Rembrant

Beautiful truck. I love the white with blue interior. I'm always surprised when I see one like this that's fully loaded but with no sliding rear window. I guess the factory AC makes a big difference. Around here, where probably 90% of the trucks did not have AC in that era, a sliding rear window was almost a requirement...

Dave, The flat head has an Offenshauser intake on it, which I believe is a 4bbl intake. There is an adapter plate on it that serves two purposes...one is to adapt the 4bbl intake to a 2bbl carb, but the plate also has a pivot mount on it for the throttle linkage, since the factory throttle linkage is on the passenger side of the carb. There's a whole linkage/lever system that transfers it to the driver's side.

Well, where to start??...LOL. I've had some time to go over the truck and figure a few things out with regards to the direction I'm going to take. Power brakes with a front disk kit is pretty high on the list, as is power steering. There's bolt-on kits for all of this stuff, so they're relatively straight forward. Swapping on front disks will be easy enough, but installing a power master cylinder under the cab will be a bit of a pain in the butt. I see there are remote reservoirs available, so that might help the situation a bit. I've determined that the 5spd trans is a BW T5 from a 2wd 1987 Chevy S-10. That's nice to know for several reasons, but mainly so I can order input and output seals for it. It needs a throw-out bearing (it's noisy when clutch is pressed) and finding out what's in there might be a bit tricky. This 5spd swap was done before there were all kinds of simple swap kits available, so I don't know what's in there until I pull it. From what I've been reading it seems likely that the pressure plate and everything is 1952 Ford, and all they did was swap in a 10" S-10 clutch disk (to match the input splines of the T5). So the throw-out bearing should be correct to the truck, but I honestly have no idea until I get in there. I'm pretty sure a complete rewire is required, which shouldn't be all that bad on a truck of this vintage. A 12v conversion was done, but it was rough...there's loose wires everywhere, and open ends hanging out, etc. This stuff really bother's me because I've seen a lot of old vehicles catch fire the past number of years. This is fairly high on my winter project list. The engine still has an original Load-O-Matic points distributor, so that is going to get converted to something more modern. I'm learning about the old flat head Ford engines pretty quickly. I find them fascinating. I didn't realize until I bought this thing that the engine cooling system(s) are isolated left and right...so two water pumps, two thermostats, and two inlets and outlets in the rad, etc. The first thing that came to mind was how did the truck's dash only have one coolant temp gauge?? From my reading it looks like only one cylinder head had a temp sensor, while the other just had a temp switch. So you were always only monitoring the temp on a one side, and the other side was either OK, or not OK...lol. I assume if the side with just the switch overheated then it would peg the gauge full hot. Driver's side has a loose king pin, and the passenger side has a loose wheel bearing that won't tighten up, so I see some front end work over the winter. The carb is a Holley 2300 2bbl (350 CFM) with manual choke. This thing starts, runs, and idles very well. It has an interesting mechanical linkage for the throttle, but it seems to work OK, so I won't fuss with it too much. I'm going to try and do a bit of a health check on the old flat head asap...compression test, and check oil pressure, and go from there. The engine runs very nicely, and doesn't smoke so I'm hoping it's all just fine. I'd very much like to leave it in there and not swap in a SBF/302, etc. So for winter 2021/22, I'd like to do power disk brake swap, power steering, complete re-wire with new gauges and ignition, and a whole bunch of maintenance work from king pins to, wheel bearings and u-joints, etc. Peeling the layers of a 70 year old onion, eh Gary??...lol. So far the old thing is a hoot to drive, and it's getting lots of love out on the streets.

Cool project! I like it. There are several guys that show up at our local weekly classic car nights in old stake body medium duty trucks. They are super cool and they always sound so good going through the gears.

Great pictures! It looked like it was HOT lol.

Hey Guys, Thought I'd post up some pics of the new project truck. Not a Bullnose obviously, but I figured that most gearheads like me can appreciate many other trucks and projects just the same. I took it for a drive a few days ago and just made a deal on it today. I know the truck doesn't look like a project per se, but I'll explain what I mean about that in a minute. First off, it's a 1951 Mercury M1, and the word of mouth history on it is that it's a local truck, sold new here about an hour away. It has had some modifications. It has a 5spd in it out of I don't know what, and a 4bbl intake with 2bbl and an adapter plate on it. It has also been converted to 12v, and has full dual exhaust. Other than those things and the wheels, it appears to be mostly all stock and original. It was originally a 3 on the tree. I don't have any plans for huge modifications as I like them to look mostly original, but the "project" part of this truck will be adding power steering and power disk brakes, and whatever other creature comforts I can add to make it more pleasurable to drive. I'll be changing the wheels and tires also. As charming as the original manual steering and brakes are, to me they are downright dangerous, at least on the types of roads we have around here. Anyway, here are a few pictures of her. I'll share some more details after I get it home and spend some time with it.

