The Dentside

[ATC King]

For the 70's Ford truck enthusiasts, this is your place. I know you're out there and on here. Post up whatever you go going on with those iconic trucks.

They're more popular than ever right now and if you're lucky enough to own one, show us what keeps the wheels turning.

[kiser]

We need a thread like this, great idea!

[ironchop]

As soon as I get this Fatboy back together, I've got a Dentside getting a new drivetrain so I'll post it in here when I can start shooting pics


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[kiser]

We must be the only 3 people here with dent sides lol! Come on, let's see some pictures!

[Arky-X]

I would have to find Polaroids and scan them for the 76 F-150 I drove in high school. Too embarrassed to take a pic of it now rusting away. :(

[ebaccm26]

Couple I've had in the last few years, picking up a bumpside in a couple weeks. 78 and 74.

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[Shep1970]

My older brother has '79 and a '53 ford pickup-the '53 is all stock. The '79 is going through a motor swap at the moment 302 to a 351 i believe. My bro and my dad used to bring them to the car shows all the time- probably like 20-25yrs ago. I actually took the '79 to the prom back in high school- beautiful truck it liked spinning them tires very easy:naughty:
I'll get over there to take some pics/ next couple wks.
Fords arent my vehicle of choice but that '79 i can make the exception.

shep

[Arky-X]

Hoping I can find more pics of my childhood dreams

A pic of a photo from yesteryear
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[kiser]

Hey there we go! Good looking old trucks! Keep em' coming!

[ATC King]

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Guessing the farm truck's name is Shrek?

[ironchop]

Guessing the farm truck's name is Shrek?I love the wheels on this one

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[ironchop]

Duplicate post

[ATC King]

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Just testing if I can upload photos again. Yup!

That's part numbers for the Ford toppers/camper shells that were available for these trucks.



My truck was starting to have overheating issues because the radiator internals were getting pretty blocked. Happens to all of them over time, but there's virtually no small town radiator shops anymore, and even less that will rod out the old brass ones. All good excuses to upgrade.
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That is the Chevy engine conversion style. For whatever reason, I couldn't find one with the stamped tanks for the 300 I6 correct upper hose. Not a big deal because the lower hose is in the correct location and I made and upper hose for temporary use until I can wander around the part's store shelves and find a preformed hose with the correct size and bends.


I'm also using a later model engine with a different T-stat housing, so there's that to work around. I already had put dual electric fans in the truck, so this setup was nearly plug-n-play. The previous fans were from a '85 CRX, so if those managed to keep it cool these past several years, the new, larger ones shouldn't have an issue either (unless they're total crap). The new fan setup also has a shroud, although the previous ones did have rubber skirts I installed that touched the core so the fans had more of an impact.

I'm still adding to this post. Either I have to compress or resize my pictures or they aren't uploading. Meh...


A comparison of old and new.
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This fan assembly will go in AFTER radiator installation which is very nice. The coolant tank is my doing. I had to move it due to the new radiator being wider and it fit on the new fan shroud. A coolant overflow tank helps prevent/slow system corrosion by keeping the radiator full of fluid instead of air being at the top. It's a definite improvement over the older systems.
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This is an original I6 truck, and as such, it had a smaller radiator. The new one is wider, but Ford built in provisions for more HD components. The wider radiator physically bolts into place without any additional drilling as all mounting holes are already there, but the radiator core support isn't cut out for the I6 engine radiator as it would've been for the larger V8s. It's not an issue as the core support is two layers, but I done this in a parking lot and don't have the tools to cut it out. If it's an issue, I'll do it when I get back home. I don't think it'll be an issue at road speeds or in traffic; I'll see. Pink lines denote area that can be remove from in front of core.
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Some images of the upper hose situation.
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An issue with inline sixes is their length. The combination I have does allow clearance for these electric fans and shroud, but if they were much thicker, it wouldn't work. Notice the later model water pump with thread-on fan boss.
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An odd issue for my truck is the clearance to the front hitch. The tanks on this radiator are a little taller than the previous one and there's less clearance between the hitch. I can lower the hitch a little if that's an issue. It's as simple as thinner spacers. I'll keep an eye on it.
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The whole thing installed and tested.
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That's a Ford van dipstick for the attentive lookers. The current engine came from a van and I kept the dipstick so I don't have to lean into the engine bay just to check the oil.




