Question: Cruise Control Horn pads - Burlwood?

Hi all,

Quick question on the horn pads in the later trucks that came with burlwood interiors (rather than the earlier rosewood):

Our 1985 XL has burlwood dash and radio bezels, but it has a horn pad with cruise that I thought may have come from a Bronco.  It looks like it matches the earlier Rosewood.

That said, I've started looking around for what would be the proper 1985 - year cruise control horn pad, and I can't seem to find pics of a burlwood one anyplace.  

So my question: Could this horn pad have been original to the truck?  

Pic showing horn and a new burlwood bezel for color comparison

Rosewood ended in '84 and burled wood started in '85.  So your truck should not have had a Rosewood horn bezel.

Whatever happened to Perry?

Perry?

Here's the link:  http://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/Woodgrain-repair-kit-for-ideas-only-tp30473.html

You never got my call or email?

Maybe you would like to share your NOS bezel with him in exchange for applying burlwood to the horn pad you already have?

I'm not sure if he's got a match yet.
He doesn't show it on his eBay storefront.

Being able to replicate factory patterns or renew entire faded interiors so the panels all match (even if they're only very close, and not perfect) seems like a good option for those that really want a restored truck.

Not only is it the wrong woodgrain, but it appears to have the van horn pad trumpet icons and smooth Ford emblem in the center. I know I’ve got one or two of the burl wood pads amongst my things, but they are “users” and may or may not meet your needs. I will try to dig them up and take pictures. I was supposed to look for a rosewood one for member Starliner, but it appears he may have found what he needed? But he had a burl Wood one he found in a junkyard... I don’t know if he used parts from it but you might ask if it’s for sale or work out a trade?

http://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/Plastic-Steering-Wheel-Plactics-needed-1984-F250-w-cruise-td59402.html

I will try to look at what I have also, and see if anything I might have could help you.

Jonathan, why does it seem these van hornpads (or steering wheels) are so often found in pickups?

Any idea why they might have held up better?

Jim, I have a couple hypotheses on this. One is than vans used this horn pad later into the 80’s and at some point all service parts became this type. Even the 82/83 only XLS brushed silver one with the “E2xxx” part number (that was never used in a van) had a service part with van features. My other hypothesis is that pickup trucks lead a much harder life than vans, and when the plastic pieces started to disintegrate and fade they were swapped out with van horn pads. I think pickups generally stayed in service longer, so vans may have been more plentiful in junkyards and had better condition interiors. To this day I like to check vans and RV’s because they tend to have nice horn pads/steering wheels and unaffected HVAC controls (and potentially Saginaw brackets).

Ford F834 wrote

Jim, I have a couple hypotheses on this. One is than vans used this horn pad later into the 80’s and at some point all service parts became this type. Even the 82/83 only XLS brushed silver one with the “E2xxx” part number (that was never used in a van) had a service part with van features. My other hypothesis is that pickup trucks lead a much harder life than vans, and when the plastic pieces started to disintegrate and fade they were swapped out with van horn pads. I think pickups generally stayed in service longer, so vans may have been more plentiful in junkyards and had better condition interiors. To this day I like to check vans and RV’s because they tend to have nice horn pads/steering wheels and unaffected HVAC controls (and potentially Saginaw brackets).

Here is one from 1988:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-85-86-FORD-TRUCK-BRONCO-85-91-VAN-HORN-PAD-W-CRUISE-E8UZ-13A805-C/352881095605?hash=item52295a33b5:g:KwAAAOSw~QVd6qX0

And a Dennis Carpenter reproduction for 1987:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HORN-BAR-SWITCH-AND-PAD-80-86-FORD-TRUCK-80-86-BRONCO-E7UZ-13A805-A/283798851532?epid=1722188429&hash=item4213bacfcc:g:gWMAAOSw9EteWWSB

So although sold on eBay as Truck parts they have a Van "U" part number.

I have a feeling these sellers are ignorant, not that Ford made these for F-Series trucks.

The funny thing is, they were sold under truck part numbers but had van emblems and trumpet icons. Ford went down to one style and the service parts didn’t match the original. That was my point about the XLS horn pad that Chris McGaugh bought. It had the correct 1982 Ford truck part number yet had the van type features. It was a NOS service part.

So it was E2TZ-  ???

Yes...

Maybe they didn't wear out the moulds for the econoline horn pads, and figured it was "close enough"?
Functionally the same at any rate.

I doubt Ford made nearly as many vans as pickups back then.

Interesting that David's eBay finds are E7 & E8 but are >'86 style, not Bricknose at all.

SCFlareside wrote

Hi all,

Quick question on the horn pads in the later trucks that came with burlwood interiors (rather than the earlier rosewood):

Our 1985 XL has burlwood dash and radio bezels, but it has a horn pad with cruise that I thought may have come from a Bronco.  It looks like it matches the earlier Rosewood.

That said, I've started looking around for what would be the proper 1985 - year cruise control horn pad, and I can't seem to find pics of a burlwood one anyplace.  

So my question: Could this horn pad have been original to the truck?

No, that cruise control pad was *not* original to your truck.

According to my 1985 Sales Brochure, an XL model would have had a plain, black horn pad.  I guess that means that cruise control wasn't even an option on an XL model.

The XLT Lariat was the only trim package that came with the soft grip steering wheel with Burlwood (1985/1986) woodtone insert.  Every one I have seen has cruise control.

Here is a picture of the Burlwood horn pad with cruise control:

I know at least the XL crew cabs had factory cruise control.

Ford F834 wrote

I know at least the XL crew cabs had factory cruise control.

I don't know anything about crew cabs, other than there wasn't an XLT Lariat trim package option.

Where were the cruise control buttons located?

The crew cabs used the same cruise control horn pads as the higher optioned trucks. Also in 82/83 the XLS had the cruise control in the horn pad as well.