My 86 Bullnose - "Blackie"

[Machspeed]

How many can say they bought their Bullnose new and still own it? This is my Bullnose 86 F150 LX. It’s a 351HO with a few bolt on’s. It was my first new vehicle purchase, bought back in late 1986. I was 26 when I bought this truck. It’s been a good ole trunk and done everything I’ve ever needed it to do. It’s even done things beyond its capacity and it has never once let me down.

As some of you know, I had considered selling it recently. I went and drove a brand new Dodge Rebel for which I almost pulled the trigger on until the wife said I couldn’t have two trucks. I pondered it for a while and then conceded figuring I’d just sell it. That is, until I found this forum. When I found this forum, my basic plan was to post on it to acquire some idea as to what Blackie was worth. I never did make that post. After spending some time here, I generated a new found interest in the truck and decided to just fix it up and keep it. I think I’ve kept a few of you very busy since my sign on here. I don’t know how Gary gets anything done on his truck, as he’s always sitting in front of his computer answering questions on mine. Thanks to the bunch of you that have been so generous with your time and help. Below are some photos of Blackie when he was about a year old. With the exception of the red “MOTORSPORTS” stripe running down the side of the truck, this is how he looked when I drove him off the lot at Red McCombs Ford in San Antonio Texas back in 1986.

So right now, I’m just trying to make him mechanically sound. I’ve really neglected the ole fella mechanically. I have a Mustang project I’m working on and when that is done, I will get on with some serious business with Blackie. After I told wifey that I was going to pass on the Dodge and keep Blackie, I told her that I was going to fix him up and that would require just a little expense. She doesn’t know it yet, but I’m angling for one of those new Broncos! Hey, while I can’t have two trucks, I can have a truck and a Bronco, right!!!

The paint and body on Blackie are really pretty good. He’s got straight up a 100k mile on him and I’d like a little more umpf under the hood. Thinking I may stroke the current engine when the rebuild comes. Also loosing the bench seat, for a couple of buckets and a center console. I can’t take this bench seat any longer.

Anyway, look forward to getting to know some of you a little better and sharing in our passion with these Bullnose Trucks!

 

[salans7]

What a cool story! Thanks for sharing. I held onto my first bullnose (bought when I was 15) for about ten years, but lost sight of the future with it and sold it. About a year later I started itching for another, and am now building my "dream" truck which is actually a 1990 F350 disguised as a bullnose. You made the right choice in keeping the truck, as I'm sure you would have have felt the same way I do about mine. This new truck I'm building is great, but it's not the old one and it won't take it's place. It just doesn't feel the same.

I also have a 2003 Ford Ranger that I bought used right after I graduated high school about ten years ago. For that entire time it's been my daily driver and I plan on keeping that truck around for as long as possible so that I can have my own cool story.

[Gary Lewis]

Yes, cool story! Love it!

And I'm sure glad you kept your truck. As for the "little expense", you can spend a ton on Blackie and still be far less than a new truck.

Speaking of the new Bronco, Janey told me today that we are w/in 3 payments of having Blue paid off. So I asked her if that meant I could then buy a new Bronco. I think she thought I was crazy, but then she realized I wasn't serious. At least I don't think I am.

But I will admit that I do spend more time on the computer than working on my truck these days. Fortunately we have a lot of really capable people who are helping answer questions, so I am getting a bit done.

[FuzzFace2]

Yes, cool story! Love it!

And I'm sure glad you kept your truck. As for the "little expense", you can spend a ton on Blackie and still be far less than a new truck.

Speaking of the new Bronco, Janey told me today that we are w/in 3 payments of having Blue paid off. So I asked her if that meant I could then buy a new Bronco. I think she thought I was crazy, but then she realized I wasn't serious. At least I don't think I am.

But I will admit that I do spend more time on the computer than working on my truck these days. Fortunately we have a lot of really capable people who are helping answer questions, so I am getting a bit done.

Cool story, I still have my first Bullnose .......... but I only bought it 4 years ago

Then again I did a cab off frame rebuild as a driver and have up till it got hot, no AC yet.