One last thing to cover is coolant/metal compatibility. There's no need to freak out over having an aluminum radiator on these trucks, considering modern coolant is formulated to such different metals/materials. To a large extent, only the very old vehicles with lead soldered cooling components (radiators) will have an issue with modern OAT/HOAT (organic acid technology/ hybrid organic acid technology) coolant. The old stuff is IAT (inorganic acid technology). I installed a new water pump and T-stat housing years ago and have been using modern* coolant and the metal inside looks like day one. Literally, the bare cast iron in the water pump is still grey and hasn't any rust. The problem I had with the old radiator is probably from the previous owner who didn't thoroughly flush the system, potentially used tap water, or was simply derp when breaking open a cooling system to replace a radiator.

Here's what I put it in this time (with distilled water).
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Edit: Crap, got to keep adding things. The coolant drained from the old radiator was just over two gallons. The new one needed just over four gallons. Yes, it's nearly double in size. That accounts for why I can now run this truck for a very long time without even needing the fans, whereas the previous radiator needed the fans kicked on at a standstill once the T-stat opened. If this current setup overheats, the Earth is on fire and it doesn't matter anyway.


Update 07/18/21: I took it out in triple digit temps today and it stayed cool as a cucumber. Done some low speed driving, some sitting in traffic, and sustained interstate speeds. I let it heat up a little at low speed to test the fans and they cooled it off quick enough. This particular seller offers a package with higher flow fans, but they are thicker and I wasn't certain they'd fit (and the one in front of the water pump wouldn't've). If pulling trailers in summer heat ever becomes an issue, I can always add one higher CFM fan, or an extra pusher in front like I was previously running. For this I-6 at any real world power level, I don't think that'd ever be needed. For you big block guys pulling heavy trailers at low speeds; maybe. Then again, there's plenty of room for more powerful fans when using a shorter V8. I'll most certainly have to make a grill blanket for winter driving, because even with the previous radiator, the engine would run so cold in winter on long descents, that the heater would stop blowing hot or even warm. Not a joke or exaggeration, I'd have to wear a coat and gloves to drive through mountains in the winter.

[kiser]

Very nice project! I wonder how long the radiator in my Ford will last when I get it in the road, I may do the same or very similar setup in it.

[86waterpumper]

I have been working on my grandpa's old 77 f100! I will get a pic up soon as I can... although it's a rusty beater :p Does anybody have a good grill they want to part with?

[kiser]

I don't care what they look like, paint don't make something "better" to me. I like looking at things, no matter the condition so let's see that machine!

[ebaccm26]

Guessing the farm truck's name is Shrek?

Yes it was

[ebaccm26]

The new bumpside fresh from Oklahoma

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Might need some Chevy power :lol:

[big specht]

Wtf your band

[kiser]

LOL! Built Ford tough with Chevy stuff!

[ironchop]

Nice bumpside. Please don't put Chevy stuff on it.

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[Billy Golightly]

I have a 77 in the barn with a 460 that I guess I am guilty of it being my "I'll get to it one day..." project (amongst others...)

Last on the road about 15 years ago. Was the farm truck for many years and only 4x4 vehicle we owned so whenever the roads were nasty or there were hurricanes etc that is what was driven.

Dad and I did quite a little body work on it when I was in my teens thinking that'd be my daily driver but thats about the time that fuel prices really started getting high and it just wasn't feasible anymore.

The sheet metal on it is still in really good shape for the age of it, even for a Florida truck.

I've joked with friends that I missed the boat. If I had been having it running and driving while Trump was in office I could have actually afforded to pleasure drive it on the weekends at least because fuel was cheap again. ha

[ironchop]

I have a 77 in the barn with a 460 that I guess I am guilty of it being my "I'll get to it one day..." project (amongst others...)

Last on the road about 15 years ago. Was the farm truck for many years and only 4x4 vehicle we owned so whenever the roads were nasty or there were hurricanes etc that is what was driven.

Dad and I did quite a little body work on it when I was in my teens thinking that'd be my daily driver but thats about the time that fuel prices really started getting high and it just wasn't feasible anymore.

The sheet metal on it is still in really good shape for the age of it, even for a Florida truck.

I've joked with friends that I missed the boat. If I had been having it running and driving while Trump was in office I could have actually afforded to pleasure drive it on the weekends at least because fuel was cheap again. haPics please, picture guy. LOL

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[Billy Golightly]

Pics please, picture guy. LOL

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I was actually trying to find some but haven't been able to...

