning Jon, and it registered at 1680 kg, with me in it.

So, that works out to 3696 lbs.
Minus me at about 220 lbs dressed, and the truck would weigh 3476 lbs.
That's with an estimated 80 lbs of fuel in it too (should be about 12.5 gallons in it when weighed).

So, with coolant and lube oils, but with an almost empty fuel tank, the truck would weigh right around 3400 lbs I guess. Would that be the curb weight? Not sure how the weight of the fuel plays into curb weight.

That's also without a spare tire and spare tire hanger assembly.

I've been really curious about the weight, so I guess that settles it. I removed some weight under the hood when I removed the emissions equipment and air pump, etc. Heck, even the aluminum manifold is significantly lighter than the cast iron 2bbl factory intake.

I was originally thinking that the dual exhaust added weight to the truck, but the more I think of it, it probably didn't add all that much. It now has two small 14" mufflers instead of the one larger factory style/size muffler, but at the same time, I also removed the stock catalytic converter and associated pieces.  The shorty headers are probably a little lighter than the original cast iron exhaust manifolds. If there's any added weight in the exhaust, I'm thinking that it would really only amount to an extra tail pipe...if anything at all. It's probably a wash all things considered.

The tires and wheels are definitely heavier than the factory set up. I have no idea how much, but it could be 15-20 lbs at each corner? I don't know.

There...
I've examined that to death haven't I?...lol.

[Gary Lewis]

Wow.  That is light for a truck.  

And, hope you can make it next year!  Tomorrow is the show, and today people are arriving.  We are having a gathering of Bullnose fans at our house this evening, but the show is for all years of Ford trucks.  Perhaps as things, like the forum and the Bullnose contingent of the show, grow we may have a Bullnose section.

Back on the cruise control for MPG.  Maybe.  I believe that most cruise controls are detrimental to economy, and the more power the engine has the more detrimental they are.  That's because they always respond after you hit a hill and then try to maintain speed by opening the throttle abruptly.  I know that I can easily beat the cruise control's MPG on Blue by feeding the engine manually, and you can see the difference on the turbo display.

But, the Bullnose cruise is operated via vacuum.  So it might be possible to use an orifice to slow the application of throttle.

[Rembrant]

Gary Lewis wrote

But, the Bullnose cruise is operated via vacuum.  So it might be possible to use an orifice to slow the application of throttle.

Gary,

I was actually intending to install a Rostra cruise control (servo operated). I have some experience with these kits and have used them before. They are really accurate...you can set the gain, etc. I've already spoken to them, and the factory Ford VSS (already purchased) will work fine for feedback.

I should note however, that my intention for cruise control is just to maintain a steady speed on the highway. MPG was not my main goal.

With the 5spd and 3.08 diff (and 300HP 302) it is really easy to over-speed with this thing, and I had to concentrate to keep it steady (and slow...lol).

Anyway, that's a project for 2019;).

[Gary Lewis]

If you can tune it then maybe it will help with MPG.  Anyway, it'll be a cool project.  And, a big help when you come to visit in a year.  

[Ford F834]

Wow. Your truck is roughly 1,000 lbs. lighter than my ‘81 and about half the weight of my IDI. When I think of curb weight, I think of a fully equipped truck as it came from the dealer with all fluids and spare tire etc., but without extras like a tool box... or the driver.

I’ll bet the light weight and the 5 speed makes it fun to drive! And you are right that 3.08’s with overdrive help a lot in the mpg department. I can see why your speed would tend to creep up on you thoughwith the V8 power band. I want to add cruise, or “speed control” but just for convenience and comfort.

[Rembrant]

Ford F834 wrote

Wow. Your truck is roughly 1,000 lbs. lighter than my ‘81 and about half the weight of my IDI. When I think of curb weight, I think of a fully equipped truck as it came from the dealer with all fluids and spare tire etc., but without extras like a tool box... or the driver.

I’ll bet the light weight and the 5 speed makes it fun to drive! And you are right that 3.08’s with overdrive help a lot in the mpg department. I can see why your speed would tend to creep up on you thoughwith the V8 power band. I want to add cruise, or “speed control” but just for convenience and comfort.

I suppose all the differences add up pretty quickly huh? Front differential, axles, front driveshaft, etc. Then there's the transfer case, 16" extra inches of frame and rear driveshaft, 8 foot styleside box, step bumper? Air conditioning I assume?

I am really really pleased with the 5spd swap. It's nice in the sense that it's a truck transmission, and it was for the most part all plug and play (it looks like it belongs in the cab). I wasn't wanting the thing to be a hotrod, but at the same time, I did have an urge for a bit of a hotrod feel (V8 rumble, shifting gears, etc). It pulls along pretty good, I must say. I'm happy with the 3.08 diff, but it almost needs a 3.25 diff or maybe even a 3.55 if one wanted it to be really sporty. To me, it's a great little driver and I have no intention of changing it, but a 3.25 would get it into the power band just a little bit better I think.

[Rembrant]

By the way, my fuel gauge is not going to completely full reading.

See pic below of where it sits when full. Is this an issue with the float in the tank? It seems to work fine otherwise. Gauge was a hair above Empty yesterday, and it took 14+ gallons to fill. I assume that's a fairly normal fill amount for a 16 gallon tank that's just above the empty mark.