It looks like you had some fun! Mr. Sawzall is a great helper.
I'm thrilled to see that old hitch getting a new fresh start on your latest project. Looks great!

 

Great job, but I have to ask what those 2 ramps the X is pulled onto are rated for?

I'm getting a set if they are above 2500 lb each.

 

Indeed I did Tom, fun is definitely the word I'd use to describe it.

Thanks!
I honestly wouldn't know if they're rated for that much. They were given to me years ago. I hand welded the supports on with a cheap 110 welder a couple of years ago, seem to be holding fine despite how sorry they look.

 

Sweet! On the road to recovery for sure now haha

I threw up in my mouth a little seeing all that rust

 

I recommend the plastic rhino ramps. The set I have are rated at 3000 each, and don't scetch me out near as much as the steel ramps.

 

Great Thread.
Very interested to see the work on those rusted panels...because mine look the same.
Acquired my beast from CT, so looks like the salt trucks got to her. Side steps are even coming off due to rusted brackets.

 

Fantastic work! Impressive rust on that receiver. How bad was the fuel tank guard rusted? I assume you got it cleaned up too. With that much damage, is the frame where all these accessories attach solid? Can't get enough crusty photos.

 

Thanks Russ!

Work on the rust will commence soon. My guess is there will be a lot of figuring/measuring/checking the angle of the dangle/welding/priming/filling/sanding/painting in my future.

Thanks! The tank guard wasn't bad, looks way worse than it is. Didn't clean it all yet, will hit the entire truck with some chassis saver and wire brush/grinder prior once i deal with the rocker issues. Frame and the rest of the truck is solid, at least from what I could tell. I'll be sure to keep the crusty photos coming

Putting off major work ahead of me, this weekend is one of yet another small victories, and I DO mean victories.

A 2002 Ford Explorer/Mountaineer electrochroamatic rear view mirror swaps right on to the EX. Got one from eBay and was surprised at how easy it was to install, didn't even need to cut/splice any wires. Just snipped one of the guides off of the stock pigtail and she slid right on, all pinouts match up too. Success for $20!

Pics for reference, just be sure to remove the OEM mirror CAREFULLY and not crack your windshield.



Wiring lines right up as well as the pinout.


Snip off the right side of the factory pigtail for clearance onto the Explorer mirror.


Old v. New. Much better.

 

Well photobucket ransomed my images so now I'll have to find another way to host em, poop...

In other news I sold my white Ex and started driving this truck. Shortly after the rear left tire blew on the highway and murdered my OEM Ford mudflap and inner mud flap as well. Sucks..



Thankfully the vintage Pirelli Scorpion A/T spare was brand new and got me home.



Also picked up some Limited style wheels for the truck with decent 265 75 16 Firestone Transforce ATs on them.



This Saturday the bodywork starts.

 

I had those Scorpion tires on my Ranger when I was in college. They were awesome!

 

Nice find on the rims. Are you looking to part ways with the old set? I want to get rid of my aftermarket non hub-centric set.

 

Cool tire indeed, wish i could find another new one but sadly they don't make em anymore.

Not sure what direction I am going with the wheels/tires yet but I will keep you posted sir!

Not too much in the way of updates:

Started taking off the running boards and sizing up the level of work to be done. Funny enough the rocker panels/inner rockers/supports are all fine from the back doors forward, even the rocker seam is good... Go figure. Will be making a patch panel for the dogleg area behind the doors and probably welding in angle iron to the inner rocker panel for running board mounts. Since the old boards are rusted to hell, I picked up some black tubular Smittybilt nerf bars to put on.

photos:

 

I feel your pain on the rust. In the year I've been in CT, I've welded up and removed rust/rot from 2 trucks. This X will be my 3rd project now

My current X has the exact same rust on the rear pass door. it's not blown through yet like your pic above, but pinholes for sure. I hate beet juice and salt!


Love that color. Glad to see someone saving her

 

Great progress!! I also was glad to see how an Ex looked without the running boards. I've had a interest in the. PowerSteps for a long time...just haven't done it....so the pic without boards is a help. Anxious to see the new tubes...

I too found some slight rust beginnning on my hitch. Maybe over the winter I can remove it for paint or powder coating. How tough to just pull-replace the hitch?

 

Just pulling the hitch is a pain Matt, mainly due to the two round headed bolts they used to help prevent folks from taking them off and leaving them off. You will need to drill out the round heads and replace them with hex heads for reassembly. Additionally the factory used blue thread locker that softens up with heat, using a torch right next to the gas tank is not a good idea. I would drop the tank, it pretty easy to do, 4 skid plate bolts, 2 hose clamps on the fill and vent then drop it right down on a floor jack. Once all the way down you will have two quick connects on the fuel lines to pop loose and the pump power and level sender electrical plug to undo. All of the wires and fuel lines have enough slack to drop the tank all the before undoing them. Once the tank is out of the way using heat on the thread locker is much safer and makes the hitch bolts spin so much easier. And you can now use a pipe wrench on the round heads to spin then out vs drilling them. It's a good opportunity to clean up that underbody area while you are there.