I don't think it was even possible to get cruise with a base trim truck. I think that was one of those "If you don't have this, then you can't order this" options.

 

the woodgrain is beginning to peel just above the cruise button in my truck, and it looks to be black under the woodgrain laminate. I've been thinking about peeling mine off, I'm tired of catching my hand on the peeled up bit when I spin my wheel with the palm of my hand

 

I have a spare steering wheel as well with all the features!

 

Shoveled the bed full of snow for additional ballast so that I could get around. Crazy Iowa weather. It was 70F just a little over a week ago and when I got up on Saturday we had 6”-8” of snow and 14F.

Not sure if this really counts as something I did to my truck but it’s all I have. Guess I have to live vicariously through you other guys for now.

 

After much thought, the mustang rims just aren't going to fit and the thought of 1.5" wheel spacers scares me....

On a good note i found a set of 15" Cragar's locally and picked those up this evening.

 

The dash in my 86 was a little worn looking and I decided to give the Dupli Color vinyl paint a try. The Darker red matched up perfectly but it had no shine after I put it on. I had a can of Dupli Color, clear wheel paint that was left over from when I painted my grandson's wheels last summer.

I tried it on the back of the door panel and it worked great, no problems between the two paints. My dash looks like new now. I did one of my door panels to see how it would look. It came out good considering the top of it is pretty well gone. The Dupli Color Wheel clear is supposed to be impervious to brake fluid, gasoline etc. so, it should stand up to soda and other spills that take place on the dash.

 

Old, I would use several coats like 3-4 on that dash pad. I just painted the entire interior in my 84. I pulled all the seats, dash, trim, moldings etc. Even the seatbelts with duplicolor. I used about 3 coats of duplicolor and then I also used about 4 coats of clear coat and I am doing one final coat. It looks damn good!

 

Replaced my headlight dimmer switch (the floor button) with Motorcraft part today. Easy job. My "Hi-Beam" indicator had stopped working, and replacing the bulb didn't fix it. Well, replacing the dimmer switch didn't fix it either. My headlights work, and the hi-low beam function works, just not the indicator bulb. So I figure the problem is the headlight switch.

I got a new headlight switch, but the old one is a serious pain in the butt to remove! It seems to require a contorted reach up under the dash to even get to it, with everything in the way. But that is my next job, since the Hi-Beam indicator is now the only light on my truck that doesn't work. Somehow I'll have to reach up there and get to it.

 

The headlight switch is a PAIN to replace, as I have done it twice! But it
might not be the offending part! When the headlight switch fails, your
headlights will "modulate", you might want to pull the instrument cluster
out again to clean & ajust the spring pressure against the copper surface
as "off-road" conditions will weaken the 2 prongs that make contact! This
has been the culprit for all of my guage light failures (not counting burned
out ones)! My truck served as the main workhorse when I was self
employed in the hvac business & has been the family hunting vehicle for
20 years of traversing the worst roads that north Idaho has to offer!

 

Read a repair manual to properly remove the spedometer cable & link to
the auto/trans if yours is so equipped. (I have the manual 3+od)

 

Ebodell, the "other Erik"? That would normally indicate scandinavian roots as in my case!
Eric, or Erich is the German version. About 5 yrs of my youth was spent in Finland & I
am still strongly bi-lingual with swedish as my second language & a "working knowledge"
in several others. Do you share a simmilar background?

 

It's really very simple and hassle-free if you first spend about 10-15 minutes removing the
dash pad and front cluster bezel (and maybe the cluster itself if you have AC ductwork
getting in the way).

 

Sooo...I'm on my way in to work today when I noticed that familiar smell of antifreeze in the cab. I just replaced my heater core back in December and two thoughts run through my mind, "I just replaced that thing" and since I'm still 15 miles from work, "Lord, I hope I make the rest of the way into work without any problems". I glanced at the temperature gauge and it was still within the "normal" range, high end of it but holding steady. Arrived into the station to find antifreeze dripping from the passenger side undercarriage and condensation on the inside of windshield. No leaks on floorboard or from heater core connections under hood. So, when I had some down time between running calls I bypassed the heater core, filled radiator with water and ran engine to operating temperature. Everything seems to be ok. Now when I get off work Friday and get home that HC is going back to NAPA!!!

 

Napa used to have good copper cores. Last one I got there was a cheap aluminum one.

Probably made in Mexico too.

 

Dropped my tank today and found that my sending unit problems was a float full of fuel.

Cleaned the tank and glassed the bottom because it was starting to rust a bit. After it all hardened, I painted it really good with flat black Rustoleum. I'll put it back in tomorrow after I get the new float and roll-over valve.