[ironchop]

I was actually trying to find some but haven't been able to...Funny you say that, because as soon as I typed that, I thought to myself that you probably have 1.7 million photos and finding one in there would be an epic challenge

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[TrikeKid]

My '76 F250. 460/4 speed, high pinion front, 37's, basic stuff.
https://i.ibb.co/8279Dxd/PXL-20210416-021926004.jpg

[kiser]

Good looking truck! I love the Vector 10 spoke wheels!

[TrikeKid]

Good looking truck! I love the Vector 10 spoke wheels!

A man of culture! Most people call them turbines because they don't know any better.

[kiser]

Your right they do and it stresses me out lol.

[ironchop]

Those are definitely not turbines

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[kiser]

No they aren't, I love old wheels! I pick up Turbines, 10 spokes, aluminum spokes, slots and Jackmans whenever I can get a decent deal on them. They look perfect on old trucks!

[ironchop]

I'm a Slots fan too. Was hoping to find a good set for my truck but I bought American racing instead after getting tired of looking

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[kiser]

My dad stopped down last night and we worked on my ol Ford for a little bit. We should have the wiring issue ironed out, hopefully! I sold my big bucket truck so that money is going to get rolled over into my Ford to get it where it needs to be. I contacted a local friend that builds hot rods to give it a look over. I want him to fix but preserve the body along with a few other things. I need to take the bucket off of it to fit in his garage, I want to move it forward about 1' so that will work out nice. Moving it forward should help with weight distribution on the truck and just look better in general. I haven't had a chance to get it to the spring shop yet but that is in the very near future. I'm beyond excited to get it on the road and usable again!

[ATC King]

I got home a week or so ago. Been away all summer and took a little vacation on the way back. North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming (Devils Tower), Colorado (A few days), and through the Oklahoma panhandle back to Arkansas. I've never felt an urge to drive completely across Oklahoma but I have always gone around the panhandle so decided to check it out this time and camped a night at the Beaver Dunes Park.

An entire day of driving across Oklahoma is a bit much, but I also stopped at the Kicker audio headquarters in Stillwater, as I normally do if in the area. They had a new vehicle or two on the floor since last time I was there and newer subs in the Wall of Boom. They had Captain Phillip Harris's motorcycle there, which I think was never delivered before his death. Kicker built a custom system for it.

The ol' Ford did just fine all the way and loaded with bicycles on the front and a motorcycle on the rear. A new addition I made some months back was a wideband AFR gauge. I've had a vacuum gauge in it for years, as also pretty much with most vehicle I've owned since first getting my license. That'll only indicate so much and has limited tuning uses. This AFR gauge is really letting me get that fine tune in with much less effort and time and shows real time driving changes.

I installed a dual sensor gauge, which is a little redundant on an inline six because of the intake design. Although I'm running two separate headers, all cylinders are fed by the same intake runners, so AFR discrepancies between cylinder groups 1,2,3 and 4,5,6 aren't easily accounted for and able to be completely tuned out. That, and the air/fuel distribution of a typical carbed inline six intake manifold is pretty bad. In short, I now have something extra on my dash to obsess over while driving.

The 1940 carb kit for the Edelbrock 1902 carb is out of stock, so I bought a new tuning kit for the old 600 carb, which I already have, but was back at home. That kit doesn't have as many jets and rods as the 1940 kit, so until that one is back in stock, I'm making due with what I have. Buying the kits is much less expensive than buying individual parts, and I also done the initial tuning a couple thousand feet higher in altitude than back home (a lot lower humidity too), knowing it'd lean out some when back.

Having the ability to quickly change rods is why I like the Edelbrock carbs so much. When driving through various part of the US, I can retune the carb in minutes if staying at certain altitudes for an extended time, and jet changes don't even require spilling a drop of fuel or taking more than 30 minutes. Idle and WOT tuning are pretty easy to set on their own, but when trying to ride that fine line of economy, the AFR gauge was a good purchase. It can also display lambda instead of AFR, which is a nice feature many of the other brands don't have.

More modern tech on the '79 Ford. It'll be keeping a carb for the foreseeable future though. The thing really needs and overdrive transmission. If fewer people liked old trucks, I'd get more fingers than waves from the people stuck behind me going under the speed limit on major roads. I think 99.99% of Nebraskans waved at me. That's one of the friendliest states I've driven through.

