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The Rig. F-350 sleeper cab build

ANGELO

Red Numb Skull
Joined
May 20, 2020
Member Number
453
Messages
669
Loc
BRADENTON FL
Its looking like im going to start making progress on the rig again so figured this thing was worthy of a build thread. Im going to copy and paste posts from FSB to bring it to current.

In 2018 i saw this for sale on facebook for 1000. pretty much all it said was doesnt run if it doesnt sell will be scrapped. wasnt sure about it, didnt really need any more projects. but i just kept thinking about it and i found a older ad saying it had a gear vendors and a turbo. those alown are worth the asking price so i called him to go take a look later that day.
so he paid 8000 for it last year but it was to long and couldnt turn around in his yard. so he sold it to a "mechanic" friend. that guy was making payments the past year and recently the dash caught fire so he dropped it back in this guys yard and said he doesnt want it any more. so the guy i got it from just wanted it gone, thats why it was cheap.
the "mechanic" owner did a couple things to it while he owned it. he hit something on pass side destroying the door and glass, and damaged the fiberglass cab and front fender flare. He unbolt the driver seat because i guess it wouldnt go far enough back. pulled the dash apart to figure out the fire. He also tried to find a oil leak so he pulled the air filter box out and was running it like that. if your familiar with idis you would know how bad of a idea that is for a couple reasons, first being the ats85 turbo isnt exactly easy to find parts when it sucks somthing in. But the crd vents into the air box, so without the air box it was venting into the hood... idis have a huge ring gap. so by doing that everything was covered in oil.
I asked if i could try to start it, he said it wont run but i could try. 12v to the fss, remote start and it fired up within a couple seconds. so i took it for a test drive and it felt good enough to drive home. it did a hour and half drive home doing 80mph. i parked it and thats where its been sitting.
I got it for 900. its based off of a 84 f350. built buy sellers manufacturing, its a pretty rare conversion. it has a 6.9 idi with a ats 85 turbo. 4 speed manual with gear vendor over drive.

31083373238_35a1b7492e_c.jpg 20180926_192309 by Angelo Mehtala, on Flickr

i originally thought it was the aftermarket wiring that caught fire, becuase it is awful, but it wasnt. it was the factory fuse box. but like half the factory wiring had scotchclamps or other splices to them so it could have been the aftermarket wiring that caused it. they had the cab marker lights on a toggle switch....
i forgot to to take before pictures so i already pressure washed some of the oil, changed the door and reinstalled the air box.
46034340251_9bd95a2ba8_c.jpg 20181124_102241 by Angelo Mehtala, on Flickr

31095483077_895947ce30_c.jpg 20181123_164001 by Angelo Mehtala, on Flickr

31095484597_8f74f225dd_c.jpg 20181123_163958 by Angelo Mehtala, on Flickr

45984532982_c4d849134d_c.jpg 20181123_164042 by Angelo Mehtala, on Flickr

44218576160_1206a7d422_c.jpg 20181123_164045 by Angelo Mehtala, on Flickr

all the wires are stipped and im getting a new factory harness tomorrow. going to redo all the other wires the right way.

46034340481_db65edc9f2_c.jpg 20181123_164114 by Angelo Mehtala, on Flickr

31095476297_64ac3bfaa4_c.jpg 20181123_164108 by Angelo Mehtala, on Flickr

45310034674_953b8035be_c.jpg 20181123_164019 by Angelo Mehtala, on Flickr

31095480607_6cd1069881_c.jpg 20181123_164016 by Angelo Mehtala, on Flickr

45984950472_4fa6cb9103_c.jpg 2018-11-24_07-56-23 by Angelo Mehtala, on Flickr

Theres more to this truck then just that. this truck has a history. so back in the 80s when it was new, it pulled one of the Ferrari race team trailers.

