1979 F-150 4x4 Undergoes Amazing Restoration

Extensive Job

We see more than our fair share of builds and restorations here in the Ford Truck Enthusiasts forums, some more extensive than others. But if you're into incredibly detailed, incredibly thorough resto jobs, you won't find many better than BKSMN's five-year '79 F-150 redo. 

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Early Start

Even better, this old farm truck project was BKSMN's very first truck, and he was in college when he purchased it and started the work. But judging by the way things turned out, you'd never guess any of that. 

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Removing Years

The first job, of course, was to remove the decades of dirt built up on this F-150. Piece by piece, BKSMN began stripping off parts and cleaning them. He also found time to give the truck a little tune-up along the way. 

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Balling on a Budget

Being a college student on a budget, BKSMN wasn't about to go out and buy a bunch of replacement parts. Instead, he refurbished and repainted everything himself, including the badges and grille.  

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Fix 'Er Up

The same went for things that needed to be repaired mechanically. With a little guidance from other forum members and some elbow grease, he was able to slowly but surely get everything working properly. 

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Massaging Panels

As is typical, bodywork took up the bulk of the time on this project. Panel by panel, he reversed the truck's rust and dents and made them look like new. But instead of fixing the rotten bed, he managed to find a better one on the cheap. 

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Patience Pays Off

As anyone who's ever done bodywork will tell you, it takes a lot of time, supreme patience, and extra skin on your fingers. But BKSMN soldiered through this process like a champ. 

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Coming Together

Before long, this F-150 was coming back together and looking like a truck again. At this point, it was almost time to hit the paint booth, which makes all those laborious hours worth it.

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Painted Perfection

BKSMN's many years of work certainly proved to be worth it when he traveled 120 miles to pick up his freshly painted truck. Needless to say, it turned out pretty amazing.

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Finish Line

Of course, the work wasn't quite over at that point. BKSMN still had to reassemble everything, including the chrome and trim. But his long journey appears to finally be over. It's one well worth reliving, too, so head over here to see it happen from start to finish!

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For help with your maintenance and repair projects, please visit the how-to section of the forum.