Besides the junk yards does anyone know where you can find cheaper replacement door skins? It appears that my drivers side one needs replaced and quite possibly both. My drivers side where the window and locks mount to is completely broken. Well overall, both door skins have seen better days. They are faded, the screens that cover the speaker are damaged and look rusty for some odd reason, arm rests areas damaged and overall dirty beyond what I believe any cleaning will do.

I found some online but after reading some others opinions they have said that they are crap shoot and not worth buying for the prices. Better off finding them in a junk yard, which my concern is I will be searching for a long time for a pair of good ones that will match.

I still need to find rear seat, anyone know what years I should be looking into besides Crew Cab style?? Also, will the front seat of a F150 in my year range fit in my truck? Thinking of dumping front seat as well, I may be able to find a CC truck with both which would be ideal.

 

My wife came out today to look at the truck only to get my daughter and bring her back inside. My wife walks away saying that is the most ghetto looking truck! I respond with, well your not the one driving it, go enjoy your 2005!!!!

Save the best photos for last: One of my daughters out hanging in the garage with dad. Not sure why the gas tank but she was getting a kick out of opening and closing it.

 

Working all weekend but come Monday or Tuesday this next week I might just get a really good hand wash in and wax possibly some rubbing compound on that 22 year old paint job.

Just a few items I noted that need fixed soon:

Rear window seal will come out and replaced with new one
New tires all around
Rear bench seat and maybe front
Front door panels new or old pending prices and finding used
carpet for floor and back wall
Misc. trim pieces inside cab and on dash that need replaced

Full tune up which is high on the priority and quite possibly next week!

 

Speaking of my floor in cab, any ideas on what I should put down on the floor to seal it off as well as any sound deadening? I figured while the carpet is pending purchase and install I could maybe lay down any kind of rust prevention or sealant, etc? Truck is rust free but in my travels and depending on where my wife and I end up in 8 years when I retire I want to ensure I protect it as much as possible.

I thought about using bed liner I still have a can lying around, much like some guys do in their jeeps with soft tops to withstand any weather, etc. I was curious on it drying and the smell sticking around or should I just put down some POR15?

 

nice truck!!! with some TLC it is sure to turn out very nice. new headlights and a grille will make a night and day difference. i love clear corners on these trucks with the stock chrome grille and chrome bumper. i personally am not a fan of those front lights, i like additional lights but i don't like where they are mounted. as i said i prefer the stock chrome grilles on these trucks.

like this:



also, i'm sure you probably have already seen it, but i follow this thread almost daily. there are TONS of awesome trucks in here, you can get a ton of ideas from this thread. check it out if you haven't already! http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/69...rucks-992.html

unless you need 4wd, i'd personally leave it. one day when i can afford it, i want a clean 7.3L excursion that is 2wd, to put some tasteful looking wheels on and not too big of tires, for a semi aggressive look, but keep it stock height (2wd ex's even lower than 4wd), just always liked 2wd trucks as much as i do a jacked up 4x4. i think with some new wheels, maybe slightly wider on the offset and width of the wheels, for a small poke out of the wheel well, and a tire that will fill up most of the wheel well, for a nice sturdy stance, it will look good. in California, i doubt you use 4x4 much? maybe you do, i donno haha.

 

i've heard good things about POR15. also check out MonstaLiner's "chassis saver" i think it's called. as far as i know, it's pretty similar to POR15, and i think a lot cheaper. great reviews from what i've seen. sand it and hit it with that stuff, then put your carpet, and you will probably be good for ever, especially if you stay in Cali.

 

UFVJ217,

Thanks for your input, to start off I agree the 4x4 at this time is not necessary because I live on the West and the lower West. We are moving soon, heading North to Washington state, as the Military will do that to you. Our plans will be to head back East when I'm near retirement in 8 years. I'm still not a fan of the North East where I grew up knowing what it will do to my trucks so we are still searching for the place that suits us well.

It's a project so if I decide to do that then I will but otherwise at the moment the truck will do just fine without 4x4. My dually I have only used it 2 times in the past 4 years legitimately so I understand right now not a need. I do engage it from time to time to ensure everything is working. Now I'm not going to sink that kind of money in to a swap just for the sake of having it.

I do however plan to add some height to it perhaps a 4" and little larger tires but I may stick with 33" and yes some offset too which will look cool.

My grille is actually in bad shape you may not be able to tell but some corrosion and rust did beat it up some. Funny how the rest of the truck is 98% rust free and the odd parts are the ones that get hit. My thoughts were exactly the same as yours to remove the grill install a new one and re-position the fog lights. I'm not a fan of the location either.

I have a lot to do and will continue to update but anyone else with thoughts that see something I don't please do share. As for the floor idea yea I will look into the alternate stuff as opposed to the more expensive POR15 I just want to make sure it will hold up to the same beating.

We will be moving eventually so the truck will at this time outlive me if we stayed in the West especially California but when we come back East I need to ensure the truck still out lives me and I don't like rust and have no intentions of ever wanting or needing to replace body panels, floor sections, rockers, etc.... Therefore I may as well prevent it now just like the frame. I plan to remove the box and POR15 the entire underside or something similar soon. Being so close to the Ocean it will still attract that rust.

I do follow the pre-97 builds and photos for ideas!! I live on this site and always looking at what others do see if I like it and/or improve upon it for my trucks.

 

You'll like Washington! Beautiful up here, no salt on the roads too. Where I am, I am 1-2 hours away from two mountains 1.5 hours to the coast.

 

From what I have seen photos look a lot like upstate NY where I'm from like Buffalo area. We will be in Everett by November of this year. My wife and kids sooner and I will follow not far from them. Though my deployment schedules are going to keep me away from home for the next three years so ill need balance the time home and work as far as taking care of family and getting time in the garage

I love NY but yes I hate the salt

 

Move to Florida!! Come visit Tampa where I'm at, no snow, no emissions to worry about passing or failing!

 

Temping but I'm not a fan of sunshine and tropical all year round lol

 

haha yea it's hot here most of the time, i'm not exactly a fan myself, but being born and raised here, and me not being the type to just up and move somewhere and start a new life somewhere else, keeps me here. everything and everyone i know is here, so i can't see myself ever moving. i'm not social enough on top of that to move somewhere and start making a ton of new friends very quickly. lol.

 

how about saving a little money when fixing your grill, unless it is completely torn up, and just fix the damage as best you can, and then used something like dupli-color bedliner to paint the grill with?

 

I would have to take a better shot but passenger side has a spot missing and most of it is rusty could possibly clean it up and paint it but for the price which I would rather save I'll source another. I'm going to try junk yard first then new if I need to go that route.

Found a combo headlight black housings and grille brand new on eBay for $70 that's not bad honestly

 

Sorry I meant the trim around headlights and grille on eBay not the housings.