Big IDI restoration project soon

[IDIDieselJohn]

Well fellas, I finally found a good parts truck to restore mine. Only thing i'm missing now is a 8ft. dual tank box. But I got the most important for now, the cab. The truck I bought for 500$ is a 1990 Ford F150 shortbed special "Nite" edition, been repainted silver. No engine or transmission in it, originally had a 351 with a 5 speed. Has new doors, fenders, tailgate and hood. Only needs driver side rocker. (will replace both sides)

Major resto plans:
Strip everything from the frame.
Sand blast and re-paint the frame, and axles.
Swap the cab, body parts and floor hump.

I won't get into the details now, but I do have a few questions and I'd like to get some thaughts on them.

1st, frame will be sand blasted and re-painted black. But also I want to "truck bed coat" the whole frame so it never rusts again. Hows that sound to you guys??

2nd, I want to "truck bed coat" everywhere under the body, (under the cab, box, fuel tanks etc.) does that sound like a good idea?

3rd, now this may sound abit weird, but here goes. I know my 7.3 has over 568,000km (376,000 miles) but I don't want to touch it! I'll give it a full tune up (8 glow plugs, injectors, maybe IP etc.) but no rebuilt nothing of that. I do want to take out 2 pistons (#1 and #8) to look at them see what they look like, rings, bores, pistons and bearings. If all is good I'd like to leave it as it is, just change all gaskets and seals. Does that sound like a good plan, or should I look for something else or do something else?

The big challenge of this is i'm trying to keep the truck as original as I can!

Thanks for reading guys! apriciate it.

P.S
restoration will start anytime this winter only if we can find a shop to do it in, if not, we'll do it right in our driveway in spring. But i'm sure we'll find a shop.

 

[ne buckeye]

I would use por-15 on the frame and undersides. and you do not have to sandblast it!

 

[Chevyboy_0]

When we did the Frame off Resto on my stepdads 57 Chevy we used a bed liner that was color matched to the body of the car on the underside(I.e. Floorboards) I think it was a Nason or SEM bed Liner, I also dont think it was too expensive

 

[IDIDieselJohn]

I would use por-15 on the frame and undersides. and you do not have to sandblast it!

I'd rather sand blast it anyway. I know POR-15 is good but it is kinda expensive, is it as good just to Coat the frame with that Rhino bed liner spray on stuff? Or since I will be keeping the truck virtually forever, is it a better invesment to go with POR-15/Rust-Bullet?

 

[Optikalillushun]

id like to know where u found that truck. never heard of a half ton with a 351/5 speed.

 

[IDIDieselJohn]

id like to know where u found that truck. never heard of a half ton with a 351/5 speed.

I know, I had trouble believing it to, but I checked the V.I.N and yes it is.

Heres the VIN, check it out for your self at this site:
http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/fd/full.aspx?Page=11

VIN: 1FTDF15H5LLA74737

guy said it's a very limited edition of some sort, just can't remember some like "black edition" or something like that.

Heres a couple pics of the truck:

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Guy took off the nice rims that was on it and putted those old rims and old cracked tires.

 

[dyoung14]

I bought a half ton with a 351 and a 4 speed in it

 

[Optikalillushun]

not that i dont believe u but can u get a picture of the door tag info? i know Ford used the 4 speed behind the 351 in a F-150 but a 5 speed (which could be the M5OD or ZF-5 as ford did use it in a very very few trucks) with a 351 is odd. if u cant get the door tag please get the trans code.

 

[IDIDieselJohn]

Sure, I'll get a pic of the tag next time I go to the truck, right now it's in my uncles yard (no room at our house for it) I would assume it's the Mazda 5 speed transmission M5OD cause i've never heard of an F150 with the ZF, the ZF was in the 3/4 ton trucks and up.

 

[lotzagoodstuff]

I would use por-15 on the frame and undersides. and you do not have to sandblast it!

+1 on POR, -1 on sandblasting.

Back when I lived in the Rust Belt, I sandblasted lots of stuff. It made a big mess, held moisture, and if you were'nt careful it got into places where sand was bad (namely seals).

Bite the bullet: if you are going to keep it for a long time use POR everywhere it looks questionable, some other type of rust preventing paint everywhere else (I used to use stuff with zinc chromate in it) and then truck liner over it and it should last forever.

Good luck and congratulations on restoring something you like, no matter what the mileage

 

[IDIDieselJohn]

Interesting. One part I didn't get right though.... sand blasting a frame, sand will get in seals? Everything will be off the frame including the engine. Maybe even the axles will be out. But anyways, I am still undicided yet on what to do, I still got lots of time to think, but I sure got lots of great replys, I guess it's gonna come down to a vote in the end lol

 

[dyoung14]

i see nothing wrong with sand blasting my uncle done it to his 69 gtx, then painted it with a paint that never allow rust to come back cant remember the name