Two 78 Ford 4x4's to restore build thread

[lOOKnGO]

Back story of at least 4 years. Wife shuttled kids back and forth from school. Sometimes giving rides to other kids. One family had a truck parked in a obscure place, that didn't move. Being a truck fan girl she inquired about it. Well the husband is going to rebuild it, not really for sale. Every once an awhile still inquiring. Time goes by the wife really wants a beat-o-truck, so she calls the family and asks if it's for sale. The other wife says nope, but if we could barter (we have a atv that needs fixed and BTW it has an engine in the truck has issues and a tree limb fell on it. If we could fix the atv, we could have the truck. My wife says let's get the atv, and see if we can fix it. I want a truck.
We fix the atv over a week, new carb, fuel line and battery.
The wife and kids meet a rollback to pick up the truck, but it comes with all the metal and more to do repairs plus rim's.
During all this, my son convinced her to let him have it to work on. She concedes, but still wants a truck. So I find another with an immaculate cab and bed, but all apart. I buy it. She still doesn't have a truck. We agree to get my sons on the road first. I had no idea the shape of the truck they got was in.

I tell my son he has to do the work. I had a sandblaster doing work for other stuff, if he wanted anything done get it ready. He removed all the bed bolts with a grinder and disconnected wiring. He then removed the bed with a skid steer with my help.

The blaster included his truck on the job and it revealed a lot more rust issues then it looked. My son wants to continue to press forward. I tell him the front cab mounts and floor needs to be replaced and the front clip needs to come off for ease.
He definitely knows how to tear stuff apart with minimal help. This is the start.

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[SID297]

This thread is going to end up making me want to spend money.

 

[lOOKnGO]

I'm surprised how much they go for these days. They make just about everything for these trucks. Getting the parts is a bit more difficult then usual.

 

[SID297]

I'm surprised how much they go for these days. They make just about everything for these trucks. Getting the parts is a bit more difficult then usual.

NPD is your friend.

 

[lOOKnGO]

Yes, it takes several friends to make these projects go smoothly. Fortunately I have made several friends working with older Mustangs.
I intend to share the suppliers info and techniques.

 

[andymarkv]

LOVE IT! The dentsides are my favorites ever since I was a kid and my first vehicle was a '79 F100.
Although I will say fueling a truck of that vintage on a junior driver budget is TOUGH! It bled me dry back in '91...when it was only $1.10/gal.
Will definitely be watching to see how this progresses!

 

[CobraBob]

One would have have really nice. Two? Awesome. These are going to be great projects to watch come together, so be sure to keep us up to date as you progress.

 

[justbob]

“My husband is going to rebuild it”

And how many times I’ve heard words like this..

Translation - No thanks, we’re active dreamers and we’d prefer to just let the earth reclaim it eventually.


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[lOOKnGO]

Well, I'll start with safety first. Granted, I never used any of the things I'm going to post but in hindsight I would have had I known the long term effects.
I've been schooled over 40 years working in the field and messing around with projects. My son is much more cautious then I, so we bought him all the necessities he would need. So any input or questions are welcome.
I buy these reusable 3m masks for painting and some models you can exchange the fume filter with particulate filters. That makes it easy, so when they get warn just toss them. The mask has two main parts. The mask and the filters. When they are new, they're in a air tight bag. Once opened the fume filters used to degrade and considered one time use. Now they can be used multiple times and even come with a storage bag. The thin lined filter fits under a welding helmet and also deals with potential fumes. All around handy until you paint. I prefer the n95 with the comfort valve. They are easy for prolonged use. The ones without the valve are disposable after use. I will reuse valve masks but never a non valve mask. Rubber masks with cartridges are much heavier and more cumbersome, limiting the time of use. There are several different combinations for every task.
We use full face shields, and find it much more protective to your overall face during cutting and grinding, especially with wire wheels.
Gloves when cutting or welding leather is most comfortable.
Cushion mat the wife made that acts as insulation and really is a lot better then a creeper.
Typical flame blankets.
Son has a leather welding jacket for close quarters.
He has some Ford production line cover all he uses the most.
Also I would like to add that Carhartt has a whole line of Flame resistant wear.

