'85 Flareside: archeology and mysteries

  hey Reamer is this the area you mean?  Left and right bedside bolts at the forward end?  There look to be four...

 right side...

Still figuring out posting photos on the forum apparently, need to figure out how to turn them... let me know if this is the area you mean?

The more I look at the truck the more I realize how straight & original it is.  

I'm not planning to do anything right away, now am just cleaning years of dirt.  With the bed floor being original etc, glad to take as many pics as everyone wants...

Interesting that there aren't any fender braces underneath

  is this the box like thing you mean?  That's odd, what is that thing for? :).  

Last shot is from a low angle looking up at it...

Yes. Looking at the bolts going into the wood, (in those corners) On the drivers corner, are there more bolts in the first 6" x 6"  than on the passenger side 6" x 6"?
You may see some bolt heads that are only in the wood on the drivers side, (or extra ones in the steel lip) that are not in the pass side.

There IT is! the mysterious piece! in your last photo, look just to the right of the filler hose, the "orange" bar.
This thing is not documented in any Ford illustrations, Some thought Ford did not install this, but there it is.
The black box this is the gas filler neck-cap holder.

Alright Gary, your up on this....

Replied before I saw your last post.  "Gas filler neck cap holder?"

  Pic showing bolt head pattern from above:  

Hopefully this weekend I'll get a chance to scrub the bed floor down just a bit and really clean. The underside also, will try to get better pictures

reamer wrote

This thing is not documented in any Ford illustrations, Some thought Ford did not install this, but there it is.
The black box this is the gas filler neck-cap holder.

It's like the factory 3pc plywood bed floor from late 1982 to 1987, lots of people say that Ford didn't do that either.

But back to the square steel tube bracket...not only was it installed by Ford...it was part of the design (in case anybody thinks it was added after the fact). I installed the new Ford bedsides on my truck, and they had the extra 2 square holes on the left side for this piece.

You can see this part on my original 1984 bed below:




I have no idea what the thing is for though...lol.

Here are a couple pics of my new bedsides...and the holes for the steel bracket were there, stamped in the original panels.




Interesting I guess. Be cool to find out what that stupid thing was for.

reamer wrote

Looks like one of the previous owners of this truck had an auxiliary fuel tank in the bed at some point? That little fuel line sticking up through the bed wood...when you look at the pics from inside the bed looks like the hose is plugged and has a hose clamp on it.

I'd personally have a good look at that hose and either remove it or ensure that it cannot leak.

Long live the last Ford OG Flaresides!!

Rembrant wrote

Long live the last Ford OG Flaresides!!

HERE HERE!!

Yall got me wonderin about my truck now. Im going to be crawling around out in the parking lot at work today....

As an automation designer, I have requested the manufacturer and assembly plants sometimes add square stock, or other brackets to their products in order for that piece or assembly on the line to be handled within the confines of the machine I am designing to handle the part or assembly of parts. Often times, when you see something that doesnt make sense for the function of an assembly of parts, it was likely a piece left there after assembly line work. Sometimes things are removed, but most of the time they are not, because effort = cost.

Ray Cecil wrote

As an automation designer, I have requested the manufacturer and assembly plants sometimes add square stock, or other brackets to their products in order for that piece or assembly on the line to be handled within the confines of the machine I am designing to handle the part or assembly of parts. Often times, when you see something that doesnt make sense for the function of an assembly of parts, it was likely a piece left there after assembly line work. Sometimes things are removed, but most of the time they are not, because effort = cost.

Ray,

That was my assumption when this part was discussed previously, that it was somehow used as a registration point on the assembly line. It's certainly nothing fancy. It just looks like 2" square steel tubing, cut on a 45 on the top, and with a hole in the bottom...presumably so it can drain. It doesn't appear to have been painted or finished in any way...

Circling back on a few other questions and comments that I missed:

Reamer:  On your build, did you end up leaving the mystery box in your bed?

Ray, that's a cool idea about a Flareside meet!  Maybe we could combine it with some other show or event going on.  There are a few of us in North and South Carolina...should keep it in mind

Build thread and name:  You're right, I should probably start a build thread.  Haven't thought about a name, maybe "Rusty" or "Silver".  Given the original condition of the truck, I'm thinking I'll stay faithful to it's original color scheme.  Maybe a hot rod or matte silver, but the OE color code would be cool.  In my last build I really appreciated the input of a lot of you guys on the look and theme of the truck.   For now, it's fun just digging through the thing as a time capsule

Grey kick panels:  Mystery solved.  They are the original blue panels, painted grey (guess I could have pulled them before posting).  A prior owner also did the pillar panels behind the seat, will be sanding them to smooth them and taking the whole interior back to blue

Steering wheel:  Since the steering wheel is so nice, maybe I'll look for a nice matching rosewood dash and radio bezel as well, and just go with that look.  I know it's not faithful to the '85 but the truck already came to me with rosewood on the wheel...

SCFlareside wrote

Steering wheel:  Since the steering wheel is so nice, maybe I'll look for a nice matching rosewood dash and radio bezel as well, and just go with that look.  I know it's not faithful to the '85 but the truck already came to me with rosewood on the wheel...

There are several on eBay. Here is an example:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/80-86-Ford-Truck-Bronco-Woodgrain-Dash-Gauge-Cluster-Trim-Bezel-Cover-Overlay/264468252700?fits=Year%3A1980%7CModel%3AF-150%7CMake%3AFord&hash=item3d9389481c:g:dkEAAOSwYKldgFaZ:sc:USPSPriority!95125!US!-1

After posting this, I realized your truck is a 1985. Is the steering wheel [what you are matching] from an older truck?

No, I did not reinstall during the rebuild, The steel flange where this bolts to was rotted away, Had to make a new lip, weld it in and cut square holes, Cutting square hole was so much fun, I did not want/need to add the holes for the mystery piece....

(Gasp)  ....the price...i...  (cough)

LATER maybe I will do rosewood :)

Is it possible that the stock has to do with either protecting/supporting the skin where the fuel filler is... maybe people were pushing that corner in being all rough on the door/filler lol.

OR

Maybe it was support for actually cutting that hole say if there were model deviations in that location? If it is not on the final drawing of the truck this may make sense, its not a "production part" but an aid.