Rembrant

The only odd part is that the chart says 83/up and the truck in question is an 81. Mistake in the documentation? Likely...lol. In any case, that 4 is a new one on me. I've seen the 2 before, but not the 4.

Gary, it's up closer to the top on the axle ratios page...but it says it refers to the front axle? I know 2 and 3 are front axle, but this being a 2wd truck...

By the way, those shift collars were notorious for breaking, so it is possible somebody broke that thing off after the shifter got stuck at some point...lol. It happens. PS: If you replace that column...you might be able to sell the old one FYI. If it is the original 3-on-the-tree column there are some parts in there that people will buy. I sold a bunch of column parts for around $80 to a guy in NJ. Just an FYI is all...in case you go to throw it away, there are people out there that will pay for some of these obsolete parts.

If you look along the bottom of your certification label pictured above, you will see that there is a "C" under "Trans". This tells us that the truck originally had a column shift 3spd (three-on-the-tree). This was the only way the 3spd came, but the column shifters got sloppy when they wore, and parts have been obsolete for them since the 90's. It used to be a somewhat common mod to buy an aftermarket floor shifter conversion (Hurst made them, and I forget which others...there were a couple of them). Under axle you see the "174"...I hadn't come across a 3 digit axle code before, but if I'm reading Gary's supplied charts correctly, the 17 indicates a 2.47 open rear diff, and the 4 after it indicates "Power Brake Delete". Interesting stuff. I'm guessing this truck was a bare bones stripper with little to no options....maybe a radio, but not much else.

Have you guys seen this little Bronco 2 with the classic Bronco nose on it??... https://lmctrucklife.com/2019/05/1986-ford-bronco-ii-custom-timothy-m/ Where's Pete? Wasn't he doing something like this with his Ranger?

Yes sir, your truck is a factory 3spd model. It was a 3-on-the-tree column shift and somebody converted it to a floor shifter at some point in it's life. Factory 195/75/15 tires too...tiny...and a 2.47 rear diff, and manual brakes, yes? This thing would have needed a 2.47 rear diff with 195 tires or it would have been a screamer on the highway.

Bought both from LMC Dave, but the channel rubbers are not the same as the originals, so I chucked 'em in the spare parts bin. My originals channel rubber bumpers are still fine actually, but I was ordering a bunch of stuff and figured I'd order new ones. Too bad they weren't the same. The rubber bumpers for the handles are from LMC and they worked great. I had cut the old ones off before having the chains and handles sand blasted. Bit of hit and miss with LMC unfortunately. Most stuff seems to fit OK, but once in a while you get some dud parts.

I have a newer set of Ford 8mm wires, and I basically routed them in the stock location(s). This may not be possible for you, but I'm currently still running stock valve covers and I have the valve cover bolts with the little posts on them for the plug wire retainers. If you still have these valve cover bolts but the clips are all broken (like mine were), Dorman makes a decent replacement clip for only a couple bucks each. Below is the best picture I have access to at the moment, but you can see how the wires are routed in front of the valve covers. There is another style of factory valve covers that have little tabs on top of the covers for plug wire retainer clips...I'm sure sure what engines had them though.

Got the tailgate test fitted this morning and it fits like a glove! I'm so stoked about this! With fabricated stake pockets and having to make all new mounting points for the hinges, chains and latches, etc I was a little worried it might not line up 100%. I had to spend some time massaging the mounting faces of the hinges to get them to work right. Not only does it line up properly, it's better than it was before. Both latches are nice and even with the tail gate and they both snap into place and up against the rubber bumpers like they're supposed to, nice and tight. You can see how they're nice and even with the top line of the tailgate below: Now, I have to pull it all apart again and prime and paint the hinges again.

Ray, I don't have it yet, no. Sorry. I hope to have it soon as I need to get some touch up paint and I'll need the code.

That Flareside bed looks to be in nice rust-free condition. That's an extremely rare sight in the north.

Yes sir, I certainly will. Part of me likes the look of the plain rear glass, but it is like a magnifying glass on the back of your head/neck/shoulders in the sun. A sliding rear window will be a welcome addition. Speaking of the fitment...I noticed that even my plain back glass doesn't fit those lower left and right corners 100%. You can't see it at a glance, but if you look close you can see that they don't fill the corners perfectly. I assumed it was the original glass, but maybe it isn't.

Pretty laid back bunch here with a "live and let live" attitude. There are a lot of Bullnoses being dragged out of fields and barns these days to be lovingly repaired, and they usually need A LOT of work. I don't mind admitting that I'm one of those guys that paid way too much for a truck that needed way too much work, so I'd have a hard time giving anybody else a hard time...lol. And besides, trucks being "ugly" is trendy these days...lol, so that shouldn't be an issue either.

Thanks gentlemen, I'm going to make a few more calls tomorrow and see what I can find out from the local glass shops. With no AC, I at least have to have a working rear window.

Dave, The shop that is doing the paint work for me wanted to paint them separately, so they currently have the original fenders and the steps. Everything else is here with me. I'm going to finish assembling the box at home and then take it back off the frame so that they can paint the cab.

