1995 F150 4x4 totally bed liner paint job, 4" lift, custom lighting, etc.
07-16-2016, 06:44 PM
#11
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Headlights: This truck had its original headlights up until this past fall when I had to drive around all the time with my brights on just to see. The headlights we fogged and faded past the point of buffing clear again, and I wanted new technology headlights anyways. Unfortunately I was unable to find any main stream suppliers for cool headlights (wanted halos and projectors) so I bought a pair of upper end ebay headlights. They had good reviews and looked the way I wanted them too, so I rolled the dice and went with them.
Headlight installation was very straight forward. The headlights are one piece, so that eliminates having to deal with the blinker and marker being separate. The high/low beams plugged right in and worked out of the box. Low beam adjustment had adjuster screws located on the back of the whole light fixture, resulted in having to take the whole headlight assembly out to adjust the light. The high beams were "non adjustable", but with a couple of long screwdrivers I was able to bend the high beam bulb mounting fixture to aim the light. Major pain in the *****, but works great now.
To wire up the blinkers and halos I did something pretty cool. I wired them with the logos through a box with 3 relays in it. Using the relay logic I was able to make a system that had the halos, logos, and blinkers all blinking.
How the system is set up and works:
When the marker lights/ headlights are on: The logos and halos are on constantly. When blinker is activated, the logos and halos will blink together in alternating pattern with the blinker. So when blinker is off, logos/halos are on. When blinker is on, logos/ halos are off. And it toggles back and forth during blinking.
When the market lights/ headlights are off: all blinkers, halos, logos, are off until blinker is activated. Then sequence of alteration begins in the same fashion as described above.
The system requires 3 relays per side to work, and the relays are mounted in a stainless box screwed to the fender. Overall I think its a really cool effect that I can justify in the name of safety or whatever.
Headlight installation was very straight forward. The headlights are one piece, so that eliminates having to deal with the blinker and marker being separate. The high/low beams plugged right in and worked out of the box. Low beam adjustment had adjuster screws located on the back of the whole light fixture, resulted in having to take the whole headlight assembly out to adjust the light. The high beams were "non adjustable", but with a couple of long screwdrivers I was able to bend the high beam bulb mounting fixture to aim the light. Major pain in the *****, but works great now.
To wire up the blinkers and halos I did something pretty cool. I wired them with the logos through a box with 3 relays in it. Using the relay logic I was able to make a system that had the halos, logos, and blinkers all blinking.
How the system is set up and works:
When the marker lights/ headlights are on: The logos and halos are on constantly. When blinker is activated, the logos and halos will blink together in alternating pattern with the blinker. So when blinker is off, logos/halos are on. When blinker is on, logos/ halos are off. And it toggles back and forth during blinking.
When the market lights/ headlights are off: all blinkers, halos, logos, are off until blinker is activated. Then sequence of alteration begins in the same fashion as described above.
The system requires 3 relays per side to work, and the relays are mounted in a stainless box screwed to the fender. Overall I think its a really cool effect that I can justify in the name of safety or whatever.
07-16-2016, 07:11 PM
#12
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Radio/ sound system: The moment right after my dad rear ended my mom he hit the dash with his fist (Hulk smash style) right on the left corner of the radio and cracked the dash and killed the radio. We don't really bring it up... just best to leave that story alone. Anyways, so I replaced the radio with a modern one as well as updated the all the speakers.
The door speakers don't have tweeter spots, so I used a dremel and cut a spot in the wire speaker cover to mount tweeters. Actually looks ok. This only works if you have auxiliary tweeters. The new radio also has hands free calling, which is awesome for me driving a manual and all. I mounted the mic in the ash tray (zero tolerance for smoking in my truck, no exceptions. If you want to smoke buy your own damn truck) which is sweet because you pull out the tray to use it then push it back in and it disappears.
Interior: I found a replacement dash piece out of a junkyard bronco to swap out of the one my dad broke. I also got new leather for the steering wheel (old was all sticky and falling apart) that replaces, not covers, the old leather. I had to sew it on, and of course got it red and black. A tachometer was also added (cheap one from Autozone) because my dash doesn't have one stock. Apparently some Broncos did? I guess they just assumed the F150 drivers already new how to drive stick lol.