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[jsd512]

I look forward to this.

 

[SVTdreamin04]

LOVE IT! The dentsides are my favorites ever since I was a kid and my first vehicle was a '79 F100.
Although I will say fueling a truck of that vintage on a junior driver budget is TOUGH! It bled me dry back in '91...when it was only $1.10/gal.
Will definitely be watching to see how this progresses!

Same story. Lol. First truck was a 79 F100 with a 302 that ran on 6.2 cylinders. My grandpa helped me rebuild another 302.

It was black, Explorer package and didn’t even have power brakes. I miss that truck.


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[lOOKnGO]

Well, the previous owner definitely was prepared to replace some metal, I'm glad in gave it to us. Turns out it had undergone repairs before and had not one, but two rusted floors, one on top another. No big deal. We cut one side out at a time. Opted to go full replacement with panels provided. The inner rails were like the original ones being galvanized. Care was taken to align as original and leave the existing door attached to constantly reference. It's going good. My son at this time is welding after I set everything up.

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[gimmie11s]

This is awesome!

 

[lOOKnGO]

We removed the right side floor and cut around the front cab support. We cut the right cab support and found that it actually wasn't supported at all. The insulator remained but the hole was wallowed out. I had some square tubing on hand so we cut a section then cut that piece diagonally. The piece slipped snugly around the existing mount, We cut notches and formed the radius and welded into place. The other side appears to have the same issue.

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[lOOKnGO]

Up to this point, most materials have been on hand including disposables. The cab corners that came with the truck were much lighter gage (pictured) and stamped from one piece of metal. I researched and found that Dennis Carpenter made OEM design replacements. I just couldn't let my son use such an inferior product if better is available. I spent the money for the heavier gage design. Hopefully sell the others up at Carlisle this summer. Working on replacing both front cab supports was a breeze with the floor out and fenders removed. He welded down through holes drilled into the firewall lip, using a spot weld technique. Also welded lapping seems at firewall. It's good to see the rust stopped at the floor. Next will be the floor repairs.

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[lOOKnGO]

Passengers side floor pan installed. Must say it fit snugly and was formed as original. It just cant fit any better on top of the cab support. Picture from underneath truck show the tight fit between pan and cab support. Edges were stitched welded then filled between. Noticed he made full penetration to the cad support from front picture. Spot welds mimic original assembly. I helped very little with this side. My son is doing the welding and all of the grinding and prep. The project is going as fast as he can, at his pace.

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[CobraBob]

Another great build/restoration thead to follow. I really admire you guys who have the skills to do these restorations. Whether it's a '65 Mustang or a Ford truck, I salute you. Can't wait to see the finished work.

 

[lOOKnGO]

Hey, thanks Bob. To me it's all about supporting my sons interest. He's very meticulous. He's not waiting for me to cut and fit pieces anymore. He did a sub body frame repair all on his own and welded it in today. He had the piece so tight, it fit in place with no support. I like helping, but him doing it on his own is a big reward.

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[CobraBob]

Hey, thanks Bob. To me it's all about supporting my sons interest. He's very meticulous. He's not waiting for me to cut and fit pieces anymore. He did a sub body frame repair all on his own and welded it in today. He had the piece so tight, it fit in place with no support. I like helping, but him doing it on his own is a big reward.View attachment 1736798View attachment 1736799

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Having an older son of my own, I can relate to how you appreciate his skills and determination. Did he go to a welding school? Did he learn from you? Or is he self-taught? Sounds like a great son.

 

[lOOKnGO]

Having an older son of my own, I can relate to how you appreciate his skills and determination. Did he go to a welding school? Did he learn from you? Or is he self-taught? Sounds like a great son.

He's self taught. We bought him the equipment and I went over the basics last year. He reads a lot and studies up on things that interest him. The willingness to take something on and not be intimidated is a big help. Encouragement goes a long way. Even his mom was sand blasting parts for him today.