BullnoseHunter02 Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 Hey guys, So im sure as most of you are aware, im currently hunting to find a good bullnose as my first truck. Im wondering if you guys had any advice on what to look for when buying one of these. I heard the 80-81 trucks up to a certan dte had what we call "Swiss Cheese Frames" IIRC Ford drilled a bunch of big holes to reduce weight. Wondering if this is an issue and if i should be concered if i find a rig with this. Im really not gonna be hauling anything major as of rn, maybe some small suff that can go in the bed but thats about it. Hopefully going to be starting a lawncare buissness next season soo...thats why i need the truck pretty much. Another reason would be the fact my mother doesnt like her mazda SUV getting torn up. I know that rust on the cab corners and fenders tends to be the big issue on these. Not sure quite what i would be looking for other than rust to make sure im buying a solid truck. Any advice welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 Those that knock the Swiss cheese frame don't have an understanding of physics. A C-channel's strength comes from the top and bottom flanges, not the web. Essentially all the web does is to keep the flanges apart at the specified distance. And the Swiss cheese frames do a good job of that. If you don't believe me, go look at old bridges. They were made of of fabricated C or I sections with a lattice-work of pieces between to keep the flanges at the specified distance. And, they are still standing decades later. Or, go talk to Diesel Brad on FTE. He has a "pulling truck" with a big bad diesel in it and it has a Swiss cheese frame. Last I talked to him it was just fine after many, many "pulls". And if you want to see what a Swiss cheese frame looks like, take a peek on Dad's Truck Build thread. So don't be afraid of those frames. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rembrant Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 I know that rust on the cab corners and fenders tends to be the big issue on these. Not sure quite what i would be looking for other than rust to make sure im buying a solid truck. Rust IS what you're looking for. If you're looking at rusty trucks...don't concern yourself too much with rusty fenders and cab corners...that would be like looking for things that you already know are there. Look over the frame and the floor of the cab...especially the cab mounts in the front. For the frame, pay close attention to where the leaf springs mount, and where the upper shock mounts attach to the frame. Brown surface rust is not usually a big deal...but flakey rust IS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BullnoseHunter02 Posted April 12, 2019 Author Share Posted April 12, 2019 Those that knock the Swiss cheese frame don't have an understanding of physics. A C-channel's strength comes from the top and bottom flanges, not the web. Essentially all the web does is to keep the flanges apart at the specified distance. And the Swiss cheese frames do a good job of that. If you don't believe me, go look at old bridges. They were made of of fabricated C or I sections with a lattice-work of pieces between to keep the flanges at the specified distance. And, they are still standing decades later. Or, go talk to Diesel Brad on FTE. He has a "pulling truck" with a big bad diesel in it and it has a Swiss cheese frame. Last I talked to him it was just fine after many, many "pulls". And if you want to see what a Swiss cheese frame looks like, take a peek on Dad's Truck Build thread. So don't be afraid of those frames. So in theroy, i really dont need to be all that concered if i find a swiss cheese frame truck? If so, thats good news! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BullnoseHunter02 Posted April 12, 2019 Author Share Posted April 12, 2019 I know that rust on the cab corners and fenders tends to be the big issue on these. Not sure quite what i would be looking for other than rust to make sure im buying a solid truck. Rust IS what you're looking for. If you're looking at rusty trucks...don't concern yourself too much with rusty fenders and cab corners...that would be like looking for things that you already know are there. Look over the frame and the floor of the cab...especially the cab mounts in the front. For the frame, pay close attention to where the leaf springs mount, and where the upper shock mounts attach to the frame. Brown surface rust is not usually a big deal...but flakey rust IS. got it, so if i could go underneath to check it and i can grab the frame and little flakes start flying, i know to stay away from that truck? The floor seems like it would be easily patchible, i can weld now, taking metals class in HS comes in handy! Ill keep an eye on that stuff! Thanks for the advice! Rust is the main thing i assume? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 So in theroy, i really dont need to be all that concered if i find a swiss cheese frame truck? If so, thats good news! It isn't theory. Take a look at the frame on Dad's truck. It has pulled a travel trailer all over the US and is still in great shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ford F834 Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 So in theroy, i really dont need to be all that concered if i find a swiss cheese frame truck? If so, thats good news! Nothing wrong with the Swiss cheese frame. My ‘81 has it, and before I bought it the guy used it as his daily water hauler with a 325 gallon tank in the bed. That’s 2,600 lbs. of water and about another 150 lbs. for the tank. Almost a ton and a half payload that he hauled over some quite rough, rutted and rocky backroads to his property day in and day out for many years. The frame is still perfect and I still haul water with it except my tank is 50 gallons smaller. I wouldn’t drive freeway speeds with that much weight but the frame isn’t a concern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BullnoseHunter02 Posted April 12, 2019 Author Share Posted April 12, 2019 Nothing wrong with the Swiss cheese frame. My ‘81 has it, and before I bought it the guy used it as his daily water hauler with a 325 gallon tank in the bed. That’s 2,600 lbs. of water and about another 150 lbs. for the tank. Almost a ton and a half payload that he hauled over some quite rough, rutted and rocky backroads to his property day in and day out for many years. The frame is still perfect and I still haul water with it except my tank is 50 gallons smaller. I wouldn’t drive freeway speeds with that much weight but the frame isn’t a concern. Oh, yeah, thats not a theroy then! lmao. Yeah, tbh, i like the 80 nd 81s a bit better than the rest of the bullnose trucks, the grill makes it look tougher! Thanks for the clarification on that frame! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ford F834 Posted April 13, 2019 Share Posted April 13, 2019 Oh, yeah, thats not a theroy then! lmao. Yeah, tbh, i like the 80 nd 81s a bit better than the rest of the bullnose trucks, the grill makes it look tougher! Thanks for the clarification on that frame! The grille is just a few screws to change out if you prefer the early type 😉. Rust is a big one, as well as clues about how the truck has been maintained. If engine cross member and surrounding areas have an inch thick cake of dirt and oil from ignored leaks, and if mud and dirt are packed into ledges and crevices under the truck it has probably been abused and will have more parts that are beyond worn. If the glove box is full of maintenance receipts or oil change log then you can guess that the owner cared. Also take a peek under the dash at the wiring. Is it hacked and chopped? Did the PO butcher and patch things together with toggle switches or add a bunch of aftermarket junk? Not only will you see what you might have to repair, but it will give you a clue as to who owned it and how did they treat it. I hate to sound agist, but I see a lot of junkyard trucks that were clearly owned by younger guys (lots of “young” bumper stickers and window decals etc.,) Lots of interior and exterior handy work to make the truck look “cool” and lots of not-so-great mechanic work and repairs. Another thing to check is whether the truck originally had a feedback carburetor and if it has been back converted to a regular duraspark ignition. If it has been done, did they do a good clean job of it? Or is it a janky hack job that you are going to have to sort out. This is one sensible reason to favor the early years which did not have feedback carbs. Ditto for non-catylist 460’s and 351HO’s and of course diesels... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted April 13, 2019 Share Posted April 13, 2019 The grille is just a few screws to change out if you prefer the early type 😉. Rust is a big one, as well as clues about how the truck has been maintained. If engine cross member and surrounding areas have an inch thick cake of dirt and oil from ignored leaks, and if mud and dirt are packed into ledges and crevices under the truck it has probably been abused and will have more parts that are beyond worn. If the glove box is full of maintenance receipts or oil change log then you can guess that the owner cared. Also take a peek under the dash at the wiring. Is it hacked and chopped? Did the PO butcher and patch things together with toggle switches or add a bunch of aftermarket junk? Not only will you see what you might have to repair, but it will give you a clue as to who owned it and how did they treat it. I hate to sound agist, but I see a lot of junkyard trucks that were clearly owned by younger guys (lots of “young” bumper stickers and window decals etc.,) Lots of interior and exterior handy work to make the truck look “cool” and lots of not-so-great mechanic work and repairs. Another thing to check is whether the truck originally had a feedback carburetor and if it has been back converted to a regular duraspark ignition. If it has been done, did they do a good clean job of it? Or is it a janky hack job that you are going to have to sort out. This is one sensible reason to favor the early years which did not have feedback carbs. Ditto for non-catylist 460’s and 351HO’s and of course diesels... Good points, Jonathan. And let me chime in on the wiring issue. If you find insulation-displacement connectors being used, walk away. What's an insulation-displacement connector? These things: shopping.shopping And, if you find house wiring, like 14-2 stuff, or little bitty wires, or ....... just realize that whomever owned it didn't know what they were doing and the truck WILL have problems that you will have to correct. And wiring issues are a bear to find and sometimes very difficult to fix. Case-in-point: trailer wiring. Frequently people tap into the truck wiring with insulation-displacement connectors. But the tail end of a pickup is the absolute worst environment for wiring, and the "stuff" that gets on the connectors will wick back up the truck's wiring and make it almost impossible to make a proper connection to that wire for many inches either direction from the splice. In short, you need a new harness, but they aren't available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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