FuzzFace2

Yes, right. I believe GM started using base/clear sometime in the late 1980's, and Ford followed a few years later. I forget the exact timeline, but I know we're talking late 80's and into the early 1990's. I had a 1990 Toyota pickup years ago, and it was factory painted in a single stage. I believe my '84 F150 was painted with single stage enamel. I talked to an old guy a while ago that spent 30 years working in one of the Ford plants in Canada, and he was in the paint shop all through the 1980's. He was rhyming off all of the paint thickness specs at the time and said that there was shockingly little paint put on those cars and trucks. He said it was no wonder that the sun burned right through it. I left my dad's shop in 83 and only remember painting some foreign cars maybe high end cars (been a long time ago), no trucks in BC/CC. I would also say late 80's to early 90's when the BC/CC really started to hit the market on cars not trucks. Dave ----

If you scroll up the page a bit you'll see that I did exactly that. I bought Grote replacement lights that were almost identical to the originals. One thing I had to do was paint over that window on the driver's side. X2 on mine but I used foil tape on the inside to reflect the light back out. I was thinking of the early Ford crest light but changed my mind. Dave ----

Vary few cars & trucks had clear coat on them back in the early 80's. GM also had issues with paint pealing off in sheets just driving down the road. I know as the hospital I worked at had 2 trucks and my 86 K5 all had pealing paint. Dave ----

I was thinking the same thing but then seen the inside bracing even worst. Either way it's bad! Dave ----

They are all 1 sided keys just that Ford keys are cut to work either side. As you see he only worked 1 side and installs it the same way each time to use the "cut" side of the key. A trick you can use with Ford leys if you have 2 that use the same type key is to cut 1 side to work with 1 car/truck and cut the other side for the other car/truck this way you only carry 1 key for 2 cars/trucks. BTW IIRC the early 60's Ford cars and maybe trucks used a 1 sided key like most other cars & trucks. Thinking early Mustangs, Falcons & Comets. Dave ----

Yes, right. Once in a while the Flaresides had the roof colored with the two-tone. I don't know how common they were. Thank you Cory for the pictures. I don't know if I like it on the flare sides or even on a short bed truck, on the long beds I think it looks better on. Dave ----

As much as I like the 300 six as I have one in my 81 F100 Flare side his truck frame mounts are set for the 302/351W motors. If he went with the 300 six he would need to find the frame mounts for it. Dave ----

Your truck was built a month before mine in the same plant. Two exterior colors means it was a two tone truck. 3L for Dark Blue Metallic, and 3F for Light Medium Blue. I'm not sure how many two tone variations there were for the Flaresides, but one of the guys on here will know. You actually don't have a tape code. The trans code is "A" and the axle/gears code is "19". The tape code area is blank. The "CB3" gives you about the only info you're going to get. CB is Blue Cloth and Vinyl, and the 3 is regular cab with Flareside bed. I'm guessing it looked something like this...grabbed a pic from a quick Google search. I think most two tone Flaresides were like this style. Most I have seen where like that Now I have seen a Google picture where the roof was also painted the second color, in my case white. Based on the door sticker as far as I know there is no way to know if the roof was done or not. No I think I found hints that mine may have been painted white but being not 100% sure and it would have been more work to paint it white I went with the red. I think there was also a post on the color stripes used with the 2 color trucks but let it be known you can no longer get any of the stripes and if you do find them you cant use them as the glue has turned bad and cant get the paper backing off. You can find some after market stripes that may work, do a Google search, as I was looking to do that but I like how it is right now. Dave ----

Got back a little while ago. Just under 1000 miles round trip from my house to just the other side of Atlanta GA. On the way back we spent the night in Augusta GA then hit Myrtle Beach SC to see friends for a few hours then on home. I looked the NP435 over quickly when I got there and it looked in good shape other than covered in grease. No rust on the input shaft and the slip yoke was in the tail housing, shifter with boots was also installed. Also got the clutch fork for the juice clutch, Pedal assy. for juice clutch so I have one and a drive shaft that may or may not work. I will look it over better tomorrow as I am on stand by for work. Got to get it out of my Durango as the trany stinks! Then will see how I feel to start cleaning it and checking it closer before I install it. Dave ----