Also replaced the POS plastic door handles with metal ones after I had a friend brake one. Took that opportunity to re lube the door mechanism and now it open and shuts like a car door, not a tank hatch. I also added cheap Autozone cup holders, they fit snuggly between the shifter and the seat in the all the way back position (I'm 6'5" so its there all the time) and can be taken out easily when seat needs to moved because they aren't fastened. Cup holders seem like they aren't important until you don't have them, just saying.
The door speakers don't have tweeter spots, so I used a dremel and cut a spot in the wire speaker cover to mount tweeters. Actually looks ok. This only works if you have auxiliary tweeters. The new radio also has hands free calling, which is awesome for me driving a manual and all. I mounted the mic in the ash tray (zero tolerance for smoking in my truck, no exceptions. If you want to smoke buy your own damn truck) which is sweet because you pull out the tray to use it then push it back in and it disappears.
Interior: I found a replacement dash piece out of a junkyard bronco to swap out of the one my dad broke. I also got new leather for the steering wheel (old was all sticky and falling apart) that replaces, not covers, the old leather. I had to sew it on, and of course got it red and black. A tachometer was also added (cheap one from Autozone) because my dash doesn't have one stock. Apparently some Broncos did? I guess they just assumed the F150 drivers already new how to drive stick lol.
Also replaced the POS plastic door handles with metal ones after I had a friend brake one. Took that opportunity to re lube the door mechanism and now it open and shuts like a car door, not a tank hatch. I also added cheap Autozone cup holders, they fit snuggly between the shifter and the seat in the all the way back position (I'm 6'5" so its there all the time) and can be taken out easily when seat needs to moved because they aren't fastened. Cup holders seem like they aren't important until you don't have them, just saying.
07-16-2016, 07:34 PM
#13
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To Do List: As any good project, this truck is never done. After this quite lengthy write up of all the stuff I've done its now time to talk about whats next. I am always open to suggestions or ideas, you never know what you think might be stupid but turns into gold.
Things in the near future: I found 2 sweet tow hooks with screw plates off of a 70's tow truck to mount somewhere on the front of my truck. This is to create front tow points, because apparently Ford didn't find it important to put some on there in the first place... I guess they assumed the truck would never get stuck? So I've sand blasted and painted them (take a wild guess at the color) and now looking for a mounting place. The trick is you can't mount them directly to the frame without ripping the front bumper off when to tow something/ get towed. The lift kit came with a C channel type drop bracket to lower the skid plate that the sway bar is mounted too, this bracket is tough and 4" tall giving me plenty of room to bolt the hooks onto. Only caution about this is the torque it could apply to skid plate/sway bar and on frame. I looks to be bolted on very well and handle it, but something to think about for sure. Bellow is a picture of the tow hooks, screw plates, and possible mounting location. Let me know yall's thoughts on this.
FYI: hook would go on out side of C bracket, screw plate on inside
Things in the near future: I found 2 sweet tow hooks with screw plates off of a 70's tow truck to mount somewhere on the front of my truck. This is to create front tow points, because apparently Ford didn't find it important to put some on there in the first place... I guess they assumed the truck would never get stuck? So I've sand blasted and painted them (take a wild guess at the color) and now looking for a mounting place. The trick is you can't mount them directly to the frame without ripping the front bumper off when to tow something/ get towed. The lift kit came with a C channel type drop bracket to lower the skid plate that the sway bar is mounted too, this bracket is tough and 4" tall giving me plenty of room to bolt the hooks onto. Only caution about this is the torque it could apply to skid plate/sway bar and on frame. I looks to be bolted on very well and handle it, but something to think about for sure. Bellow is a picture of the tow hooks, screw plates, and possible mounting location. Let me know yall's thoughts on this.
