After almost TWO long weeks of waiting, I FINALLY drove my F-150 home tonight!

When I first bought the truck from a guy about an hour away, I had a good feeling about the truck & the price. Unfortunately, I never had a chance to drive her first! The truck was unregistered, etc, so I knew I wouldn't get her out on the road: but the parking brakes were locked, so we couldn't even move her! But I liked the truck, and had faith... And the man selling her said he'd take care of the brakes, and I could pick her up in a week.

So the week goes by, and the truck was ready last Saturday. But I had no one to go down to bring my daily driver back... So I ran down & changed the oil & filter, and arranged to pick it up after my housemate had finished work on Sunday. Great- a plan! Well, NOT part of the plan was my housemate waking up in extreme leg pain Sunday at 3am, and having to run her to the hospital- fearing a blood clot... No Clot.(good!) and I made EVERY light on the way, save one. But the prescription they gave her for the pain knocked her on her backside all day Sunday AND Monday... So no trip to get the truck.

Wednesday, after she finished work, I was all excited to run down with her, planning to drive home my "new" 1991 F-150... Well... About that- It was rainy here Wednesday night... The truck had working electrics, and all, fired right up, etc. etc... Until I turned on the wipers, and found the motor was hung up, and NOT moving the wipers at all. I spent around an hour trying to free things up, and finally gave it up for the night...

This afternoon(or, "Pre-evening" as Sheldon would call it) we headed from a family function in Pa. down to get my truck... All was ready- While getting dusk, there was NO rain(though snow flurries were in the area, and we'd driven through some). I had about 2 gallons of fresh gas in the tank, and a Wawa gas station 10 miles away. I had noticed the temp gauge NOT working, but came prepared- I had a brand new sender on hand, and put it in quickly. Not quite as quick as I would have liked... The manual states that you must remove the radiator cap, to relieve any residual pressure. I did so, even though the engine had not been run since Wednesday. Funny thing- I kinda forgot to put the cap BACK on. Know what happens when you have no cap on and remove the temp gauge? Rather than a small trickle, it gushers. Oh yeah. Stuck my finger in the hole fast as I could, and fumbled the new one into place. Tightened it, backed it out & resquared it, and tightened her right... And lost maybe a quart or so of antifreeze... And I changed the air filter.(Didn't change the PVC and breather filter yet- one screw wouldn't let go, but I was able to slip the old air filter out & new one in)

That accomplished, it was now time for the big moment. But first, I had to check the brakes- just to be sure I had them... Fired up the engine, put her in gear, and rolled her forward a bit, then jammed them. Better blow them out in a controlled locale than on the road... No worries, they worked well... So out onto the road we went! With my daily driver in trail behind me, I started up this narrow country road, keeping the speeds down till I established the steering... Steering was a bit nebulous- though nowhere near as bad as the F-250 I'd looked at the day before I bought this one. But enough to concern me a little. But, I reasoned I hadn't checked the steering fluid- and decided to check it when I hit the gas point. For a little bit, I could smell coolant cooking off. Gee. Wonder why. (duh ) but that soon went away, and I thought I had a little whiff of oil, but nothing much. Road speeds ranged up to around 50 indicated. GPS said I was doing 47, so I know there is a little error- but nothing to worry about- almost the same error as my 2003 Police Interceptor... Anyway, steering aside, she felt good. I checked the temp gauge to confirm it was working a few times- and once I noticed it was a little high- then it started dropping- The thermostat worked! Another "YAY!" item...

Into Wawa, filled up her rear tank(and added Gumout Fuel System Cleaner), and put a bit of steering juice into the steering system. Steering came in a good bit then, and all felt right(except I had to have the interior lights switched on for dash lights... I pulled the inside bulb first, but the bed light stayed on the whole trip home... Probably a dirty rheostat, now I think of it) Anyway, I had gas, and a running truck...

Out of Wawa we went, and I felt so good about her, I decided to take the highway & not all back roads. Excellent choice. She ran the highway at speed with traffic- I think I was around 65-70 a few times (65MPH road), and she was fine. Steering was great, everything was happy, all gauges good(although the voltmeter still ticks at idle. But at speed, it is pretty solid) She made a nice 40 minute highway run, and then some back road stop-and-go, and was fine. I was quite happy, although I did not turn on the radio till I was a mile or so from the house- I wanted to monitor all systems for noises, etc.

