Junkyard Musings and Questions...

I made a run to the Pick N Pull junkyard today to hunt around for Bullnose stuff, but mainly because I was looking for one of these air ducts below. I did not find one, so figured while I'm here I'd ask if anybody happens to have one laying around collecting dust that they'll part with?



I found only one Bullnose there, and it was a badly rusted '86 4x2 with 300/6 and NP435. I'm going to go back and scavenge some parts off this thing, but wanted to confirm before I do: Will the DSII ignition box from this truck work on my 1984 302? If yes, I'll grab it for a spare.



I found this 2-tone blue and silver '96 F150 that was almost 100% intact. The truck looked pretty good at a glance, but the frame was gone.



My curiosity with this truck was mostly the interior. Is the bench seat in this '96 a direct swap-in to my '84? I'm not sure I want it, but was curious. What I am interested in is the rubber floor. This being a regular cab 5spd truck, I'm wondering if the '96 mat will fit in my '84? I'd have to cut the hole for the high beam light switch I think, but otherwise it should fit, no?



And, while on the topic of this '96 F150, did all of the OBS bench seats have the bracket or connection for the cup-holder that sits on the floor? I forgot to look when I was there. Is this something that can be fitted on to my 1984 bench seat if I find one?

Next question is simply for curiosity sake. There was this 1996 2wd F350 there, with a 300/6, and manual trans. This thing would have the ZF5 in it, correct? But by this time, without cable speedo?




And finally, this ignition box below...would this be a candidate for a spare for my truck? It is in a 1981 Mustang with 302.

I have a seat from a 96 in my 86 and it was a direct swap. I don't know about the floor mat.

Just now trying to catch up after the show.....

David/1986F150Six has one of those cold air ducts.  He was trying to sell it at the show but didn't, so contact him.

On the ignition box question, if your box has a blue grommet then any blue-grommet box will work.

As for the seat, yes I do think it'll fit, as Steve said.  They did change the floor somewhat in the mid-90's, but I don't know when.  However, some of those trucks had a taller transmission cover for the E4OD or ZF5, and the floor covering, meaning carpet or mat, will be a bit too tall in the center - unless you use the taller transmission cover, which should bolt on yours.

Don't know about the cup holder bracket.

As for the ZF5, I do believe an F350 would have had one.  However, I do not know about the speedo setup.  I say that because Ford ran an adapter for several years that had an electric output as well as a cable output, and I don't know what years.

Thanks Gary
I just sent David an email (I think, lol). Working from my phone today;)

Planning to go back to the junkyard in a couple days to scavenge for parts.

He's driving today back to Alabama.  So he probably won't see your email until tomorrow.

The seat will fit, but sit in it first and see what you think. I don’t like the 92+ seats. They feel thin and flimsy like a Japanese economy car compared to the 80-91 seats. Good, older seats are getting tough to find though.

The floor mat after 1987 will be the kind for the taller transmission cover. If you get the mat, I’d get the tunnel cover with it.

I don’t know all the gory details on mechanical speedometers but I don’t think there would be one on a ‘96.

Oh, I already have the tall 5spd cover from a 90’s truck so I was thinking it should be a food fit.

I have a 1989 seat in Lucille, and it was a direct fit without any modifications.  1987 - 1991 trucks used a different seat than the 1992 - 1996 trucks.  If you are considering a cloth XLT/Lariat seat, both styles had higher backs than the 1980 - 1986 seats and a flip-down armrest.  1992 - 1994 seats have adjustable headrests, while the 1995/1996 seats have much taller, fixed headrests.  I agree with Ford834 - I didn't like the 1992+ seats as much as the earlier 1987 - 1991 style seat for the same reasons he mentioned.

I did make one modification to my 1989 seat:  I added the 1992+ cupholder.  These can easily be used on the earlier 1987 - 1991 style seat.  The cupholder uses special bolts that screw into the center of the seat to mount it.  This enables the cupholder to move with the seat:




There were two different styles of cupholders used:  One has a single cupholder and an open rectangle storage bin beside it, and the other has two deeper cupholders and a map pocket in the front.  The former was used on vehicles with manual transmissions and/or 4x4 trucks with the floor lever, and the latter was used on automatic transmission vehicles and 4x2 trucks or 4x4 trucks without the floor lever.

