McChop

2003 XLT SuperCrew 4x4
5.4 Triton
208,000

Listed on Craigslist for $5300 with the following description:
Tow mirrors
Black billet grill insert
New tires
K&N cold air intake
New plugs, boots, battery and alternator
Cross drilled and slotted rotors
Bilsteins and new bushings
Body lift
LED bulbs throughout
52" light bar not installed

I ended up getting it for $4500.
Here's the pic from the listing.

McChop

After driving it for the week, here's what I fixed over the weekend.

Fixed the loose column shifter. It was the same two bolts we all have to tighten.

Fixed the adjustable pedals. The brake pedal had become dislodged, and wouldn't move properly.

Cleaned up under the dash. A previous owner lubed up everything, but used way too much grease. I cleaned it up a bit.

Checked a few LEDs that were out. Reverse light LED was loose, they seem to fit poorly.

Removed the billet grill. I just attached on to the original honeyomb, so it looked cheesy to me. I ended up pulling the entire grill, and repainting the grey honeycomb insert. I think it looks much cleaner now.

Noticed a misfire late Sunday, and discovered it was cylinder 6. That's when I found out that these are not new plugs, or boots. I replaced the one that was bad, but will have to replace the other 7 when I get some more time.

I noticed the K&N had a sensor hanging out. I popped it back in, but I'm not entirely stoked on how it all fits. I might look for a stock setup and switch it back.

Here's a pic of the freshly painted grill installed.

mandingo32

Looks good...

McChop

So it's been a lot of maintenance over the past week.

The one significant aesthetic thing I did was pull of the door strips off. I love how it looks without them.

I've completed the LED conversion, other than the dash and control lights.
The license plate domes don't leave much room for LEDs, so I ended up getting smaller chipset style. They're not super bright, but they still look better than the originals.
Since it was a 10-pack, I popped them in the cargo/3rd brake light. They'll do until I snag some brighter ones.

I replaced the blinker relay. The hyperblinking was giving me a headache.
While I had the dash halfway apart, I got down with the air compressor, doing some lazy-man dusting. The problem is the previous owner smoked, and although it's not that noticeable for the most part, when the truck sits in the sun a while, it really brings that smell out.

I picked up a headlight adjustment ratchet, cause why not? I like having appropriate tools. Plus now I can see the road, instead of tree tops and gutters.

Lastly, I picked up an OBDII scanner, that works with my iPhone. Is it perfect? No. Does it get me the info I need? yes.
I tried a few apps, and liked DashCommand the best. The whole switching wifi and connecting isn't optimal with this scanner, but I really only got it to replace an older OBDII scanner that died. So really, the live features aren't necessary, just a bonus that I'll probably run for a few tanks of gas to observe the performance and condition of this 13 year old truck.

I just ordered the coilpacks and plugs, so hopefully I can tackle that this weekend.

dlbb

nice looking truck. wanna go get dirty on the 24th?
https://www.f150forum.com/f34/june-2...est-ca-384749/

evanj53

nice looking truck, I am just wrapping up my restoration on mine that I purchased last year. Looks like we have the same towing mirrors from an expedition. If you have any interior upgrades/restoring plans let me know; I spent a lot of time/money trying to match paint best I could without having anything custom mixed.

McChop

Thank you, I've been putting off the interior, but it needs attention. I'm likely to take you up on that offer.

McChop

This weekend I replaced the plugs and coils, as well as checked and cleaned the injectors.

There were 3 different brands of coils, and 2 different plugs. All in bad shape.
I went with the MSD Blaster Coils
and with NGK Iridium plugs

Of the 8 injectors, 3 have broken tips. I cleaned them up real good, but they'll have to wait a while to be replaced. I actually had an issue with dielectric grease in the connectors from the harness. I cleaned them out the best I could, and all seems well.

I took her out for some off roading with my daughter and dog. It ran smoothly, and we even found some new romping grounds from this years rain.

McChop

I've become obsessed with the PIAA air dam they made for this truck. I know it was hard to find back in the day, so it's impossible to find now, but I'm determined.

So this last weekend, I had planned to go on a little desert run with some of the guys on the forum, but work threw a wrench in my plans.

It's been 110 degrees all week, so for the first time ever, I tried one of these AC Charge kits.
I went with AC Pro, as it had the best reviews. Ultimately, it seems you get what you pay for. Though my AC blows a little cooler, it's obvious the system needs attention. Just another item on my to-do list.

Swapped out my antenna, so I can pull in to the garage.
It's still too big to keep in the garage, but at least I can work on it in there.

Still fighting the cabin odors, especially in this heat. At this point, I'm tempted to just replace the carpet, and reupholster the seats.

dlbb

soak all the fabric with frebreeze leave the windows open 1/8 in to evaporate. homedepot used to have it by the gallon.

the ac may do best with a Freon swap at a local shop. i think it cost about $80. those lil cans are duct tape to a sinking ship. lol.