Hello,
Not really sure where to start other than to say I am embarking on the rebuild of a 1981 F150 Ranger 4x4, 302 with a manual transmission. Here is are a few pictures. More to come of course.













A little history on the truck. This truck was purchased by my parents in Kemmerer, WY on my mom's birthday in 1981. Since that day the truck has been in my family, been licensed in four states, was the vehicle my sister and I learned to drive on, the vehicle I went on my first date in in high school, went to prom in, etc, etc, etc. Needless to say a majority of my memories contain this truck. The truck currently has 260,000 miles and has probably 80,000 miles on the rebuilt 302. The truck is currently being transported to Northern Minnesota by a transport company.

I am planning on doing a rebuild of the truck. Here is the listing (not in any particular order) of the plans.

1) Body work and paint. The truck still has the original paint and with the exception of the rear wheel wells the truck has not had any body work done to it. I am planning on having a shop in Minneapolis do the work for me. The paint will not be the original color - it will be a "to be determined" metallic red of some sort with a matching burgundy on the roof to keep the original 2-tone theme. I am not really sure yet what I am getting into yet but the floor pans and rockers are good - just rust in the common areas.

2) Interior - I (literally) will redo all of the interior stuff. Dye panels, new dash, new seat cover, replacement carpet, new dash hopefully (if I can find the wood grained panels).

3) Engine - big departure here. Most likely a stroked 351W...something like a 408. Kind of goofy I know but I like the idea of it without having to go to big block.

4) Tires and Wheels - 31x10.50 on factory 10 hole 15" aluminum wheels similar to the ones from the 90s.

5) Etc, Etc, Etc.

Lots of stuff to do and it will definitely take some time to do it. I certainly plan on throwing out lots of questions so please be prepared!


Eric

PS - the one picture showing the bezel that shows "Ranger XLT"...obviously this truck is a Ranger trim. The truck was built without a radio so my dad had the dealership put in a radio right after it was purchased. They didn't have a Ranger bezel so they put a Ranger XLT bezel in its place. :-)

 

Looks like you have a very solid platform to start with. A 408 stroker would be sweet, thought about doing the same to mine, but ended up not. Looking forward to the build.

 

Why not go 427 small block while you are at it?

Looking forward to all the pics!

We love pics!

 

Thanks for the question Stangr. From what research I have done and talking to engine builders they say the long stroke of the 427 can have a vibration that is bad for the main journals. Hmmmmm a true FE engine......anyone got an old Side Oiler laying around?

A 450+ hp small block should suffice. It will be interesting to say the least.

One more thought that came was to keep the NP435 or go with a ZF. It will be a our going to church vehicle so I think I can live without OD.

Eric

 

Looks like a good project to follow. And, a truck that you certainly want to keep in the family. That sounds familiar as I am redoing my father's truck, although it is more of a "reformation" than a "restoration" since I'm making it what I want it to be. You can read about it here if you are having trouble sleeping at night.

Considering the NP435 to ZF5 swap, if this truck is just for going to church then it may not be worth it - unless church is 100 miles away. I sorta did that same conversion, and found these complications:

• Hydraulic MC: Your truck will have the mechanical clutch linkage, but a small-block ZF has a hydraulic linkage that is integral to the transmission. IOW, it would be a bear to convert to mechanical. So, you will need to go hydraulic, but you must reinforce the firewall or it is very likely the firewall will crack due to the different forces put on it for which it wasn't designed. There is a reinforcement plate available from Terrapin Mfg for that, but you are looking at ~$100 and a fair amount of work to install it.
• Mount: The rear mount of the tranny is ~1" further back than that of the NP, C6, etc. So you will have to drill new holes in the frame to accomodate it. The lower holes for the crossmember itself aren't hard to do, but the top ones for the braces are difficult and you will have to raise the cab a few inches to get the bolts in - or use different bolts and put the nuts up top.
• Cover: The transmission cover that is on your truck isn't tall enough to clear the ZF, so you will have to go to a salvage and get a tall cover from a truck with a ZF.
• Backup Lights: The plug for the backup lights is different than that of the NP, so you have to get creative or get the harness off of a ZF'd truck.
• Cost: I paid $500 for my well-used ZF with a transfer case, shift lever, etc. And I'll probably spend ~$600 in the near future having it rebuilt as the synchros are bad and some of the bearings rattle. From what I've read this isn't unusual for a ZF, so I would expect to have to have a rebuild done or live with bad synchros and loose bearings. And, by the way, apparently the ZF is a bear to rebuild so most people farm that out.

So, I'm not sure I'd think it is worth it. But, I really like the ZF as the truck just begged for an OD when it had the NP. I'd get into 4th and think there was another gear - but there wasn't and the engine just whined.

 

Thanks Mr. Lewis for the informative post. I forgot the ZF had the hydraulic clutch - good reason for me not to do that. The NP is more than up to the task for my build plans. Plus my dad and I put the tranny that is in it in a few years ago so nostalgia will reign.

 

I finally heard from the transport company that they have a driver scheduled that will be picking up "Piney" in Colorado next Monday the 5th and should be in my driveway by the end of the week. I am thrilled.

The first order of business will be a tuneup (plugs, oil, tire rotate, etc.) plus a very quick overlook at the hardware for a general overall look at what needs to be done. Once he is road worthy we will make a trip to the body shop in Minneapolis to get a handle on what it is going to take to get the cancer out of it.

The other thought process I have going right now is the motor. I am pretty well convinced that I will be dropping a stroked 351W into it - a 408. I have talked to a couple of engine builders (fordstrokers.com being one of them) and it sounds like a street-able torquey 408 is certainly doable. The only thing I am not sure of is what other drive train components need to be beefed up to address concerns such as axle wrap, drive shaft strength, etc. Should be a fun process.