I have nothing to say other than this is a great update!

The Crown Vic swap has been done on a Bullnose, but you have to basically drop the truck to the ground and tuck the wheels. The ones I've seen are driving around with no inner fender liners because the wheels are tucked in there so far. It's not my thing at all, but dropping them to the ground is all the craze these days. I'm more of a stock ride height guy...I don't even like the levelling kits that everybody installs, but again, to each their own. We can't all like the same things. The suspension is one thing...and it doesn't bother me at all in the Bullnose, it's the steering that gets on everybody's nerves. If somebody made a kit to install a nice rack and pinion steering system on a Bullnose, I would have done that years ago.

Hey Guys, I'm cleaning out more Bullnose parts from my garage, and I have a small collection of bezels kicking around. I figured I'd post them up here in case any of you happen to be looking for one of these specifically. I will be cross posting them locally, so they can disappear at any time. And, I'm in Canada so shipping is not exactly cheap either, but I'd do what I can to ship as cheaply as possible. I have a 1984 Grey Weave radio delete bezel, in very nice condition. $50 There's a 1983 Black weave plain radio bezel in good condition. $40 There's a 1980-1981 black weave Custom bezel. Has some nicks and scuffs, but no cracks. $40. There's a 1985 Burlwood XL bezel. It's faded a bit, like they all are. $30. Shipping will likely be $30 US. Anyway, if there's no interest, then no big deal. I'm listing them locally as well. If you're interested in any one of them, shoot me a message.

Gotcha! It'll be on the way shortly!

Hey folks, Does anybody need one of these oval firewall plugs? They were in the later (1983-up?) trucks like my 1984, with factory DSII ignition and non-feedback carb. It's just a spare I grabbed one time, but I do recall seeing people looking for them previously to fill the firewall hole after doing a DSII swap/feedback carb removal. If you need one, shoot me a message with your address and I'll stick it in the mail. Cheers, Rembrant

Nasty! That hurt to watch for me.

Haha, well guys I probably surprised everybody except me and my wife LOL. This is fairly standard operating procedure for me. I will live and breathe a project for every waking hour and then I will eventually get bored and move on to something else. I loved my little Bullnose, but the chances of me keeping it forever were pretty slim. Truth is, the past few months I was struggling to find ways to keep myself interested in it enough to keep it, and it just wasn't working. Selling prices are high around here right now, and I felt it was a good time. My interests have changed a little bit, and in order to keep the '84 Flareside, I was going to have to make a whole bunch of changes to it, and while I do have a fairly high tolerance for blowing money on car/truck stuff LOL...I just didn't feel like disassembling that truck, and pouring thousands more into it...knowing full well that I'd probably get bored with it later anyway. I love the old car/truck hobby as a whole, so I'm not going anywhere...not yet at least. I also love hanging out on this forum with you guys as well, so I'll still be here doing my thing. I have an urge to do a 1948-1952 Ford truck restomod...or semi-restomod, so I'll see where this takes me. Maybe I'll end up with something entirely different, who knows, but that's where my head is today. It's funny though...I go to a lot of car shows and meet N greets, and there's more old 50's Ford trucks around then there are Bullnoses, so I guess I might lose some of the uniqueness I had as the only guy showing up with a shiny Bullnose Flareside. Oh well. Gary, I did tell the new owner about the forum, but I don't think you'll see him or see much of him. He's a younger guy (late 30's) that runs a busy business and has a couple small kids, etc. I asked him if he would be taking the truck to shows and cruise-ins, and he said not likely. He just doesn't have time. He wanted it for a turn-key toy that he didn't have to touch other than to put gas in it and go. He lives about an hour away, so if I do see him or the truck I'll let you guys know. PS: I'll be picking through all of my Bullnose spare parts starting today, and I might post a few things up on here to see if any of you guys want or need anything. The shipping will make just about everything cost prohibitive to ship to the USA, but maybe some of the bezels and stuff I have might be of interest.

