You may have noticed that the driver side tail light was taped up and broken. Swaped out the tail lights (both) with ones from ebay ($45 shipped). Took about 15 minutes. However, the new lights look too shiney to be on "Big Fugly"! Need to get some dirt and scratches on them stat!

Also got the fuel filter changed.

Took out the non working radio an will put in a extra head unit I have from one of my parts car alfas.

Anyone have a radio wiring diagram for a 87 with the digital am/fm raido?

Here are some pictures of the tail lights:

 

Good lookin tails! good luck with the radio wiring, from what Ive heard whoever wired most of these trucks never cared much for what color wire he was using, and getting it wired in properly is almost impossible w/o the adapter

 

Got the cap off. Makes the truck look a lot better I think. Hit the top of the bedrails and a couple of other spots with white rustolium rattle can as a temporary measure. Still working on the radio - got a extra head unit to power up and plays through direct wired extra speakers I had lying around. Could not get the stock speakers to play using the stock wires so I may have to run new wires to the doors.

Big Fugly is starting to look good - well, at least from 20 feet! Here are some pictures of the truck with the cap off.

 

Much better!!!

 

holy jebus thank the lord! it looks like a completely different truck now..

much much better

 

Its starting to look good...

 

Haha!!!! I laughed out loud on that comment! I does look really different now I agree - even better than I expected. Makes me want to really get it preped and painted.

Got the POS radio installed. Had to run new speaker wires to the doors. Used a extra head unit and speakers from one of the parts car alfas. Basically they suck but I am kind of old and the truck makes such "interesting" noises (that I can hear through the holes in the cab floor ) when driving that I don't need a great system.

Thanks for all the comments! Next up is changing out more fluids (trans/difs), fix the broken tailgate handle, check/replace brakes, and finishing up the spark plug replacement. Longer term will be body and paint work, and figuring out the front tank issuesm probably a sending unit but after reading about 100 threads on the topic I am still confused.

Should be hauling its first load of firewood on Friday though!

 

do you have the ZF??
if so all i can say is lucky *******..lol

 

If by ZF you mean the ZF 5 speed transmission, alas, no...... I have the (acording to the data plate) T18 4 speed manual with 3.55 gears. 1st gear is granny gear. I wanted a 5 speed and an extra cab origionally but this truck was such a good deal I had to get it. A 5 speed swap may be in the future though. Transmission that I have pops out of 3rd when not under load so that may be sooner than I want!

 

im taking my rts 3 speed out for a m5odr2 and then later on if i can find a zf for cheap (im on a tight budget right now) its probably going in, most of the hard stuff will be done... and im getting this m5od and anyhing i need t swap it in for 200 bones makes me and the budget very happy

 

and the T18 isnt a bad tranny, ive heard great things about it, maybe just pull and rebuild it? it'd probablly be cheaper

 

It looks like you have a leak in this picture. This is shot from the driver's side front corner, right? I think I see the steering shaft behind the frame rail. That's either power steering fluid from the pump or the gearbox. I would keep an eye on the fluid level and don't let it start making noise. That will ruin your pump pretty quick. See if you can figure out where that leak is coming from.

But you got a great deal on that truck. It looks pretty solid to me.

 

That sounds like a good price from the little I know about Fords in my week of ownership - I am still learning the terminology. I have a side business / overblown hobby buying and parting out old italian cars. Probably will be on the lookout for some ford trucks as well for parts for mine. Not a big used parts market as there were TONS of ford trucks vs. alfa romeos and you have lots of aftermarket sources for cheap. That is a good thing by way (unless you are trying to make $$$ parting them out I guess). Case in point - my new turn signals cost $45 shipped to me for both. If those were used but non cracked 80's alfa gtv-6 tailights - $200 + shipping easy. I just sold a used power mirror switch for an 84 alfa spider for $100. It can be crazy! I actually got into the business as it was cheaper for me to buy whole cars than buy the parts I needed for mine.

Having lots of fun working on the truck so far. Everything is accessable and I can get parts at NAPA/Autozone for cheap!

 

Thanks for the comments. It was also pointed out that the springs need work as they are on the bump stops in that picture, which is from the drivers side corner. I will keep an eye on it/check it out and post my findings.

 

Found out what the leak is/was that was pointed out above in the picture from the front drivers side wheel well.

Good news - it is not power stering fluid

Bad news - it is brake fluid.

The hard line must have had a small leak. Now it is a big leak/blowout. Went to back out of the driveway and pressed on the brake - went to the floor. Got out to check and there was fluid dripping off the frame. Had the wife get in and press the brake while I looked and fluid shot out like from a garden hose. The rupture is right where the hard line goes through the frame just before the connection with the rubber brake line. I need to get the broken piece of hardline off and go to the parts store for a piece with the correct fittings. Will change out the rubber brake line at the same time.

Needless to say, didn't get to pick up wood today!