Hi folks,
I've rescued an old worn out '91 F250 7.3 IDI 4x4 extended cab out of a farmer's weed patch. Now I'm rebuilding it, mainly for self-education purposes. This truck will just be a snazzy toy when completed - I have plenty of other Ford workhorses to do the jobs I need done.*
Question 1: Instead of having the hood open in the usual manner, I want the entire front end (hood, fenders, etc) to tip forward in the same manner as a Kenworth does. I haven't a clue on how to make this happen, and I welcome any advice you folks can offer. Are there books, videos, etc, available?
Question 2: this unit is going to be DIFFERENT when it's completed! When mechanical work is done (1/2 way there now), and bodywork is completed, I want to paint the truck in a giraffe pattern. Giraffes have brown spots on a basically white background. I'm open to suggestions...I'm thinking of painting the entire truck white or off-white, then applying brown decals over most off the body, followed by a clear coat. I'm afraid that if I paint the brown spots on, there will be ridges at the edge of the spots, giving a rough finish to the surface. Does anyone have ideas that could work better?
Question 3: I want to lower this truck. I'm aware it's going to make it useless for hauling, but that's not a concern. This truck will never carry a load or do any work again. Can anyone tell me where to find information &/or equipment to lower it?
Question 4: This may not be the appropriate place to ask this, but I'm tearing the 7.3 IDI down for a complete rebuild. While I'm mucking around inside it, is there anything I can do to improve mileage? (change stroke, whatever, etc). I've already removed the 410's & replaced them with 355's; replaced the auto tranny with a 4 speed & overdrive. Any other ideas?
Thanks in advance for any assistance offered.*
Stay warm - it's -30 here near Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

 

Not sure who's doing that sort of work these days but back in the mid-80's there was "Pro Street" guys doing this sort of thing. First steps would involve welding the entire front end sheet metal into one huge piece. Such a mono-block of sheet metal would weigh enough lifting closing it would have to be power assisted. It wouldn't be impossible but you've got quite a lot of engineering and fabricating ahead of you. Your end result would be 100% dependent on money and the desire to see this through/

Decals would be even more work because unlike paint they can't really be sanded flush to the base coat. After your whole body base color is applied masking areas to simulate the larger giraffe spots would be your first step. After that if the spots are surrounded by rings so to speak those would be masked and shot after the first two shoots were cured. Any accent rings around the spots would be the third step.

Then you'd wet sand the spots and rings to make them as flush to the base coat as possible. There will be minute differences in paint thickness--understandably so since you're adding more finish but in selected places.

After this wet sanding is done you'd shoot a clear coat, the goal being to basically overlay the entire body so the spots etc would be "buried" in the clear. You might have to really layer on the clear to accomplish this though.

After you've got everything leveled out time to wet sand and buff---voila you've got a giraffe F250!

 

Thank you for all the information.*
Hood - my daughter (2nd year automotive technician/mechanic at a FORD Dealership) tells me that a friend of hers has a hood like I want to put on my truck. If I can track the feller down I'll find out if he did it himself, or who did it for him. if I can manage to do it myself I'll possibly save $ in the longrun, as I'm building a 4x4 dually Festiva as well as a Festiva on a mid-eighties Bronco frame, and I want both to have tippy hoods.*
Giraffe paint: this sounds like a lot of work. Fortunately there will be several large areas that won't have spots - hood, tailgate, both doors - that will have giraffe scenes airbrushed on. Oh well, it's going to keep me busy & out of trouble.
Thanks again!

 

i believe the '91 and the '92 front ends are interchangeable. If so, than your cab is supported by cab to frame supports you will have to consider, just under yours and your passenger's feet as you are sitting and up front are on either side of the radiator. So a flip front will will have to leave some frame work fixed. Likely some tube work can replace this and still give you the 'open' access you are looking for when the hood and fenders are flipped forward. Cool project!

 

Thanks for the advice! I'll let you folks know how it turns out.

 

It not that hard to do a tilt front clip.
1. You have to mount your radiator,and AC,condencor to the frame.
2.look at my photo bucket you will see what I'm talking about.my hood is not bad to open.but I have air cylinders to raise and lower.I don't have any problem picking up the hood with out air.

I did my tilt in 2 days but took 3 more days to cut the fenders just scary I would screw them up.

Dale

 

Thank you. Where do I find your photo bucket, and how do I get into it (semi-computer-illiterate here).

 

It is high lighted under my signature.

Dale