I haven't gone through any of my pictures since getting back, but I'll post some up of the orange dentside, maybe next week. I know I got one at the highest point in North Dakota :w00t:

Edit: I had a little free time this evening.

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[kiser]

Sounds like a nice trip! Glad your old Ford performed like a champ!

[big specht]

So what kind of mileage did you get on the trip? 18/20?

[ATC King]

So what kind of mileage did you get on the trip? 18/20?

I didn't check it during this trip. The best average I've gotten before was 17.5 with the old style Edelbrock 600.

I've got the AVS2 500 now, but am kind of wondering if I should have gone with the 650. They don't offer a 600 in the AVS2 series and Offenhauser suggest a minimum of 500cfm with the intake I'm using, max may be 650 but I'd have to look again.

I want to add and air damn under the front bumper like most trucks have had for decades. Those actually make a measurable increase in economy. Dirty air flow under the vehicle is just as bad as on top.

With the fuel capacity I have, a 19mpg average will get me 1,000 miles before empty. That's my goal. That's a 1,000 miles with a speed of 65 or less. Kiss the MPG goodbye at faster speeds.



Edit: That 17.5 wasn't with crap hanging off both ends, but was with a topper.

[Arky-X]

ATC King, looks like a nice trip!
We were in South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming (Devil's Tower & Yellowstone), and Colorado in Sept 2020. Enjoyed that trip and would love to go back soon. We came back thru Oklahoma and yep, not much but a long drive thru that state.

Sounds like the old Ford purred right along. I get a kick out of people arguing over their tow vehicles (gas vs diesel, 1/2 ton vs 3/4 ton vs 1-ton).....they have no idea how easy they got it with today's technology in the mountains. Just get one and go!
We went to Colorado (over the Wolf Creek Pass) in a 76 Ford F-150 (460ci) pulling a 24ft trailer.......with a camper and 6 kids in the back. And we lived to tell the story. It crawled its way up the mountains and eased down the other side. Carburetor could have used the tuning that you have but it still made it. Just couldn't smash the loud pedal too hard or it would sputter.

I didn't know Kicker was in Stillwater. That ford I mentioned above became mine and I had four 8" Kickers behind the seat. Nice thump for a truck.

Enjoyed the pics!

[ATC King]

Sounds like the old Ford purred right along. I get a kick out of people arguing over their tow vehicles (gas vs diesel, 1/2 ton vs 3/4 ton vs 1-ton).....they have no idea how easy they got it with today's technology in the mountains. Just get one and go!


Enjoyed the pics!

Thanks and yes, people nowadays want to pull that toy hauler at breakneck speeds over mountains so they can get that selfie at locals to show everyone how happy and successful they are(nt).

Can't argue the difference between a 1/2 ton and the more HD trucks though, especially when full floating axles come into play. It's possible to do a lot with a 1/2 ton, but substantially shorten the life of the transmission and axles. Ford's new 7.3 gas engine is really leveling the playing field between diesel and gasoline engines, considering the extra expense of diesel fuel, exhaust fluid, and the increased repair cost of modern diesel engines. My car still has a larger gasoline engine than that though.

I really enjoy new vehicles and all they have to offer but part of me wants to keep driving the old stuff so I don't become the miserable cuss in a new vehicle that complains about the most trivial inconvenience and sounds like a spoiled brat. I even got rid of the power steering on mine, but that was about economy and a half ton, two wheel drive truck with stock size tires really doesn't need power steering anyway. Just hearing people turn their tires while motionless on pavement sends shivers down my spine. Please move the vehicle forward or backward while turning so you're not just destroying the tires. Anyone who's driven a vehicle with manual steering understands that.

[Shep1970]

Here's my older brothers 79'. He just recently put in a 302 (331 stroker) i guess it has a larger crank installed in the (new) 302. It's been moved around from a couple different garage's over the last 30yrs. Was show quality but moisture has gotten to a couple bolts over the yrs- still a 100% solid truck though, It was my dad and his high school project (I was into 3-wheelers and girls back then so missed out on the truck scene).
Anyway here's some pics-
have always liked this truck style-
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211116/a5699617a42deb5031d48f7ffa8d1e51.jpg
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https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211116/6118cb073e2a02ca225765fe2d70c022.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211116/6dd565495234a8c94fe6fe884f53bca5.jpg

shep


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[ironchop]

Nice truck Shep

[ATC King]

That's a good looking truck. There aren't a whole lot of stepside (don't know if they already called them 'Flareside' then) examples of these year Fords.

