Not sure why I didn't find this forum sooner

[Rockhauler]

Thanks for the welcome Gary, not sure why I didn't stumble onto this forum before but glad I did now.

Presently running a 1985 F250 ext cab 6.9 diesel with the granny 4 speed and a 1986 F150 ext cab short box 4x4 300 6 cyl with a overdrive 4 speed. Don't see many of these trucks driving around anymore up here in Northern Ontario.

The 86 is going in for a overhaul shortly as its my daily driver and needs some maintenance and sprucing up.

Paul

[Gary Lewis]

Welcome, Paul!  Glad you joined.  

Ontario?  Would you like to be on our map?  You can see it on our page at Bullnose Forum/Member's Map, and we just need a city or postal code.

We have more of the trucks down here where they don't rust as badly.  But there aren't all that many of them, so we get lots of questions when we drive them.

[grumpin]

Welcome!

[ArdWrknTrk]

Glad you DID find the forum, Paul!

Welcome!  

Do you drive a triaxle, or a bigger truck?

[Rockhauler]

Thanks for the welcome guys,

Jim the rockhauler name comes from my wife wanting some rocks to make a rock garden and me being a heavy equipment mechanic. She had no idea what was coming till I showed up with a rock in the back of my Ford. It took 2 one ton chain blocks working together to lift the rock high enough to load into the back of my Ford.

Paul

[ArdWrknTrk]

Impressive!
I'm sure your wife loves you very much!

Any particular kind of heavy equipment, or one brand?
Do you work for a big company or just your own shop?

(No need to answer, if this seems too personal)

[Rockhauler]

No problem Jim, started in a open pit quarry then switched to underground mining. Worked on a large variety of different equipment and brands from trucks, loaders, drills, crushers, etc.

I retired a few years ago.

Paul

[Gary Lewis]

Wow!  Well done!  

[BigBrother-84]

ArdWrknTrk wrote

Impressive!
I'm sure your wife loves you very much!

Any particular kind of heavy equipment, or one brand?
Do you work for a big company or just your own shop?

(No need to answer, if this seems too personal)

Well Paul, looking at the gift, I would say you love her very much too!


Nice truck, and welcome!

[Rockhauler]

Sorry for the late reply Jeff, yep she's still with me so guess I'm doing something right.

thanks for the kind words and welcome guys
Paul

[ArdWrknTrk]

You look way too young to be retired....

Is there something in particular you were looking for when you signed up?

What are your plans for the truck?

[Rockhauler]

Hi Jim

Guess I should of added that pic of me is from about 30 years ago. That red truck long gone to the crusher I used it pretty hard. By the time I finished hauling several large rocks home the box floor was bellied down and rubbing on the fuel tank. The middle box cross members were completely flattened to the box floor.

Why join the forum well the 85-86 Ford trucks have been my only vehicle since about 1990. The dark blue F150 was my daily driver and after about 700k its now due for a complete overhaul. While searching for ideas for upgrades found this forum and liked how the core group interacted.

In the past have converted 2wd auto trany to 4x4 with manual overdrive, replaced part of the firewall to add AC to a non AC truck. Couldn't find a extended cab short box truck years ago so bought a extended cab long box and cut the frame and removed 18" between the front box mount hole and the front leaf spring mount and welded it back together. Then cut 18" out of the box between the front of the box and the front gas tank door and welded it all back together. This kept the dimensions the same as Ford did to shorten the truck so things like a box liner fit.

Other interests are nature photography and woodworking. Below is a link to my photography website.

http://users.vianet.ca/pmsmith/index.html

Paul

[ArdWrknTrk]

That's awesome!  

"Built, not bought" .... but you followed directions and made it so stock parts fit. 👍

My F-250 has about 460,000 on it and most people are aghast.  😱
I did replace the engine in 2008, when a bitter cold start spun a bearing.
That's what drove me to FTE, and soon after I 'met' Gary.

There are a few of us that fled when ownership changed.
Gary, Bill, Myrl, Shaun and myself for sure.

Glad you've found us and decided to join!

[Gary Lewis]

Yes, glad you found us.  

[Rockhauler]

Don't have many pictures from the early builds but found these when converting a 2wd 8 cyl auto to 4x4 6 cyl manual overdrive. Nasty surprise when I removed the box back window seal leaked and had rotted back of cab. So cut out the bad section and welded in a piece from another cab.

The story of why the frame section is in the 3rd picture is the frame of the truck in the picture was rusted badly in one spot beside the front fuel tank. Truck had been poorly oil sprayed by previous owner in that the harder to reach areas were neglected. I stitch welded and bolted part of the frame section to reinforce the frame in the weak section.

Gary you can put me on your map I'm located near Sudbury Ontario.

Paul

[ArdWrknTrk]

Between the midship tank and frame rail is a notorious spot for rot and rusted out brake lines.
Few people bother, or do a good job even if they do think about it.

I like your photos.
Takes me back to a time when I could accomplish anything! (in my feeble mind )

[Rockhauler]

"Takes me back to a time when I could accomplish anything!"

Ya I would second that statement.

I striped that truck down to a frame and bare cab and put it all back together with a quick paint job in 6 weeks. Also converted from 8cyl auto 2wd to 6cyl manual 4x4 plus add that was working outside and it rained many of those days. There's no way I could pull that off anymore.

Had a good laugh when painting the hood while it was mounted on the truck. For the second coat my neighbor dropped over and wanted to try painting. So I let spray the second coat on the hood he's short so used a short piece of 2x4 pushed up against the windshield so he could lean over the hood farther. Well the paper covering the windshield ripped 2x4 slid up the windshield and there he was spreadeagled in the fresh paint on the hood.

When I installed new brake lines on this build coated them with a thick layer of grease and applied neverseize to all the fittings and bleeders. Lasted way better than I thought it would, only area the lines rusted was where they passed through some of the plastic brackets on the frame rails.

Paul

[ArdWrknTrk]

Brake lines like to rot between the midship tank and the frame rail, because no one washes the sludge out of there.

The new Nickel/Copper tubing all but eliminates corrosion, is much easier to form bends and flares.

I painted a car on a cool spring morning (back in the early '80's, Centari single stage enamel... VERY slow) and when it warmed up the mayflys came out!  😖😠🤣

[Rockhauler]

Been a while since I've heard the mention of Centri I assume the mayflies did some customizing of your paint job. My buddy's transam eagle impression didn't turn out to well but was funny to watch him try.

When I was selling prints of my photography the canvas prints were sprayed with a liquid laminate. Lost a few prints to the furry moths when they flopped around in the wet laminate.

Ford didn't help that section of frame by congesting that space with all the fuel lines to the selector valve. The newer material used in brake lines was long over due in my opinion.

Paul

[ArdWrknTrk]

Your buddy did the snow angel, full on screaming fire chicken impersonation on the hood of his car?  🤪