Some of us really like old Fords
Ford Highboy with a Roar - 4x4 F250 Gets a Godzilla
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Very cool. Nice to see something other than a cruiser on here every once in a while.
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- #103
Quick update on the truck - got a radio 
Also a bunch of stuff you can't see! Had a tuning session with Kessel Tuning. On the off chance someone reading this needs remote tuning for a Holley product, this dude is great to work with. Truck is now driving pretty great, still need to fix the worn out rod end though. Also have some stuff in the works re: seat upholstery. Should have an update on that by the end of the month hopefully! Spent all week working on the Galaxie which will now have its own thread in the ih8mud Ford Forum.
Also a bunch of stuff you can't see! Had a tuning session with Kessel Tuning. On the off chance someone reading this needs remote tuning for a Holley product, this dude is great to work with. Truck is now driving pretty great, still need to fix the worn out rod end though. Also have some stuff in the works re: seat upholstery. Should have an update on that by the end of the month hopefully! Spent all week working on the Galaxie which will now have its own thread in the ih8mud Ford Forum.
FE's are my favorite engine...
This was a local car- Love this thing. $30k motor in a $3k car mopping the floor with the corvettes.
I had a Mercury 410 and later a very nice purpose built for towing 9:1cr 390 in my '70 Highboy. That 390 thought it was a much bigger engine. I towed very heavy with it. Drove it cross country several times. Put 225k miles on it in 8 years before pulling it out for a 12 valve Cummins. I ran full synthetic oil in it and pulled the heads and pan for the buyer- The bores and bearings looked like the day I assembled it. Unbelievable.
Would love to have a car worth putting a 427 in.
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- #107
sadly not a ton of progress this weekend - the rain is really slowing things down plus iām remodeling the kitchen in my house at the same time as building this truck and galaxie so weāll be moving at a snails pace. i did get the amp/bluetooth receiver moved behind the seat and wired up. need to add some 6x9s and build an enclosure for it all. also stuck the glove box in place finally.
the seat upholstery still doesnāt even have an eta so thatās on hold for the moment. iām planning to match the column and door cards to the primary color for the bench once it comes in.
biiig moves were made behind the scenes, however. the truck is officially titled and registered/insured so i can drive it further than to the corner store and back. took it to the gas station in town and discovered that my fuel filler neck sucks real bad. i only had enough patience to put 7 gallons in so will need to re-visit that design sometime.
lastly, i got around to changing the tie rod end which made the truck feel much better. remanufactured motorctaft starter went in easily and now there are no issues with hot starts which is a relief. i also purchased some lighter springs that folks claim work but theyāre visually way too short so didnāt bother trying to install.
the seat upholstery still doesnāt even have an eta so thatās on hold for the moment. iām planning to match the column and door cards to the primary color for the bench once it comes in.
biiig moves were made behind the scenes, however. the truck is officially titled and registered/insured so i can drive it further than to the corner store and back. took it to the gas station in town and discovered that my fuel filler neck sucks real bad. i only had enough patience to put 7 gallons in so will need to re-visit that design sometime.
lastly, i got around to changing the tie rod end which made the truck feel much better. remanufactured motorctaft starter went in easily and now there are no issues with hot starts which is a relief. i also purchased some lighter springs that folks claim work but theyāre visually way too short so didnāt bother trying to install.
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- #108
still some time out on the seat upholstery but i have been assured it shouldn't be much longer. in the meantime, i got a bedliner sprayed in. turned out really well!
looks a little stripey because it was still wet in the photo but it evened out nicely after fully curing. also got some work done on the galaxie which i'll post shortly!
looks a little stripey because it was still wet in the photo but it evened out nicely after fully curing. also got some work done on the galaxie which i'll post shortly!
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- #109
been doing a lot of work behind the scenes on the truck but the galaxie has been taking most of my free time since i want it fully painted before the weather gets cold.
the current roadblock with the truck (which isnāt really a roadblock but still bugging me) is figuring out wheels. i think the factory ford wheels look decent but what i WANT are wheels that look like the OG stamped steel wheels from 1971. the glaring issue is that SD axles are wide as hell and require very high offset wheels to make track width manageable, a very specific wheel face/barrel geometry to clear brake calipers, AND are 8x170mm pcd. i could maybe try to retrofit some hubcaps on the SD steel wheels but not convinced thatās worth the effort. kinda stumped on this one. iāve called detroit steel wheels and best they can do is an 18x8 +16mm and uswheel is just generally not helpful when queried for available backspaces.
the current roadblock with the truck (which isnāt really a roadblock but still bugging me) is figuring out wheels. i think the factory ford wheels look decent but what i WANT are wheels that look like the OG stamped steel wheels from 1971. the glaring issue is that SD axles are wide as hell and require very high offset wheels to make track width manageable, a very specific wheel face/barrel geometry to clear brake calipers, AND are 8x170mm pcd. i could maybe try to retrofit some hubcaps on the SD steel wheels but not convinced thatās worth the effort. kinda stumped on this one. iāve called detroit steel wheels and best they can do is an 18x8 +16mm and uswheel is just generally not helpful when queried for available backspaces.
