F-Superduty IDI water hauler build

[Ford F834]

Fenders are cheap.

How much are crank doors, without totally chalky window sills?

It's a farm truck (no, not that farm truck!)

You have the IDI Brick.

Just cut the horns off it and transplant the bumper.

Or, like I said when you creamed that burro, find a wrecker push bumper.

I really think that's what this truck wants, but it's up to you.

Jim, that’s what I’m thinking this truck “wants” to be based on the parts I have on hand. The ‘95 has crank windows, I was hoping I could simply swap on some crank window bricknose door panels? The donor has electric doors and they do not work. The Flagstaff/Prescott junkyards charge $26 for a door panel. I don’t know about the kingman yard, I have not asked and the stuff I’ve seen there is pretty rough. But it’s a detail I can fix later when I find some. I could try to make the electric doors work, but I don’t really want or need that. I would like to find a wrecker bumper for the reason you mentioned.

[Rembrant]

Jim, that’s what I’m thinking this truck “wants” to be based on the parts I have on hand. The ‘95 has crank windows, I was hoping I could simply swap on some crank window bricknose door panels? The donor has electric doors and they do not work. The Flagstaff/Prescott junkyards charge $26 for a door panel. I don’t know about the kingman yard, I have not asked and the stuff I’ve seen there is pretty rough. But it’s a detail I can fix later when I find some. I could try to make the electric doors work, but I don’t really want or need that. I would like to find a wrecker bumper for the reason you mentioned.

Jon,

Too little too late, I know, but this AZ E350 would have made a good water hauler? Kinda cool lookin', and nice deck on it too.

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/cto/d/flagstaff-1984-ford-f150-f250-f350-e350/7090538677.html

[Ford F834]

Jon,

Too little too late, I know, but this AZ E350 would have made a good water hauler? Kinda cool lookin', and nice deck on it too.

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/cto/d/flagstaff-1984-ford-f150-f250-f350-e350/7090538677.html

Interesting rig! I almost want it for the bed, but it looks a bit short behind the wheels and I wouldn’t have a clue what to do with the rest. I’ve pulled an IDI out of a U-Haul van at a junkyard and I don’t think I would care to own an Econoline. I was just grateful that I didn’t have to put the engine back in 😖.

[Ford F834]

Interesting rig! I almost want it for the bed, but it looks a bit short behind the wheels and I wouldn’t have a clue what to do with the rest. I’ve pulled an IDI out of a U-Haul van at a junkyard and I don’t think I would care to own an Econoline. I was just grateful that I didn’t have to put the engine back in 😖.

Another piece of the puzzle found... simple, basic, and at just over $200 out the door I can’t complain. It was built for a standard width truck frame, not CnC, so I will need some spacers or modify the attachment points but other than that it’s pretty well set. It was made for an 8’ bed wheelbase, and includes the fuel fillers. There were some kind of license stickers on it from Kauai county in Hawaii. Pineapple 🍍 hauler?!

I also found an Aeronose diesel core support. It is broken right where the gas one is cut... and on both sides. The bottom is a bit rusty as well, but I am confident I can work with it. That truck was a power stroke diesel, and didn’t really have anything else I could use.

There was also an Aeronose IDI (core support already gone), but the wiring was hacked to bits. Not just a cut or two, it was diced and minced almost as if to taunt me ha ha. The instrument cluster was also gone. I saw lots that I wanted, but I needed to stay focused.

 

[ArdWrknTrk]

Another piece of the puzzle found... simple, basic, and at just over $200 out the door I can’t complain. It was built for a standard width truck frame, not CnC, so I will need some spacers or modify the attachment points but other than that it’s pretty well set. It was made for an 8’ bed wheelbase, and includes the fuel fillers. There were some kind of license stickers on it from Kauai county in Hawaii. Pineapple 🍍 hauler?!

I also found an Aeronose diesel core support. It is broken right where the gas one is cut... and on both sides. The bottom is a bit rusty as well, but I am confident I can work with it. That truck was a power stroke diesel, and didn’t really have anything else I could use.

There was also an Aeronose IDI (core support already gone), but the wiring was hacked to bits. Not just a cut or two, it was diced and minced almost as if to taunt me ha ha. The instrument cluster was also gone. I saw lots that I wanted, but I needed to stay focused.

Nice score!

I can't imagine what it cost to ship a truck from Hawaii, or why anyone would want to.

[Gary Lewis]

Another piece of the puzzle found... simple, basic, and at just over $200 out the door I can’t complain. It was built for a standard width truck frame, not CnC, so I will need some spacers or modify the attachment points but other than that it’s pretty well set. It was made for an 8’ bed wheelbase, and includes the fuel fillers. There were some kind of license stickers on it from Kauai county in Hawaii. Pineapple 🍍 hauler?!

