Vette117

Hello everyone, I have lingered around the website for a little while, and I have read numerous vehicle projects, and DIY threads, and I finally found the motivation join up and start my own, so here it is:

Now, I’m going to update this as often as I can, and include as many pictures as I can, but spare me, it’s my first project, and I haven’t made a community forum for something like this before. I’m going to use this post as a sort of News, and keep-up for those who may be following the project.

Current News - Looking for a place to get some good pictures of THE CATALYST.


Here is a small checklist of things that I want to get done as to repairs or replacing.. The list below this one will be a list of aftermarket stuff I would like to add to my project. It’s not a complete list, but it’s a start. I’m sure things will come up in the future, and I will add them to the list. Alongside that, I am totally open to new ideas, so if you have anything that you think would be a cool addition to the project, please speak up!

I mainly want to fix all of the issues listed in the next post, but here is the list:

Exterior
-Install new side marker, and turn signal light.
-Install new Front Bumper
-Install new Rear Bumper
-Replace or Shine up Wheels
-New Tires ( Not a current Priority, current tread and wear is acceptable. )
-Locate a fourth center cap for the original wheels!
-Replace Windshield
-Install new exhaust system, or at least extend off the glasspack.
-Install new Front Fuel Tank/Tank Straps/Fuel Pump etc.
Interior
-Replace Seat
-Replace dash pad, or install dash pad cover.
-Replace/repair cluster bulb. While I’m in the cluster, I would like to install new gauges or something.
-Re-attach shift boot.
-Replace parking brake lever.
-Replace all the pedal pads.
-Install new passenger side door handle
-Replace trim panel
-Replace Driver door.
-Replace driver door panel if I can match original, or both if I can’t.
-Repair/Replace Fuel Tank Switch
Etc.
-Fix washer tank.
-Fix improper hose fit.
-Clean up/shine up engine compartment.



Aftermarket Items
-Upgraded Headlights
-Upgraded Taillights
-Aftermarket Instrument Cluster
-Tonneau Cover
-TurboCharger
( Now I know what all of you are thinking, dang teenagers and their stupid turbo kits. Well, I don't plan on running a huge amount of boost, and it's not just for the speed increase, because I am a responsible driver, and I try not to overdo things too much. I am hoping it will help add to the character, and just be a fun project. )
-Accent Lights
-Upgraded Sounds System √
-Stealth Power Inverter Mod
-Paint Parts of the inside trim. (Orange on Black theme?)

Vette117

And for the star of the show. Introducing my 1995 Ford F150 XL Regular Cab Short Bed 4.9L 6 Cyl. 5 Speed Standard Transmission truck: THE CATALYST

Here are some decent decent looking pictures for a “before” kind of sense.
She isn’t the best looking, but hopefully I can get it fixed up a bit and make it look a little better.

Vette117

=-I'm reserving this post for a page organizer-=

Vette117

Here are some of the notable exterior issues:

Some of the major rust points:

Looks like she took a hit here in the passenger bedside:

The vehicle hit a telephone pole during a bad snowstorm. Here is the damage:

I’m not sure why, but the rear bumper is also tweaked a bit.

The wheels are pretty rusty, and I have 3 of the 4 center caps.

The windshield has some cracks in it. Not a huge problem, but it could look nicer.

Sometime before this landed into my dads hands, someone had installed a glasspack into the exhaust system, and it looks like the aft side of the glasspack rusted off.

There are supposed to be 2 fuel tanks on this truck. Only the rear tank is in the vehicle. There is nothing for the front tank. Not even straps.

Vette117

Here are some of the notable interior issues:

The seat is torn slightly. It’s not a huge issue, but again, it could look nicer.

The dash pad is cracked and very dirty:


The cluster has a loose wire or dead bulb or something:

Shift Lever boot is not attached correctly:

The Parking Brake Lever is twisted up pretty bad.

Passenger side door handle is broken:

Piece of driver side trim is broken. It is broken off, and I think it was supposed to tuck behind the piece coming from the bottom because it doesn't sit against the A frame the way it should. It rattles when my subs are hitting, and it's quite annoying:

Piece of passenger side dash pad is broken. The crack by the vent next to the glovebox. I'm assuming it's because of excessive use of the box, and hard openings.

Entirely wrong driver door. The wing window shouldn’t go down to a full angle, it should stop and move to a straight line like this passenger door. It looks like the original door panel was used though, and the corner piece was cut off.

Vette117

Here are some of the notable issues under the hood:

There isn’t a lot going on under here, but I noticed that there is a very large amount of open space in the engine compartment. I like the idea of freedom and maneuverability when working on things down here.

Now, I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure that this cable does something, and it should be attached. It will sit in place, but it doesn’t “click” in like it is probably supposed to. It's the plug that is straight to the right of the cap in the picture.

The battery isn’t properly “strapped” down into it’s place. It likes to hop around every now and then.

The washer fluid/radiator coolant tank isn’t set properly as well. Looks like someone forced it out instead of unbolting it first. The little white plastic clip is bent.

VERY dirty engine area.

Is that a coffee can with wires coming from it? (Thing on right) LOL

Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) (Not a problem, but I wanted to add the picture. =P)

Vette117

Soon after I got the truck, I decided that I wanted to upgrade the sound system. The stock system still sounded good, but I wanted to amp it up a bit and make it even better. I love music, so it was an easy decision to make. I am a basshead, but I didn't get too extreme due to the lack of space I just decided to get a good sounding all around system. Sorry that I don't have many pics of the install, but at least I got a few. Anyways, here is what I got:

2x 10" Kicker CVT Subwoofers.
Pair of Kicker KS65 3-way Coax Speakers for the doors.
Pair of Kicker KS68 3-way Coax Speakers for the rear kicker panels.
I have a 2-channel 250 Watt Planet Audio Amp to run the subs, and a Sony XPlode head unit that I acquired from my dad.
I built a custom box for the two subwoofers to fit behind the bench seat.

One problem that I came across was the door speaker size. The stock door speakers were slightly smaller than the KS65 Speakers that I bought, but with the help of a disc grinder, I was able to open up the mounting hole in the door enough to fit the new speakers. Total install time of the speakers + subwoofers was about 3-4 hours. The amp and head unit that I had already installed, so it was just a means of getting everything hooked up right. The head unit and amp install took maybe 4 hours to get done as well. Getting the wires hidden, and a route from the batter to the amp for the power wire is what took the most time. Anyways, here are the pictures..

Here is a picture of the boxes that the subs and speakers came in:

Here is a picture of the subwoofer box behind the bench with the subs installed:


Here is a picture of the KS65 speakers installed in the doors:

Here is a picture of the KS68 speakers installed in the kicker panels: