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1980 - 1986 Bullnose F100, F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks Discuss the Early Eighties Bullnose Ford Truck

86 to 87 interchangeability

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Old Mar 5, 2008 | 05:57 PM
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rmalottwtes30
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86 to 87 interchangeability

I have access to a set of fenders the front grill and hood from a 1987 but my truck is a 1985. I know its interchangable, but what about just the fenders and front grill or do I need to have the whole 9 yards to change it as in the radiator support and innder fenders? Im thinking if I need the inter fenders and front support it will become a BIG job since I got all that stuff sitting on the fenders and such.

My truck is a diesel would I need the front clip from a diesel? Are the radiator supports between gas and diesel the same?
 
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Old Mar 5, 2008 | 06:34 PM
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You need the support and all the stuff underneath to change it out. You may need to do some measuring, because I believe the gasoline truck radiator support may not let a diesel radiator fit, since the diesel radiator is so big. So that will probably rule out you being able to do it.

If you had a gas truck, you just unbolt the whole front clip, and bolt it on your truck as one piece, minus the hood which goes on later.
 
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Old Mar 5, 2008 | 07:17 PM
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So ima need to find the front clip from a diesel, because I dont want to try to make the radiator fit. haha.

Is the overall width and height of the radiator support the same as a gas, its just the opening for the radiator thats different right?
 
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Old Mar 5, 2008 | 07:28 PM
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I am not sure, you need to measure.
 
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Old Mar 5, 2008 | 09:13 PM
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The radiator support is definitely taller in the diesel than the gas. I have two 86's, one gas and the other a diesel. The diesel radiator support sticks out the bottom noticeably more than the gas one does.
 
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Old Mar 5, 2008 | 10:05 PM
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Originally Posted by WA1986F-250
The radiator support is definitely taller in the diesel than the gas. I have two 86's, one gas and the other a diesel. The diesel radiator support sticks out the bottom noticeably more than the gas one does.
That's what I was thinking, because some of the snowplow mounting kits will not fit a truck with a diesel engine. But I was not going to use this info to say he could not use the radiator support. But it makes sense.
 
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