Things I noticed on the trip, the tires will need replacement soon: they have good tread, but are aged, and give some bumpiness. I believe the shocks could also use replacement. Brakes felt sound, but I will still replace the soft lines & such... I am considering replacing the springs: I think the truck has settled a little- it does have 196,000 miles, IIRC... She seems short compared to my 1988 F-150 of many years back. Steering is good, but might improve with a fluid flush- the old stuff looked brownish. I have to check the transmission fluid, but a change is in order. I'll be checking & replacing all fluids I think...

Anyway, a very satisfying first run- especially considering the fact this truck has been OFF THE ROAD at least 8 years!(2007 is the expiration on the inspection sticker). Other than an occasional start up to keep her lubricated, she's not moved from the guy's yard since he replaced her.(Got a great deal on a used Dodge he really liked with everything he wanted, and parked her as a spare) The "Check Engine" light is on, so I'll have to troubleshoot that before I go for NJ inspection: And I have to free up that wiper motor. All in all, I'm happy- I spent my $875. well, I think.

Scott

 

where in joisey is ya Scott? i have a scan tool i can hook up to it to diagnose the CEL.

 

Cool thread. Hope you figure out the CEL.

 

Pictures or it didn't happen.

 

HI- Thanks for the replies:
TJC- I'm in Merchantville- Thanks for the offer- I actually have a scan tool on the way: but it is the simple store bought tone: it is coming with a copy of the Ford "DIY" manual for the truck... If you have access to one of the Ford scanners, PM me- It might be useful to track things down- but the former owner said he seemed to recall it was an Oxygen sensor...

Pics will be coming- It is daylight now, and I am reasonably well rested... Had to go out and reposition my Interceptor, so she could get out to work... And found out why the 91 was balky as I backed her in, and had fun getting her parked in the drive for the night- The right front tire had just gone completely flat!(I told you they were old!) When I backed in, I caught a corner of my curb -as I almost always do, due to poor layout of my drive- and I think it over stressed the sidewall just a little: The tires had held fine till I got home... I guess it went flat & started bogging... I stalled her three times in reverse backing around the drive: I noticed it was happening when I was steering at low speed in reverse: I guess the drag from the now flat tire was enough to shut me down. No worries- The spare is in place, and looks ok, so I'll throw that on after lunch, and reposition her, and try to get some new tires this week... Have to start checking my favorite tire places online (Tire Rack & Simple Tire pop to mind). I tried filling it with air, but I got it about halfway, and found I could hear a distinct hiss- There is a 1/4" knife slit in the inside sidewall- and i know that is an unrepairable issue... Just an age fail. No biggie- Just glad all got me home safe!(Although I must admit, I was running through blowout response procedure in my head all the way home- firm grip on wheel, control direction, foot off gas- apply no brakes- guide to side & roll to stop...)


Anyway, she's here, all is well, and I knew the tires would be very high on my list.

Pics will follow soon!
Scott

 

As requested- Pics of the new honey...



And a close up of the FIRST at home issue to resolve... lol... She GOT me here- so I am happy... This tire is now to be retired.(no pun intended. Really!)


NOT sure I'm keeping the steps...

More later- this is just to appease the
"PIC GODS"!

Scott

 

I like it. I'm a huge fan of two tones. My '95 is metallic green on white and plan to paint my '79 the same. I would ditch the steps, too. I was never a fan of those, but hey, it all comes down to personal preference.

 

My first F150 was a dark grey over light grey 1988 XLT Lariat- I LOVED that truck- but as a not quite grown up 24 year old(!) I found I couldn't afford the payments on my pay, and I ended up selling her at 69k miles- to a farmer! She was a sweet 5.0l V-8, and I'd bought her with 12k on the clock. Traded my 1974 Galaxy 500 as part of the deal(another car I wish I still had... lol...) That truck was GREAT! I wonder if she's still around: I THINK the serial number was something like 1FTEF15NA76662: I can remember the first four, and the last several, but the middle eludes me... I have the old registrations somewhere- Maybe I'll see if her current owner is on the group sometime... That truck took me to California and back... And all over the place! She was a dream to drive.

