When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Thanks for the quick response.
I'm leaning towards patching mine, less investment up front except for my time.
PS your truck is looking really nice, hope mine looks that good one day.
As you said other than time they are not that hard to patch up even drilling square holes
How do I know this, I patched mine and drilled square holes and this was after I used a style side metal ribbed floor as I did not have the money to go back with wood and I had a good floor from a style side parts truck.
Dave ----
Ford changed the Flareside bed floor configuration late in the 1982 model year, and changed the floor wood to 3pc plywood with the metal strips on top. The Flareside bed stayed this way until 1987. So, prior to 1983, the floor was boards with grooves cut in the edges for the metal strips to fit. Once they changed it to plywood, the metal strips mounted on top of the wood and became more line runners. I'm sure this was done as a cost savings measure...or assembly time reduction, or both.
Is there a way to tell if you have a late '82 model year bed?
Is there a way to tell if you have a late '82 model year bed?
Well, it depends I guess. Firs thing to check is your build date. The change took place in July of 1982, so fairly close to the end of the 1982 model year production. Not sure when they would have switched over to building the 1983 model...likely August or September.
Has your bed floor been replaced already? Most have by now. How many metal strips are there? 5 or 6? The factory metal strips that sat on top of the plywood were different...the edges were rolled around for the flush mounting. Nobody makes these aftermarket. The only bed wood kits and parts you can buy are for the 1980-1982 wood floor with 7 boards and six metal strips.
Well, it depends I guess. Firs thing to check is your build date. The change took place in July of 1982, so fairly close to the end of the 1982 model year production. Not sure when they would have switched over to building the 1983 model...likely August or September.
Has your bed floor been replaced already? Most have by now. How many metal strips are there? 5 or 6? The factory metal strips that sat on top of the plywood were different...the edges were rolled around for the flush mounting. Nobody makes these aftermarket. The only bed wood kits and parts you can buy are for the 1980-1982 wood floor with 7 boards and six metal strips.
Mine the door sticker says 2/82, so it should be with the flush mounted rails. When my dad got this truck back in the early 90`s the bed was rotted out just had a piece of plywood thrown atop it. I helped him to put new boards in, we got boards locally but I cant remember if we did any flush mounting of the rails or not. I will have to go open the truck up after work and see. Truck has a rubber mat to protect the painted wood so I don't remember if the rails were raised or if they were counter sunk.
I know I need to replace the wood as the wood used is finally starting to rot out near the ends. I hope to replace them after painting the truck as I am looking at getting pre made Red Oak boards from here.
I was also looking at getting these to replace the painted steel strips as I think the truck would look great with polished stainless steel strips with stained red oak wood.
Well, it depends I guess. Firs thing to check is your build date. The change took place in July of 1982, so fairly close to the end of the 1982 model year production. Not sure when they would have switched over to building the 1983 model...likely August or September.
Has your bed floor been replaced already? Most have by now. How many metal strips are there? 5 or 6? The factory metal strips that sat on top of the plywood were different...the edges were rolled around for the flush mounting. Nobody makes these aftermarket. The only bed wood kits and parts you can buy are for the 1980-1982 wood floor with 7 boards and six metal strips.
Aren't those 80-82 bedwoods kits the same kits that go back to the 50's?
I haven't updated this thread in a long time, so I thought I'd post up some pics since I just finished reassembling my old Blue Mule after a fresh coat of paint.
She won't be going to Pebble Beach or anything, but I'm really happy with it. Still need to do some interior work, but she's finally back on the road again after spending much of 2019 in a constant state of disassembly!
I will be, just didn't bother yet. A new single seal came with my complete cab/doors seal kit, so I just stuck the original back in for now. I should have a slider in it by spring.
That plain back window is brutal in the sun...it's like a magnifying glass...lol.
I will be, just didn't bother yet. A new single seal came with my complete cab/doors seal kit, so I just stuck the original back in for now. I should have a slider in it by spring.
That plain back window is brutal in the sun...it's like a magnifying glass...lol.
I would love a slider but cant swing the funds for it.