While you are at it, you may want to consider using the 1987 - 1996 style visors with the clips.  Also, a 1987 - 1991 style cowl panel.  Both designs are a direct fit and an improvement over the 1980 - 1986 versions.  

Thanks for the seat info guys. I'm wanting one of those cup holders...I guess that's what piqued my interest on the 1996 bench. IT happened to be blue, which would match my truck, but I dislike the look of those high backs. I didn't try sitting in the truck, but I will give it a test when I go back on the weekend.

If I come across one of these in blue or black, I may grab it.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1992-1993-1994-1995-1996-Ford-F-150-F-250-F-350-Cup-Holder-Gray/273456637256?hash=item3fab492548:g:yGsAAOSw1SJbjyoU&vxp=mtr

Hey Lariat, how stable would one of those cup holders be if it was not attached to the seat? Or...is there a way to attach one to my factory 1984 bench seat? Trying to figure out how to mount one, but without seeing one in person it is a bit hard to tell.

I've also seen a factory cup holder(s) that mount around the floor shifter? I'm not real keen on that as it would be too far to reach...

The cupholders are not very stable if they aren't mounted to the seat.  The special Ford bolts also allow for easy removal.  You simply pull up on the cupholder to remove it from the seat bolts.

I have never seen one in black.  The one listed on your link is a great price.  I have seen those go for $100 in good condition on Ebay. I would buy it and paint it blue or black.  

But, I am not sure if it will work if you have a floor shifter.  If you refer to my earlier post, models with a floor shifter got the other style.

Does this happen to be one of those for a floor-shift truck?

Cable speedo was gone in 1992, but if your truck was 4x4, you could use the ZF5 since the speedo cable mounts in the transfer case.

Rembrant wrote

This thing would have the ZF5 in it, correct?

Rembrant wrote

But by this time, without cable speedo?

No speedo cable after '91.  '92-96 trucks use the PSOM which is driven by the '87-up ABS sensor in the rear diff.

Rembrant wrote

...is there a way to attach one to my factory 1984 bench seat?

The bench seats built at the time those cupholders were used had pre-punched dimples in the frames under the upholstery.  If the cupholder was not installed, the dimples didn't show.  But to add one, you'd just screw through the upholstery into each dimple.  I doubt the older seats have the dimples, but it would be very easy to put holes where you want them and run the screws in.

LARIAT 85 wrote

While you are at it, you may want to consider using the 1987 - 1996 style visors with the clips.  Also, a 1987 - 1991 style cowl panel.  Both designs are a direct fit and an improvement over the 1980 - 1986 versions.

True dat!



I also like to add another visor hook over the door to keep it from swinging into my head when I turn.





And the '94-96 dual visors are also nice, but some older cabs require trimming steel inside the roof to fit them.

Gary Lewis wrote

Does this happen to be one of those for a floor-shift truck?

That's a '94-96 Opal-gray floor console in an '80-86 truck, but I'm not sure what the black thing is between the console & the shifter.  It doesn't look like a Ford part.

1985 Bronco wrote

...if your truck was 4x4, you could use the ZF5 since the speedo cable mounts in the transfer case.

Only if the donor truck is ALSO 4WD.  The tailhousing is different.

And as I mentioned before, the pick and pull nearest me has at least 8 Bullnose as well as a couple Bricknose.

LARIAT 85 wrote

I have never seen one in black.  The one listed on your link is a great price.  I have seen those go for $100 in good condition on Ebay. I would buy it and paint it blue or black.  

But, I am not sure if it will work if you have a floor shifter.  If you refer to my earlier post, models with a floor shifter got the other style.

