1981 F150 Blue. Named Walter, for now anyway

But we need to change the subject of the thread (without Re:)

Randy, you can do that by going back to your first post of this thread and using 'more' then 'edit post', then scrolling up to the subject box and backing out everything before 1981, like I did to this reply.

Hopefully by me changing the subject in reply, we will continue to reply to the edited subject title.

Ok. So when I reply, using my phone, it adds the Re:.   I'll try to pay attention as I go forward.  

More likely, when replying through email... it adds the "Re"

Once we get beyond posts that use that as the subject it will vanish.

Ok thanks.

Last night I pulled the passenger door panel.  Removed the chrome trim.  Cleaned and sanded a lot of the loose scale off. Sprayed the panel with the medium blue vinyl paint.  Left it to dry.  Looks better and maybe the paint will seal it up Tim I can get new panels.  

Also removed the radio and door speaker for testing The door speaker is a Kenwood 3 way.  But found evidence where someone tried some ugly splicing.  Hopefully the radio will still work.  Will have to do some wire repair.  

update 3/25/2021:  Passenger door panel painted with Duplicolor medium blue.  Looks reasonably good.   Speaker removed - it's dead, Jim.   Radio removed, unplugged, reinstalled til I get new speakers, but in place so no gaping hole.   Yeah it has to be there for my sensibilities.  LOL

I guess you're a candidate for a coverlay dash cap?

Gary and Ron worked together on a speaker grill patch that is available from Shapeways, but that split right to the front edge of the dash wouldn't get hidden by it.

I am a candidate, but went the cheap route for now - $37 carpet cover from Amazon.  I can live with that.

I guess I'm doing "first gen" upgrades right now.   GOT to have weatherstripping next.  Windows rattling from worn channels and air just coming around the doors and storm door weatherstripping that PO installed.

Then we'll get to more serious upgrades if truck keeps running as good as it does now.  Actually seems to be getting a little better with some miles being put on it.  

Found it :)

Great project thread so far. Looking forward to following along.

update: 3/26/2021 - both doors painted.   Weatherstrip ordered.  

New glove box liner and window cranks installed.  Cheap and quick from NPD.  

Update: 3/28/2021: distributor cap and rotor arrived.  Installed.  New turn signal lever from Dennis Carpenter.  Installed.  

Bought some baby moons at swap meet.  Too small.  
 They were$10 for all four.  Also decided I didn't like how they would look if they had fit.  Found an Explorer emblem for $5.  

3/31/2021:  both sides of weatherstripping installed - doors and window runs.   Busted the passenger side plastic a pillar even worse.  It was missing a chunk.  It's about all gone now.  cracked the drivers.  But I have quiet inside now.  Still have the extra pieces to install, but I can't see how it can get much better.   And I have to clean the door frames where PO had some sort of foam taped in there.  They has strom door strips stuck to the door frames too.   LOts of crappy work that has been corrected.  

Headliner kit rec'd.   Speakers, taillights, hubcaps and emblems on the way.  I can almost see the end of the first round of fixes/improvements.  

You're really getting it done, Randy!  

Going to be quite a nice truck by the summer.

Thanks.  It's driving my wife nuts that I am doing so much to a "work truck".   But when I drive it, it needs to feel more like MINE and less like a serial killer's latest dump site.   I hope to have this first iteration done in a couple weeks.  

Then can sit back, enjoy it and figure out what needs to be done next  - like wiper motor that quits when the switch says to instead of running til you cut the truck off.  

I've never had an old car that I also had money to spend on.   I've had old cars worthy of work, but no money.   Now I'm sorta in a place where I can fix on this truck and maybe have something that folks look at and appreciate.

Im with you up until recently, just didn't have the money ,just paid house off last week,so wife gave the ok

Update 4-6-2021:  Headliner fixed; kit from yourautotrim.com.  Carpet dash cover installed - coverking from amazon.   Little velcro tabs refused to stick to the dash.   Sprayed it with headliner adhesive.  It's ok, not perfect - looks waaaay better than the cracked mess it was.  New speakers installed - factory radio works.  80s sound quality.  I did run new speaker wires while I had dash pad out, but didn't need them.  Hubcaps are on.  Fronts are deeper than rears, no big deal.  