I mocked up a set of 67-72 F-250 hubcaps on 2008 F-350 18x8 stock steel wheels and they didn't look bad. My plan was to machine the wheels for stainless stripper bolts. The lip on the hubcap would grab onto the head of the stripper bolt.
I'm with you....whatever you do, keep the wheels tucked in as far as you can
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- #112
so i don't think the USwheel option will clear brakes even if i downgrade to '99 calipers and rotors. i reached out to diamond racing wheels (they make wheels for dirt track stuff and people put them on civics when i was in highschool). they actually have a wheel that isn't bad:
for reference, the king ranch wheels on the truck currently are 18x8 +44. tires are 33x12.50.
diamond can make these in a 17x8 with a backspace of 5.75" which is around a +32mm offset. if i paired this with the correct tire (255 section width) it would actually be a little narrower than stock:
only thing is that 255/85r17 is a really weird tire size and i think mickey is the only manufacturer. i could go down to 255/80 and the options open up a ton.
for reference, the king ranch wheels on the truck currently are 18x8 +44. tires are 33x12.50.
diamond can make these in a 17x8 with a backspace of 5.75" which is around a +32mm offset. if i paired this with the correct tire (255 section width) it would actually be a little narrower than stock:
only thing is that 255/85r17 is a really weird tire size and i think mickey is the only manufacturer. i could go down to 255/80 and the options open up a ton.
Love what you are doing here. Another old fart who enjoys his old ford!
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- #114
sweet short bed. if i were to build another truck i would want to do something similar to this one from icon - might actually fit in a parking space too
Yeah thatās beautiful! Daughterās boyfriend in WY just picked this up last week. Still working to keep it running so they can drive it.
Likely has turning radius of a semi.
Likely has turning radius of a semi.
- Thread starter
- #116
another ford weekend for me. made a little bit of progress on the truck. first is door panels - they're installed. i painted them green and it doesn't really match the arm rests so i'll have to revisit. when it's not in broad daylight it looks like it matches though. i am still waiting for the upholstery shop to get it together and send out my seat upholstery. i'm a patient man but it has been 11 weeks lol.
i have also started cutting down the tow bar. i took about 4.25" out of it and will use it as a bumper mounting solution since it will bare all loads from towing instead of the bumper like it may have back in the 70s. finally got to use this square from fireball tool. we never can seem to find a great application for it but it was super handy for this task.
and here's an idea of what the bumper will look like. i didn't finish mounting it because i think i want to strip the paint off of everything and get it looking decent.
i have also started cutting down the tow bar. i took about 4.25" out of it and will use it as a bumper mounting solution since it will bare all loads from towing instead of the bumper like it may have back in the 70s. finally got to use this square from fireball tool. we never can seem to find a great application for it but it was super handy for this task.
and here's an idea of what the bumper will look like. i didn't finish mounting it because i think i want to strip the paint off of everything and get it looking decent.
FWIW I think those wheels would look great if they were Gun Metal Grayanother ford weekend for me. made a little bit of progress on the truck. first is door panels - they're installed. i painted them green and it doesn't really match the arm rests so i'll have to revisit. when it's not in broad daylight it looks like it matches though. i am still waiting for the upholstery shop to get it together and send out my seat upholstery. i'm a patient man but it has been 11 weeks lol.
i have also started cutting down the tow bar. i took about 4.25" out of it and will use it as a bumper mounting solution since it will bare all loads from towing instead of the bumper like it may have back in the 70s. finally got to use this square from fireball tool. we never can seem to find a great application for it but it was super handy for this task.
and here's an idea of what the bumper will look like. i didn't finish mounting it because i think i want to strip the paint off of everything and get it looking decent.
Or type III hardcoat anodized.
Aluminum gets real dark gray and tough looking when it's type 3 anodized. It's also slick as hell and harder than a file. It's a very different process from regular type 2 ano.
Type 2 is cosmetic. Type 3 is industrial. Looks pretty cool on the right parts.
Type 3 anodize is probably similar cost to a higher end powder coat or cerakote job. The prep has to be perfect though. Anodize shows every imperfection.
Type 2 is cosmetic. Type 3 is industrial. Looks pretty cool on the right parts.
Type 3 anodize is probably similar cost to a higher end powder coat or cerakote job. The prep has to be perfect though. Anodize shows every imperfection.