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I recently purchased a truck to slowly fix up and hopefully eventually restore. It’s not original so I don’t feel bad adding a few personal touches. The body isn’t original and I’m scrapping a lot of it and starting with rust free components. I already have a cab purchased for it. I’m not going to paint it for a few years but I’ll do the frame since almost everything is coming off. I’m just wondering what components should be replaced now vs before it goes for paint. The perfectionist in me says to replace as much as I can but my budget won’t allow for everything at once. Any tips would be appreciated as far as what to prioritize and any other restoration tips. The frame is a 77 4wd frame with a 460 swapped in, it’s paired with a 4 speed manual. It’s gonna get a new clutch this spring when I put the new cab on. In the end it’s going to be dark midnight blue. For awhile it’s gonna have a lot of primer panels and a white cab. Thanks
Make sure you take the dvrs side door edge tag (Warranty plate) off the old door and transfer it to the new cab/new door. Also get Marti Auto to repop the white Safety Certification sticker on the dvrs side B pillar, it will NOT peel off. And FYI the paper title goes to the frame, NOT the cab.
I should have mentioned it’s already on it’s second body due to Iowa weather and roads making for a rusty nightmare. The cab on it is from a 78 f150 2wd automatic truck and the bed is most likely from the same donor truck but both are shot so it’s gonna get a third body. Once I find the serial number on the frame I’ll use that one when it gets retitled. The state issued a vin that’s a non original ford vin since the cab and chassis don’t match. They want an investigator to look at it before I put the new cab on to make sure it’s not stolen. The dot was a pain when I went to title it but oh well.
It sounds like you want to keep using the truck for the most part while this is going on?
I did a 4 year cab off frame rebuild on my 81 F100 flare side. It was not on the road before I started the project.
I had a parts truck and between the 2 I used the best parts and anything that was bad was replaced and it was a lot LOL
I do have to say the whole brake system was replaced other than the metal lines and maybe I should have?
Also it is your truck so build it the way you want it.
So if you want to do something that is not factory than so be it.
My flare side has some "custom touches" that look factory and 1 the factory should have done (duel tanks).
It is a late 77 frame, it has a rear fuel tank but the body on it now is setup for two tanks. I’m thinking of having southern truck in Michigan build me a long bed single tank box for it next year since rust free stuff in my area is impossible to find
Why not build you own? All the parts floor pan/header panel, tail gate AND NOW the inboard and outboard bed sides (sold together I do believe) are available. I am looking for a thread where a guy just posted pics of his and who he got them from. I think Auto Metal Direct.
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalytic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Slideshow: Called the Fortress, the 850-horsepower pickup combines Raptor underpinnings with military-inspired features, survival equipment, and a starting price of $285,000.