[kiser]

I like it!

[kiser]

After to much time, I finally got back to working on my Ford. I started with new rubber fuel lines and filter, new air filter, new battery and cables. I have new radiator hoses to put on. Fabio did me a huge favor and helped me get the manifolds off and headers and purple hornies put on. We had to drill out 3 bolts that broke off but it's good now! Next week I'm calling the spring shop to get it lifted, to look good, and stiffened up to hold the weight of the bucket. It has a ways to go but has came a ways in the last 2 weeks!

[kiser]

I blew a brake line today so the spring shop will be put on hold!

[ATC King]

Line or hose?

Hoses are one of things that aren't expensive but even hard line kits are available for these trucks at reasonable prices. One of the benefits of owning a popular model of domestic vehicle.

Is yours hydroboost?

[kiser]

The hard part of line on the passenger side, at the front wheel cylinder is where it popped. I'm going to the parts store after work tomorrow, it's getting all new lines, wheel cylinders and master cylinder. Yes its hydro boost.

[ATC King]

Does it have four wheel drum brakes and hydro boost?

That would be terrifying to drive on wet roads. People who've never driven older vehicles with four wheel drums have no idea what that means and how good they have it now with modern brakes.

[kiser]

That's correct, it has 4 wheel drums and hydro boost.

[ATC King]

I drove out of Larime today, pulling a trailer with the '79.

That hill sucks. Good thing a couple big trucks were going up it as slow as I was.

[kiser]

I've covered some ground on my Ford. I bought everything new from the master cylinder down for the brakes besides the drums, the front are in great shape. The lockouts were stolen from the previous owner a long time ago so the hub grease looked like crap, I took them off and cleaned everything up and bought news hub seals. I had a set of Spicer lockouts to fit it so I cleaned them up, installed brand new knobs and they are ready to go on. The front is ready to go back together but I haven't taken the rear apart yet. Hopefully I can get it finished this weekend but we will see lol.

[ironchop]

https://youtu.be/Onxdr-8ppOQ

New source for dentside shortbed sheet metal repair panels and other repair panels, hoods, fenders,etc

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[kiser]

That sounds like a good source for parts! I watched the video of them destroying the bedside of that truck, I would have threw up if that was mine! I'm gaining on my Ford slowly. The front hubs and lockouts are back on with new grease and seals and the brakes are installed. I put the front diff cover back on tonight so I'll put the oil in tomorrow night. I put oil in the rear end tonight and new seals in the rear hubs, still have to put the new brakes on the rear and all new lines. I'm going to change the oil in the trans and transfer case while it's on the lift also. It's been a slow project but it's coming along.

[kiser]

Rear brakes are installed and diffs are full. Still have to change the oil in the trans and transfer, change the master cylinder and run new brake lines.

[ATC King]

Rear brakes are installed and diffs are full. Still have to change the oil in the trans and transfer, change the master cylinder and run new brake lines.

Brake line replacement without a lift is(nt) fun. I hope you have or have access to one. My body hurts just thinking about all of that crawling around on the ground.

It's not the weight, it's just the dirt in the eyes, mouth, ear holes, and all the rolling around to get them in.

[ATC King]

I'm installing the Intellitronix digital gauges in my truck, taking pictures, and wanting to post some progress but have been too busy to.

It's certainly not a plug-n-play kind of deal and I'm a bit beaten down with the whole ordeal as far as time, but will get around to it.

Doing this on an old and hard driven old truck means a good bit of cleanup to do it right. There was even a mouse nest behind my stock gauges that I never knew was there. I'm pretty certain it was some deer mice in Wyoming that built it because I killed/relocated about twenty of those dudes during the past summer via live traps under the truck. I didn't mean to kill the ones I did, they just froze to death before I got to them. Yes, they froze to death in late summer/early fall...that's Wyoming high country.

I did buy a new gauge lens after getting the old one out and seeing it was worse for wear than I thought, even after staring at it for eleven years.

Intellitronix had a sale in July and I've been looking at these for years, so I finally bought them, and am just now getting around to the install.