Had to replace the new looking brake light switch.  

No reverse lights - later.

Basically complete interior until I can figure out the seat deal.   Drivers side is bad - needs pad.   I do like the saddle blanket cover with pockets on front edge.  They will hold my coffee in the morning long enough to get to work.  

That is very good progress, Randy.

But I'm not sure about "sitting back".  Around here "lunging into the next project" seems more typical.

On fixing the wipers, check out the Troubleshooting tab at Documentation/Electrical/Windshield Wipers.

Hey Gary, I missed this reply.  But the TRUCK seems determined to make me keep spending.   Was wondering if I had reverse lights so had the wife look and turns out the brake lights had quit.   And no reverse lights.  So I messed with switch and was only able to get it working randomly - it looked fairly new.   SO off to the AP store for a new one.   Fixed that.  

Next morning (4-7-2021), I was greeted with a driver's rear tire going flat.   Tires were junk anyway but was trying to coax a little more out of them.  Not worth fixing, so off to tire store for a new set.  Which led to getting my first look at the brakes.   3 of them anyway.  Passenger drum refused to come off.   Drivers drum has some lining left, but is also missing a chunk.   SO that's soon.   Fronts had just started to rub the rotor.  SO as soon as it came off tire store lift, off to AP store for pads.  Changed those myself.  Tire store didn't have time to do them for a week.  They also said I have 2 bent wheels - not sure I believe that - drives fine.  

Good thing - the front soft lines appear to be fairly new.  

Wipers worked properly yesterday to clear windshield.   Hopefully it will hold out a little longer.  

So yeah, the truck keeps dragging me into projects whether I'm ready or not.  Starting to wonder if it has some sort of "Christine" type possession.   I wish it would start fixing itself though, if it's going to be possessed.  I'm going to try to ignore it for a couple days, see if that teaches it anything - truck is in "time out"... LOL  

Depending how badly bent you would feel it more at crawl than at speed.
At a crawl the truck would kind of shake side to side.
Same if a tread belt was coming apart.

Could life each wheel off the ground and take a jack stand the fasten a long screw driver to it to just touch the rim and spin it. The screw drive should touch the wheel all the way around or just about.
If you have a part that has a space between the driver & wheel then it could be bent.
I say could be because if the wheel was not tighten in a cross pattern it can make the wheel wobble.

As for the truck dragging you into projects I hear you brother!
Mine keeps doing the same thing. Fix 1 or 2 things and 1 or 2 more pop up!
Dave ----

I kinda suspect they were trying to get me for more than I asked for, which was a set of tires.   Between that and all the F bombs bursting in air, I doubt I'll return to that shop.  Of course, I was in a restricted area walking UNDER my truck on a lift,  so I can't complain too loudly about that.  They didn't want to do the brakes til next week though, so I told them I'd get my pads and do it when I got home.  Pads are so easy most of the time.  This time nbo exception - just an unusual way to mount calipers with that sliding piece.

He tried to show me the bent wheel on balancing machine, but I couldn't see it.   And I have NOT felt a bent wheel like wobble.   I'll remedy it if it shows up where I notice it.  

They were telling me that I needed rotors and all that.  The outer pads on both sides had come into contact withi the rotor, but they hadn't even scraped the texture down.  Probably a day or two's worth of contact?  Yes the rotors probably need turning at the very least, but I think they will all be okay for now.   New brakes and tires and it already feels better.  Inner pads probably still had half the material still in there.  Weird, yes?  Or normal for these?  

As I've said somewhere else, I'm going to ignore the truck a day or two.   It will probably get mad and do something even worse... the battle of man vs machine.

Thanks for the tips and support.  

I am shocked they would put the brakes off till later?
If they knew they were bad and you took the truck out and crashed they would be at fault as they knew they were bad. Now if they said they are good for a few weeks but dont put it off then maybe not.
Did they mark it on the bill they were bad and hot long till it needed to be done?

Yea sometimes its best to walk away for a bit and re-group before getting back at it.
My AC stopped working, think I know where the leak is, bad o-ring, and got to get that fixed ASAP the rest can wait. Might go out later when its cooler to start the AC fix?
I would be out there now but my son has his car blocking my garage and I am not lugging everything across the yard to the house garage to fix it.
Dave ----