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.
Over on the Bullnose forum someone suggested I say hi over here as well...HI!
My name is Peter and I recently bought a 1986 F-250, XL, 4WD, Supercab, 4.9L IDI with the Banks turbo and 30,700 miles. I'm not new to the old car game (just sold my '69 F-250) but I've never owned a diesel of any sort, nor this gen Ford pickup, before. So, I'm here to absorb and learn. Then, apply it to turn wrenches on my truck, on my own, as much as is reasonably possible.
The truck was bought on October 14, 1985 by Mr. John R. Doyle (much respect due) of The Dalles, OR. He purchased his special ordered truck at Ray Schultens Motors, which opened on April 17th, 1964 and is still operating as a dealership in The Dalles, OR today. On January 15, 1986 Mr. Doyle had Northside Ford install the Banks turbo charger at a cost of $3,564.00. Mr. Doyle, as you can probably tell by now, kept amazingly detailed records. His last notation in his "Automobile Record Book" was for an oil change on August 14, 2018, at 30,600 miles. Sadly, the world lost Mr. Doyle a few months later at the young age of 97.
I purchased the truck from Mr. Doyle's daughter out of Vancouver, WA a couple of weeks back. As I explore it, I keep being amazed at it's originality and overall condition. So far, it has lost some weight. I removed the canopy and what looked to be a custom made front hitch receiver (3 no less) and spare tire mount. With the canopy removed I could re-install the truck's tailgate. According to Mr. Doyle's daughter, he had had the canopy mounted just a few days after buying the truck and stored the tailgate. It's like brand new, not even a single scratch in or out.
I have several chores in mind and therefore, suggestions are very welcomed. The clear coat is all but gone from the hood, roof and a small portion of the driver's side front fender. It too bad since the rest of the truck's paint is excellent. I'll probably go with one of 3 options here: Wax remainder of the thin paint and leave it alone, or, Try to paint and clear myself (super scary), have a pro do the hood and roof??? Rust - the only spots on the entire truck are a small portion of the top of the drip rail above the driver's side window, and 2 small spot below the slider rear window seal. I'll be fixing these asap (as soon as it stops raining, day 11 here now).
A couple of things, which my OCD keeps me awake at night over, are ; the bed is not perfectly lined up with the cab on the passenger side (bed is slightly higher). On the driver's side it's fine?? Can this be adjusted? If I climb up in the bed and walk towards the pass side it settles down to almost perfect. Could it be loose towards one side more than the other? Secondly, the passenger door seems to need outward adjustment? When fully closed, the leading rear edge of the door sits inside the cab seem about a 1/4 ". Can the door be adjusted outward? Looks like possibly the catch mechanism on the door itself can be??
Anyways, thanks so much for your patience and, mostly, thanks in advance for the assistance I'll inevitably be requiring.
Have you considered taking an evening auto body class at a local vo-tech? I know it's difficult to fit things like that into a busy schedule, but I painted my 1971 Oldsmobile 98 by taking an evening autobody class. The paint turned out tremendously better than I could have done on my own in the backyard (already painted the bumper on my wife's Kia Soul that way ) and I saved a bundle vs. having a shop do it. Plus, I got to do most of the work myself. I did all the body work and painted the fender skirts, I let the instructor spray the rest of the car because I was afraid I would get runs and sags
Only 30k miles, wow! Curious how much it cost you.
If you polish & wax the paint where the clear is gone it might look perfect again. I did that on one car and it was hard to tell the difference. The leading edge of the door being misaligned is quite odd. Adjusting the latch would change the trailing edge of the door, the hinges can be adjusted to set the leading edge. Since it's in 1/4" now, adjusting it out will probably leave an air gap at the seal and require a new one. The only reasons I can think for it being off are a manufacturing mistake or an accident. Or maybe someone adjusted it inward for some reason. The bed being high seems odd. My guess would be the right front mount loose, the left rear mount sagged, or accident damage. Being that both the bed and door misalignment are on the passenger side makes me think accident damage.
Consider changing all the other fluids if they haven't been done.
So far;
sanded down the hood, roof and top section of the driver's side fender. Shot the metallic base and then clear with just spray cans. A lot better than before, and to me, good enough. In a few days I'll wet sand and polish and be done with it. Touched up the steel wheels and finally found the deep enough dog dish caps I wanted. Mounted the spare in the bed.
