1981 F150 Blue. Named Walter, for now anyway

I am not shocked by them at all.  Young tire breakers, doing the least they can to draw a check.  Maybe they saw a chance to buy truck?  Idk.  They didn't tell anyone, didn't write it down, nothing.   Said they were covered up, down a mechanic, etc.  It was really no big deal to me.  truck had reasonable brakes when I drove it in there.  I knew it would make it home if I chose to ignore it.  BUt I went and got the pads, did it myself, denied the garage their money.  Win for me and home mechanics everywhere.

I want to do rears soon, but I think I want to get the whole new spring setup to go in there with new shoes.  And I need to go to HF and get a set of drum brake tools.  Makes it all so much easier.

I should have already had the wheels off myself, but had been lazy about it.  I don't have a shop, so I have to work in the gravel sloping driveway.  THat's my excuse.  I did claim the carport for doing the fronts to allow some shade.  

I have to get to my AC soon.   I can hear doors opening and closing.   Just the panel vents won't open.  I already asked my trusted mechanic and the ones that did the engine room work.  Both have said they will look at it when I get ready.  Gonna see if I can find the vacuum/door issue first.   But things keep getting in the way.  

I get you on dragging stuff around to fix something.  I usually end up with stuff in truck and I drive through the yard at end to put it all back up in outbuilding.   Not a restoration friendly yard.  lol

Gotta mow this evening if it doesn't rain.  If it does rain, I may claim a nap.  

You will see runout on the balance machine. But they may be upselling you.
IDK.

You need to make sure the calipers are free to move.
Otherwise you will see a lot of wear on the side opposite the pistons.

On the rotors you might not be able to get them turned if they are below minimums. That could be why they said they need replacing.

A lot of shops now don't even have an AMOCO lathe.
They just swap rotors if they are worn at all.

New car rotors are so thin they don't turn anymore.  Save weight, mpg, etc.  So you replace rotors and pads together on newer stuff.  Ran into that on my Ford edge.  

These have some wear and probably won't take another turning.  

rcarlisle wrote

New car rotors are so thin they don't turn anymore.  Save weight, mpg, etc.  So you replace rotors and pads together on newer stuff.  Ran into that on my Ford edge.  

These have some wear and probably won't take another turning.

On my 02 Durango when the dealer did front brakes and returned the parts I saw rotors and told them it was the first time brakes were done on the truck and they could have been turned.
They told me they are thin to start and after turning the chance of warping is even greater so they just replace them when doing brakes.
Dave ----

Taillights, bumper painted, Explorer emblem painted and installed.  

Looking good
Dave ----

nice truck!  

Thanks everyone.  I'll have a new update soon.   Several new things and "restorations" going.   Yesterday I re-inked the "chrome" on the radio bezel with Molotow chrome ink/paint.   Re did the Ranger word too.   Looks good.  I have LEDs ordered for the instruments.  Will do that bezel when those come in.  The molotow looks great.  As I know from model car building, it isn't super durable though, but that shouldn't be a big touch area.   Don't know what UV and cab heat will do to it though.   We'll see.  

Before I put the radio bezel back in, I'm going to see if I can fish down in the void and feel what the vacuum motor on AC door is doing.  I got no panel vents but everything seems to work properly but that.   I really don't want to dismantle the whole dash and not real sure pulling on the old plastic parts with a ratchet strap is a good idea.

Ordered a headlight harness, horn badge, spare tire holddown thingie.  Still need rear brakes - looking them up right now.  

The outside is basically done other than detailiing what is there and maybe someday wetsand it and see if it will polish.   I have the second Explorer emblem painted and need to wipe the black off the letters, snap it back on.  Better hood ornament for someday.  

Any chrome or aluminum paint is super opaque (and somewhat reflective)
UV shouldn't be an issue.

I used a Tester's paint pen on my dash panels and think they came out good.
So far after over a year I have not seen any difference in the color.

As for the vent on mine I first have to move the lever to AC then to vent before air will come out.
Dont know why but that's what I have found.

I also think if you get under the dash and stand on your head you can see the other doors if they move with out the need to pull the dash apart.
Dave ----

This is Molotow chrome.  

Had my son get under dash.  Vacuum motor is moving linkage to panel vents.  We got floor and defrost, no panel.  Floor on floor and vent and AC positions.

 

I use a silver Sharpie because I'm broke and don't care too much.  

My silver sharpies didn't want to work well and I buy molotow in the refill tubes for model car building, so I have it on hand.  Sharpie would work fine and maybe better in long run.

I'm not suggesting anything by my comment.
Except that I'm skint, and make due with what I have.

You're dash looks great, Randy!  

No worries.  I kinda treat the truck like a 1:1 scale model.  And I have a LOT of modeling supplies on hand, including sliver sharpies, molotow, and bare metal foil for chrome stuff.  And some chrome spray paint.

I have thought about airbrushing the wood grain on the instrument bezel.  I have materials on hand...  

I'm a tight wad myself.    I look for the best price on everything I buy for the truck.  I'm kinda proud that I have found some really good deals so far.  

There are some real close wraps for that rosewood pattern.
We had a member who David found that was redoing Lincoln interiors and steering wheels.
Perry had rosewood and burlwood down, but could not find a perfect match for the brushed aluminum XLS interiors.

Last I heard life shifted gears and he was in the midst of moving.
But I'm assuming once you have a digital pattern for the laser cutter it doesn't 'go bad'

I have been in sign business for 37 years.  I've looked at vinyl to cover but the bezel in mine has a quilted pattern molded in the plastic that would be hard to get vinyl to conform to.  I think I'm just going to leave it for now.

Update 4-19-2021:   Rear brakes.   From this:




To this:  



Still need to re-bleed and adjust more.  But better.