Good and bad news today I guess. I had about 300 miles to drive to get home, and decided to stop by a salvage yard that was recommended to me (I didn't even know it was there, just a few hundred feet off the highway). I was told they had a whole bunch of old Ford trucks there, but it turns out they did not. One lonely old Bullnose with weeds and trees growing up around it. Pretty well stripped, but it did have a tan colored dash that looked mostly complete, and there was what looked to be a 351M still under the hood (Just guessing, as it was definitely not a SBF).

Anyway, I spied a burgundy F250 4x4 OBS truck also in the weeds, so I strolled over to have a look and it had the cup holder fastened to the seat. Wrong color of course, but the guy said I could have it and the bolts for $5 bucks, so I grabbed it. For $5 it was worth it just for test fitting purposes.



Bad news is, it won't work...not well at least. It fits the floor OK...but just barely, and that is with my bench seat all the way back. Problem is that the shifter hits it. Oh well, it is the wrong color anyway, but for only a couple bucks it was worth it, and saved me from buying one on Ebay.

Thanks for all the help on these topics guys. I guess I can safely scratch this particular cup holder off my want list and move on to searching for the manual trans version.

I have never seen that cup holder before.  Thats just what I need for my truck and its the correct color.  Will it possibly be coming up for sale?

ScubaSteve wrote

I have never seen that cup holder before.  Thats just what I need for my truck and its the correct color.  Will it possibly be coming up for sale?

They're on Ebay fairly often in various colors:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1992-1996-Ford-F150-F250-F350-Bronco-Big-Bench-Seat-Cup-Holder-Red-fomoco-OEM/273166685468?hash=item3f9a00d51c:g:HNwAAOSwvAda18Ju&vxp=mtr

I'll sell this one for the 5 bucks it cost me, plus shipping. I'm in Canada however, so shipping into the US is likely to be in the area of $30-$35 bucks. If you're still interested, send me a message with your zip code and I'll check on rates tomorrow. If you're not interested, then no worries;).

I never knew they existed but I see do see them on ebay. Thanks for the link. Let me see what I can find local.

Thanks,

Gary Lewis wrote

On the ignition box question, if your box has a blue grommet then any blue-grommet box will work.

So I went back to the pick and pull today and grabbed that ignition box (also blue grommet). Hopefully I can get it cleaned up and tested this weekend. It's just something to throw behind the seat for a spare if I get the opportunity to take the old 150 on a proper road trip.

I grabbed the radio mounting brackets out of the '86...I had been looking for a set of those. Interesting...although this truck did have a radio (plain AM only), it still had no speakers in the doors...just the single on the dash. I guess this was normal in the bare bones optioned trucks? There were no wires going to the doors.

I needed this pin below for the spare 5spd trans I picked up. It is what activates the reverse switch. It and the switch were missing from this used transmission when I bought it. Anyway, the pin is in the transmission top cover, in behind the socket where the reverse switch threads in. You think I could get that pin out? No way. A magnet would have popped it out instantly, but I didn't have one. I laid there on the ground for a minute and then decided to try my chewing gum on the tips of my needlenose pliers. Gum extraction worked like a charm!



The only other thing I grabbed that may be of use was an NP435 shifter stick (it was laying on the ground beside the '86). I might see if I can graft this on to bottom of one of the spare 5spd sticks I have to make the interior of my truck slightly more period correct (not that I care that much, but anyway...).

Oh...and I forgot to take a picture, but this '86 F150 just happens to have the exact same windshield washer/coolant reservoir tank in it as my 1984...which is odd, because I thought from a previous discussion on here that it was not an original Bullnose tank. I'll take pics when I go back.

Sounds like you made a haul.  

On the ignition box, why put it behind the seat?  I mounted my spare directly above the in-service module.  Can't find the pic but can take one tomorrow.  However, I used longer machine screws than needed to mount the original box, and came up from below so the extra screw length stuck above the box.  Then I ran long connector nuts onto the extra screw length, placed the spare box on top of the nuts, and ran screws through the spare box into the connector nuts.

That way the box is ready in case the original fails, and all you have to do is swap the plugs.

On the reservoir, post some pics.