I finally found a junk yard out my way and while I think I can trim down my shopping list for my '81 F100 a bit, it just dawned on me about the top of the dash - mine is shot/cracked/looks like crap/etc

I forgot to check while I was scoping the yard but just in case:

How interchangable are they and what's involved in the removal?
Do they just unscrew all around like behind the cluster?

 

The dash pad is the same 80-86 for F100,F150,F250,and F350.It's also the same in 1980-1999 F600,F700,and F800 trucks.There's about 12 or so screws that need to be removed,and after that the pad can be lifted off.Be very careful,as these pads are old and very brittle,the slightest tap can make em crack,especially if they've been in direct sunlight for awhile.

 

yep just like <b>shaun</b> says...they are all screwed in with a bunch of phillips screws around the edges (all of them are visible)...you can take them right out without having to get behind the dash or the instruments...

 

Thank you! I was hoping it would be the same across that year group - as so much is. I came across an 85 with a clean tach-in-cluster (and shift indie) that's coming home with me tomorrow and I'll check the pad's shape then.

I was so jazzed about the visual condition of the cluster I don't even remember what color the truck was! I did check the door tag to make sure it was in that year group tho'.


"Girlwithatruck" - your sig about parts donors - when I first picked mine up in 08, I was outside with my neighbor when similar truck drove by. I looked at him and exclaimed "Oooh! PARTS!" He didn't get it...

 

LOL. I'm always teasing my son when we see another vehicle like the one we are currently in, by saying "Lets follow that parts car/truck"........... He laughs, cause he knows I'm *almost* serious. After nearly 18 years, he's got me pegged pretty good.
A couple days ago, he pointed at another old truck, and said "PARTS TRUCK!!!" Guess I've rubbed off on him.

 

Now I have to wonder - is everything in/on/across the dash interchangable in this year group?

Radio, the clock device, etc?

 

As I understand it, yes. But, I'm told that the 1980 model had minor differences in the printer circuit on the back of the instrument cluster. Useable in other years, with some minor wiring changes.
Also, certain items like intermittant wipers vs regular have inter-dependant parts that have to be added/removed as a group.

 

@Cienega32 and Rogue_Wulff...dont you get particularly stalkerish if you see a parts truck go by with something you need on it? There's a flareside a few blocks away from me that has the original rear bumper on it...every time i drive past it the thought of doing something very bad runs through my head ...

 

I'm an 81 so I know the 85 gauge cluster is a problem free swap for mine. It'll be nice to replace my shift indicator "cable" as well. I'm using some sail stitch thread right now...

The intermittent wipers was a thought as was a lot of whatevers I can find. The 85 dash looked pretty clean from end to end minus the missing climate controls.

I'm just so thrilled to finally find a decent junkyard close to home. I stopped by to see what they had laying around and I spent two hours just walking thru and running thru my mental check list.

 

Nah, not me. I'm not an evil man. However, I do push pins into a miniature stuffed gas tank everytime a clean one drives by the house.

It's pretty dark on my corner of town...

Em - nice job on your cab restore. I was enjoying that thread last nite.

 

Intermittant wipers will swap, so long as you get both the wiper switch and the "Governor" that plugs between the stock harness and switch.

I don't exactly get "Stalkerish", but I make mental notes everytime I see an 80-86 sitting around looking bored........
The "Parts car/truck" thing is mostly a joke, though I have had someone overhear it, and mention where there was a true parts car/truck..... Score!

 

Alot of things do interchange,but there are a few differences through the years.

-The Intermittent wipers has already been described to a tee.

-Radios.I have a 1980,and put in an 85 radio.The wiring is all the same,but the connectors are different.I don't remember what year(82?),but Ford changed the power connector from a rubber two prong unit to a plastic 4 space connector.

-Clocks.1980-1982 clocks are different than the 83-86.They do not interchange across the board.If you have an 85,you need a clock from an 83-86.An 80-82 clock will not work.I have heard of people using 83-86 clocks in 80-82 trucks,but i'm not sure what they did.You'll have to check the wires and figure out which is which,as the colors and gauge of the wires are different.