I've been all over the US in this truck and am sick of the speedo being off and bouncing around, the poor instrument lighting (could fix that with LED bulbs), the odometer not working, no trip meter, the temp gauge being a best guess based on 'normal', and not having anything but idiot lights for charging and oil pressure. In truth, I do have a digital volt gauge in the aftermarket headliner (Highliner), but that gauge was installed years after I bought the truck.

It'll be nice to have actual gauges and in the stock bezel. The digital part just adds pizazz from the 1980's when that was all the rage. I'm a bit late to the party. That, and I'm not ready to spend $1,500 on that awesome analog Dakota Digital set. I'd need to install a Coyote engine to begin to justify that and since I'm and inline six fan, it's never going to happen in my truck.

Blah, blah, blah. I'll get around to posting some pictures on my progress, I promise.

[kiser]

It's been on dads lift in his garage through the whole process. I can't lift it all the way up because the boom gets to close to the ceiling but I can sit on a rolling chair under it. I wish I could lift it higher but I'm not complaining lol. The downside is, once I get the suspension lift done, it won't fit in that garage anymore. Oh well, hopefully I won't need to put it on the lift once everything is squared away under the truck.

[ATC King]

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With the Intellitronix digital gauge cluster, if you don't already have the OEM gauge bezel with full gauges but only the one with a light for the oil pressure and charging, you'll have to cut out the top two holes.

A new lens and gauge pod housing are available but I never found a new bezel, so I modified mine. There are used ones available, but unless it comes from a 40yo garage queen they'll probably all have warps, cracks, and general wear that just cant be hidden without plastic welding and repainting.

I used a diamond cutoff wheel for the bulk removal, then a router bit. The router bit has a square end and makes the finer cutting much easier. I didn't cut all the way to the edge. I cut just enough to leave a thin piece to break off and leave a clean line. Then I took a small metal file (a fingernail fill would work good but I didn't have one) to clean up the finished edge.

Being the first one I've done, it took quit a while. A lot of that was figuring out which tool to use to not screw up the front side by taking chunks out. This is old plastic and unforgiving. I tried several tools and methods while removing the bulk material. It does make a mess with plastic dust/shavings everywhere, but by taking your time, it comes out clean and looks stock (from the front).

The smoke plexiglass lens needs to sit flush against the bezel. Here it is with the white protective layer still on.

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[ATC King]

Here's some dentside travel pics.

New Belgium brewery tour. This one was awesome. I would highly recommend if near Ft. Collins. It was $12-$15 and they serve more beer than that price during the tour. Not too much to drive but enough to really appreciate what they do, and they give you a tall can for the road. I've been drinking their beer for years and after tasting fresh, day old beer there, the difference is absolute obvious compared to a product that's been on the shelf for months. They've only got two breweries in and the original is in Ft. Collins.

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This one is from Kicker headquarters in Stillwater Oklahoma. I've been there several times and it never gets old. There's a large parking lot in the back, through a gate, that a multitude of employees park in. It's a functioning place but up front it's a architecturally pleasing building and very quiet, except for the Wall of Boom.

The person at the desk will give you a tour of the vehicle showroom, play the Wall of Boom for you, then persuade you to visit the tiny product store they have. Don't skip the store. They often have steep discounts on a couple outdated new items (no automotive stereo stuff though) and you'll get a receipt from Husband Street, which shows you bought it at their headquarters.

Even if you don't buy anything you'll get a free swag bag with a pen, key lanyard, and sticker. There may be some other things in there, depending. It's got a nice large pond and walking trail just across, so if you need to stretch your legs and relax, that's a good place to do it.

The person at the front desk has always been exceptionally nice and informative and there's never been anyone there but me when I've visited. The office people can get a bit annoyed with the Wall of Boom and if you see one as they come down to use the restroom (which is very nice), you can see it in their face :).

I've yet to meet Steve Irby while there but that would be cool. Maybe he's been one of those that gave me the stink eye after being disturbed by the Wall of Boom, but I don't know. Couldn't blame him because I bet it gets a bit annoying as it's random and sudden.

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[kiser]

Looks like a nice project and trip! I'm excited to see how your dash looks when done!

[ATC King]

Thanks.

The gauges will certainly be more functional. As far as looks, I'm using the old bezel, just cleaned up, with a new lens. I would prefer to fix all the cracks in it and do some some custom paint but the cracks can't really be seen when installed and with all the other things the truck needs, I really don't have the time to focus on too much on this project.

