my truck's evolution - figured I'd share
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Postmaster
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my truck's evolution - figured I'd share
Last year in March I traded my '78 F150 mud slinger (hi-comp 429, 6" lift, 35s, LSDs) for the truck I have now. This is what she looked when I first got her:
Then a few months later when summer came she turned into this:
And then little by little she turned into this:
Lotsa rust got cut off and knocked out along the way (much of it fell in my eyes), several rattle cans of semi-gloss black (no flat black for me!) got sprayed/inhaled, the Milwaukee heavy-duty drill ran full speed for god knows how many hours, and my back and my waist and my knuckles still have vivid memories of dropping tanks and leaning over the engine and trying to reach places where human hand don't belong (especially holding a ratchet), but methinks tis all worthy in the end when you can say no one has done any work on your truck but you and a few good buddies
Then a few months later when summer came she turned into this:
And then little by little she turned into this:
Lotsa rust got cut off and knocked out along the way (much of it fell in my eyes), several rattle cans of semi-gloss black (no flat black for me!) got sprayed/inhaled, the Milwaukee heavy-duty drill ran full speed for god knows how many hours, and my back and my waist and my knuckles still have vivid memories of dropping tanks and leaning over the engine and trying to reach places where human hand don't belong (especially holding a ratchet), but methinks tis all worthy in the end when you can say no one has done any work on your truck but you and a few good buddies
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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 516
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From: La Crosse, WI
That was quite the transformation, it is looking much, much better! I like the little mini stack you have on there. I put dual 3" stacks side by side on the passenger side on mine.
Is that strap the only thing holding your tire on the tailgate?
Is that strap the only thing holding your tire on the tailgate?
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Postmaster
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Ya know I hadn't thought of the dual stack on one side, that would look pretty cool - can you post some pics? I'll probably not do it, not any time soon at least (unemployed), but I'd really like to see what it looks like. My stack is 3" as well.
The spare wheel - there are two 1/2" bolts that hold it to the top of the tailgate, and there's a 1/8" thick steel plate on the inside to distribute the weight of the wheel more evenly and not fatigue the sheetmetal and crack it like what happend when the wheel was bolted to the top rail of the front bed wall. The strap is just to keep it from flopping around when I go through holes and stuff, we got plenty of those around here.
The spare wheel - there are two 1/2" bolts that hold it to the top of the tailgate, and there's a 1/8" thick steel plate on the inside to distribute the weight of the wheel more evenly and not fatigue the sheetmetal and crack it like what happend when the wheel was bolted to the top rail of the front bed wall. The strap is just to keep it from flopping around when I go through holes and stuff, we got plenty of those around here.
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Postmaster
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Looks pretty darn cool! I'd have probably turned them off to the side a bit, so they don't point straight back, but that's just me. I like you collector block at the bottom too.
On a side note, what's up with the reinforcement braces in the front left corner of the bed? What are they for, and did they come with the truck, or you added them later?
On a side note, what's up with the reinforcement braces in the front left corner of the bed? What are they for, and did they come with the truck, or you added them later?
Elder User
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 516
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From: La Crosse, WI
I thought about turning them, but with both of them together like that i thought it looked rediculous to have them turn out opposing ways and then I also mocked them up to turn towards the passenger side and it just didn't look right.
I just recently got some 48" chrome 5" stacks so it probably won't stay this way long either.
The bracing in the bed from what I can tell is factory...or added on as a dealer option, it looks to me like where a spare tire would be be mounted up to. When I got the bed it didn't have anything mounted to it....that's my best guess.
I would like to put dually fenders on my bed and switch over to a dually axle. On your truck if you took off the dually fenders would it still have the full bedside under it? How do they attach to the bedside?
I just recently got some 48" chrome 5" stacks so it probably won't stay this way long either.
The bracing in the bed from what I can tell is factory...or added on as a dealer option, it looks to me like where a spare tire would be be mounted up to. When I got the bed it didn't have anything mounted to it....that's my best guess.
I would like to put dually fenders on my bed and switch over to a dually axle. On your truck if you took off the dually fenders would it still have the full bedside under it? How do they attach to the bedside?
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,346
Likes: 4
From: missouri
I thought about turning them, but with both of them together like that i thought it looked rediculous to have them turn out opposing ways and then I also mocked them up to turn towards the passenger side and it just didn't look right.
I just recently got some 48" chrome 5" stacks so it probably won't stay this way long either.
The bracing in the bed from what I can tell is factory...or added on as a dealer option, it looks to me like where a spare tire would be be mounted up to. When I got the bed it didn't have anything mounted to it....that's my best guess.
I would like to put dually fenders on my bed and switch over to a dually axle. On your truck if you took off the dually fenders would it still have the full bedside under it? How do they attach to the bedside?
I just recently got some 48" chrome 5" stacks so it probably won't stay this way long either.
The bracing in the bed from what I can tell is factory...or added on as a dealer option, it looks to me like where a spare tire would be be mounted up to. When I got the bed it didn't have anything mounted to it....that's my best guess.
I would like to put dually fenders on my bed and switch over to a dually axle. On your truck if you took off the dually fenders would it still have the full bedside under it? How do they attach to the bedside?
also I think the beds ar cut for the dually set up also on these trucks you have to have a spacer(to make it duals) or change the rear end something about the inner tire rubbing the springs...
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From: Faibanks Ak.
Last year in March I traded my '78 F150 mud slinger (hi-comp 429, 6" lift, 35s, LSDs) for the truck I have now. This is what she looked when I first got her:
Then a few months later when summer came she turned into this:
And then little by little she turned into this:
Lotsa rust got cut off and knocked out along the way (much of it fell in my eyes), several rattle cans of semi-gloss black (no flat black for me!) got sprayed/inhaled, the Milwaukee heavy-duty drill ran full speed for god knows how many hours, and my back and my waist and my knuckles still have vivid memories of dropping tanks and leaning over the engine and trying to reach places where human hand don't belong (especially holding a ratchet), but methinks tis all worthy in the end when you can say no one has done any work on your truck but you and a few good buddies
Then a few months later when summer came she turned into this:
And then little by little she turned into this:
Lotsa rust got cut off and knocked out along the way (much of it fell in my eyes), several rattle cans of semi-gloss black (no flat black for me!) got sprayed/inhaled, the Milwaukee heavy-duty drill ran full speed for god knows how many hours, and my back and my waist and my knuckles still have vivid memories of dropping tanks and leaning over the engine and trying to reach places where human hand don't belong (especially holding a ratchet), but methinks tis all worthy in the end when you can say no one has done any work on your truck but you and a few good buddies
Until recently I had a dually and a town car in the driveway(sold the TC),
but mine didn't come with a push bumper or hoodscoop.
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Postmaster
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The bracing in the bed from what I can tell is factory...or added on as a dealer option, it looks to me like where a spare tire would be be mounted up to. When I got the bed it didn't have anything mounted to it....that's my best guess.
I would like to put dually fenders on my bed and switch over to a dually axle. On your truck if you took off the dually fenders would it still have the full bedside under it? How do they attach to the bedside?
I would like to put dually fenders on my bed and switch over to a dually axle. On your truck if you took off the dually fenders would it still have the full bedside under it? How do they attach to the bedside?
I chopped it off two summers ago, I obviously drive it only when the weather is nice, but tis a blast
Push bumper is a custom job built by me, and so is the carrier for the spare behind the rear bumper (Conti-style). Bucket seats with a floor shifter and a console between them inside. No emissions.
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