So I bought my first vehicle with a clean title in hand, she has sat for 15 years in a field and she isnt too pretty especially around the doors and floors. she has a leak on the passenger side of the windshield in 2 spots, one towards the middle and the other right next to the door. floors on both sides are rotted out but the passenger side floor is "squishy" in that the only thing keeping my feet from going through is the bed liner like thing on the floor and the original maroon carpeted mats. driver side floor has a hole right where you would rest your heel for operating the gas pedal and brake. both sides where the bottom of the doors meet the floor are completely rotted out (I think they are called the rocker panels?) and especially so at the back of the cab. When I pull on the seat belts they move with the belt on the driver side and the passenger seat belt isnt even attached to it anymore.

Underneath the hood well... its also pretty rusted too. Whole hood around the front of the grill is pretty much rotted underneath but the top of the hood is intact, just has an even surface rust or "patina" as my model-t friend likes to call it on his T's. quarter panels are the same way just no rot only even surface rust. carb is frozen up too with the gas pedal stuck to the floor refusing to budge even with me yanking on it as hard as i can. i tried turning it by hand but that was a no go even after removing the spark plugs which all but 3 had rust on them. i shot a whole half can of WD40 down all the spark plug holes to help free up the pistons. i plan on getting some marvel mystery oil when i can afford it to dump down the cylinders before i try freeing up the motor. i blasted all the parts of the carb with WD but nothing wants to free up and move so im tempted to pull the carb but im taking things one step at a time before I get ahead of myself.

my only major problems I can really think of is the rear driver side wheel is locked up, the other three are completely free. Im getting a battery within the week and once thats hooked up i can check to see whats electrically not working properly. here is hoping everything turns on fine but thats never the case. rear shock mounts rotted/pulled off so those will need replacing. basically its a "needs everything" truck but im only doing the bare essentials right now. My goals with this truck is to get it running and driving and use it until it breaks. Im all about function over form and dont care if its picture perfect or "OEM" just so long as what i do works. this is supposed to be my summer project truck and i know im getting into something that will probably be over my head, but men can move mountains if they put their minds to it and i plan to do just that. Let me know what you guys think and if there are any quirks to this year lineup of trucks that i cant find online. Glad to be a new member and I hope I can offer something to the community.

I will try to upload pictures of the damage tomarrow or just make a video and upload to youtube.

 

Welcome to FTE!

I don't believe the 84's had any special quirks, but any vehicle that has been sitting for 5 years, much less 15 years, will have many things wrong with it. The first that comes to mind is the brakes. I would suggest an absolute replacement of every component right from the start, and that would include lines and hoses.

Then there's the fuel system - ditto. The gas will have turned to turpentine, the tanks will be rusty, and the hoses soft and shot. Replacement time.

Let me just stop right there and answer the question that you asked - what do we think. I've pulled three trucks out of fields and resurrected one of them. It had sat 2 years and in the end I sold him for 1/2 what I had in him. So I resolved to never do that again unless the vehicle had sentimental value to me.

Does this vehicle have sentimental value to you? If so, it will be worth whatever it costs. If not, you need to be aware from the outset that getting this truck going will cost much more than buying one already running. That's because everything you work on will need to be replaced or rebuilt, like the brake system and the fuel system.

Bottom Line: I really hate to say it, but you asked. I don't think this is a good idea unless the truck was your father's or grandfather's. Sorry.

But, that is your decision and we are here to help.

 

No sentimental value in the truck, just a $300 beater that I picked up, whole truck is going to be a learning experience for me. I knew when I bought it that it was going to be a money pit, but I would rather have something that I have gone through and know is dependable because I went through and rebuilt it. I have skills in welding and general automotive repair and know how to tear down engines and put them back together, just a matter of equipment that I dont have (yet). Nothing better then a good project to get ya out of that "Seasonal Depression Slump" from winter.

Im prepared to get my hands dirty, I just cant let frustration get the better end of me on this. Will upload pictures later today of the damage and what needs to be done.

