whiskers

Got any more done ?

apwatson50

Actually yep i've been driving it for the last couple weeks and finishing up little stuff like gauges and some wiring. I've been meaning to take some pictures and post them just haven't taken the time.

It sure is nice getting more than 9mpg! But its going to take lots of sound proofing to make the noise tolerable in the cab. I think the first thing is a hood liner.

whiskers

You bet, post some pics when you get a chance. Always thought this would be the perfect truck! I've had 2 fords anf when the dodges came out with the cummins I went with it and have owned 6 since. But really loved driving the fords.

apwatson50

its on the road, not completely finished, but enough I can drive it!























for your viewing pleasure. haha

apwatson50

and some more...

BearKiller

That is gonna be one nice truck when you get it done.


One bit of advice from someone who spends long hours looking down the sides of big trailers :


See how the mirrors are mounted way back in the center of the doors ??


Remove those mirrors/brackets and re-mount them as far forward as the door will allow.


You can use those nut-rivet gizmos, or just remove the panels and bolt straight through with fender-washers/nuts on the inside.



The first time you sit naturally in the seat and merely shift your eyeballs to see perfectly in the mirror, without the need to lean way back in the seat and reposition your head, it will be worth the few minutes of time and extra holes in the doors.

You can plug the old holes with stainless machine-screws and, everytime someone asks you about the extra screws, you get to show them how smart you were to relocate the mirrors.



Mine have been relocated since about 1985 and now I can't hardly drive a truck that has the mirrors in the stock location.

BearKiller

Myself, I would for sure keep that NP205 and DIVORCE-MOUNT it; amid-ships AKA Ford Hi-Boy style.

There are so many advantages to a properly divorce-mounted transfer-case that it would take me the rest of the night to list them all.

apwatson50

Bearkiller, thanks for the advice on the mirrors, today after work is my first trip pulling a 16ft enclosed trailer so I'm sure next week I will be relocating the mirrors. I used the truck back when it had the 460 to haul a truck on a car trailer and I didn't really think to much of the position of the mirrors, but it will surely be different with an enclosed trailer.

Also the ford 205 is already mated to the dodge trans and its not going anywhere. I would really have to get a 2wd trans and a 205 that is setup for a divorced remote mount. It is nice though in our 76 hi boy front and and rear drive shafts are the same length!

BearKiller

Take the frame and bed of the left-over truck and build it into a matching really cool pick-up bed trailer with identical tires/wheels as the ones you use on the 4-door truck.

I mean really trick it (the trailer) out with all the trimmings, all the chrome trim, extra lights, mud-flaps with lights and chrome girls, bed-caps and bed-rails, a tool-box on the tongue, maybe even a really nice topper.

A friend in Pennsylvania built a matching trailer for his pristine 1983 Ford diesel, even installed a dump-hoist under the bed, painted it all to match; it is really cool and always draws a crowd of envyers at the show-and-shines.


If I could get ahold of a bed so nice as the one on your donor truck, that is exactly what I would do.

Grey Wolf

Nice ride apwatson50

If you need some good sound/insulation/heat rejection material check this out, they have good prices too...

http://www.lobucrod.com/index.html

apwatson50

Thanks for the recommendation on the insulation, definitely going to need some.

Went camping this weekend, pulling a 7x16 enclosed trailer with a bike and a quad and camping gear. Probably weighing ~4000#'s? And well the trans sucks. Up in the "hills" foot on the floor in 3rd would maintain speed but the trans oil temp coming out would be 250deg.

Power wise and engine temp was fine, the highest the engine got was 210deg and I probably could have hit O/D but who knows where the trans temp would have gone!

I have my aux cooler plumbed in but don't have the fan powered yet, will get that done this week.

Some day will have to get a Goerend Bro's torque converter, just hope the trans lasts until next year....

apwatson50

The matching trailer idea is pretty cool, but there is some pretty good rust over the wheel wells, and well with times as they are the truck is getting loaded heavy and going to the scrapper.

Maybe someday time and money won't be so rare and I can do cool things like that!

BearKiller

Time and money.


Lack of both is the story of my life.

Maybe we should start splitting a lottery-ticket every week; somebody is gonna win and I sure ain't since I never buy a ticket.

Kentucky has several neat ways to win now; one deal gets you $1000 a day for the rest of your life; now, that right there would sure free up the time/money situation.