I think what you see is the LG/Y wire to the radio right? I believe it is the night display light to the radio so when you dim the dash lights the radio display also dims. Dave ----

I had not used the truck since a few days after new year to work I loaded the weekly trash in the bed and took a drive to the dump. Took a bit to get gas to the carb but once there it fired right up. Even shifted good, it must know a new trany will be here come Sunday LOL Dave ----

Welcome to the forum. Gary has set you on the right path, what is the final goal for the truck? Part of not having a running project and a first project at that is becoming overwhelmed and giving up. If me I would try for a running 302/351 and if it has a transmission, even a auto great. You could drop it in the truck and enjoy it some as you plot the next part of the project. You may find the motor & auto a good combo for you but the motor needs a little more pep. You could then find another motor that needs a rebuild to learn that part but still enjoy the truck. Not all of us can spend 4 years rebuilding a project truck and not give up, wanted to a few times but did not give up LOL Dave ----

Tail gate chains in the house Got a 81 F100 myself, beginning of Dec in 2015 and started pulling it apart over the holiday. I spent 4 years on a cab off frame rebuild and added a few custom touches along the way. It's funny you dragged it home on a Uhaul trailer, I had to use a Uhaul truck to pull my trailer as my trailer pulling truck was down for the count at the time. Do start a thread with lots of pictures we love pictures. Dave ----

I think mine is also in the same area from what I remember when working on the dash assy. I just don't want to pull apart a lot because you stand a chance of breaking stuff. Thanks for the offer. Dave ----

Interesting that I have heard several guys say they vastly prefer the NP435... what is better about it? I drove one (briefly) in my dad’s ‘68 F250 and finding 3rd gear was about like picking a lock with a bobby pin 😖. We removed it and put in the T18 out of his rust cancer ‘66 F100. It was still a bit notchy but much easier to manage once you were acquainted with it. Anything worn and abused will be that way, I’m just curious why the fondness for the New Process gear box? That is how my 4th gear is and when down shifting from 4th to 3rd it grinds if going to fast even double clutching. The NP, T18 & T19 will all shift "notchy" but should not need a bobby pin to find a gear LOL What I think on the NP435 is it has lower gear ratios than the other T's. Granny is lower and when used for off roading and low range is great for crawing over things. 2nd gear is also lower and being you drive all 3 like a 3 speed transmission makes for easier starts from a stop, at least I hope so in my case. I would have been happy with any of the 3 or better a ZF, found one close but was for a newer truck and no way to hook up our cable speedo, as long as it shifts like it should. The price was right $200 for the 1988 NP435 trany w/bell housing, hydro pedal assy. slip yoke and maybe a drive shaft. He could not find the clutch fork or slave but maybe will by the time I get there to pick it up? I was also looking at the Advance Adaptor's gear splitter but there is like a month or 2 wait for them to build the units and I don't want to wait that long. Beside I was going to get it before the banker found out and ask for forgiveness but that's not going to happen ... right now LOL Dave ----

Thanks it is a go for getting the transmission and going to bed up at 1am for work so when I get home I will have to look over the documents. I should be getting the slip yoke so other than how long the drive shaft needs to be I should be ok on the yoke. It is also good to know the speedo will work after what we went thru to get it dead on, thanks again on that. Dave ----

I don't have the split harness, the clock comes with a pin out of the wires on it and I am sure once I find the plug on the truck I can make my own harness. Heck I had to figure out the wiring for the HVAC & Radio and they were cut when they removed the radio and HVAC control. Dave ----

