New to the Ford Family
 

Howdy everyone,new to the forum and to Ford both. I was givin an 86 Ford F150 by my boss last month and it needs some TLC. Sadly in all my years as my family's goodwill mechanic lol, I know little about fords as a whole...hoping I can learn some new tricks.

Welcome to FTE.
You have come to the right place to get help and to learn.
What is the plan for the truck?
Just get it going and use on weekends for dump runs, etc. Or ground up rebuild for weekend outings, shows or some thing in between?
Dave - - - -

Well for this winter its going to be my main transportation, I wasn't sure if my particular truck would be worth putting any significant money into it besides general maintainence
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Well if you are asking "if I restore it back to factory shape can I get my money back"? the answer is NO!
Even if it was an older say Mustang that you can get all the parts for I still think you could not but may come closer to what you put into it.

I say this because look at the money in parts, if you can find them, you would spend. Then you have the man / woman hours put in to pull it apart and put it back together.
There is just no way to get the money back out if you were to sell it.
As it has been said in the old car / truck forums you do it for the love & challenge, never for the money you hope to get back out of it.

Now with that said my $800 81 F100 flare side was bought to do garbage runs and big box store runs when needed.
I also bought a 81 F100 style side LB parts truck for $400 that I used a lot of parts from.
When I looked the flare side over good when I got it home and what it needed to make it safe and being an ex-body man I could not just "patch it".
After I know the motor ran good, had a miss when I looked at it that new plugs fixed, I then started on a cab off frame rebuild.
Floors, rockers, cab corners, lower left door, part of the fire wall for AC from parts truck, metal floor from parts truck replacing the wood floor, rebuild the front suspension, all new brake system down to springs for the rear drums, etc.

There is nothing I have not touched / rebuilt on this truck other the rebuild the motor (just new gaskets), trany (new clutch & PP), rear end as they were all good.
I should also point out I am doing all the work even body & paint so that saved on the man hour $$$$.
The wife said I should have taken all the money I have into this truck and put it to a newer one that did not need as much work.
It comes back to "you do it for the love & challenge, never for the money you hope to get back out of it."
When done it will be a nice looking garbage run truck LOL
Dave ----
ps: see my sig for my thread with pictures.