The truck has always been a driving project and maybe one of these days when I feel it's mostly complete, I can blow it all apart to focus on the finished appearance.

There wasn't even a dash pad when I bought it. I found something crazy stupid cheap on Ebay just to have something in there but it's in terrible condition with a lot of cracks. At least since there is one now, I can install one of those plastic covers on it.

I've probably spent $1,000-$1,500 on things that make the interior look better but that's because it was all pretty wrecked and need it. Stuff like a new bench seat cover and vinyl full floor mat were a pretty big chunk of the cost. I redid the door panels a few years back, in black, after welding up some cracks and they've held up great. The aftermarket panels I've seen don't use the OE clip style but instead have screws, which I don't like. I used paint on the arm rest pads and the driver side has worn off where my arm rests, but if I had used a vinyl die it probably would've held up better.

Years ago I built a custom sub box for behind the seat, with a 12". This year the old amp gave out and I bought a new Skar monoblock that's 1ohm stable. I replaced the old Audiobaun 12" with a new shallow mount DVC Kicker 10" and wired it for 1ohm. That was a bit of modification to build an inset adapter ring but it turned out good. I couldn't build a simple adapter ring for the front of the box because the sub would hit the rear of the seat.

There isn't much room at all behind the seat with it fully back and the box looks large but it's only about 1.1 cu. ft. because it's so shallow. With the original sub I even had to router a recess into the back so the magnet would clear. I'll try and get some info and pics uploaded about the box. Beside being a higher quality speaker, I'm liking the 10" more for the music I listen to. The 12" was a tad lazy for double bass metal and wasn't as clean at higher Hz.


Edit:

Here are some pictures of the smoked lens that needs the screw holes countersunk so it'll sit flush with the bezel. They shouldn't send out a ready-to-go type of product that needs this kind of finish work. It's a bit of a pain because there are eight holes and during each one I was worried about screwing up the whole thing.

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It's another one of those things that's slowing the install down. 10 minutes here, 20 there, it all adds up and I only have that much time a day or two during the week to work on it.

[ATC King]

I haven't driven my '79 in a few months, mostly because I've lost motivation on getting the digital gauges installed. I worked on that a little today and maybe tomorrow I'll have it back together enough for a drive.

It's certainly my travel/trip vehicle and I've got a weekend trip in mind that I'd like to take before the temps get up and the bugs come out.

I really need to focus on the bed interior this summer. Getting the dents out of the floor and inner fenders as much as possible then spraying a bedliner in. After that, I'll put a new gasket on the camper/topper and hopefully have a dry bed during the rain. That'll make camping in bad weather a whole lot more comfortable. I'd really like to run some battery cables to the rear, add an extra battery, a power inverter, and nice interior lighting.

[kiser]

Making the bed better to sleep in will make life a lot easier and cheaper when traveling! I got the brakes done on my Ford but haven't got them adjusted yet. I had to take it off the lift for other projects so it's outside and I haven't had a chance to get back to it. Hopefully this weekend I'll get a chance to run the adjusters out and see if if everything works, fingers crossed its all good!

[ATC King]

Making the bed better to sleep in will make life a lot easier and cheaper when traveling!

I've been cheap for years. Slept in the back in countless Walmart parking lots. I even lived an entire summer in it. Through several states and years I've visited the land of nod in the back of this truck, it's just never been as finished out as I'd like.

There's more interesting places, but I slept in it behind the Lynchburg, Tennessee city hall, next to the Jack Daniels distillery. I stayed there after doing the tour. I spent about a week in it while doing the Kentucky bourbon tour too.

I did buy a portable AC unit some years back and used it. They're really nice and run on low amp 110, so anything like a basic home socket will power it. There's no need to pay for the higher amp RV sites like those AC units run on. Being designed to cool a house bedroom, it's way too large and very much overkill. Full on outside window sweat during the hottest part of summer type of overkill. It makes the outside of the camper shell look like a frosty beer can even in 100 degree weather.

I'm really not comfortable in a hotel. Things the way they are and business cutting corners to save costs, those rooms aren't as clean as people may think. Sheets may get washed between each stay but the comforters, not so much. Then there's those fabric couches and chairs...

