Bootleggers DLX
Shifts Happen
I decided that it was time to actually build myself a rig to tow around my other rigs with. I never really was a fan of anything longer than a regular cab shortbox, but this truck came along in a trade that I couldn't pass up.
Thats the day i limped it home, with a blown brake line, a burnt clutch, and a LOT of peanut shells on the floorboards.
The truck is a 1993 F350, 2wd, 351W, 5 speed. Truck was originally from Texas, and came up to Iowa about 8 years ago. It sat for a few months, as i was thinking about just parting it out. But i finally started digging in, fixed the brake lines, did a few upgrades. Here's where i was after a bit of elbow grease.
I had just limped the truck down to the car wash in that last pic to hose off the last few years of nastyness, and was heading back into the shop to replace the burnt clutch. But as soon as the trans was out and the flywheel was off... it was apparent that i needed to give the engine some love.
Always happens like that, doesn't it?? All because the rear main was leaking and the oil pan was soft.
The engine got a re-gasket, a new oil pump, oil pan, timing chain, some headers to replace the nasty cracked manifolds, and a delete of all the Air Pump system. Nothing mind blowing at that time, because i was still on a pretty shoestring budget. It looked good going together tho!
Got the truck on the road, put a custom Dual 2.5" into single 3" exhaust on it, and I thought I was good to go... for like 400 miles, until the replacement clutch hydraulics blew out on me.
The truck sat for a year at that point, partially because I was pissed at it, partially because I got busy with work, with promotions with other projects, with life in general.
So lets fast forward to like Last Christmas. Decided to finally swap the clutch hydraulics out.
This was a far too familiar sight. In total, i went through three clutch hydraulic setups, before i found out that the "improved design" of coupling wouldn't hold up, and the factory ford design was no longer available. I got really good at pulling the trans in and out tho, pops and I were down to under and hour to get it out or in.
We finally decided to go hot rod route with it.
Adapters were made to allow me to run an AN-3 line on the system. Life got better then, and just in time, because we had the truck running for all of 24 hours before we got to go test it.
Pops and i gassed up on a cold, blistery January day and went ot central Illinois and back. Truck ran flawless. In this pic, you see the parts car, you cant really see the bed was full of parts, the back seat was full of parts, the car was stuffed full of parts, and i had tires strapped to the front of the trailer tongue.
After getting home, and fixing the wiper motor that died on the truck on our adventure, the truck saw some daily driving and some small adventures, but nothing crazy. A hung up brake caliper brings us to the current situation with the truck.
Thats the day i limped it home, with a blown brake line, a burnt clutch, and a LOT of peanut shells on the floorboards.
The truck is a 1993 F350, 2wd, 351W, 5 speed. Truck was originally from Texas, and came up to Iowa about 8 years ago. It sat for a few months, as i was thinking about just parting it out. But i finally started digging in, fixed the brake lines, did a few upgrades. Here's where i was after a bit of elbow grease.
I had just limped the truck down to the car wash in that last pic to hose off the last few years of nastyness, and was heading back into the shop to replace the burnt clutch. But as soon as the trans was out and the flywheel was off... it was apparent that i needed to give the engine some love.
Always happens like that, doesn't it?? All because the rear main was leaking and the oil pan was soft.
The engine got a re-gasket, a new oil pump, oil pan, timing chain, some headers to replace the nasty cracked manifolds, and a delete of all the Air Pump system. Nothing mind blowing at that time, because i was still on a pretty shoestring budget. It looked good going together tho!
Got the truck on the road, put a custom Dual 2.5" into single 3" exhaust on it, and I thought I was good to go... for like 400 miles, until the replacement clutch hydraulics blew out on me.
The truck sat for a year at that point, partially because I was pissed at it, partially because I got busy with work, with promotions with other projects, with life in general.
So lets fast forward to like Last Christmas. Decided to finally swap the clutch hydraulics out.
This was a far too familiar sight. In total, i went through three clutch hydraulic setups, before i found out that the "improved design" of coupling wouldn't hold up, and the factory ford design was no longer available. I got really good at pulling the trans in and out tho, pops and I were down to under and hour to get it out or in.
We finally decided to go hot rod route with it.
Adapters were made to allow me to run an AN-3 line on the system. Life got better then, and just in time, because we had the truck running for all of 24 hours before we got to go test it.
Pops and i gassed up on a cold, blistery January day and went ot central Illinois and back. Truck ran flawless. In this pic, you see the parts car, you cant really see the bed was full of parts, the back seat was full of parts, the car was stuffed full of parts, and i had tires strapped to the front of the trailer tongue.
After getting home, and fixing the wiper motor that died on the truck on our adventure, the truck saw some daily driving and some small adventures, but nothing crazy. A hung up brake caliper brings us to the current situation with the truck.