That is the update. I will post more pictures when it has MN plates on it. After running the VIN I realized the truck was built in the now closed Twin Cities truck plant - the truck is coming home.

More to come.

Eric

 

The NP435 is tough and it'll take a lot of abuse if in good shape, so I don't think you have a worry there. Ditto the drive shafts. And most 81's I've seen have the 9" rather than the 8.8 and they are tough diffs. The NP208 transfer case isn't the world's strongest, but unless you are thrashing it in 4wd it should be good as well. You will want to check the u-joints though.

 

Thanks Mr. Lewis, again, for the reply. The truck does have a 9" so I am good there too. The truck won't be driven in the winter so the only time the 4x4 and hubs will be engaged is during the monthly "keep them lubed" drive down the street. My kids love the sound of 4-lo so I always have a reason to drop it in 4wd.

 

The NP435 is strong, and shifts like a truck trans. Hope you don't plan on any speed shifting.

Don't engage the 4x4 on the street. Find a gravel road. At least one tire has to slip or the driveline will bind and break something.

 

Good evening. Not much has happened on the rebuild still researching and trying to figure out what to do on many levels.

Yesterday I met with the body shop and toured his shop. He is the real deal and seems to be very competent. In a few weeks Piney is going to his shop for the evaluation which will produce an estimated cost to do the body work. As with everything else in life the limitations are only dependent on my wallet. Not sure how extensive I want to go.

Today I ordered NOS outside mirrors. The existing mirrors look rough after 32 years of service. I look forwarded to receiving them as they are the first rebuild parts I have purchased. The first of many...

The other item I am wrestling with is the motor. The 302 that is in it currently has 130,000 miles on it but it still runs strong. I know I am doing something with a 351W - should I enhance a stock motor or go whole hog and do the 408 stroker motor. The main questions with the 408 is street ability, longevity, drivability, pleasure to drive, etc. I am going to keep the NP435 tranny for sure so that too is causing more questions. Anyone out there running 500hp in front of a granny 4 speed?

More updates as they come...

Eric

 

Some of those questions and decisions sound familiar. Considering the engine, I'm fortunate that Ford built a stroker 351M - it was called a 400. In fact, the only real differences are the crank, which has 1/2" longer stroke, and the pistons, which have the wrist pin set up 1/2" to fit everything in the block. Anyway, the 400's weren't known for reliability problems or excessive wear, so I don't see why a stroked W won't live if you pick well made components.

As for the tranny, the 400 was available in only the 250 & 350 versions, and it frequently had the NP435 behind it. So that tranny is tough. But if you want something a bit more modern go with the ZF5. It'll bolt in but you will need the clutch to match as well as the tall floor cover, and you should reinforce the firewall.

 

Hello,
More thoughts on the motor. I got a quote for a complete 408 stroker built for truck duty. After receiving the quote I started thinking maybe I should find a complete 351W and rebuild it with performance parts. The goal isn't a racer but rather something fun to drive, sounds nice, and is not a PITA to live with. MPG, cost, etc aren't priorities so the sky is the limit as they say (said somewhat in jest).

Option 1 - buy a crate motor. I recently got a quote on a full roller based 408 stroker motor complete from pan to carb including trick flow heads. The motor comes from a reputed high end engine builder. The motor has a March serpentine kit (water pump and alternator), mechanical fuel pump, custom cam, Prosystems Holley carb, MSD ignition, etc. The cam would be ground for low end torque and would "fall on its face" as the tach approaches 6K. Sounds great but I have to redo the ignition stuff as well as add headers which sound like could be a royal PITA with regard to plugs, my tranny (manual NP435), etc. Cost is around $9K and would be delivered and ready to drop in.

Option 2 - buy a 351W from the salvage yard and rebuild it. To be honest I am not sure if I am up to building a motor myself but I would certainly give it a whirl. With option 2 I would have to figure out what vintage motor to look for and then have it machined and then add parts to match with my goals. 20+ years ago I helped my dad rebuild a couple of 302s and had a ball but my dad was a real guru with motors so I wasn't relying on my abilities. This option would let me keep the current ignition system I think and could use factory headers. I have no clue on the cost of option 2 other than I see on Craigslist running 351Ws for $500.

My normal tendency is to go the easy route (crate motor). But then I get to thinking that a high end stroker motor is silly to put in a 4x4 truck with a granny four speed that is used for cruising.

I have time to make the decision as the truck is going to the body man soon. Decisions, decisions....

 

Rebuilding isn't that hard. I've done it and am doing it. Buy a couple of books on the subject, ask around on here for suggestions, and bolt the pieces together. Absolute rock bottom for no go-fast goodies would be $1200 - 1500 and that would be using stock heads. Add aftermarket aluminum heads and it'll just about double the cost, although that is still a FAR cry from $9K. Add in a stroker kit and you may come up to $4k. That's saving BIG bucks and gives you a lot of experience.

 

Good morning and Happy New Year!

A lot has happened since my last post - mainly body work and lots of decisions have been made. In October I dropped the truck off at the body shop in Minneapolis. Probably typical of most body shops they do the restorative work as filler work between collision jobs. Any whoooo....here are some pics:

Tear Down:


Cab corner work:


Nose shot:


The bed was a bigger PITA than we were expecting as the back where the tail gate is mounted was completely rotted out. My body guy opted to rebuild the back sections as short box, dual tank beds are not common up here in MN.



Completed bed sides:



Initial priming of cab:



The bed and cab have been coated with its first coat of primer and has been block sanded. With a little additional body work they will get another coat of primer and will be sanded again. When I get more pics of the body work I will post them.

Eric