I'm sure the seats are long gone but I want a set just like that.

 

These latest posts are amazingly timely. Tomorrow, 31 October, 2017, I will pick up my truck for the final time. I have driven it and will be VERY happy to have it back, BUT... Had I known what it was going to take, and how long--I'm not sure I would have done it. Although, I admit that a big part of doing it, was just to say, "F*&%# You" to the low-life that threw the matches in the front seat.

I used to have a hobby of wrenching on my trucks and motorcycles--don't know where to find that time, I lost it somehow in the kids laundry during the divorce. Very glad I didn't try to do this myself as I had briefly contemplated! Just an aside.

So, the long time in getting it back--part searching, ordering and re-ordering, receiving crappy parts, finding better parts, never finding some parts and buying original, shop using it as a "fill-in" job, my life being split between MD and NM. It all added up to 6 months and about $13,000.00.

Let that sink in while I try to up load some photos.

 

I did buy those seats, and they are as nice as they appeared in the photo. However, I wanted electric seats which these are NOT. One of the many small disappointments/learning opportunities along the way.

 

I'll try to add photos and a short video of the final product.

 

I just found this thread today & read it through. What an ordeal! Sorry you had to go through it. But, it sounds like you're, appropriately enough, getting your beast back on Halloween. I'm definitely looking forward to the rest of the pictures of both the process and the finished product as well as learning what you changed, improved & compromised on along the way.

BTW - May I recommend some vanity plate ideas - "BURNIN" "2HELNBK" "2HOT4U" I have more, but I also have work to get done....

 

Maan, that sux about your truck. I had a lump in my throat reading your initial post and thinking about if that happened to me.

But it looks like you are getting it back together. Keep us posted.

 

Having trouble uploading a video. Any hints on how to do it?

 

More Photos

 

More Photos.

 

One at a time

 

The body is covered in dew, so the shine is dulled.

 

Interior shots

 

So...
The fire happened the second week of April. It took a few weeks for me to--get back, decide what to do, arrange my life around not having a truck, and get the shop started. Let's say the project began first of May. The original idea was to start taking things apart to determine how far the heat reached, and if it was worth trying to fix. The wiring harness was sooty, but not "damaged" so, "we can fix it", and the guess was less than $10,000. I opted to go with that.

The inside was stripped, scrubbed, sanded, and painted. The existing glass, although ruined, was kept in for weather, so they could keep it outside not taking up bay space. It was going to take time to find parts. The parts started rolling in. I would stop in regularly to approve or reject the parts--this slowed as time went on. Not too surprising, although it did not appear in the beginning, the top of the cab began to peel and so needed to be taken down and repainted, as did the one side where the heat and smoke escaped. All new glass--rear sides and front are new--finding and removing used ones--UGH. Headliner with the proper dome light, same thing. More parts than I had thought needed to be new because they were too hard to find used and in good shape. Gas pedal assembly, for example--I pulled out two that didn't work, before saying, "Get a new one."

The part search was CRAZY. The notion of JUST buying a cab, JUST get a wrecked slightly newer model, JUST do a cab swap, JUST, turned out to be JUST maddening. Partly, I am sure, because I am a novice at the whole burned out truck thing, but still, toward the end I definitely gave up being picky. There was some money and time waisted. Joey, the shop owner, was also looking and buying, and in the end there were parts left over that were double bought, not good enough, incorrect details, on and on. It was impossible to go and lay hands on every piece before purchase, so I accepted early on that there would be unusable parts left over. No real idea how much money, but my guess would be $1,000+, maybe $2,000.

One of the crazy making things was/is--2001 F250, SD, 7.3, , doesn't tell the whole story. There are lots of tiny differences it seems for every truck. They ended up using the original wiring harness, after hours of washing and scrubbing to get the smell out, because none of the three others that arrived had ALL the right connections: 4WD switch, airbag switch, power source, etc, etc. Dash bezels, and clusters--same thing.

In the end, I am happy to have the truck running and back on the road, and as you can see from the photos, it's looking pretty great. Unfixed issues?

Electric door locks--can't UNlock electricaly, not from the doors or the keyfab. key in the door only.

Sun visors too short. Dang!

Vacuum pump:should it run nonstop? Seems I remember it used to shut off when it reached a certain vacuum pressure.

I'd still like to have the seats I HAD--Driver side electric

Interior window trim at the top of door panels--JC Whitney?

Interior door panels do seem a bit loose. I'll try to fix when I get the trim.

As I live in New Mexico and drive LOTS of dirt roads, I wonder about the importance of the plastic covering of the door panel openings. Comments, opinions?

That's all I have time for this morning. I'm happy to answer any questions and read comments or suggestions.

Thank you to all for the help thus far.

Tom

 

Missing window trim

 

Looks outstanding, good job.