That is where I hear it is and maybe should have thought of this before putting the dash pad on I hope to find the plug up around where the clock plugs in. Also some of the wiring I seen posted shows the same wires doing both the clock & under dash lights? I just need to find door on / off power as I plan to run different lights or a maybe a LED strip or rope lighting, just need something. I will know the light(s) when I see them type of thing Dave ----

Looks like I will be getting this NP435 just waiting on the seller to give final ok and address. I do have some (more) questions, My T18 and the NP435 are slip yokes and from measurements are really close in size but ... Do they share the same out put slip yokes? 81-T18 86-NP435 I am trying get the yoke and maybe a drive shaft. I am getting the bell housing, less fork as he cant find it. I think the bells are the same between the 2 transmissions face to face. I know the 88 uses a juice clutch and mine linkage so I plan to use my bell & linkage as it is all rebuilt and new clutch assy. Will my new spot on speedo cable gear work with the NP435, both have the speedo hole on the left side of the tail housing. Also need to reuse my rubber mount as I did not see one in pictures hope mine works. Thanks for any information you can give. Dave ----

Just waiting on the seller to give me the final OK on parts & price and address of where I am heading to pick it up this weekend. If his profile is good I have about a 6+ hour drive 1 way. The wife is coming for the ride and on the way back we will stop over night then next day stopping off at Myrtle Beach SC to see friends for a few hours before the final leg home. I got a head cold the last few days and last night when ever I laid down for bed I had a coughing fit so slept in my recliner on and off. 1 of my up times I checked on the Ebay order of the clock for the truck. Said it was in the mail box so at 3am out I go and sure enough there it was. Have not opened it yet but when I go to install being I will have the dash some what apart I want to look into under dash lighting and see about installing something as I have no light inside the cab at all. Between the transmission and the clock / dash lights the project is not done yet Dave ----

You talking of this brace that runs along side the cab mount on back? Dave ----

You can also check with https://easyperformance.com/ As they make custom LED tail lights. Over on the AMC forum I am on they are trying to get 10+ people to do a group buy as that knocks the price down. For the AMC LED tail light kit they are also $250 to $300. Might be able to find something here that will work. https://www.mustangproject.com/ I have 1 of their early kits for my Javelin tail lights sitting in a box on the shelf along with head lights from some where else that has LED's for park / turn as I an going to install driving lights in the bumper where the factory lights were. Now for us Flare Side guys we can get Grote LED light assy. but may have a cheaper way for LED tail lights. IIRC there is a RV trailer light that is about the same shape & size that you might be able to pull apart to remove the LED board and parts. If you cant save the part that fits into the light socket and can get an old bulb and attach the wires to and put it into the light housing socket. Use hot glue to hold the LED board to the housing and you now have LED tail lights. They will not do the fancy blinking but should be brighter. Dave ----

I would have to guess that your truck has dealer installed AC as factory AC truck AFAIK only had 1 blower motor and it was in the engine bay on the HVAC box. Dave ----

:nabble_head-rotfl-57x22_orig:I am happy right where I am, I can be home each night in my own bed and why I drive a day cab truck DOT says you can only drive for 11 hours in a 14 hour day with a 30 min. break with in the first 8 hours. You also have to be off 10 hours before you can start driving again. This is what I have been pulling for a few months now. if not that then this, was taken at my house. That is my old truck 2012 KW I have the same model KW a 2019 in red. Dave ----

This was from 4 years ago so its a little foggy I forget what that inner black part was called? There was also a weather strip lip between the rocker & floor pan. IIRC you could get the rocker with or with out the lip or something like that. What I remember their site is pretty good to describe the panels and from the pictures you can figure what all you need. My first order some of the panels over lapped a lot and they called me to tell me so, loosing the sale of that panel but sent a flat sheet to use as a filler if needed, that I did not need. I say first order as I had to order the weather strip lips and a 2nd cab corner as I cut 1 of them on the wrong line I marked Between the patches fitting good, thick metal for welding and them calling to save me money / loosing part of a sale, I would not think twice of using them again. Dave ----