On the interior I previously had a sagging and mildly warped headliner that I think had been attacked by moisture thru the leaking rear window seal. I found a nice condition headliner at my local pick and pull, albeit the wrong color, and installed it after spraying it with some fabric paint. New rear window seal installed.
Still plugging along on some minor details. I love the suggestion about the body shop class, I'm looking into it. As far as the door goes, I mistakenly said leading (front) portion of the door. It actually the rearward portion that is off, like closing too far, by 1/4". Haven't solved that or the bed alignment yet.
Your striker bushing is probably wore out on your door. I read somewhere here (Wanna say you Leroy, or maybe it was charmalu) said a piece of 1/2" pex fits perfect, just cut a slit in it and pry it over the striker post.
Will definitely be doing it to mine when I get around to doing the door/window seals
DarkOverCast - Thank You! Thank You! Exactly right in my case. I took a look and the passenger side one was very worn and cracked. Came off in my hand. When messing with that I noticed that the post itself also looked to be not in it's original location, further in. I loosened it, didn't take much as it was pretty loose already. Years of shutting the door against it had moved it inward. Once loose, I was surprised how much adjustment there was available. I used your listed hack and with a little piece of pex pipe and adjustment the door is perfect. As an additional bonus, the driver's side bushing was completely missing which had caused the door to rattle while driving. Very annoying directly in my left ear. Another piece of pex pipe, solid and rattle no more!
Yeah I used that Pex pipe on my 86, it helped as there wasn`t a bushing there.
I was at PNP and started looking at the strikers on various trucks. Had my 3/8" Battery Impact gun
(HF Earth Quake one) and a T50 Bit and removed a bunch of good strikers off some newer 90`s
trucks. Replaced the one`s on the 86 with these and was even better at latching. Does not take
much to close the doors now.
My Bro in Law has a 83 4x4, and always has to slam the doors hard to get them to close. He said
the prior owner replaced the door seals and being Chicom one`s, they were thicker, so caused the
problem.
I replaced them with some PNP one`s. First mark the location of the old one with a felt marker or pencil
installed the new one but moved it out a bit, now the doors close w/o slaming them.
That is a nice looking truck, good score. A better location for the spare tire would be the drivers side. with
it located on the right side it could block some of your vision.
Nice looking truck! I'd try and find a spare tire cover that will fit nicely to keep the sun off that tire so it doesn't dry rot.
Thanks for the updated tip Charlie, next time I'm at the PNP I'll have a looksie for some bricknose strikers and possibly used but nice door seals, they are pretty much completely gone and the window seals are not even there anymore. I'll have to also pick up a set of glass as mine are scratched to hell.
I've focused most of my efforts on mechanical issues. It may not look pretty, but I've yet to be put on the side of the road.
Thanks for the shout out DOC.. Yep - PEX still going strong, I wouldn't bother with an OEM striker. PEX is pretty much indestructible and fits perfect.
While searching out door gaskets, I will tell you, pretty much forget finding a good set off a bullnose. Though you are in luck.. Mid 90's off an OBS FIT, though the glass is different and initially the rear bend is 2 inches off, with massaging and patience you can make it fit. There is however one *tiny* crinkle that won't even out.. But it's worth it for new gaskets and not any big deal.
I try to give credit where it's due, I've seen various obs's with good gaskets. Just wadnt sure if they'd fit. A little black rtv ought to seal that hiccup up nicely!
Yea I grabbed 2 sets of almost new looking gaskets off OBS's..
I wouldn't get high hopes of adhesive holding that corner down though.. The fit is very good but not exact and there is tension from moving that radius down a little. It's one of those things, where you can pick your poison. Let it crinkle there to lay perfectly flat elsewhere, If you did succeed in gluing it down, you may fight wackamole by creating tension elsewhere. You can try and maybe have luck heating it or something else, but it's fine for me. Also could cut a 'pie slice' then it would lay down nice.. But, the crinkle don't bother me none, just saying so nobody gets their hopes up that it's an exact match.
The exterior does not bind at all, that's the good news.. Just one crinkle on the upper rearmost inside. It's in a spot that really, I just rarely happen to look at, and it's fine really. Looks good.
Sorry for > tm:dr > your thread..
I am certain that your truck and mine were friends at the assembly plant, though mine is an 85'.. I just got a feeling that they hung out in the parking lot.
05-01-2019, 10:38 PM
) and I saved a bundle vs. having a shop do it. Plus, I got to do most of the work myself. I did all the body work and painted the fender skirts, I let the instructor spray the rest of the car because I was afraid I would get runs and sags