 

Ok, since you know it'll be a money pit then you won't be surprised. And with your skills you'll be able to get it done. I'm looking forward to the pics!

 

Wow! with a statement of "i plan on getting some marvel mystery oil when i can afford it"
Please "Step back from the truck, Go Home, nothing you can do here"

Take it from some of us that have done this kind of resurrection, This sound like an easy 10-to-15+ Grand project. and being new to this, it's not the best way to "introduce yourself the re-building world".
Take what you have and practice dismantling it, selling off anything "useable" and hope to make more that $300.
Use that to get something "with floors" and running, and Then learn the rebuilding craft with something more basic.

Right now your jumping out of a perfectly good plane with a parachute, But NO lessons!
Sorry, just being real......

 

Sorry to add to the pile-on, Vintage... but this is not a good truck for you.

If you want to keep it we will help you through the process - but this is going to cost a fortune and it will never be worth it. Maybe you can get a "donor" truck with a solid body at the salvage yard and combine the two.

When it comes to rust - you can figure that for whatever you see, there is twice as much rust that you can't see.

 

Make this truck into a money maker. Get an ebay account, get a Craigslist account and start selling parts. Axles alone might fetch you $4-500, steering gear box maybe $100. Aside from that it sounds like everything else on the truck is done and shot.

You mentioned you would like to have a dependable truck that you've gone through..... this truck will never be dependable without MAJOR work and alot of money. Sell it for parts, scrap the rest, and reinvest what you made off of it.

I've been there, done that.

 

I think you may be getting the idea we are trying to convey - this is going to be a very expensive proposition that is fraught with many problems. So you need to be asking yourself if the view is worth the climb. And there are three ways it might be:

1. Sentiment: You already answered that this isn't a truck with sentimental ties
2. Rarity: If this truck is very rare, like maybe an XLS or a Free Wheeling truck. But, since Ford didn't provide identification on those packages in the VIN, you can move any of those parts to another truck and no one will be the wiser.
3. Mutual Project: If you are wanting to do a project with your son, daughter, or father then it really doesn't matter what the project is.

But, if it isn't one of those three then you are in for a very, very expensive and frustrating project. You will have many more times the money invested in it than you'll ever be able to get out of it. My advice is to pick a $ number you are willing to spend and then go look at what you can buy in an 80-86 truck for that money. For $5k you can get a very nice truck, but you won't be able to make the truck you have that nice for that money.

Having said that, it is your money and time. So, if you are willing then I'm along for the ride. Just don't say we didn't tell you.

 

Amen to that!

 

The OP is 19 years old, probably has no idea on how expensive a restoration can be.

Gee whiz, if he has to save up some money to buy a can of Marvelous Mystery Oil, how can he afford anything else?

From what I've read, $25,000.00 could easily be spent on this "rough as a cob" truck, and it will probably require additional funds, probably another $10,000.00.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, a far better truck can be bought for faaar less.

The OP is in NY, would be better off buying a truck in a southern state, where rust isn't that big of a problem.

 

Well said, Bill. But, let's put some real numbers to it:

• 1982 Explorer 2wd: Bought it for $300 and it had been sitting for 2 years. Had to replace the brakes, rebuild the engine, and many other things. But, it had no rust. In the end I had $4K in it and sold it for $2k. This is the truck that convinced me not to pull one out of a field.
• Rusty - 1981 4wd: I paid $600 for it and it had no rust and the engine had been recently rebuilt, but I was told the clutch was out. As it turned out, the rear diff was blown up, both driveshafts were worn beyond use, and the transfer case had to be rebuilt. In the end I had over $3k in it and sold it for $2800. This is the truck that convinced me it is folly to buy a truck you cannot drive in order to ascertain what is wrong with it.
• Miles Anderson's 1986 F150: Here's a link to pics I took of this really nice F150 that an acquaintance built. He said he had $10K invested in it, but was asking $5K for it - and last I knew he hadn't sold it for that. It has a well-built EFI'd 302, a hard-shifting C6, new wheels and tires, a very good paint job with no rust at all, and a nice interior. If I remember correctly he said the body work was about half the cost, and the truck was essentially rust-free when he started on it.
• Big Blue: Many of you know the details behind BB, but let's talk about paint and body work. He has very little rust, with the cab corners and wheel arches being the extent of it, and they aren't bad. So, my paint/body man looked it over and said that it will cost ~$4500 to give it a good paint job. Not a perfect job like he did on Dad's truck, but a good one where he will replace the cab corners and wheel arches, hammer out one small dent, and then shoot it with the original colors. But, I know that if the rust was more extensive, like floors, hood, etc then the cost would be much more. However, it is well worth it because the rest of the truck is very solid - although I do need to pull the engine and replace all the seals as it leaks like a sieve. In the end, Big Blue might be worth $6K - $8K, but there will have been far, far more invested in him than he'll be worth, and he started down the restoration road in a very driveable condition.

I could go on and on about the costs of rescuing trucks, but I hope this gives some perspective.

 

Since 1956, I've owned over 300 vehicles, so I know what it costs to restore one which includes:

Engine/trans overhaul, worn suspension/steering parts, rear axle/driveshaft repairs, wiring, electrical switches, body work & paint, upholstery, tires, rechroming, yadda yadda yadda!

The OP's truck will need all of this done, so what do you think it will cost? 25 grand EZ!

 

It may well go that high, Bill. I think the big ticket item is going to be body work and paint. I'm going to guess from what we were told of the condition that it will cost at least $10K for replacing the many panels, removing dents, and painting. I base that on the $6.5K it cost me on Dad's truck, which had far less rust than was described.

Now, someone might suggest a lot of Bondo, but w/o cutting the rust completely out and replacing those panels the rust will continue uninhibited. So, you'd probably be looking at a 2-year life for the Bondo before it pops off. That was the approach taken about 2 years ago on Big Blue, and the rust is already coming through the Bondo above the wheelwells.

Trim? Well, depending on what type the truck has it isn't available as I got the last two pieces on the face of the planet. But, at $70 - $150 per piece the NOS stuff, if available, adds up. Many of the trucks had 8 pieces of upper trim and 4 of lower, so you are looking at $1200 if you use $100/piece as an average. And that doesn't include bumpers, windshield trim, nor rear window trim. Unfortunately the folks that have the stuff, usually Green Steals, know what they have.

Then there's upholstery, carpet, dash pad, door panels, etc. The seats and headliner for Dad's was ~$1.5K, and I don't yet have carpet or dash pad ($400). Door panels will be shot on that truck, as will be the dash pad.

Engine rebuilds start at $2K if you can do all but the machine work, and go much higher if you have to hire the disassembly/reassembly work done. Transmissions, rear axles, drive shafts, complete brake systems, complete fuel systems, and as Sonny and Cher said, .

So, it could easily run to $25k. But, it would be a pretty truck. However, you wouldn't get $10k out of it.

 

"How much does it cost to restore" conversations are common in the 1961/66 forum, where I have more posts than in any other forum.

Some guys in this forum have spent over 50 grand restoring these trucks.

1981/83: I spent over 25 grand restoring my '65 F100, and back then, many of the parts were still available from Ford. Most of the parts I bought at cost +10%

But some stuff, like a NOS deluxe heater kit (it was long obsolete)...I paid much more.

1965 painted steel & anodized aluminum grilles are almost as hard to find NOS as Jimmy Hoffa & Amelia Earhart. Ford obsoleted them 9/1965, replaced them with 1966 grilles.

It took me 3 years to get an anodized version. A 'picker' pal of mine found one at an AL funeral home.

 

Good point. The cost of restoring a truck doesn't vary much from a 1965 truck to a 1985 truck - with the exception that some of the parts are just not yet available for the 1985 trucks. That's because the NOS parts are all bought up and the aftermarket hasn't yet starting making them.