46034661111_4ef75b1173_c.jpg received_1415380415261697 by Angelo Mehtala, on Flickr

45984834462_503c23b711_c.jpg received_249167295792032 by Angelo Mehtala, on Flickr

32163896808_c4d2f40861_c.jpg received_726957777637997 by Angelo Mehtala, on Flickr

some pictures from before it was "restored". the po said he emailed Ferrari with the vin and they email back really excited about this truck and sent him old pictures. he cant find them so i have been meaning to email ferrari to see if i can get them.
 
i was driving for work and saw a totaled chevy ramp truck on the side of the road. so i pulled over to see if i could buy the bed. he said he would sell the bed for 1000, but then said he would much rather sell it all for 3500. all complete rust free decent interior, new tires, alcoas, new winch, mild built 355 with less then 10,000 miles same with the trans. figured i can buy it complete and get my money back
48300956822_55c8627d09_c.jpg received_3075483115802880 by Angelo Mehtala, on Flickr

48300849546_6687019a98_c.jpg received_355874448409670 by Angelo Mehtala, on Flickr

hit above the frame so no frame damage. posted the partout ad last saturday morning and started to strip it. sold the engine and trans, cab, and interior by the end of the day for 2000$. the engine was actually sold to the person driving when it was wrecked.

48300955162_02b783ab54_c.jpg 20190713_152058 by Angelo Mehtala, on Flickr

48300853481_45c971c5e0_c.jpg 20190714_110225 by Angelo Mehtala, on Flickr

next day trailered the rig to the warehouse and got its bed off. next weekend joining the two.
 
48346333366_c31e8c9ba6_c.jpg IMG_50751 by Angelo Mehtala, on Flickr

48346333341_0c42319b77_c.jpg IMG_50731 by Angelo Mehtala, on Flickr

48346331081_2a387c6179_c.jpg 20190721_162514 by Angelo Mehtala, on Flickr

making progress.

that sleepers not square, one side has a drip rail and the other doesnt. and neither is the front of the bed from the cab being pushed into it. so the bottom corner of the driverside of the bed hits the cab. should be easy to cut bed back and reweld
 
So yesterday was the first time starting it in 2 years. The plan is, boat gas tank, mount the driver seat, brakes, then drive it to my house. It still needs major wiring help. the front suspension redone, idk if a sold front from like a f superduty might be worth replacing the ttb front. Engine and trans both need some work, but thinking about something else like a 12v and zf6. Still working on the alcoas for the front. i either need to get the chevy ones machined or find some ford ones.
PXL_20210519_212859696.MP.jpg
 
If the I beam stuff is in OK shape, put it on air. Would be super simple, keep you camber from being fucked when loaded, and ride like a dream. :smokin:
 
If the I beam stuff is in OK shape, put it on air. Would be super simple, keep you camber from being fucked when loaded, and ride like a dream. :smokin:
That's what I was originally thinking . I'm sure they are fixable. But they will need to be rebuilt. The pivot bushing have like 1" of slop
 
Great work! What is the long term plan for use with it? Engine run alright?
 
You've already got a Chevy rear, how about a beam front from a Chevy 3500HD?
Those are actually the same weird 10x7 pattern, I think they only use 5 in the front, but whatever.

I think some 90s dodge 3500s may have used a straight axle even being 2wd, but not a drop beam.


Gm P30 step van is probably the best bet for 8x6.5 drop beam.
 
Plan on fixing it up and using it, if it will do it fine hauling my bronco would be nice. Don't know how long I'll keep it so I'm thinking Cummins swap for resale value. The 6.9 runs pretty good. It's need sitting for 2 years and fired right up last week. But it'll need work, I can watch the lifters if I look behind the injection pump.
That Chevy beam sounds interesting. Are they coil or leaf?
 
So yesterday was the first time starting it in 2 years. The plan is, boat gas tank, mount the driver seat, brakes, then drive it to my house. It still needs major wiring help. the front suspension redone, idk if a sold front from like a f superduty might be worth replacing the ttb front. Engine and trans both need some work, but thinking about something else like a 12v and zf6. Still working on the alcoas for the front. i either need to get the chevy ones machined or find some ford ones.
05+ d60 is a fairly easy swap on these 2wd TTB trucks
it is harder on the 4wd ones because they've got a different front frame for the leaf springs

ETA: oh fuck me
you linked me to an old thread, I blame you :flipoff2:
 
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