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1981 F-150 Supercab. 300 cu in. 4 speed (3 plus OD). 2.75 rear, 4x2. Needs stripped/sanded, Ospho'ed, and a quality Rustoleum Safety Red roller paint job. As well as tires, some interior work, windshield, brake work, gas tank cleaning/draining and some "fixing" on tailgate.
The only cancer/rot is in the bed where water sat. The rest is all surface rust. Cab corners good, roof channels good, frame good.
Yes, It will be a budget build. my upper limit is $4k including the $1300 I gave for the rig. Too many other projects tapping the funds. But I "needed" this truck while I am here in North Carolina doing some work on a house.
Got the truck last Friday. Working on a house in North Carolina, which is priority, but my brother and I got some stuff done. (It's more fun to wrench than to paint and fix walls with hot mud)
Going down to bare metal on most of it. Most of it, except inside the bed. That will get a rusty metal primer brush job and covered.
Picked up some used old skool Cragers and slapped 235/75R15's Wal Mart specials on the rims. That should add a lot of horsepower to the 300. Had a fuel issue. I wasn't getting fuel from the tanks. I couldn't blow air through the lines back to the tank either. The previous (original) owner had a problem with the switching valve. He bypassed it and went with a manual three way poking up through the floorboard.
Anyway, it would run with a gas can in the engine compartment hosed direct to the fuel pump. I dropped the front tank and when taking off the straps, found a hole in the tank. What came out was nasty and varnished anyway. New tank, sending unit, vent, filler hose and 5/16" fuel line ordered. I'll probably drop the rear tank and set aside for now.
Last edited by PA_Robert; Mar 25, 2026 at 07:09 PM.
Going that far on the body it is a shame you are going with a roller paint job.
I am just finishing up a roller paint job o n a lawn tractor pull behind cart for my son and can tell you it is ok for it but I dont think I would do it on a car or truck without using a hardener and then after a few days of dry time I would wet sand and and another coat, wet sand and maybe buff.
Keep us posted
Dave ----
Going that far on the body it is a shame you are going with a roller paint job.
I am just finishing up a roller paint job o n a lawn tractor pull behind cart for my son and can tell you it is ok for it but I dont think I would do it on a car or truck without using a hardener and then after a few days of dry time I would wet sand and and another coat, wet sand and maybe buff.
Keep us posted
Dave ----
I don't have my stuff for a spray job here in NC. Everything is home in PA.
I did a roller job on a 1975 CJ-5 a few years ago. Didn't come out bad. Thin the paint 60/40, Majic hardener, a few coats, wet sanding, and hopefully it comes out OK.
A little background, my brother is here with me. He has a learning disability and I am now his guardian. He always wants to help me with things. Most times it's easier and faster for me just to do things on the house renovation. I got the truck for him and I work on, more so to keep him busy while I get things done on the house.
He was in Special Ed, when it was called that in the 70's and early 80's. His only time with "normal" kids was when he tried VoTech for auto body. He always talked about that. So I figure, let him "work auto body". He can do simple thigs (sanding, cleaning, washing/hosing down, etc). Following directions can be a challenge for him. And directions/tasks needs to be a single task. No multiple steps.
We'll paint it together and that way I can go in behind him and "clean" things up. And then I can turn him loose between coats with the 800 grit wet sanding.
That is cool that he can help you and I know what you mean about it would be faster to just do it but you cant have him sit in a corner.
It will be cool when all done that he can say he helped prep and paint the truck way to go
Oh and you have already done a roller job so you know how it will come out nice.
You know we got to see pictures when done.
Dave ----
Had a fuel issue. I wasn't getting fuel from the tanks. I couldn't blow air through the lines back to the tank either. The previous (original) owner had a problem with the switching valve. He bypassed it and went with a manual three way poking up through the floorboard.
