OhioLariat

Well, a few months back, my '99 Lariat decided to spin a bearing, toss a rod, or commit some other catastrophic act of self-destruction at 270K miles which left me with a *very* noisy and ultimately seized engine. Having lived a portion of its life in Ohio, the frame and other underneath bits are coated with rust deposits (OK, *way* more than coated), the rockers have been eaten away, and the (driver's side) doors and front fender are showing signs of going the same route. The truck is in great shape otherwise mechanically, and still looks pretty good for its age, but I just couldn't bring myself to sink $5K+ into a remanned motor (even with the trans rebuilt about 20K ago).

'99 Lariat as she sat with no-go engine - (Donor Truck at the moment)





Just last fall getting firewood... (Sniff!)



Soooooo I started looking for a replacement, and found this one at a dealership in the city. 03 XLT with 160K miles, and almost not a mark on her. (I had to look hard past the wheels and grill-guard bling.)

AutoTrader Pics













After the test drive, I noticed a bit of coolant had puked out of the overflow bottle. The cap seemed to screw on funny, so I thought that's all it was. Dealer took the truck to the shop, and returned it about 10 minutes later, "Fixed." I signed on the dotted line, and drove her home the next day (Friday).

Saturday, I removed the grille guard and corroded billet grille inserts, installed the driving lights I'd pulled from the '99, and transferred a few minor pieces, as well (TB cover, solenoid cover, etc.). I noticed the dealer had forgotten to refill the coolant bottle, so I topped it off, and went for a 20-minute drive. Came back to find coolant all over the underside of the hood (from the bottle again), and the heater core gurgling.

So, it wasn't the cap! Monday AM bright and early, I call the dealer, and a flatbed showed up 1.5 hours later to haul my new truck away. Dealer verifies it's a bad head gasket, and agrees to fix it. Long story short, new head gaskets, and still a dead miss on #5 cylinder. I go back and forth with them for six weeks until they finally agree to put in a re-manned motor (which they could have done, I later found out, for $800 more than the repair, and which I'd have gladly paid - or split.)

A n y w a y .......

I now have my truck back, and have been transferring parts from the '99, and making plans for future mods.

Andy

OhioLariat

Old and new nose-to-nose


Clean underneath...











... and inside!

Fordfan2006

tire and wheel swap ASAP... :puke: also how's the bed on the old one if your wanting to part it?

OhioLariat

So Much Bling!!


Better...


Ahhhhhhh!


Driving lights installed.



Skid Plates (off the '99)







Installed

OhioLariat

I *HAD* to get these wheels off!


Stock wheels and the tires off the '99 (which is now up on jack stands, and time is ticking with she who doesn't really like our driveway looking like hillbilly haven)


I'm scouring Craigslist for another set of wheels (I'd like to find FX4's), or just a cheap set of something round that holds air to throw back on the '99, but I'm not having much luck. The tires on the '99 wheels are down to about 5mm, and will need replaced before winter, sooooo.....

If I can't find a decent set used, I'm thinking of going with these:





I really like these:



...as I'd like to go with a "blackout" theme for the truck (and don't like black wheels much), but the gray on the wheels is off just enough that it would look like I tried to match and miss. Too bad, really. If I go with the others (or end up with a stock wheel), I might black out my badges, lightly smoke the taillights, and find some black Lightning headlights, then keep the chrome side steps and bumpers.

Andy

Fordfan2006

get some Fx4's and plastidip them and experiment with the color and you'll have one great looking truck, you don't see too many in the dark shadow grey

Jbrew

I would of went with a motor for the other one. Never a reman, rather a used and proven engine for 800 - 1300 greenies is all that would of set me back. - That's only IF it wasn't rusty. Rust is the only stopper.

I like the grey, hate those no good useless covers on the back though...what a waste of a truck bed. Plus it makes the truck look deformed lol....ugly. They have some real nice soft tops that fold up and out of the way when you need to use the bed.

OhioLariat

Yeah, see the post above.

The bed is in great shape. Actually, other than the rotted rockers, a bit of rust on the bottom seams of the driver's side doors, a quarter-size rust spot on the driver's front fender, and a crack in the paint on the tailgate, she's in really good shape externally.

I'm not sure I want to mess with parting it out, but haven't completely made up my mind yet. (I actually hoped that another guy from Indiana had wanted to make the drive out and swap *all* the panels, as he needed them.)

Andy

Fordfan2006

well if you want the bed gone or if you decide to junk it or something just pm me I'm going to Ohio in the next month or so anyway to get a tailgate for my 95 anyway. My dads 03 needs a bed because its about shot over the wheel wells.. I doubt he'd want to repair the rust so why not get a bed that doesn't rust on the outside just needs some paint and Fx4 decals

OhioLariat

I looked for a used motor, but they all had over 150K miles (not surprising, I guess), and they all wanted $1100 and up plus shipping. I also didn't really want to R&R it myself, and then the cost went out of range for feasibility. The rust was the stopper for me. If the truck had been as clean as this '03, I'd have found a way to keep driving it.

As for the reman in this truck, I didn't really have much choice, but the three-year warranty makes me feel a bit better. I'm breaking it in right, and will run synthetic once I get to 5K miles.

The bed cover is already on Craigslist. I actually like the look (although on other color trucks, not so much), but having to completely remove its 150# mass any time I want to use the truck like a truck just ain't gonna cut it. I have an Extang Full-Tilt cover on the '99 that will be swapped over once this one's gone (or maybe before).

Andy