Rembrant

This is a neat little Bullnose, very well intact except for the saggy headliner. Interesting colors, too. Clear signals, sliding door locks, all in nice condition. Kept inside I'd imagine. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1280233649105919/?ref=search&referral_code=marketplace_search&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A05fa0137-d0f9-4a03-9bda-d1ad3cb2974a

Don't you dare send me any money! They were donated to science! If you sell them, just donate the money to a good cause David, or put it in the basket at church!.

Nice little truck. Don't see many one owner all originals anymore. https://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/cto/d/santa-monica-1985-ford-f150-59k-miles/7418184380.html

I think there were a lot of regional differences, especially in things like that. A friend of mine was a mechanic at a Ford dealer in the late 70's, and he said he spent a lot of time installing radios in radio delete trucks. Things nobody even thinks of today;)

That was a great thread Scott! There were at least four different styles of passenger side vents in the aftermarket AC systems? Some of those must be really rare. After many years and looking at thousands of pictures and threads on Bullnoses, I've still never seen some of those vents again, ever.

I've installed new Spectra tanks and Spectra sending units in two Bullnoses, and they seemed decent. I know Spectra is headquartered in Canada, but I don't know if they still actually make the tanks here or not. The one I bought in 2018 had a Made In Canada sticker on it.

The Flareside bed bolts have Phillips heads, but you still need two people if one has to hold the head...and I never have two people...lol. I used 1/2" Stainless carriage bolts on the second bed, and there was no way to hold them either, because the holes weren't square. It has been my experience that when you're using shiny new bolts, you almost don't even need to hold the heads from rotating...once there is a little pressure on them, they won't turn anyway. I did have a couple tricky ones that would still spin a bit, but I usually used bolts that were at least an inch longer than they needed to be, so I could always hold them by the threaded end once the nut was threaded far enough. Worst case scenario you can put a couple strips of rubber in your Vise Grip jaws and clamp on the threads. I've done that many times. HTH.

I like it. 2 thumbs up.

Hey Lima, I happened to come across a couple 351w intakes today while searching for a 302 intake. One in Ontario, and one in Quebec. A little far for shipping maybe, I don't know, but figured I'd share 'em up. One used, and one new, but both the same asking price. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/411688290547032/?ref=search&referral_code=marketplace_search&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A17092099-7a06-4ff5-8f8e-6bd86edd53fc https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/250738730363479/?ref=search&referral_code=marketplace_search&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A17092099-7a06-4ff5-8f8e-6bd86edd53fc

Yes, Ron has one up front, and I think it was his truck that inspired me to hunt all over the planet for one as well!

Would you believe that I just gave away one of these plates??>..lol. Well, sort of. These plates are getting really hard to find, and I had looked for one for 3-4 years straight with no luck. I happened to be scanning the online classifieds coast to coast one day, and I came across this ad on the west coast of a guy trying to sell an Econoline grill (as a Bullnose grill) and he was going to throw in one of these Ford plates that he said had been hanging on the wall in his garage for decades. A few emails later, I ended up buying the plate and he mailed it across the country to me...3500+ miles. I had it proudly displayed on the front of my '84. The province did away with our front plate requirement 20+ years ago, so we can put whatever we want up front. The day I listed my '84 for sale, a friend of mine...also a hardcore Ford guy, even more so than me, messaged me and asked if he could buy the plate. I had no plans of letting it go with the truck, but other than that, it was probably going to hang on the wall in my garage until somebody wanted one. Anyway, months later, I finally ended up dropping the plate off to him just last week. This is always the way. Somebody else one here has one on the front...I think Reamer?? So good luck in your hunt John. I think they look very cool, but they are getting hard to find. PS: Good trivia question for the guys that are old enough to remember is, what era/years are these plates from? My friend and I were just discussing this last week, and we kinda figured that they were late 70's to the late 80's? Does that sound right?