FYI: hook would go on out side of C bracket, screw plate on inside
07-16-2016, 07:55 PM
#14
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Things in the 5 year Plan: Next major projects I'd like to is TIG a set of custom aluminum bumpers with wench, tire rack, lights, etc. I could whip up some plans on SoildWORKS and use CNC laser cutter to make pieces and TIG them together. Just got to get good enough at TIG first, as well as settle on a design I want. I need time, money, and place to do it. (being in college really doesn't help these factors)
The other major project I want to do is a 5.0 Coyote swap. All the research I've seen on this is depressing, its like a bunch of dads got together and had a dream smashing competition. All the threads that I could find are from latest of 2013, when the coyote swap was really expensive and new territory, but hat was 3 years ago. Its much easier and cheaper now. Plus I have a ZF tranny that should bolt right to the coyote (up for discussion, but pretty sure I read that somewhere) and keeping it a manual makes the electronics limited to just the motor management system (supplied by Ford). And if a 7.3 turbo diesel fits i know the coyote will. This wouldn't be the cheapest swap, my guess would be in the $8k range (after ac, power steering, and just life, costs are accounted for), but it would be the coolest to have all the vvt and 7k red line in a '95.
To the people who will say,"build a 351" or "supercharge the 302" because "its cheaper for the same hp" you are correct, but its a known fact that a 400hp 350 sbc gets smoked by a 400hp Ls... I feel like this trend applies in this case as well. And I know the stock coyote is set up to last, and I won't have to screw with building all the components right and tuning it with chances to mess up each step of the way. Also its my truck build, and who doesn't want to see a '95 coyote F150?
The other major project I want to do is a 5.0 Coyote swap. All the research I've seen on this is depressing, its like a bunch of dads got together and had a dream smashing competition. All the threads that I could find are from latest of 2013, when the coyote swap was really expensive and new territory, but hat was 3 years ago. Its much easier and cheaper now. Plus I have a ZF tranny that should bolt right to the coyote (up for discussion, but pretty sure I read that somewhere) and keeping it a manual makes the electronics limited to just the motor management system (supplied by Ford). And if a 7.3 turbo diesel fits i know the coyote will. This wouldn't be the cheapest swap, my guess would be in the $8k range (after ac, power steering, and just life, costs are accounted for), but it would be the coolest to have all the vvt and 7k red line in a '95.
To the people who will say,"build a 351" or "supercharge the 302" because "its cheaper for the same hp" you are correct, but its a known fact that a 400hp 350 sbc gets smoked by a 400hp Ls... I feel like this trend applies in this case as well. And I know the stock coyote is set up to last, and I won't have to screw with building all the components right and tuning it with chances to mess up each step of the way. Also its my truck build, and who doesn't want to see a '95 coyote F150?
07-16-2016, 08:07 PM
#15
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Thank you to all who took the time to read my build, any thoughts, tips, tricks, advice, or questions would be greatly appreciated. I'll do my best to answer with correct info to best of my knowledge. I'll update this thread as I do more stuff with my truck. Just because this is my thread and I love my truck, here are some more pics of her and some adventures we've been on. Hope you enjoy!
07-17-2016, 03:00 PM
#18
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Ecoengineer, yeah I'm in Pella for the summer working as an intern for Pella Windows.
Krack499, unfortunately the holes on the tow hooks are about 1"-1.5" closer together than the mounting bracket holes, but this helps with mounting the hooks vertically as the bolts to mount the hooks shouldn't interfere with the mounting bracket bolts.
Krack499, unfortunately the holes on the tow hooks are about 1"-1.5" closer together than the mounting bracket holes, but this helps with mounting the hooks vertically as the bolts to mount the hooks shouldn't interfere with the mounting bracket bolts.
07-17-2016, 04:06 PM
#19
Ecoengineer, yeah I'm in Pella for the summer working as an intern for Pella Windows.
Krack499, unfortunately the holes on the tow hooks are about 1"-1.5" closer together than the mounting bracket holes, but this helps with mounting the hooks vertically as the bolts to mount the hooks shouldn't interfere with the mounting bracket bolts.
Krack499, unfortunately the holes on the tow hooks are about 1"-1.5" closer together than the mounting bracket holes, but this helps with mounting the hooks vertically as the bolts to mount the hooks shouldn't interfere with the mounting bracket bolts.
