Well, I figured it was time to give my '81 a little FTE love. I bought this truck in Nov. 2009 (man, does time fly) for $500. At the time of purchase the truck had only been up North for a few months. The truck is a little beat up, but the lack of cancer is what sold me on her. It didn't run when I bought it (P.O. had hooked up the starter solenoid wrong)... I'm not sure he appreciated it when we got it running to load it, but we asked prior to doing it. The C6 hemorrhages a/t fluid out of the front pump, one side of the dual exhaust fell off at the manifold somewhere along their trip up North (and they proceeded to run it like that), but the 351w is still running strong.

Pics from CL ad:


When I initially bought it the plan was to use the body for my '84... but that never happened. So she's quietly sat in my driveway waiting for me to do something with her. I've tinkered with it, replacing little things here and there like the bench seat, dash pad, door panels, hood, cluster/radio bezels, grille (82-86 style, first had the argent style, but recently switched to chrome), trim pieces, a broken Ranger emblem, tailgate panel, cab-side XLT emblems, rear slider (82-86 style), wheels/tires, and installed a tach cluster... I think that covers it so far.

First day home:


Hood and grille (argent 82-86 style) replaced:
\

Rear slider replaced:


Tailgate panel replaced:


Upper fender trim replaced:


Lower trim and Ranger badge replaced:


XLT cab emblems replaced:


Out with the argent and in with the chrome grille:


Still working on the interior:


XLT bezel with factory radio with bumpside *****:


Gauge bezel and tach cluster:


As she stands today:




Build sheet:


All this time I've been trying to figure out what to do with it, use it for parts or fix it up. Then I bought my '80 F-350 with plans to fix it... but the truck is just too damn rusty for the trouble. So New Mexico is receiving the TIB arms off the F-350 and will either end up a dually (D70, 4.10, posi) or SRW truck (Sterling, 3.55, open). I haven't decided yet on the motor, but most likely a stock 460 or a built 400 my friend pulled out of his Dads truck. So that's it for now. Updates as they happen (which I don't think will take all that long).

 

Looks like a good project. Keep us updated and POST PICS. You can never have too many pics. I love to watch these trucks get a make over. Maybe we oughta make this the extreme make over forum of FTE.

 

Truck looks great man!

However, something is fishy here......

 

Looks like a pretty decent truck you got there!! Where did you get all the exterior trim pieces? (wheel arches, etc.) Good luck!!!

 

Trust me, there will be no shortage of pictures for you guys! I know what addicts y'all are!

Thanks man! LOL, you know what they say about imitation...

Anything I put on the truck has/will come from either the jy or parts trucks I've torn apart. I consider this a budget build of sorts... which is fitting for the times.

 

I need to spend some more time in wrecking yards!! Thanks for the info

 

Tonight's project...

Donor bezel (bought on ebay):


I used a gift card to get the emblem off:


I did the same with the XLT bezel:


Mounting tabs are in different sizes and locations:


Tabs removed:


I used Super Glue to adhere the emblem:


Back in the truck:

 

Sweet. Nice job.

 

Thanks!

More updates for you guys:

A Jeep full of Ford:


Moldy Rosewood horn button meets it's new home:


All together and in the truck:


Tailgate panel off my '80 F-350:


NOS XLT tailgate panel emblem I got off ebay for cheap:


Diamond plate bed rails to cover up the eight trillion holes drilled in the rails:

 

Looking good. Keep up the work.

 

I'm absolutely honored!


This right here is how I built my F100 up to where it is now. The only things that won't be from the junkyard are the important parts like the engine and transmission. I just wish my favorite junkyard would nab a 1980-1984 XLT or Ranger Lariat/XLT Lariat so I can get a tailgate panel for my truck.

 

Watch for the upper trim to. Noticed your missin it on the tailgate. Thats not to hard to come by. Trucks lookin good chump keep postin.

 

I've been so busy messing around with Jeep projects that my Fords have been thoroughly ignored these past months. Poor New Mexico has been stuffed in a corner at my building waiting for me to do something... anything to it.



The first plan was to put it up on a dually frame... but I haven't been able to find a nice bed for it and I refuse to cut up the one on it now. Then the plan was to put it up on the '84s 4x4 frame after I swapped it onto the F250 frame. However, after a lot of thinking, hemming and hawing, I've decided to scratch my original plans. New plans are to a) leave the '84 where it is and sas it and b) throw N.M. up on the F250 frame and do most of what I planned for the '84 to it. Where the '84 was being built to be a full on toy, New Mexico is being built primarily to haul.

I finally have the F250 frame, '86 chassis, and N.M. under the same roof so hopefully I'll have some updates to show shortly. More than anything, I'm just happy to be focusing on my Fords for the time being. It'll probably be like anything I do... slow going, but hopefully by summer I'll have something to show for it... that is, if my other 5 "winter" projects don't get me distracted.

And yes, this update is indeed !

 

Have you ever checked the mpg with those 2.47 gears and the 351? Or did someone already swap one or the other out?

 

It's all original, but I never had a chance to drive it far enough with the trans spewing fluid.