Hey Weberman, Sorry for the late reply. Things have been a bit hectic lately. The goal with this engine is really just a stock rebuild...and by rebuild, I really just mean re-gasket, re-ring, clean-up, and re-seal. I'll be installing a Edelbrock intake and a small 500CFM 4bbl carb, and a new dual direction timing cover with fuel pump mount. I specifically wanted a 1994-1996 5.0 engine as it was the best one that was ever used in the F-Series. Not that it changed much over the previous roller block versions, but it did have the larger base circle F4 cam with the 351/HO firing order. I may try bolt on EFI later on when the budget allows, but for 2022 I'm just trying to get it back on the road again as a driver. I've tossed the idea around to swap in a different cam, but I'm trying to keep the spending to a minimum on this one, and the overall swap still requires lots and lots of parts. I'm always kickin' myself for not going with a roller block 351w...my friend Chris has one still in a 1997 F350 with a bad frame, and now after 3 projects I still kinda kick myself for not using it, so I guess I'm just a sucker for the 302...lol. Picked up my freshened up E7 cylinder heads today. Surface skim, valves done, new expansion plugs, and new Viton valve seals. Tech said the valve guides were all good. He said that the later Ford heads must have head better guides as they seem to last much longer than the older ones did? No idea. They were able to remove the one broken intake manifold bolt, but the broken exhaust manifold stud had to be machined and Helicoiled. I tried welding a nut to the broken stud and couldn't get it to budge, so I don't feel so bad knowing they couldn't get it out either. Will get the rest of the short block disassembled this weekend so I can drop it off next week. Things are starting to come together, slowly but surely.

Hey Weberman, Sorry for the late reply. Things have been a bit hectic lately. The goal with this engine is really just a stock rebuild...and by rebuild, I really just mean re-gasket, re-ring, clean-up, and re-seal. I'll be installing a Edelbrock intake and a small 500CFM 4bbl carb, and a new dual direction timing cover with fuel pump mount. I specifically wanted a 1994-1996 5.0 engine as it was the best one that was ever used in the F-Series. Not that it changed much over the previous roller block versions, but it did have the larger base circle F4 cam with the 351/HO firing order. I may try bolt on EFI later on when the budget allows, but for 2022 I'm just trying to get it back on the road again as a driver. I've tossed the idea around to swap in a different cam, but I'm trying to keep the spending to a minimum on this one, and the overall swap still requires lots and lots of parts. I'm always kickin' myself for not going with a roller block 351w...my friend Chris has one still in a 1997 F350 with a bad frame, and now after 3 projects I still kinda kick myself for not using it, so I guess I'm just a sucker for the 302...lol.

Cool truck, and I love the topper(?)...we call them "Caps" around here, but I know they have a lot of different names depending on who you're talking to. Cap, topper, camper shell, etc.

Hey...HEY!, Whoa... What is it you always say Gary, I resemble that remark...lol.

Cool! So you tightened the lower joint in first, and then the upper joint? That upper joint is a bit wonky due to the alignment bushing(s). It can be tightened in the wrong position, which sits too low, as you found out. If you tighten the lower joint first, then it more or less dictates the position of the upper joint. Glad you got it sorted. Well done man!

Rusty, I wish you all the luck in the world, but I have a hard time imagining a 302 running 3000 RPM with a C6 and 31" tires hitting 24 mpg. Even if you consider the 1987-1996 trucks, with speed density or later on MAF, with 5spd's and 3.08 gears, most of those trucks could barely even hit 20mpg on the highway. They surely wouldn't do in 4th gear at 1:1 ratio like a C6. I can see the Holley Sniper being better technology...sort of...but it's still throttle body EFI, and not multiport EFI. To throw my old truck into the MPG mix for the OP, it was an '84 2wd Flareside with a mild built 302, a 1991 M5OD 5spd trans, and original 3.08 rear diff. No AC, and no other options really. Truck weighed 3500 lbs. I drove it on the highway quite a bit, and the best I ever got with it was around 18.5mpg...maybe it kissed 19mpg one time, but I'm not sure...my memory is getting fuzzy. That was at around 2000 RPM in OD, running between 60-65 mph. My AFR was usually a little over 14:1 when I was cruising easily. I did try some highway trips at faster speeds and higher RPM's, and depending on the day it never really hurt my mpg too much...sometimes 1 or 2mpg less, but I think the wind drag negated any efficiency I might have gained with the higher RPM's. I never did try running the truck up in the 2500-3000 RPM range in 4th gear on the highway to see if the MPG would improve. Maybe that's the answer to getting better mileage...higher RPM's and lower gears...I've never thought to try it.

The XLS trucks seem like they should be worth more money to me...but they don't seem to bring it in. Some of the Bullnose trucks that have gone for major bucks were very unlikely to me, but they were super low mileage. The XLS is pretty rare...so much so that I don't think most enthusiasts even know what they are...and I mean Ford people. I would LOVE to have this truck personally. It's gorgeous, and decent original XLS trucks are really rare these days.