-Tach Cluster.These will swap between 81-86 as long as the clusters are the same.If your gauge cluster has idiot lights,and the donr cluster doesn't,it will not work.If your cluster has gauges,and the tach cluster has gauges,it is a plug and play swap.You can swap a tach by itself into your gauge cluster,but you'll also need to put on the tach printed circuit.As far as the 80 printed circuit goes,it is different,and I have been told numerous times that only an 80 circuit will work since I have a 1980 truck,but I have had both 1981 and 1982 Printed Circuits in my truck,and the only difference from the 80 is in the indicators.Your turn signals could be your brake warning light,and your brake warning light could be your turn signals.This is an easy fix by pulling off the cluster bezel and swapping the plastic indicator faces out.You can also swap from idiot lights to Gauges,but some re-wiring and a plug swap will be needed.

-Trim Pieces.As far as I know,all of this interchanges.Door panels,Back of cab floor to roof trim,dash,it all interchanges.I recently put a complete interior from an 82 F250 into my 80 F100.

-Bucket seats.You will need to drill 4 holes for the inner mounting brackets.I've never done the bucket seats though,so that's all I know.

-Door panels from an 80-early 81 trucks have slide locks,and are therefore different than the late 81-86 trucks which have the top pull locks.This can also be interchanged(I'm currently in the process),but you will need the new rods and mechanism for the door,and you will also need to drill the holes in the top of the doors.

-Whenever you get a new option like a clock or a radio,make sure you get the pigtail too(Cut the wiring from the donor truck and take the donor truck's plug with you)just so you can have extras if you need them.

-On trucks without a Radio from factory,it is possible to add a radio,but it takes a bit of work.To do it as the factory did,you will need to remove the doors,and drill holes in the cab and the doors to facilitate the speaker wires.You will need to pick up some rubber boots from the junkyard that go between the door and cab,and also a speaker harness for the radioincluding the harnesses that go into the door to the speaker.Once you have the holes drilled,put the doors back on,and insert the speaker boot into the holes.Then,take off the radio bezel(and Dash Pad if you want,but be careful as they're brittle) and run the speaker harness behind the dash.Next,run the speaker ends of the harness to the kick panels,and insert them through the speaker boots,and then add your speakers,connect the wire harness.Next you need to either drill a few holes in your current cowl panel,or swap in a cowl panel from a Radio equipped truck.I suggest swapping in an 87-91 cowl panel,as they have tiny holes in the center instead of the large slots of the 80-86,which keeps the leaves out.Once you have the holes drilled or the new cowl panel installed,run the antenna wire to the radio.

-Convenience group lights(Under dash,courtesy light switch,dome/map,glove box light)can all be added to any truck,just make sure you get the entire harness for these options.

-Also,alot of clocks and radios in these older trucks no longer work,so there is very little hope for these options.

If there's anything else I missed,someone else can add to it.

Hope this helps ya out.

 

Fordzilla80 - thanks! Great breakdown of it all. BUT what makes the difference in the clocks in those years you mentioned?

Well, I guess I made my 1st scope it out trip the same way people shop when they're hungry. It all looked a lot better yesterday. Except for the gauge cluster - that was as clean as I remember it but would've sworn it was behind the "woodgrain" bezel.

I couldn't find any shift indies with the AOD scale I have but that's no biggie as long as the "string" is good and it is.

Nope - confused two vehicles and the woodgrain one was a bit busted up. And the radio I spotted was in a 93. I passed on that.

I did score up a pristine "correct" dome light & lens and another no-crack dome with the two switched map lites.

The dashtop was in the same truck as the gauges - almost a bone white faded but no cracks.

I thought I may have a shot at some decent buckets but they too were worse than I originally thought. No other seat selections were worth looking twice at.

I have the early 81 with the slide door locks mechs (sliders busted/missing) and good to know that they can be updated if it comes to that. No matter now as there weren't any good door panels to be found.

The clock I can't remember what it came from but if it does work (it bolts right in) I can trim the "CUSTOM" bezel that the P.O. already hacked up for an aftermarket (and missing) radio.

I have to go back I think. I came across one of those under the hood storage boxes, a few under the hood bottle jacks, a couple of 2-barrels and an 84 150 XLT with perfect fenders. Actually, the whole front clip was perfect so that's something for me to think about if at least for the driver's fender. Oh yeah - and seat belt mechs. Mine are all chewed up.

At any rate - it's not a restore mission but more of one to get the stuff that makes life with this work truck a bit better.

 

While we are on this subject. I would be interested to know how well this dash repair is holding up. https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...ml#post7621569 It's been 9 mos.

 

She did her door panels around the same time and she says they are just as good when she first did them.