New Member, 1986 F-250 "The King"

Hello everybody

I wanted to introduce myself to everyone here on the forum. My name is Wyatt and I am from North Texas, but am currently studying Oklahoma State. I've always loved trucks and driving in general and grew up driving trucks and Suzuki Samurai's when my family would go hunting. I currently drive a 2010 F-150 Lariat 5.4 and my dad drives a 2020 F-250 King Ranch 6.7.

This truck has been at my family's construction yard and has been sitting since '05. It hadn't moved an inch until this fall when the area it is was on was being concreted. I had always wanted the truck but didn't really know the story on it, so I started asking questions and found the truck had been purchased by my late grandfather at auction in the early 2000's and was then given to my cousin to drive while he was in high school. Apparently, it had a rear end issue, got parked, and has sat in the same spot since '05. Yesterday, I got the green light to have the truck and do whatever I wanted with it.

The truck itself, from what I have gathered is a F-250 Standard Trim 4X2 Single Cab, in Light Desert Tan, with the 460. I am unsure about the trans, but I believe it has the Sterling 10.25 in the rear, so it may have the T18/9. And it has A/C! I was told that the carburetor was taken off (probably when it was parked), so I have no idea what is inside. I couldn't get the hood latch to release in the few minutes I had to take pictures, so we'll have to wait and see what it really looks like.

This summer, I just want to get the truck running and solve any major issues. I have minimal experience fixing older trucks but I am excited to learn. I would really like to hear from you guys what sort of things will definitely need to/should be replaced so that I can have a good list of parts ordered so that when I return from school I'm not waiting around on tons of parts.

Eventually, "The King" will be my best representation of what a King Ranch truck might have looked like in 1986. I've been thinking about what exterior and interior trim and styling might have looked like. I do want the truck to be able to haul and be used like you would a new, nice work truck. Would love to have 4WD, but not exactly sure all that is involved.

Anyways, here's the truck and I'm excited to be a part of the community!





I won't be back to look at it for at least another week, and won't be able to really work on it until school lets out in May. I'll try to get more information and pictures when I go back home next!

Welcome!

Welcome to the forum Wyatt!  

Yes, your truck has a 10.25" rear.
Do you know the R&P ratio?
You can use the axle code on the door jamb sticker to find out.

A 250/460 truck would have a Borg Warner T-19 gearbox.
Synchronized 1st gear and a PTO cover plate on the drivers side, as well as the single plate found on the passenger side of the T-18.

Big plans for a truck relegated to the side yard, but youth and enthusiasm go a long way!

I hope you find a supportive community here!  

Yes, welcome!  Glad you joined!  

However, I'm not sure about the "supportive community".  A Texan going to school in Okiehoma?  

Seriously though, you are welcome here.  I have nothing against the Cowboys except that they changed the name of the stadium several years ago.  Yep, it was previously known as Lewis Stadium after a distant relative.  But a nephew graduated from there in engineering and seems to have learned a lot, so it must be a good school.

My wife and I love the chicken fried steak at Granny's Kitchen, although it was closed for remodeling a few weeks ago, so we went across the street to Louie's.  And from there we usually go to Blue Spruce for desert.  

Anyway, would you like to be on our map?  Bullnose Forum/Member's Map in the menu.  We could put you on in Stillwater or wherever home is in Texas.

Thanks Jim

I'll have to look at the door jamb for the axle code when I go home next. I'm sure I'll be back down there in a week or so. My dad was telling me about how he remembers the granny gear in that truck and that you could get out and walk beside it and it would just crawl. Definitely something you don't see in today's trucks.

Some of the plans, or should I say dreams for the truck are a bit lofty. Fortunately we have two mechanics and a metal fabrication shop that work for my family, with lots of connections to just about every part of the automotive industry. Probably a better way to put it is I would like for it to be a "King Ranch" truck. We'll see.

Being young definitely helps my ambition and it's my first vehicle that is mine, needs fixing and I can do whatever I want to it. Not quite like my '10 where it's about as stock as stock gets.

Thanks for the welcome message and I hope I have an long stay here on the forum!