I put a 1980 Flareside body with a 300 inline 6 on a 1995 4x4 Chassis with 3.55 diffs. I also used the M5OD 5spd that was in the 1995 chassis, and I actually really liked that combo. Carbed 300 with a 5spd and 3.55's. I was running 31" tires on that truck, but even still, first gear was pretty low and it cruised nicely on the hwy with the OD. When the 9" rearend was still being used, gear ratios were all over the place, but by the time the 8.8 became the standard diff in the half tons, they almost all had 3.08's or 3.55's. You'll see a lot of 4spd's with 3.08's, and anything with OD using 3.55's. That went right up until 1996. In any case, I really liked the combination of the 300 with the 5spd and 3.55 gears. I didn't keep the truck long after I finished it, but it was nice to drive.

That engine looks great! Well done.

Ford started welding that bracket to the frame in 1992. That part of the frame became a crumple zone, so the surface was no longer flat. The 1992-up brackets have special bends to match up with the wave of the crumple zone. The oval hole sure is odd though, and both from Broncos... They usually rust out around here...when you take anything apart, there's usually a BIG round hole...the same OD as the rubber bushing LOL.

I like this truck! Subscribed.

Looks like somebody else found those brackets on a Bullnose Bronco before, and factory installed too (riveted on). So weird. https://www.fullsizebronco.com/threads/radiator-core-support-and-body-bushings.183411/

Hey Jonathan, I saw this rig on Facebook the other day as well, and the first that I noticed also was the black missing from around the door windows. I noticed it immediately because one thing I really like about the XLS's is that black mask around those windows!! Other than that, this thing is a beauty. I love it. My only comments... 87 pictures and not a single pic of inside the bed???...lol. The dual exhaust stands out as not original, but it looks great. There's something up with the cluster. The speedo needle is nice and fresh looking and the others are all faded almost white. My first thought was that the speedo was changed, but it's possible the speedo is original and the others were swapped. Trucks with these pristine interiors don't usually have faded cluster needles. I would imagine that this truck has been stored inside. The cluster could have been changed for various reasons. Regardless, it's gorgeous, and a fantastic find. I pray that a true enthusiast buys it and doesn't chop it all up.

A 1995 would definitely be a roller block. I think the 351 was from 1994-up. My friend Chris has one for parts…a 1997 single wheel F350 4x4 with 351 and E4OD. It was a late built ‘97, but still the old Aeronose body. I thought about using that engine, but I am drawn to the 5.0 for some reason. A roller 351w is the best small block ever in my opinion. That would have been a sweet truck. No wonder it sold quickly. Minor update: I finally got my little roller block 5.0 stripped down to the short block, and took the heads in to the local engine shop. There are two bolts snapped off in the driver's side cylinder head...one a 5/16" intake manifold bolt, and one a 3/8" exhaust manifold bolt. Not sure how big a deal they are to remove, but they're going to call with a quote to refresh both heads...and he said they likely have a good spare head in-stock anyway. No sense spending too much extracting bolts from an E7TE cylinder head...they're barely worth $50 each, and sometimes $50 per pair. Anyway, stay tuned for that, I guess. Good news on the cylinder bores. Almost no ring ridge...likely next to nothing at all. I measured them for ID, and out of round, and they look great. Haven't checked for taper yet as the pistons/crank are still in there, but the cylinders are reading between 4.00", and 4.002", with the majority of them between 4.001" and 4.0015". These numbers are not 100% accurate as the the 4th digit on the caliper I was using only moves in increments of 0.0005". However, even if I'm off by a half a thou, or even a full 0.001", the cylinders appear to be well with the wear tolerances of 4.004", and 4.0052", and well within the out of round spec of 0.005". So that's good, assuming the taper is OK. According to the engine shop, they tell me that many of the 302/5.0 blocks were as big as 4.002" when they were new anyway. The crosshatch pattern IS is clearly visible, but the engine shop that rebuilt my last 302 told me that that didn't matter. I dunno. The only catch with this local shop is that they tell me they don't "rebuild" engines much anymore. They do machine work. So, they'll clean-up and machine my block for me, but I'll be on my own for assembly. The decks need to be skimmed...there's a big ridge of rust along the exhaust side, and that really should be done. Hopefully the crank is OK and doesn't need machining. The cam and lifters look great, and I guess the good news is that everybody is telling me to re-use them. I'm not really used to that coming from the flat tappet world...lol. Interesting (to me) that this 1996 5.0 engine has factory flat top pistons in it...same as my 1984 302. There's a huge difference in chamber size between the old E8 heads and the 90's E7's, so this engine should have been 9:1 compression for sure, maybe even 9.1:1. I thought all of these 302's with the E7 heads had the deep dished pistons, but maybe that changed later on. I always wondered about the 9:1+ compression claims in the 90's, but maybe it was true on these 1994-up 5.0's with the F4TZ cam. More to come once I hear from the engine shop... And I'm not sure how I feel about rebuilding the engine myself, but I guess I might as well learn...lol.