This will be my Project/Build thread on a 90 4x4 standard cab longbed.
A little background first: My brother and I have a part-time business where we buy/restore/sell muscle cars. Here's the latest (sold last month)




I own a 01 4x4 2500 HO 6spd, but I've always liked the 1st Gens too. Lately, I've noticed that they seem to sell for more than I remember. So, we decided to take on this 90 to restore and sell....




Mechanically, this truck is in pretty good shape, the best I can tell. It's got the adapting bell housing and a NV4500 trans.

Neither one of us have any mechanical ability on diesels, so I'm sure I'll have questions for ya along the way.

So, here we go....

 

This truck has some body work kinda issues that will be fixed first....






Sorry, hope ya don't mind.... I like pictures

 

first was pressure cleaning.
When we bought this truck it was on a big farm in West Virginia.
I think we brought a big chunk of that farm home with us....



This truck won't be "show quality" like the cars we restore. It is a truck after all. But, it will have a nice base coat / clear coat paint job with quality body work.

 

Talking about the roof, be sure to look hard, just above the windshield, just above the rain gutter for blisters in the paint suggesting there's rust burning through from the inside. Unfortunately, it's a regular thing with the 1st gens. When constructed, the roof (proper) is sandwiched with similar sheet-metal to reinforce it at the front. As such, the factory couldn't access between the metal sheets for priming/painting/rust-proofing.

In the 1st gen world, it's referred to as Cancer.






Good luck.


BTW, We like lots of pichers.

 

Thanks. Actually we just found that exact thing last Wednesday. I thought that was a really strange place for rust-through. You've just explained it. We didn't see it until we started sanding on the roof.
Thanks

 

Starting on block sanding to find the low/high spots....

 

Um no offense but I am alittle upset I cant blow up the mustang pics. And I am not a mustang fan

Also gald to see another WV person on here.

LETS GO!!!!!

 

I tried the same with the completed pictures.

You know whats scary is my dad had a 90 auto 4x4 that was that exact color. trucks look the same besides my dads being lifted an inch or two tinted windows n AR rims. His was damaged while he was hauling pipe for a construction company laying pipe. some idiot put the pipe front the tailgate up over the headache rack n when he questioned it he was told it would be fine till he hit a bump n that blue bruit came over the roof on him had like 7 dents in the roof and hood. The repairs got paid for n he had a really nice clean looking truck. about 2 years later someone never stopped for a stop sign n well long story short he rolled it into an orchard.

I miss the truck n will be keeping an eye on the progress.

 

There's tons if pics here:
http://forums.vintage-mustang.com/vi...placement.html
and here's the video we made to add to the eBay auction:
http://youtu.be/aZlRIjHmljc

 

Very nice! I was in the middle of doing the same project. Everything is brand new under the hood (w250) and I was going to start doing bodywork and suspension but I was hit with some heavy home owners taxes this year (30% increase) so the truck is sitting in my garage.

I'm going to get a few things fixed and drive it this winter. Figure this summer that I'll start the body work.

 

A little more done....
Lots more low spots to fill


The roof rot wasn't anywhere near as bad as the one BC847 posted, but it did have problems. Grind, weld, Duraglass, then Chromalite....

 

What kind of body filler is that? I have some large rust holes that I mig welded steel to fill it in. Then I used bondo to smooth it out.

 

After welding in metal backing, we use Duraglass first.
http://www.levineautoparts.com/duraglass.html
It's kinda difficult to work with/sand, but it contains fibers and is VERY strong.
Then smooth with ChromaLite which is actually easier to work with than old fashioned Bondo.
http://www.evercoat.com/productDetail.aspx?pID=34
You don't get the air bubbles that you do with Bondo.
I don't think you can get either at Advance or Auto Zone, we get them from a auto body shop supplier.

 

My dad used USC all-metal on my roof......had to rebuild the whole front of, my dad squared the body line off a little more than factory and it looks great.

You guys are going to remove the side moldings right? when you do, tell me where you got the replacement plastic clips that hold the trim on

 

Watching.