CowFish

Thank you!
You know, this is crazy, but ever since the wheels are black, the red lower stripe no longer KILLS me. I hated it so much when the wheels were chrome, I didn't think it could ever look good. Now though, it's grown on me a little.

I think I'll paint some other things first for the mean time, like someone else mentioned the rear window surround, the bedliner's caps.
Plus I want to paint-to-match the grille surround and bumpers. Basically get rid of any chrome.

nfldfordman

Well, I like your way of thinking

mandingo32

Had to clean mine up pretty good too before taking it home. It only sat for a year without being driven but the only time water hit the hood is when it rained.

badtziscool

Good job on the interior cleanup! Those seats and door panels look as good as new. Amazing!

CowFish

That's how dedicated us car nuts are, we take something neglected and make it SHINE again. lol

Thank you!
I actually couldn't get myself to take 'before' pics of the interior it was so bad. I didn't want anybody to ever see it, but from the exterior pics in the very first post of this thread, people can get an idea of how bad it was...

Well a bit of a set back today, last night a giant tree branch fell on my hood...





The offender:



The weird thing is that I actually had the hood propped open a few inches with a piece of wood, because I was working on the wipers before the rain picked up and I put the project on hold. So I wonder if the hood being propped open actually reduced the damage?

This is how I had it propped open:



This thing might've bent a little, too:



The bang was so loud I heard it from inside the house and ran out to see what happened. The funny thing is, I was just browsing through a 'post your regular cab' thread as it happened. lol
What does this mean?!

nfldfordman

Ouch man, sorry to see that!

CowFish

Thanks!
I'm just gonna live with it for now, there are too many more important things the truck 'needs' in the near future, like a regear, Detroit locker, tiregate, rear Deaver springs, front spindle lift, shocks, brakes, bushings, yada yada...
Also, I'm most likely picking up a camper shell tomorrow.

Just did the first oil & filter change to the truck (under my ownership). I also removed all stickers from the front and rear bumpers with a heat gun and 3M adhesive remover. Here's a before:

CowFish

Great news, I scored a really good used topper on craigslist. I've been browsing for so long and it seems that it's actually hard to find a good topper for these long beds. Also, I had to have one with frameless side windows, so that ruled out all of them except ONE:

















It's got frameless side windows, a curved back window, pop-outs with screen, it's cab-high with a flat roof and has removable roof bars (which will be removed).
It's even silver, just has some clear coat peeling that I can easily mend.
As you can see it was made for a super cab, not a regular cab, so it has that 'thousand dollar gap' as someone called it. But I'm fine with it.
Now on to some cleaning, it's dirty and those stickers have TO GO lol. I'm anti stickers.

I'll be building a camping system into the topper with sleeping platform, stay tuned for that. Thank you for looking and as always, any comments and suggestions are welcome.

CowFish

Going to get that topper I used exactly one gas tank on the way up and one on the way back. It was all freeway (drafting off semis), I always calculate my mpgs at the pump between fill ups and without the shell I got 18.9 mpg around 60 mph steady.
WITH the shell on the way back I got 18.9 mpg, same speed.
What does this mean?!?! lol

mandingo32

Sucks the hood got jacked up!

Nice find on the topper. Looks like it fits perfect and even has the same color paint.