1978 Crew Cab 4x4

[Nordby]

Quick update to folks - Fordge is running nice, and is my daily driver. A few changes - I put an MTS 33 gallon fuel tank in it, with a new sender and pickup. The old 19 gallon MTS tank didn't give me the range I wanted. I have to keep the spare in the bed, but so far not too annoying, and my range is about 30gallons x 17. 8mpg on the last tank, so 530+ miles each fillup. It is showing 14. 8K on it now, work is only 10 miles down the road, and I ride a bike or motorcycle when the weather gets nice, so slowly piling some miles on.

Once every 6 months I have to go through and just ensure stuff stays tight. The transmission crossmember is coming loose, where I bolted through a fabbed mount to the xfer case mount. Blue loctite didn't hold - use red.

Replaced the Kingpins over last summer in the D60 up front. Keeping the oil changed, running stanadyne to keep the injection system happy.

I put the BD intercooler boots on, pricey Blue ones, with the unreal spring clamps. Max boost is 31psi unloaded, into a 30mph headwind uphill floored in 4th. Best I ever saw with factory boots leaking was 28psi or so. Easiest 30hp i ever gained!

Wiring harness from the cab to the rear was the old rotten original Ford harness, patched too many times and giving me trouble. Swapped it out - still had the donor from the Dodge (first few photos of this thread), so I reused it, spliced it in, all soldered and shrinktubed before being re-loomed. No more intermittent signals and brake lights.

Always details to work on, but enjoying it and just driving it down the road.
Take care, keep these old cummins motors on the road and put them in everything that will carry them!
Jon.

 

[Shadrach]

Good to hear the truck is running good for you. Shadrach

 

[Nordby]

I can't believe it has been so long since I updated this thread - I write software for a living (25 years now!), so stay off computers in my spare time.

Fordge is still running super great. Wore out the tires on it from the rebuild, running some stockers for now, and kind of like the gearing/off-the line feel of smaller diameter (had 33"s on it). Plus I live on a dirt road so it keeps the sides of the truck cleaner! 22K miles now, still my daily driver, biggest change is a I installed a flipover gooseneck in the bed and a brake controller. Picture is my 30' hay flatbed, loaded with oak from fire mitigation work at the house over the summer. Pulls nice - though I've only hauled some vehicles with it, never anything more than 8K or so. Not sure how many hitches I want to install - that was tough to get the hole in the bed right, and get the no-drill hitch on the frame (I had to drill the side for the bolts, the hitch was a newer one I had from another truck). Nice once I had it all lined up.

Showing some wear - a few paint chips, a few bubbles in the paint over the wheel wells even, small crack in the windsheild, normal wear and tear driving it.

I did put some overload springs on it - had them laying around from donor trucks for a while - they work well when that trailer is loaded, or when a smaller popup camper is on it. Normally, just a toolbox is in it and it takes me to work 12 miles down the road.

I've gone through one set of Classic Plate license plate stickers in Colorado - good for 5 years, and bought another set, so good until 2017. I feel pretty lucky to get to drive this rig for 5+ years now and looking forward to the next 5.

No issues at all in the past couple of years - I guess I did wear out some batteries before their time (Napa gold), just replaced them and got a partial warranty on them so no complaints.

Build your own an enjoy! I'll try to read in here and post more often next time!

Jon

 

[DonFitzwater]

Good job! Nice daily driver.

 

[Simplysmn]

Nicely done crewcab best way to make a ford last Great Job .

 

[Fordpickupman]

Looks great. It gets worked, that is a testament to a good job.
I love the steel wheels and hub caps.