Hi

I joined awhile ago but just recently picked up a 77 F150 4x4 shortbox. Pretty nice shape, one owner from new. Was originally Coral but was given a very poor paint job many years ago.

DSO was Salt Lake City and spent a good part of it's life in Arizona and finally in Washington State. No rust and pretty much all original including the interior.

I live in B.C. and my plan is to bring it back to it's former glory over time. Have a few projects and looking forward to this one. Parts are already on order from Bronco GraveYard.

Had a 92 F150 super cab since new but sadly it was hit and now gone. Replaced it with a 94 F150 4x4 shortbox and now the 77.

Been active on a few other forums with a few other cars and looking forward to learning all the the nuances of the 70's F series trucks.

Took a few quick cell phone pics, not great quality but you get the idea.








And here are the three amigos, all three brothers however one from a different mother.



Wade
77 Ford F150 4x4 Shorty
94 Ford F150 4x4 Shorty
65 Lincoln Continental Sedan
65 Cobra (Factory Five)

 

cool truck!!!

 

Nice truck! I like it! Would like to see more pictures of it, and if the Continental just happens to get into the background, that would be cool, too!

David

 

Thanks Dirt Racer and rougeriver, I may have a pic of the Lincoln sitting around here somewhere.

I have my first question. I need to get another chrome cargo tie down, fortunately I see they are still available. How do you get the old ones out?

It appears there is an insert that the screw turns into. I have a feeling that the insert is just spinning in the hole as I turn it. There appears no way to get a grip on the insert because the box is sealed from the inside.

How to extricate the screws and tighten the ones that are loose? Only solution seems to drill through box side behind insert with a hole saw, get a grip on the insert and then plug hole with a rubber block off/firewall grommet?

Would prefer another method though. Can anyone confirm that there is an insert or were they just screwed into the box.

Thanks

 

One of your tie downs is missing, so what do the screw holes look like? Are they just plain holes, or are there inserts? (I know there is a proper name for these, but I can't think of it.) My truck has tie downs, and all of the screws screw into inserts. If the insert has broken loose, and is just spinning around, you might be able to use a metal wide blade putty knife under the tie down to catch the edge of the insert and exert some pressure to keep it from spinning while you back the screw out. I'm not at my truck at the moment, so I can't recall if there is access to that area of the bed side reaching up from underneath. Removing the tail lamp assemblies would give access to the rearmost. Drilling holes in the bed would be my last resort, but then again, maybe it's the best way to solve this issue.

David

 

Thanks David, will have a look to see if I can get at it from underneath. Right now there are just 2 holes in the box on the one that is missing. Looked like there were inserts at one time.

Thanks for the reply.

 

Here are a few more pics after I got it.





I love the Ford "Coral" but it looks orange to me.





And here are a few of the Lincoln David.

 

Oh that truck needs to be painted Coral again! The actual color name for '77 is Castillo Red, and it's totally gorgeous! And speaking of totally gorgeous, your Continental is the definition of that! Thanks for showing it to us!

David

 

The insert is hand pressed into the hole, then it expands when the screw is inserted.

Lower pic:

 

That's the one Bill, thanks.

From underneath I can see the tie down inserts and screws on the inside of the box, at least the two on the outside, the one in the middle is blocked by the metal wheel well liner. Don't know how to get to that one.

The question is how do you get a tool (vice grip or other) up into there to get a grip on it? My arms aren't long enough and neither is the handle on the vice grip.

Can't drill em out because they would just spin in the hole and my guess is they are stainless which a drill bit wouldn't touch anyway.

 

Take a grinder to the head of the screw and cut it off

 

Well got em out.

It turns out you can reach the insert nuts from underneath with a vise grip. At least the two on the outside. My arms are longer than I thought.

Once I got the screws out I popped out the inserts and used 1/4" fender washers for backing with a 1/4 " nut and re-inserted the screws. Held the nut on the backside with needle nose vise grips and tightened it down. Good to go.

 

Subscribed. I've got your truck's twin (almost)

 

Hey wildwest nice looking truck. Love to see them all still pretty much original, especially with the stock wheels, that is very rare.

Saw your thread on Black Betty's remake, keep us posted on your progress.

Looking at the rendering you posted, are you planning on giving it a suspension lift?

 

Thank you! We looked a LONG time to find one from Idaho, original and unmolested.
Black Betty's only real issue is that the original owner was a chain smoker... so the interior, although original, pretty much needs totally replaced. I've never smoked, so my sensitive little nose cannot handle the smell in there.
We are planning a suspension lift, nothing ridiculous, 2" maybe 3"? I personally think these shorties look super sexy with a little bit of lift.