I also found an Aeronose diesel core support. It is broken right where the gas one is cut... and on both sides. The bottom is a bit rusty as well, but I am confident I can work with it. That truck was a power stroke diesel, and didn’t really have anything else I could use.

There was also an Aeronose IDI (core support already gone), but the wiring was hacked to bits. Not just a cut or two, it was diced and minced almost as if to taunt me ha ha. The instrument cluster was also gone. I saw lots that I wanted, but I needed to stay focused.

That is an excellent score! You couldn't build it for many times that. And it looks very solid! In fact, how are you going to unload and handle it?

As for the core support, what will you have to do to fix it?

Hacked wiring? I thought I had two good wiring harnii on the shelf, and as I've started trying to pull wires out of them I've discovered all sorts of hacks. Today I found several instances of wires twisted together and then taped over. Not even a wire nut!

[ArdWrknTrk]

Another piece of the puzzle found... simple, basic, and at just over $200 out the door I can’t complain. It was built for a standard width truck frame, not CnC, so I will need some spacers or modify the attachment points but other than that it’s pretty well set. It was made for an 8’ bed wheelbase, and includes the fuel fillers. There were some kind of license stickers on it from Kauai county in Hawaii. Pineapple 🍍 hauler?!

I also found an Aeronose diesel core support. It is broken right where the gas one is cut... and on both sides. The bottom is a bit rusty as well, but I am confident I can work with it. That truck was a power stroke diesel, and didn’t really have anything else I could use.

There was also an Aeronose IDI (core support already gone), but the wiring was hacked to bits. Not just a cut or two, it was diced and minced almost as if to taunt me ha ha. The instrument cluster was also gone. I saw lots that I wanted, but I needed to stay focused.

With stake pockets like that it will be simple to have easily removable cradles or cribbing (dunnage) to keep your tank in place.

Then you could have optional 'sides' to make it more of a bed, or stake sides for light and bulky loads.

Most I see around here use 14" LVL and you have almost the depth of a regular pickup.

But, man, that stuff is heavy!

[Ford F834]

With stake pockets like that it will be simple to have easily removable cradles or cribbing (dunnage) to keep your tank in place.

Then you could have optional 'sides' to make it more of a bed, or stake sides for light and bulky loads.

Most I see around here use 14" LVL and you have almost the depth of a regular pickup.

But, man, that stuff is heavy!

Thanks gentlemen. The price was phenomenal, although it also required about 25 gallons of gas to go get it. Main thing is that it’s the right size and I don’t need to spend any more time and energy figuring out that problem.

Gary, it is indeed *very heavy... and unloading it is going to be a problem. I am going to attempt grappling it with a tow chain and engine hoist. I’m sure it will be memorable 😬.

The core support needs welded, and perhaps a bit of reinforcement added. The rust isn’t too terrible, I just need to clean it up and paint it so it does not get any worse. It’s not restoration grade, but for a work truck it will get the job done. Again, I got it mostly because I think it is a little less work than switching the whole front end, and I won’t have to paint body panels (even if it’s just rattle can) or live with a calico colored truck. I need some plastic grille parts but that’s not hard to find here in the junkyards.

I’ve got one more week of employment and then my plant shuts down, and it looks like I may have some down time. Hopefully I can use some of it to make some progress with this truck.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Thanks gentlemen. The price was phenomenal, although it also required about 25 gallons of gas to go get it. Main thing is that it’s the right size and I don’t need to spend any more time and energy figuring out that problem.

Gary, it is indeed *very heavy... and unloading it is going to be a problem. I am going to attempt grappling it with a tow chain and engine hoist. I’m sure it will be memorable 😬.

The core support needs welded, and perhaps a bit of reinforcement added. The rust isn’t too terrible, I just need to clean it up and paint it so it does not get any worse. It’s not restoration grade, but for a work truck it will get the job done. Again, I got it mostly because I think it is a little less work than switching the whole front end, and I won’t have to paint body panels (even if it’s just rattle can) or live with a calico colored truck. I need some plastic grille parts but that’s not hard to find here in the junkyards.

I’ve got one more week of employment and then my plant shuts down, and it looks like I may have some down time. Hopefully I can use some of it to make some progress with this truck.

So, if you're not going Bricknose, what are you doing for instrumentation?

[Ford F834]

So, if you're not going Bricknose, what are you doing for instrumentation?

I am not totally sure yet. I may still do the bricknose dash and wiring, or I may try and work with what’s there... I bought the Aero core support as an option because I thought it might save me a bit of time and effort compared changing the whole front clip and cutting down the frame horns etc., I am trying to take the path of least resistance.

One thing I did learn from looking at the hacked up wiring on the Aeronose IDI is that there was still an amazing amount of wire for as simple as the engine is. That generation of truck just has a lot going on electrically that the older ones don’t. It still had a large fuse and relay box under the hood, in addition to the fuse panel in the dash. The wire loom is more than twice what you see in the bullnose diesels. The more I see of the Aeronose trucks the less I like them.