80s accessories that are still cool

I have a CB on mine as well, a NOS Cobra 18 WX ST. Weather bands are obsolete, but as a CB it works fine.

Need to put a proper antenna on it... right now I have a jerry rigged "cellular style" antenna on the roof (magnet mount). I'm leaning towards a 1/4 wave whip on the back, but I haven't bought anything yet. I have a wilson 1000 on my 1995 Ranger, but on such a small truck it's a lot easier to access the center of the roof when needing to drop the antenna (parking garages, car washes, etc).

See that's what I was thinking of doing if I got a roll bar mounted in my truck I seriously thought about tossing the Wilson 2000 magnet mount and go with a rigid mount antenna on the roll bar itself.

Problem is all the reading I have done stated that would result in horrible transmitting ability.  But at the same time once I get my truck painted I don't want the mount on the cab as it will protect that area of paint from the sun and cause a ring to form over time.  Plus I don't like the cb antenna wire just simply laying behind the back window.

Big reason why I have to seriously contemplate if I keep my CB or not.  I might spend the money and try a rigid mount on the roll bar and see if I can get the antenna tuned like I have it tuned now.  if I can then I will gladly keep it since the antenna lead would be hidden in the roll bar along with any lights I add.

Not a fan, but those gator tail gate net things were a thing for a while.  

I had a Wilson 1000 on my truck, but wanted a permanent mount. I used a Firestik extended stake mount that I had.

It’s under my toolbox on the passenger side. Here’s a link.

http://www.firestik.com/CatalogFrame.htm

Edit: That didn’t work! Go to mounts, then stake hole, ext.

66gtk wrote

Not a fan, but those gator tail gate net things were a thing for a while.

Man...I remember those! What was the point?

How about those tailegates that had a cutout in the middle. I think they were designed for laying lumber in, or maybe they were just clearance for backing up to a fifth wheel? I never understood why a guy couldnt just lower his tailgate when backing up to a fifth wheel. But I saw guys using them for centering their lumber loads. The tailgate would hold the lumber up in the back and center in the truck.

Ray Cecil wrote

66gtk wrote

Not a fan, but those gator tail gate net things were a thing for a while.

Man...I remember those! What was the point?

Better gas mileage due to not having to pull a solid tailgate through the air dropping off the back of the cab.  I'm not saying it was significant, but that was the idea.

Ray Cecil wrote

How about those tailegates that had a cutout in the middle. I think they were designed for laying lumber in, or maybe they were just clearance for backing up to a fifth wheel? I never understood why a guy couldnt just lower his tailgate when backing up to a fifth wheel. But I saw guys using them for centering their lumber loads. The tailgate would hold the lumber up in the back and center in the truck.

I mostly ever see those with a 5th wheel.  They are usually a little shorter too, so they let you tow a trailer and still keep stuff from sliding out

I thought of that option as well once my camper is off but I prefer uniform and think a center mount on a roll bar if I got one would be better.  Only problem is being a flare side the roll bar wouldn't be grounded to the chassis as the truck has a wood bed.  So not sure if running a ground strap from the roll bar to the frame itself would be good at helping a roll bar antenna mount to have an actual ground plane.

DeeZee used to have a cowl that fit behind the cab. (Fastback?)
Gave you a place to mount lights too.

Made it look like an Avalanche, decades before there was an Avalanche.

I'm not saying it's "cool" or not but if you want your truck to scream '80's, that would be it.

ArdWrknTrk wrote

DeeZee used to have a cowl that fit behind the cab. (Fastback?)
Gave you a place to mount lights too.

Made it look like an Avalanche, decades before there was an Avalanche.

I'm not saying it's "cool" or not but if you want your truck to scream '80's, that would be it.

Racerback is what I beleive they were called. More of a 90s thing I think, but still cool.

Ah, maybe a '90's thing.
I remember seeing them on bricknose trucks like mine.
Looked better on the little Rangers.

Definitely a period piece.

I do remember seeing them an awful lot at one time.  Still like them, but like roll bars, only on single cab long bed trucks.

ArdWrknTrk wrote

DeeZee used to have a cowl that fit behind the cab. (Fastback?)

My old 1980 F100 Flareside that I bought back in the early 1990's had a spoiler on the back of the roof that was somewhat unique at the time. I did see a couple of them around back in that era, but not often. Oddly, there was a company here in central Canada selling two NOS unpainted units about 2 years ago. Below are the only pictures I have of the spoiler. It was on the truck when I bought it in or around 1992.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1980-1996-Ford-Truck-LUND-Fastback-Cab-Spoiler-F150-F250-F350/193127970499?fits=Year%3A1980%7CModel%3AF-150%7CMake%3AFord&hash=item2cf752f6c3:g:Vp8AAOSwNRJdjo-r

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1980-1996-Ford-Truck-LUND-Fastback-Cab-Spoiler-F150-F250-F350/202978766103?fits=Year%3A1980%7CModel%3AF-150%7CMake%3AFord&hash=item2f427a2d17:g:iDQAAOSwz3JeqkRT

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1980-1986-Ford-Pickup-Showcars-Roof-spoiler-SV005/112334077803?fits=Year%3A1980%7CModel%3AF-150%7CMake%3AFord&hash=item1a27a1ff6b:g:x6wAAOSwj~9bhtjh

So, that little flare screwed in above the window?

Was it well sealed?
I'd hate to have rot starting up there.

Well Damn!

I stand corrected Daviid.  

Lund didn't come to mind when I thought of those things.
At least I got the name right.

1986F150Six wrote

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1980-1986-Ford-Pickup-Showcars-Roof-spoiler-SV005/112334077803?fits=Year%3A1980%7CModel%3AF-150%7CMake%3AFord&hash=item1a27a1ff6b:g:x6wAAOSwj~9bhtjh

Haha! Look at that, still for sale in Canada. Cool. I almost want it...almost...lol.

Rembrant wrote

1986F150Six wrote

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1980-1986-Ford-Pickup-Showcars-Roof-spoiler-SV005/112334077803?fits=Year%3A1980%7CModel%3AF-150%7CMake%3AFord&hash=item1a27a1ff6b:g:x6wAAOSwj~9bhtjh

Haha! Look at that, still for sale in Canada. Cool. I almost want it...almost...lol.

Let me spend some more of your $$$, Cory!

ArdWrknTrk wrote

So, that little flare screwed in above the window?

Was it well sealed?
I'd hate to have rot starting up there.

It was screwed to the cab, yes, and had little plastic hex caps on the screws if I recall correctly, and it was painted with the truck. I sold that truck a little over 25 years ago, so my memory is getting pretty fuzzy on it...lol.

And yes, it was sealed OK, at least I don't remember any leaks or rust anywhere near the spoiler.

Remember rear window louvers?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/84-96-Ford-F-150-Pickup-WILLPAK-ASTRA-HAMMOND-Textured-ABS-Rear-Window-Louver/124075300660?fits=Model%3AF-150%7CMake%3AFord&hash=item1ce376d734:g:mVwAAOSw6-5ePYC6