On the Road Again---Makeover Complete...Well Almost

[TLBREWER]

The extreme truck makeover on my daughter's truck is complete...well almost. At least now she's driving it to school again. I started it at the beginning of July and told her I would have it done by the time she went back to school the second week of August. OK so it's two months over schedule (I think we discussed that in the headgasket thread elsewhere).

Here's a run down on what got fixed, replaced, or upgraded during that time frame:

Complete paint including back of cab, doors and jambs, and rust removal
All new body side moulding
New grill
New rear bumper
Bed removed and weak floor areas reinforced
Frame pressure washed
New tail lights and misc other lights
Straightened and reinstalled front bumper with new stone deflectors
New door window weatherstrip and inner and outer window scrapers
New DIESEL emblem (missing-very important!)
Billet badges
Westin Nerf Bars
Replaced hood blanket retainers
Front Tuff Country add-a-leafs
New Lt and Rt parking brake cables, adjuster, and equilizer
New rear main seal
Oil pan re-seal
New custom battery cables (custombaterycables.com)
New throttle pedal assy
Replaced inoperative passenger window motor and repaired wiring between
drivers side door switch and passenger window
New headlight switch AND plug
New wiper switch
New carpet and insulation
New shifter knob
New custom front seat covered in 1991 vintage tan Camden cloth
Salvage rear seat (missing) recovered to match fronts
All interior plastic (except dash) removed, repaired, re-colored if
needed, reinstalled
New tailgate
Headache rack off my old '92
Stainless wheel simulators off my old '92
Poly cab mount bushings
Several cracks in the cab welded

Still To Do List:

Possible starter change--incorrectly assumed bad battery cables causing
weak starting
Troubleshoot wipers--befroe all they had was FAST, now they have FAST
and PARK
Spray in bedliner--have to wait for paint to set up at least two months
Headlight relays
Tailpipe hanger
Fan clutch--part on hand ran out of time, plus nut is *****'d
Headlight relays
BFG All Terrains--ran a LITTLE over budget, maybe for Christmas

I would like to thank Ryan Eklund (reklund) for spending a day helping with cab bushings, welding cracks in the cab, helping make the seat thing happen, and words of advise whenever I call. A special thanks goes out to my very good friend Richard Rodriguez (non-member...person behind the camera)who spent numerous hours, no days, helping me from start to finish. And to my wife and daughter for helping with whatever they could, and especially for patience.

Tom

 

[TLBREWER]

Before Pictures

So you're probably saying where's the pictures.

Here's what I had to start with.

 

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In Progress Pictures

Here's some in progress pictures

 

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After Paint

Keep in mind I go by the 50/50 rule. If it looks good from 50 feet at 50 MPH it's good to go. Since a friend was doing the painting afterhours in the company paint booth, I was on his schedule. I had five days to do the body work (I needed 15) so don't look too closely.

All in all I think it turned out pretty good. Especially for a 16 year olds first vehicle. It's gonna get dinged up so I opted not to put a lot of time or money into some things. It makes her Mom and I feel more comfortable with all that steel around her for protection. The same reason I like my wife to driver her truck. Protection. Unfortunately this has attracted the attention of many boys this week.

The first picture is coming in the driveway after driving thru an incredible rainstorm on the way home from the paint booth...with no windshield wipers.

 

[TLBREWER]

And Some More

Here's some more. That's my friend Richard in the second one.

 

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And Complete

It was getting dark and we were fighting the cold so there aren't many of these. Hopefully I'll get some more this weekend.

The last picture is my daughter's response at seeing the completed truck, including her personalized Billet Badges. The ensueing hug that I got made all the time, frustration, and huge over budget all worth while. Then she about plowed my wife over.

 

[metrojd]

Looks Great

Tom
I must say the truck does look Great.
Well all the blood sweat and tears looks like it payed off.
Congrats
John

 

[Dsl_Dog_Treat]

Good looking project there Tom.
Ya gotta enjoy that feeling of looking at it when ya get it done and sayin' YEAH that looks good.
I must say my congrats and condolences all in the same.
Wifey here loves Goldie after her makeover and wants to drive it.
Good luck there.

 

[geonc]

AWESOME job Tom and help!

Hopefully having seen the time, effort, end energy put into her truck, your daughter {fortunate INDEED! BTW} won't be so indifferent when her friends wanna get a little stupid........

You have a "no boyfriend driver" rule Tom?

 

[TLBREWER]

You have a "no boyfriend driver" rule Tom?

I don't have to worry about that. My daughter has already established that.

Tom

 

[Agnem]

Awsome! Simply Awsome! The pictures are worth a volume. I have to believe that the happiness that your daughter has could only come from a rags to riches story like that. Sure, she would have been happy with a new powerstroke, but knowing that Dad and everybody worked on her truck to make it like new again has to be the cats a$$.

BTW, I can't tell. What do the badges say?

 

[bradrob82]

sweet looking truck!! i like the billet emblems too, i might have to look into a set for my truck! as for the boys giving your daughter looks, well.... theres nothing like a farm girl driving a good looking pickup to turn some heads.. but all in all i think thats a awesome looking restoration job, i hope my 93 turns out half that good! thanks for keeping us posted

 

[geonc]

I don't have to worry about that. My daughter has already established that.

Tom

There's a PROUD Pappa

Tom, what does the blue lettering say under the F-250 badge

 

[94f450sd]

looks like it says "storm a brewin"

 

[Exekiel69]

looks like it says "storm a brewin"

Yep I read that too.

Tom, Excellent work.