I have the smoked rear glass from the parts truck. I cant believe it did not break as it was half out of the truck when I picked it up.
I had to finish taking it out so it would not break on the ride home so that's what's going back in for now.
Do you have any recommendations on an AFR gauge/kit that won't break the bank? I have a couple different AEM kits saved in my Ebay at the moment. Nothing I need right away, but I want to do some tuning in the spring to get the MPG really dialed in on this thing.
Another thing while I have ya...
I'm sure you remember my little 302 engine build and dyno tune, etc. I have a Comp Cam in this thing...the XE256H (regular 302 firing order). This is the first engine I've ever had with a bigger than stock camshaft in it, and while I DO love the thing, I'm still having a hard time getting used to it. I'm used to a V8 running silky smooth, and this thing has a bit of a vibration to it. Is that just the side effect of a bigger than stock cam that I need to get used to? Or should I be looking for an issue?...
I did some searching on the topic, and I see where some guys have installed Poly engine mounts to reduce vibrations in the rest of the vehicle....I was searching on 302 stuff, so I'm sure they were all Mustang forums I ended up reading on. I was kind of surprised since I assumed that Poly mounts would make the problem worse...
Anyway, I just need to get somebody to take this thing for a drive and tell me if it's normal I guess.
Do you have any recommendations on an AFR gauge/kit that won't break the bank? I have a couple different AEM kits saved in my Ebay at the moment. Nothing I need right away, but I want to do some tuning in the spring to get the MPG really dialed in on this thing.
Another thing while I have ya...
I'm sure you remember my little 302 engine build and dyno tune, etc. I have a Comp Cam in this thing...the XE256H (regular 302 firing order). This is the first engine I've ever had with a bigger than stock camshaft in it, and while I DO love the thing, I'm still having a hard time getting used to it. I'm used to a V8 running silky smooth, and this thing has a bit of a vibration to it. Is that just the side effect of a bigger than stock cam that I need to get used to? Or should I be looking for an issue?...
I did some searching on the topic, and I see where some guys have installed Poly engine mounts to reduce vibrations in the rest of the vehicle....I was searching on 302 stuff, so I'm sure they were all Mustang forums I ended up reading on. I was kind of surprised since I assumed that Poly mounts would make the problem worse...
Anyway, I just need to get somebody to take this thing for a drive and tell me if it's normal I guess.
I think the AEM's are the best value for the dollar on the market for AFR gauges. I have a couple of AEM's I use for tuning (right and left bank) I like the X series best due to the fast response time. Ya not cheap but worth every penny. So if you are looking at AEM I would get an X series AFR.
Your cam will have a bit of lope to it in a 302, at idle you may want to kick the idle up a bit, 800-850 RPM in neutral should smooth it out some. If you used that same cam (spec wise) in a 351 or a 427 stroker it would not have as much lope to it.. Now if the issue is not lope but actual vibration and worse at specific RPM's it may be a pressure plate/flywheel balance issue. I now get all clutch/flywheel assembles dynamically balanced as a unit as I have had some rather unpleasant experiences in the last decade or so with pressure plates being out of balance right from the factory. Which really is not acceptable in today's day and age. and huge *** **** off as you have to pull the tranny to rectify it. Now every single one gets balanced as a unit with the flywheel.. And every single new pressure plate has needed to be tweaked, Funny enough rebuilt units rarely need to be tweaked. But then again rebuilt units are usually done here in North America. I don't think they are balancing run of the mill pressure plates any more, or just doing a crap job at it.
As for the poly mounts, they should transmit more high-frequency vibration but may settle down engine rock (low fequncy vibration) from a lumpy cam. I have never used them, to be honest, and can only go on what comon sense dictates with a stiffer insulator.
Hey Rembrant I enjoyed reading this thread, truck came out great. I hope my bed looks half as good once I get it together!
Help me out on this if you will. When I took mine apart, this piece fell to the ground. I had no idea if it was something that someone tossed into the truck bed that got stuck a rust hole near the frame, or if it was something needed and useful. Now I see it was on yours as well. What is this piece for?
07-11-2019, 11:17 AM
.