I did hold on to my first new truck for 16 years and 230K miles and sold it for my 2nd new truck.

Still have it after 18 years & 240K and counting.

I think there is a thread started on "other projects" you could post up something on the Mustang as I am sure others would like to hear what you are doing to it.

Dave ----

[71_badmach]

Very nice and original owner, amazing. Look forward to following your progress.

As an aside, my "handle" badmach is from my time owning a rust bucket 71 Mach for about 15 years.

[Machspeed]

So Blackie saw sunlight today for the first time in a couple of months. The entire bed was filled with empty boxes and old worn out parts from my intake leak that lead to replacement of nearly everything on the front of the engine. I also had some left patch panels I used to fix my rear wheel arches from a few months back. I need to post on that little repair.

Anyway, made a trash run to my Church's dumpster and back. No leaks, oil pressure and water temp were fine. Seems to have a little more pep too. May need some fine tuning though. I noted that it takes a few revolutions of the engine to fire it up when it's cold or even luke warm. If I turn it off then right back on, fires right up but if it sits for about 15-20 minutes, it requires several revolutions to fire up. Thoughts?

[Gary Lewis]

So Blackie saw sunlight today for the first time in a couple of months. The entire bed was filled with empty boxes and old worn out parts from my intake leak that lead to replacement of nearly everything on the front of the engine. I also had some left patch panels I used to fix my rear wheel arches from a few months back. I need to post on that little repair.

Anyway, made a trash run to my Church's dumpster and back. No leaks, oil pressure and water temp were fine. Seems to have a little more pep too. May need some fine tuning though. I noted that it takes a few revolutions of the engine to fire it up when it's cold or even luke warm. If I turn it off then right back on, fires right up but if it sits for about 15-20 minutes, it requires several revolutions to fire up. Thoughts?

Glad you got it back on the road. But it sounds like your choke may not be adjusted well.

[Machspeed]

Glad you got it back on the road. But it sounds like your choke may not be adjusted well.

Just a bit before I found the website here and subsequent renewed interest in Blackie, I decided to fix the rusted wheel well arches. I had this truck fully repainted about five or six years ago and when rust started to pop up in those wheel arches, I was really disappointed. Below are some pictures of him after the repaint and partial restoration.

[Machspeed]

Just a bit before I found the website here and subsequent renewed interest in Blackie, I decided to fix the rusted wheel well arches. I had this truck fully repainted about five or six years ago and when rust started to pop up in those wheel arches, I was really disappointed. Below are some pictures of him after the repaint and partial restoration.

As I am the original owner of this truck and it being a southern state truck, I was very surprised to even see rust like this on my vehicle. It was bad too, a lot worse than I expected. As such, it amazes me when I see another Bullnose truck that is not rusted in those areas. Anyway, to fix it I had to purchase patch panels for both sides and also the inner fenders. I purchased all the sheet metal through NPD and I was very pleased with it. Here's what it looked like just before and after I cut the outer skin off.

 

[Machspeed]

As I am the original owner of this truck and it being a southern state truck, I was very surprised to even see rust like this on my vehicle. It was bad too, a lot worse than I expected. As such, it amazes me when I see another Bullnose truck that is not rusted in those areas. Anyway, to fix it I had to purchase patch panels for both sides and also the inner fenders. I purchased all the sheet metal through NPD and I was very pleased with it. Here's what it looked like just before and after I cut the outer skin off.

The above two photos are not the same rear quarter. The one on the left is the passenger side, while the one on the right is the driver's side. Note the cut out pattern outlined by the tape in the two photos. One is correct and the other is not. I did the diver's side first (pic on right) and made some very bad choices in cutting it out. First bad choice was going too high above the body line. The second was not radiusing the corners. This caused me a lot of grief when I welded it back in, as I got some warpage and even some fuel canning. As hard as I tried, I could not dolly and hammer that warpage out and the more I tried the worse the fuel canning was. I was over my head in that. As such, I took it to someone who knew what he was doing and he utilized heat in the right places to straighten and remove the fuel canning. Below are photos of my work in fixing the passenger side which came out quite well.