Good morning gentlemen, You might be a little bit surprised, but I sold my '84 Bullnose. So, in the period of a couple months I've sold both Flaresides...garage is empty. Anyway, this is what I do. I was looking for things to do to the old truck to keep me interested, but it just wasn't working. As you know, I ordered a new Summit carburetor that I was anxious to try out, and there was a two week delay on it. After two weeks, it said another week...then a day later it said end of October, so I cancelled it. So I listed the little Bullnose for a high price ($22k obo) and it sold in a little over a week. I didn't get the full 22k for it, but I still still pretty darn good imho. I've been more or less looking for my next "thing" for a year...not really sure what it would be. I love 80's stuff, but outside of the 1980-1986 Ford trucks, there's just not much that I wanted from that era. I'd love a Foxbody Mustang, but I didn't want one badly enough for it to be my only hotrod. Also, my interests have changed (for various reasons) and I can't really take on a big project right now...and I don't really want to. About a month ago, at one of our local weekly car meets I got to sit in a 1949 Ford pickup, and I really liked it. So I've been looking for something that is finished, or almost finished that I can do a little work to. I've settled on the 1948-1952 Ford pickups, and surprisingly there are lots of them around. (I found about 15-20 of them for sale across the country). I was getting ready to do some traveling, and I ended up finding a 1951 Mercury pickup about an hour and a half away, and I going to go see it in a couple days when the owner gets back home. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_M_series So anyway, I guess that's the end of me and the Bullnoses, at least for now. I'll still be hanging around here if you guys will have me;). My internet usage has been reduced recently with the start of a new job...well, the same job but with new owners, so I won't be around as much anyway. Even though I no longer have a Bullnose, I can still offer some help with the things that I have experience with.

I know a couple people that have the Model 3's, but I haven't driven in one yet. They're really popular where I live. I see dozens of them every day. We even have a local used car dealer that only sells electric vehicles. My coworker just bought one, and after all the rebates, he said it still cost about 40 grand CDN. They're likely much cheaper in the US. I think they're great if you only commute to work and don't have to drive too terribly far.

The measuring guide picture I posted didn't come from the FSM, it was just something I grabbed from Google after doing a search on the L code spring part number. The FSM's are fairly well detailed for decoding certification labels and VIN's...for whatever reason...who knows. I only have 1984 and 1985, so I can't comment on the other years.

Hey Ken, I took a look in the 1985 FSM and there was a code L for rear springs in there: Looks like somebody may have swapped in some heavier springs at some point? H9 axle code too I see, factory 3.55 limited slip. Cool. Don't see the factory limited slips all that often.

I just installed a set of these on my ‘84 a couple hours ago and I love them! I removed a set of Monroe Gas Magnums that I didn’t think were worn out, but the roads are rough around here and I wanted to try something different. Really happy with the KYB’s! Much smoother ride, but still no wallowing or anything. Just my 2 cents.

Oh ya, I know where the factory coil locations are (at least 3 that I know of on the 302), but I can't use any of them with the Summit carb and serpentine belt system. Haha, Rick if only we understood what motivates other people to do things, eh? The world would be a simpler place. I don't get why people lower trucks so that the frame almost sits on the ground. I don't get things like 20" wheels either, but people do it all the time. Unfortunately, I'm just not the type of guy that can just have a shiny truck as a hobby. I enjoy building, rebuilding, upgrading and updating, etc. That's my hobby. I wish I was content to just drive the truck and wax and polish it, seriously...I really do wish I was that guy. I need to fidget with stuff, and wrench on stuff. My original 1G 40amp alternator works great! However, it is 37 years old and it will fail one of these days. I figured, along with some other things, that I might do the 3G upgrade and swap in a serpentine system at the same time to modernize things a bit. There's a big difference in availability where I live compared to you guys in the states. You can probably get a 1G alternator at your local parts store, or at the very worst get one overnight for free shipping. Most items like this are not available locally for me, and I have no choice but to order from the US, and for probably $35 shipping I can get that 1G alternator in a 7 to 10 days, or I can pay $115 in air freight and get it in 3 days. Anyway, I do love my little truck, but when it comes to modifications and whatnot, none of really has to make any sense....lol. I see classics at shows and our weekly meets all the time where the owners have invested twice as much money as the vehicle is worth, and that doesn't make any sense either, but it happens all the time;).

If you're talking about the plug/pigtail for the windshield washer pump, LMC sells it. I have had one on my '84 for a couple years now. (I believe RockAuto has them as well in the electrical-connector section).

