As of right now, I really have three different directions I can go with working on my truck.

1. Paint and bodywork: You can see my truck in my gallery, I want to paint it all black and coat the rocker panels with liner of some sort in tan. This is what the better half would want, shes not to keen on the current paint/condition of the truck. No rust, but its well used; it has the minor dents, dings and scratches to be expected from a 12 year old truck.

2. Engine work: Exhaust mostly, long tube headers, glasspacks and exhaust. The engine uses/leaks about 3/4 quart in 3000 miles, but runs plenty strong for now with 130,000 miles on the clock.

3. Suspension: Me and my dad (hes back at the farm) have been working on slowly gathering parts for a D44 SAS, and are getting close to having most of what we need.

I want to do all of this stiff with in the next year and i am just curious as to which way you guys think i should attack these projects.

Let me know, Josh

 

Do all your other work b4 any paint work, otherwise you'll scratch it for sure. I'd do the exhaust first.

 

Yeah, good point, the only reason that I would do that first would be for her sake. Maybe if I decide to go ahead with the swap, I can put the headers on when we have the front end jacked up, may help out with the process some... so many choices...

 

Well its up to you but i would go bodywork cause if not dealt with right away it will get worst and just rust even more quicker and equal more $$$ then maybe engine

 

I already said that it is rust free, the only damage is dents and dings and scratches. I was pretty happy to find a rust free truck up in North Dakota!

Yeah, I know its up to me, But I value your guys opinions as to how you would go about it.

 

Go mechanical first....no sense in having a good looking truck that runs like *****....wouldn't you rather have a great running truck that looks like *****????

 

I'm still pretty new here but I bought a 87 F150 that has some trouble areas. The way I am attacking it is...

1. Replace the broken (inop) powered rear window with a solid rear window (don't need a slider), new rubber surround. The window leaks which is the main reason its getting replaced first.

2. Remove the bench seat and pull up the carpet to inspect the cab floor for any rust holes or damage from the leaking rear window and fix the damage and replace the carpet with a new vinyl floor.

3. Repair the rust under the molding on the doors and I will pull off all the molding to check underneath it to make sure there are no other rust spots. Also a few other rust spots to sand down and primer for the time being.

4. Major tune up...Plugs, Wires, Distributor cap and rotor, new belts, air, fuel and trans filter, trans fluid change, rear diff fluid change, etc. You get the idea.

After I get the truck running the way I want and all the major areas repaired I will worry about the paint and stuff. Hopefully I should be done with the first four by the middle of August (which depends on how much damage there is).

Anyway, just thought I would share mine.

On finding a good rust free truck up north and good luck with it.

 

Thanks Toohey, and good luck with yours as well. I hate rust! also have a 79 F150 that is in the process of being derustified, although, its only got a little on the cab corners, nothing bad. I already replaced the sliding rear window in that with a solid one, since the slider was shot.

 

I would do engine and figure out whats up with the oil consumpstion. Both my truck and car has over 140k on them and they don't consume oil! Then I would do exhuast and body work last.

 

i am pretty sure that the majority of it is my oil pan gasket with some possibly from the rear main seal. there is nothing higher up on the engine, but its hard to tell since it gets blown around on the bottom. What I just thought of that makes some sense, is when I have it jacked up to remove TTB, I can do the oil pan gasket (and headers if i am ambitious) and decide whether or not I want to tackle the rear main... ugh. not looking forward to that if it is the case.

My uncle had a F250 that he bought new in the mid 80s that used a quart of oil every oil change since it was new. never used any more, never used any less and didnt leak. what do you make of that?