My SECOND F-150 was NOT as pleasant an experience- I bought her used with a great deal of mileage- I needed a truck for a cable job I had, so I went with what I liked: but the guy who sold her to me failed to let me know about a few things- her rear tank was shot, she had fuel indicator issues... Fun stuff... I ran that one for a couple years, replaced the tank, straightened out what I could... She was a Dark Blue over Silver two tone XLT Lariat as well: I guess she wasn't all that bad- but she had her major issues... That one I killed two birds with one stone: I had a girlfriend I brought back from Texas with me after USAF tech school at Sheppard, and the relationship went south real fast... Major family issues... Anyway- As part of getting her back to Texas, I loaded up the truck with her stuff, loaded her & her two kids(another whole long story...) into the truck, along with her ex-husband, whom I'd flown up from Texas to drive back with them(I couldn't go- I was in another USAF tech school finishing my USAF education, and could not drop). I told her "When you get there, mail me the tags & insurance card, I'll send you the title!" Well, they left(the exhaust snapped at the muffler on the way over, so they left loudly), and in a week I had the tags & insurance card. I mailed her the title... A few years later, she gave me a call out of the blue- The trip had rekindled her romance with her ex husband(kids dad) They remarried, and all were happy... And she gave her dad the truck- he loved it. So another interesting story- and I no longer had a beast truck...

Now this one- I feel good: I accept her at face value, and know she got me home without incident. I think I'll keep her a while. As I told the seller, I realize she's a 24 year old truck, and has some miles to her: I think I can cope... All about proper upkeep, maintenance, and corrective actions...

Gotta go change a tire now... lol.. Hope the spare is ok...

Scott

 

Well, I decided the running boards were going, and I am VERY happy with the result! I think she looks a bit better without them... Once I removed the running boards(which are going up on Craigslist tomorrow) I gave her a quick wash, and parked her for the night...(WWII Dodge photobombing... lol...)




And a few interior shots-


Bone stock instrument panel- Even the factory radio! Just like I remember it! I am planning to custom relocate the Overdrive switch to the right panel: If I put in 4wd, I am going to use a floor mount lever for it. I want to relocate the switch to accommodate the cubby box & coin tray... I already have a new panel with one, just have to cut the hole & make the mounting points for the switch. I may even attempt to graft in the "OVERDRIVE" legend from the original one... Will take a little creative work- but I'm good at that...


And the rear seat...


One bit of business today was to repair the broken seatback release on the passenger side... I found it to be quite simple! The original cable had snapped, and it wouldn't release... I managed to find the zipper for the seat cover(how nice was THAT?!) and manually released the catch, then removed the cover, foam rubber pad, and all, and then used .040 stainless safety wire to repair the release! Of course, stupid me, I managed to partially break the latching spring, as I had to hold it high enough to get the wire in place- rather than noticing the pivot pin was in with a hairpin device... Anyway, I used some plastic vacuum line to protect the safety wire from the handle & catch(& vise versa), and wrapped it around itself, then ran another piece through as a backup... The safety wire (mechanic's wire) fit perfectly into the original conduit, so I just assembled it all, tested it, adjusted the conduit(it has a turnbuckle center!) and got it just right. Then I ran a second length of safety wire to the latch, and made a loop at the other end, then made an electrical tape tab for it. This I put in place as an emergency back-up... It is set in so if the main one fails, I can unscrew the escutcheon & remove it, and then simply grab the tab(which was held in place by the escutcheon screw), pull it, and then pull on the loop to free the catch. Just a backup, should I ever need it. Works as nice as the one on the driver's side!

And I cleared a few mud wasp nests in the engine bay, repaired a loose retainer screw for the air filter box lid, and so on...Tomorrow I am planning to remove, clean & rehabilitate the wiper motor...

Scott

 

Nice truck… I think Ford called that Bimini Blue… looks good with the deluxe two tone.

 

Looks good. Much better without the steps... I had the fiberglass steps on my 94 and they looked pretty good, but now that I have my 96 I don't think I miss them. Body style looks better without them.

Good find and even better price! Enjoy.

 

Future plans include swapping in Captain's Chairs & console... She will be plush...

Scott

 

MUCH better with no steps

 

Nice - I had a similar experience when I picked up my truck back in December. It was about 1.5 hours away and I had to make the trip twice since I didn't take enough money with me the first time (didn't actually expect to buy it lol).

It's a little unnerving driving home a truck that has sat that long (mine was parked for almost 3 years) - but we didn't have a way to bring it back without renting something or paying for a tow. The oil, coolant, and all other fluids were present but very old; and the suspension hadn't been checked or lubed in quite a while. The gas was old and probably separated, so it didn't run all that well until I got to the gas station (20 miles away from seller) and added fresh fuel.

First thing I did was get rid of the running boards too.

 

looks a lot better without the boards.
you are a little over 1 hour south of me, i am a few miles south of perth amboy.