Finally, after sanding and varnishing all week, I have the wood floor all bolted down and locked in place. It looks alright for a plywood floor imho. I understand that it is not for everybody, but that is the beauty of these old Flaresides...we can finish the floors to our own tastes. I put three coats of Spar Varnish on each side, and somewhere between 5-6 coats on the edges and on the 10 wooden mounting blocks. All I need now is the 8 mounting bolts which are sitting in Maine waiting for me to pick them up next week. Next up will be fitting and installing the tailgate and chains, rear bumper, and then back on to filling and bleeding brakes, etc. I'll soon be ready to turn the key in the old Mule. The way my schedule is going, I'll have it ready for the road right around the time I have to put it away for the winter...lol. Oh well. Patience is a virtue. And, since it has been a while...I have to show some before pics of the bed...

Gentlemen, If all goes well my truck will be going for paint sometime in the next several weeks...maybe months, and one thing I really need to do is install a sliding rear window...preferably a tinted one I guess, to keep the sun from burning the back of my neck...lol. Anyway, I've read on here where a couple of you have had fitment issues with the aftermarket windows, and I wanted to ask if anybody had any recommendations on windows that are known to fit correctly right out of the box? I stopped at a glass shop yesterday, and after a quick search the guy said that there were no "OEM fit" windows in-stock in the entire country (That country being Canada, and stuff not being in-stock is not unusual). He said an aftermarket SRW was available overnight (in-stock a 150 miles away) but he could not tell me what brand it was. I see CR Lawrence lists an OEM fit window that comes with the rubber seal already installed. Does anybody know if that window fits properly? It seems like some of the fitment issues have come with buying the window and gasket/seals separately? http://www.crlaurence.ca/crlapps/showline/offerpage.aspx?ProductID=23607&GroupID=12146&History=30587:21770:1336&ModelID=12146&pom=0

There should be a certification label on the cab close to the door striker on the driver's side. That will have the VIN and other details showing what the truck was equipped with originally. Or a picture of the shifter stick and/or the shifter knob, and we can tell what transmission it is. The floor shift trucks were all 4spds...that came in a few different configurations...with a very low first and a 1:1 4th, OR with an overdrive, etc.

Welcome aboard. Fellow Canuck here (Maritimes). You'll like it here. Great bunch of guys.

Steve, I have no problem LOLing at myself. The park brake cables are from CarQuest...it's one of our local auto parts shops. It's a Canadian dealer only found in the eastern half of the country...or there abouts. Owned by Advance Auto in the USA, I think... The rear brakes are already all reassembled now. I just have to connect the two rear cables to the single front cable, and I'll basically be ready for new brake fluid. Everything is new...calipers, pads, all new hard lines, flex lines, master, booster, etc. With only about 35,000 original miles on the truck, the rotors and drums were fine to re-use with a little clean up, NDB. The truck is just an occasional weekender that might see 3000 miles per year, and definitely no mud, and likely not much rain...not intentionally at least. Thanks for the help gentlemen, JUst have to adjust the rear cables now, fill the system with fluid and bleed.

While we're on the topic of drum brakes here. I also at the same time installed new park-brake cables. They're different brands left and right, but holy heck they're loose and sloppy in the backing plate holes. Both of them, the RH side a little worse than the left. Is this just another ill fitting aftermarket part? I'm sure they'll work fine, but I had to bend the tabs out a little further and add a washer to the passenger side cable. This normal too? Btw...I haven't worked on drum brakes in 20+ years in case you haven't noticed...lol.

Good point. I figured the regular two sided tape stuff would be better since it is easier to remove in case he doesn't like it. He's going through some test phases here. However, I am a big fan of silicone...that will most definitely adhere the best, but it will also be the worse to remove if he doesn't like it;).

Greetings Fred, Good advice above. At this point in their lives, most Bullnose trucks are perpetual projects. They're always going to need something. Get the absolute basics first so that you can prove that the rest of it is worth the trouble. If you have rust issues, look over the frame closely especially under the bed and around the rear shock mounts. Check the cab floor, also around the mounts. So what is the transmission exactly? a 3spd with a low, or a 3spd with an OD, or an actual 3spd that was converted to floor shift?

I'd fill them with a two part epoxy, like JB Weld or Kwiksteel, etc...there are a half a dozen different brands. JB Weld is likely the cheapest and easiest to mix and fill the voids with imho. Then stick 'em on with 3M double sided tape, etc...

Dave, I spent a lot of time thinking about how to assemble this bed with regards to what to paint and when. I had originally planned to try some painting myself, which I would have had to do in the shop at my work, but due to a large project we took on I had to vacate all my junk as all the free space disappeared...lol. The main thing I wanted to do was to have every single square inch of the bed panels painted. I mean everything...there had to be zero exposed steel anywhere...inside or out. Because I did it this way, which means I had to assemble the bed after it was painted, there was no easy way for me to paint the bolts. I used stainless bolts between the head board and the side panels, and the front and rear sills as well...and I thought the bed was going to look too blingy with too many stainless bolts, but you can barely notice them anyway. Oh well...simple mind, simple pleasures...lol.