Yeah, the GT40 heads were used on the first gen Lightnings with 351's, the Mustang Cobras, and the very early Exlporer's with 5.0's (that's where mine came from), before they switched to the GT40P heads. I hear people say that the GT40P heads are the best SBF heads Ford ever made, but because of those funky spark plug angles, they're a pain to use/install. They're also much smaller CC's, like the E7's. I love my little 302 and have no regrets building it how I did. It works pretty darn good for what it is, and routinely returns 18mpg. I get lots of compliments on how it sounds. However, like everything else, I have had my fill of it, and I'm wanting something a little milder now, so I'm thinking about building a mild-almost-stock roller block for it, with a focus on having it run as smoothly as possible (like stock). Have everything balanced, even the pressure plate and flywheel, etc. Along with that I would probably install some quieter mufflers as well as soundproof the cab a little better. I love the mild idle and hotrod feel/sound of the engine, and like I said, people love it, but I drive the truck A LOT. Last wekend I put 300 miles on it. The weekend before, 200 miles. Going across town to the local weekly car meet is one thing, but actually traveling with the truck is a whole other experience. So the plan for this winter (tentatively) is to make the truck nicer to drive (smoother, quieter, etc). I've thought about re-gearing, quite a bit actually. I think most guys would ditch the 3.08 diff with my set-up, but I quite like it like that...maybe a set of 3.27's or whatever is between 3.08 and 3.55's. The truck hums along really nicely at 2000RPM and 70MPH, but with a bare steel cab and floor, with no AC, loud exhaust, and a mild engine that vibrates through the truck LOL, it's better suited for the younger fellas. Anyway, stay tuned. I need to research my cam selection again and plan a bit for what I'm going to do with this thing.

Well it did go from 135HP to 300HP, and around 250 torque to 335 torque, so there were some nice gains there. Unfortunately, the gains with the 302 are mostly in the 3000-6000RPM range, and I spend all my time between 1500-2500RPM. Knowing what I know now, I probably would have left it mostly stock. It would serve my purpose better that way. Anyway, we'll see how she works with the new smaller carb installed. It will be a couple weeks, but I'll report back on it when I do.

Thanks Jim, that's what I'm aiming for. Any thoughts on carb spacers? I am running a dual plane Edelbrock intake, and currently have a 1" four hole spacer under the carb. Should I try an open spacer, or leave the four hole that's in there now?

Right, understood. I will never be anywhere near 4500+ RPM, so I wouldn't need the extra capacity of a 600CFM. The 500CFM is supposed to be a little more responsive in the lower RPM range where I'll be, so it should do me just fine. My 302 is bored 0.020" over, with factory style flat top pistons, GT40 Explorer heads, and a full Comp Cams kit (XE-256H). My compression is right around 9:1. My truck is just a cruiser, and once in a while highway traveler. In hindsight, I probably should have built it a little milder than I did. Fingers are crossed that the Summit carb works nicely. I'll report back when I get it all installed and set up.

Hey Myrl, are you running a universal timing cover like the one linked below? https://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS/555/50300/10002/-1 Otherwise, I don't see how a reverse rotation pump will work on a timing cover for a standard rotation pump. I have a Dorman 635-102 timing cover, which is for standard rotation. The ports are significantly different between the two rotation pumps. One solution I have found...I think, is to install a water pump from a 1987 Mustang GT 5.0, with the round ports in the pump backing plate. Apparently it does not care what rotation timing cover it is installed on. Only issue with that is I thought the Mustang pumps were shorter, but I've read where guys have used these for F-series serpentine swaps. Something I have to deal with as part of this serpentine swap (combined with a carb swap) is where to mount my ignition coil. Currently it is in the factory location on top of the intake manifold, just right of center between the distributor and the carburetor. It is almost touching the choke housing on the Holley. When I swap the new Summit carb on in a few weeks, I am going to need to find a new home for the coil. I guess I could temporarily mount it on the front of the drivers side cylinder head, like below... But I am planning on a serpentine drive swap, which will remove the front of the cylinder head as a potential coil installation location. So I started poking around looking at pictures to find out where the coil is located on the 1990 5.0 F150 that I scavenged the serpentine drive from, and I see it is the square/box style coil, and it is mounted at the back of the left (drivers side) cylinder head, on top of the valve cover. So my first question is, can I run one of these 1990 style coils with my factory DSII ignition module? Any issues there? And second, does anybody know if I can install one of these 1987-1991 style coil brackets on top of my 1984 valve cover? Or did those trucks have a special valve cover that this bracket attached to? I guess I'll have to go out to the junkyard and have a look at it, but figured if one of you guys knew how it mounted, maybe it would save me a trip.