Even high priced places can be a horror show under a blacklight. I'd rather leave those rooms open for families on vacations to stay...by all means, ignore that curly hair on couch cushion and the crust between the TV remote buttons.

I have a E100 Ford van that would really make a great travel vehicle without being a cumbersome RV. I haven't had the time to get it going.

[ATC King]

I finally got the digital gauges installed, mostly.

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The tach isn't working but I'm sure that's because I connected it to the coil negative and I'm using a CDI instead of the stock ignition. There's no tach output on the ignition but there's a wire I may be able to get a signal from that I haven't tried yet. I haven't calibrated the speedometer either. It's an easy thing to do, I just haven't measured out a mile yet to do it.


I'm still nervous these gauges aren't gonna hold up. There were all kinds of things to make me feel like that. Parts missing in the package, terrible directions, all kinds of DIY involved to install it properly (not even remotely plug-n-play). It doesn't work with stock sensors other than fuel (to be seen how accurately), which means if they break years down the road, sourcing new ones may be an issue.

The only thing on the stock gauges that was accurate, at least towards the empty side, was the fuel gauge. The fuel gauge on the digital dash has four resistance settings via two DIP switches on the board which aren't accessible after it's installed. I think I chose the right setting and it's working but to how accurate has yet to be seen. The truck has dual tanks which means I can run one out to discover if it's empty at or before 00 and not be stuck on the roadside, and that's how I'll test it.

The speedometer sensor O-ring was too large and I had to use the old one from the cable. The gear fit but the clip rubs against the sensor's aluminum housing and causes a little drag. That'll sort itself out, I hope without breaking something. The instructions say as much about possibly having to backwoods engineer the sensor to make it fit, which ain't right. The clamp had to be 're-designed' and the hold down bolt swapped over for a button head, a standard hex head will not fit. Luckily I have a bolt bucket to pilfer for stuff like that.

None of the wires coming from the digital panel are terminated and they suggest using butt connectors. Really? What kinda hokie garbage is that? At least provide it with a connector and pigtails. I installed connectors so I can simply unplug it if needing to return for repairs (lifetime warranty...we'll see).

I ran everything as best as I could but all them wires have to run past each other at some point and it seems I have some interference with the speedometer. It'll spaz out sometimes. It's mostly dependable and I'll live with it until I can't anymore, then I'll try to find what's causing it.

There's more detail I can go into and more to cover, but at the end of it all, the little button for cycling the features and calibrating things was missing the nut to hold it in. I looked for an hour to find one but it's some odd tiny size and noting I found would fit. I wanted to install it in a nice area, out of the way but accessible. Since it was missing the nut and I done had enough with the whole situation, it's dangling behind the dash where I can reach behind to use it. Every time I have to do that, it's just going to bring back aggravation.

There are some positives to it, but I'm going to wait a while before confirming any of those or using it for target practice. Sure, companies provide warranties, but labor isn't covered, therefor I view warranties as about worthless. I've been down that road too many times and I'm to the point where I don't even bother calling a company if what I see points to poor practices to begin with. I don't want to deal with them again. Multiple missing parts is inexcusable and if someone is on a deadline, frustrating isn't even the word. There is no making it right in those kind of situations. Luckily for me, there was no deadline and frustration fits the emotion. I had contemplated doing this as a parking lot install far from home and am so glad I didn't attempt it.


There were a couple other things I was able to fix while the dash was out. The driver door jamb switch was broken and may have been since I bought the truck, I don't remember, but I did buy a new switch nearly a couple years ago. The problem was the connector was broken off and the wires needed pulled back through the cab to repair. The easiest way to do that was with the dash out, so now that's one little thing fixed and my dome light comes on with the door open, like it's supposed to.

The bulb socket for wiper/headlight switch illumination had the ground wire broken off. From the factory the ground wire is crimped onto the socket but I couldn't undo that so I soldered the wire back on. Another little niggle that had bothered me for years and having the dash out gave me the opportunity to easily fix.

At this point, about the only thing original that's not working because of missing or broken wiring is the underhood light. That's not bothering me too much as they're mostly useless for their intended purpose. Once I get around to doing body work and putting nice paint on it, that'll probably get repaired. The hood will be off at that point and running wires back through it easier.

The seatbelt light and buzzer aren't working anymore. The new dash doesn't have the light for it. Call me a bit stupid, but I thought it was cool that still worked, even though the seatblet is nearly worn in two.