Gary,

I've always been an Oklahoma State fan and between uncles, aunts, and cousins I've got 7 family members that went to OSU, and my mom grew up in Tulsa and went to OBU. I've got Okie roots but my home will always be in Texas

Granny's is an absolute staple and I have had many stacks of pancakes as well as the chicken fried steaks too. The Garage is a great spot too for burgers if you haven't checked it out just yet.

I'd love to be on the map, but put me down for Texas as that's where the truck will be until it's ready to come up to Oklahoma. I'm in Colleyville, Texas and the Zip is 76034.

Since the 80's is long before my time, do you have any thoughts on how Ford might have styled/marketed a "King Ranch" truck? Maybe styled with ranchers in mind with some 80's special "features." I've thought about paint scheme and maybe a Walking W hood ornament as well as the name plates on the side and "King Ranch" on the dash in place of custom/xl/xlt. I feel like Ford would have done something a bit odd and quirky with a King Ranch truck in the 80's, but that might be cool in its own way. I may save the King Ranch idea for a 4X4, but it might be fun to experiment with this one first. Eddie Bauer Broncos may be a good direction to pull ideas from too. I'm considering everything, door panels, trim, pretty much everywhere Ford could have been able to make it "King Ranch." Just trying to field ideas about it until I get to actually work on the truck and try to get it running. I've really appreciated the documentation available here as its helped me out a lot already.

I saw somewhere you worked in the tech industry? That's where I'm hopefully headed with my degree.

Ford didn't have too many upscale options for trucks back it the '80's.
One thing you did find were lots of regional (and even dealer) specific trim packages.
These didn't amount to much but stickers and wheels.
I think the Free Wheeling package had blacked out fog light bumpers and a roll bar, as well???

One of our members (was it Reamer?) offered up some badging with Texas state flags a while back.
They were really well done and might add a nice touch.

For a Ranch truck I'd expect a factory 5th wheel/gooseneck convertible hitch and tailgate.
Alcoa rims are always classy.

Any upscale truck needs 8-way adjustable heated leather seats from a Lincoln.
I think Bill (85LebaronT2) has done this to his crew cab dually 'Darth'.
You probably want to be on the look out for a supercab seat mounting pan.
This makes buckets a bolt in without compromising safety.

And yes, with 4.10's I can put my truck in 1st sidestep the clutch, get out and walk alongside.  

All the KR trucks I remember up here in the Northeast were platinum or taupe metallic.
But maybe that's just because we're not Texas, and don't have any individuality.

The true dual exhaust is a nice touch.
Maybe some stainless tips to dress it up a bit?

Glad to have you among us, Wyatt! Like to see old Bullnose trucks pulled from the graveyard and made useful and appreciated again. Lot's of people here can shed insight on the "how to" stuff and lead you down good paths for fixing up that truck.

GO COWBOYS! Great school, both wife and daughter graduated from there and I love the atmosphere!!! Don't stay in Oklahoma too long, as you will become an Okie. I'm a Texas boy, San Antonio to be exact. The Air Force brought me here and I never left. While I grew up in Texas, Oklahoma will always be home to me.

Best Regards,

John  

Wyatt - You, or maybe the truck, is now on the map.  

As for Granny's, haven't tried the pancakes.  Janey and I split a chicken fried stake and declared it as good as about any we've had.

But you didn't mention Blue Spruce.  Have you not had their gelato?  It is really good.

May try The Garage for burgers some day, but don't get over there that often from Skiatook, so tend to go for the chicken fry.

As for my background, I retired from Computer Sciences Corp, which was the #2 IT outsourcing company in the world at the time.  My degrees are in math and physics, but that was before computer science degrees were available.

On the idea of a King Ranch Bullnose, one thought has to do with "stitching"  I remember seeing pretty prominent stitching on the 2015 KR I looked at, so you might have the seats covered and add some.  But there is actually stitching on the door panels that is usually covered up in the high end truck with a piece of chrome.  So you could use new door panels w/o the holes in the stitching for attaching the chrome, leaving the stitching exposed.  And, perhaps even highlight it somehow?

Gary - I've got a friend working at Blue Spruce, so I'll have to try it for myself sometime.

As for the seats go, I'd like to keep the bench while I'm young and unmarried. Always heard from my mom about how she liked sitting next to him and have always dreamt of having my girl next to me in my truck. Sadly new trucks and massive consoles don't quite allow for that. Then I'll probably get the Lincoln seats once the cool factor of a bench wears off, but I'd love to experience it for a little while.

