I posted a question for some help in another thread, but thought I would post up a new truck thread.

I picked this up off my neighbor for $1000. He used is a farm truck to haul hay a couple times a year. Its a 1995 5.8L 4x4. Its got the typical Michigan rot on the body, but it seems to all be where the ugly 90's conversion truck body kit used to be. This summer I will throw some fenders on it, fix the bed, and put a fresh coat of blue on it. The body kit was really a shame because the rockers are extremely solid, which makes me think the rest of the truck would be solid too without the body kit. But no worries. New fenders, cab corners, drivers door and bed rot fixed and it will look great. Good thing about theres a ton around here so I can start putting together replacement panels while winter is still going strong and be ready for summer.

It has 160K miles on it and runs extremely strong. I have replaced the rear brakes and the only thing left is a steering issue which after diagnosing and asking on here seems to be the steering box. Then it has the typical y pipe leak and I will try to remove the manifold to y-pipe studs to fix that when it gets too annoying.

Anyway, I am excited to get it on the road because in order to save money I sold my 2005 FX4 to go back to school about 5 years ago. Now I am older, and I suppose wiser, and decided I am not going back to payments again, so I will be driving this old girl until shes retired to full time plow truck duty.

Only downside is it has horribly ugly 90s conversion truck seats in it. I'm going to put seat covers over them in the mean time and maybe change them out. I'll give them this though, they're ugly as hell, but feel like you're sitting in a La-Z-Boy recliner. So maybe seat covers are the answer haha.

Kicking the can down the road until this summer, and it will need an oil pan gasket too. While I am at it I will just throw a new oil pan on it too.

Here is before I cut off the conversion truck garbage.



Here is after. Even with the rust it looks 100 times better. And other than the rust caused by the body kit holding water, it is pretty solid everywhere else considering its a Michigan truck.

 

Congrats on the new buy! Do they salt the roads a lot in Michigan? Rust isn't awful on a lot of trucks out here in Colorado like it is in a lot of other states.

 

First off, great truck, I think you got a pretty good deal. Secondly, if the "ugly conversion" parts weren't on terrible shape, I hope you didn't trash them. People will occasionally buy that stuff. I would have removed them, too. You mentioned this truck being your main ride "until shes retired to full time plow truck duty." Plowing with a half-ton truck is usually not a good idea. Other than that, keep us posted and enjoy the truck!

 

Lets just say no one could accuse Michigan of not loving its salt. I suppose the "Salt Life" stickers they put on their vehicles in Florida could apply to Michigan as well, just in a different capacity, haha.

Trucks usually rust really bad here. You'll see 09+ body style F150's with rusted wheel wells on trucks not being taken care of well.

My OBS in comparison to others around here is surprisingly not bad. They're usually so rotted you could toss a basketball through the side of the bed.

 

Thanks! And yeah, it wasnt in "great" shape, but there is still usable pieces on it. The driver side running board was broke where it meets the flare. The rest is fine and sitting in the corner of the garage.

Not my main ride, more of a second ride. I have a Ford Fusion I drive daily. As far as plowing, It'll just be my driveway which isn't huge. And when it is turned to doing that I wont be driving it on the road anymore so it'll just sit next to the barn and be used to plow my own driveway once a week or so throughout winter.

 

It's been awhile since I've posted a picture of its current state. The first post was when I first bought it. And here's how it sits now.


I've put new fenders on it and fixed the rust down the lower portion of the truck and two toned it with rocker guard. I still need to fix the rust above the wheel arches and it needs a new tailgate. So I'll order one of those this summer and paint it too. It's starting to look like a nice rig again and not the rust heap I bought it as.

 

Looks better man! Michigan sucks, its a constant struggle to keep rust away from our vehicles haha

 

Nice work on rescuing this truck!

 

Hi,
For $1000, you STOLE it!!!

 

Thanks guys. I'm really happy with it. I used to own an 05 between 08-12 and I actually like this one more. It's paid off, I don't worry about getting a little scratch or ding on it and it hauls anything in the bed the newer one did and tows anything I need it to. I was a little hesitant about the 5.8 when I first bought it because I thought fuel mileage would be horrible. I now realize that was worrying for nothing because I get 14 mpg mixed city and highway. That's better than the old 95 5.0 4x4 I had. That thing only got 12 mpg no matter what. And the 5.8 is WAY more powerful than the 5.0 was. The difference in everyday driving is very noticeable

Being ordered as the conversion truck, its optioned out too which is nice. Power mirrors, and even a power rear sliding window that surprisingly still works well. As well as the bigger tires and 3.73 limited slip.