For the idea of a King Ranch Bullnose, I thought some real saddle leather, or a tan leather/vinyl matching the interior would be fitting. Reupholstering is probably one of the things I'll do regardless of whether or not I make it a King Ranch truck. I've also started playing around with some King Ranch logos for the front quarter badge, interior badge and maybe on a stripe like the explorer trim was. I've thought about current King Ranch wheels, but if my memory serves me correct the bolt pattern size and hold is different. I haven't seen that part of the door panel with the chrome off, but getting a very small paint brush and painting the "stitching" on a door panel in a contrasting color might look pretty good.

John -

Thanks for the welcome. Not a ton of guys my age enjoying these trucks, but they deserve to be driven and enjoyed. I can definitely foresee some frustrations and things that I just don't know about, but that's what this community is for.

I've always loved the people in Stillwater and Oklahoma too. San Antonio is a great city with great people too, been through there a few times on the way to Schlitterbahn and to see the Alamo. Hopefully I'll be heading back to Dallas after I graduate, but we'll have to see where work takes me.  Hopefully back to Texas!

I saw somewhere, here or FTE of someone's sesquicentennial badges. A 5th wheel/gooseneck is an essential for a ranch truck, especially one that might be used at the King Ranch. I have seen Darth through the forum's and it's... special. The Lincoln seats make me a little jealous, but for the time being, I'll stick with the bench. I'll keep a lookout for the supercab pan when I stop by any junkyards though! And alcoa wheels, would be real classy... someday.

You're needing 8 on 6 1/2" pattern rims.
I'm pretty sure the pickups went to metric pattern with the '99 body change, but the bigger vans used the pattern into the early oughts.

I know that using a late 10.25 van axle one way people do rear disc conversions on these trucks, though the track and spring perches need to be adjusted.

There are less and less 16" wheel options out there.
But I'm old and my impression of a 'King Ranch' is pretty dated.

Maybe a 40/20/40 bench with heat and lumbar adjust from a later truck is an option.
I can assure you that center position is plenty close for comfort.  

Gary, we have "Garage" restaurants in BA and Tulsa. Not one hundred percent sure it is the same affiliation but it's a pretty good burger!

As to "King Ranch", I have a hard time referring to a truck with the same name as a popular casserole. It is a tasty one though....!    

Link, John??

I'm aware of the epic King Ranch.
It's likely bigger than Rhode Island.

But I'm always down for something I can cook in my dutch oven.  😋

Jim--

I've seen some interiors with the rear bench from a newer King Ranch and I'm not sold on it. The headrests and proportions just aren't quite right to me. However, some saddle leather and some seat heaters on a more era-true bench might be a great option. The issue of cup holders has crossed my mind, and that's what the hands of passengers are for, but the drop down cup holders out of a newer seat might be nice. I will say I have spilled my grandfathers morning coffee on myself too many times to count while he was off-roading our Suzuki to the deer stand, so cup holders might not be a bad idea

The options on rims are pretty limited but alcoa's or something classic will serve just fine. Rims off a new King Ranch would probably just look like a square peg in a round hole anyway. Discs in the back could be nice, but the drums will certainly do for now, and I've never worked on drums, or brakes at all for that matter so it will be a good experience.

I'll have to see about the axle, since I've really got no idea what's wrong with it yet. In the picture of it, there is something on the drivers side of the housing. Not sure what it is. If I've got to replace it, a 10.25 out of a van with discs would certainly be preferred.

Do you know of anyone that sells new styleside tailgates with the Ford embossment? Everywhere seems to be just the flat plain tailgates, but I figured someone might know. I've been looking for an old one on Facebook marketplace, but luck as of yet.

I just meant to say you have wheel options from E-vans up into the oughts
That I know this because the disc hubs fit our lug pattern.

Dennis Carpenter is the one that has Ford's old stamping dies, and -to the best of my knowledge- the only one who is licensed to sell parts with 'Ford' stamped in them.
https://www.dennis-carpenter.com/trucks/tailgate/tailgates/20/1/1/?displayMode=list

But now that I look, they don't seem to have NOS any more.

I will have to look around.