1969 F250 4x4 Highboy 7/9 rubicon

[fomocoguy]

Looks great! I bet you can't wait to start driving it. I've got a tip for you that you may already know- air those front tires up to the max psi to keep the steering easy as possible. No ps in a daily driver can get old real quick, but it'll be pretty easy to maneuver if the psi is kept on the high side. Like I said, you may already know this...

[1971ford]

Well i have some great news and some news that is making me a little mad to say the least.

Good news - Got the truck running, starts right up. I even drove it up and back down the driveway (20 feet) and checked all gears to make sure i had the shift tower on right so now i can bolt it down all the way.

Bad news. Either my nice split bench seat has to go or my 3 point belts have to go. I spent all night installing the belts only to find that my seat is way too wide to fit between the retractors.
And the truck won't be daily driving friday because of this issue and because my dad might not have time to go to insurance.
I already took parts off the '71 to put on the highboy so now the '71 doesn't even drive and im out a car.
great.

[Supermike]

I'd say OUT with the split bench. The buckets are nice, but hey... one of these days you might finish this, and decide you want a girl to ride next to you... that's what bench seats are for!!

Also, the 3-point belts will be safer for you... better to have a bench and be more safe than be more comfortable but less safe.

Glad to hear it fired right up! I'm sure that was music to your ears...

[cheek]

What he said^ bench seats FTW!

[1971ford]

Alright guys i spoke a little too soon. I looked it for half an hour and finally an idea popped into my head so i got to work. I made 1.25" spacers out of .240 wall 1" tubing to go between the seat rails and the floor where they bolt to. The bolts will slip through the seat mount/spacer just like stock but the seat will e 1.25" higher. It clears the retractors just fine this way although a little tight
I'm going to get some blocks machined from billet aluminum to swap in place of the tubing for more stability in case SHTF one day. The blocks will just be about 1.5" by 3" or so and 1.5" tall and will have two holes going through them for the bolts. I'll be using grade 8's to help resist the extra leverage.

I don't know what you guys are talking about though, the center of my bench folds up/down to make another seat or to have cup holders/armrest/storage. So the girls CAN sit close. if they dont mind straddling the shifters
Maybe what i have isn't called a split bench. It's a nice comfy bench that has a fold down middle for cup holder action or possible girl action.


-Pulled the rear drums/axles and cleaned out the brakes, pads are good , brakes look good, coated drums in high temp paint, painted hubs. painted the rims off-white.
-Pulled front whels, cleaned brakes, pads almost brand new, coated drums in high temp paint, painted hubs
-installed window anti-rattle kids, and side windows
-got the wiper (with delay) setup working and wipers on.
-Headlights and high-beams work great
-zip tied the defroster duct open on the heater and pluged the fan into the switch, it blows 10x strong than in the '71
-installed the 3 point belts
-installed the hood
-pulled the voltage regulator/horn relay off the '71 and put it on the highboy
-390 started right up, so i then drove it 20 feet up the driveway just to check all the gears and make sure i got the shifter tower back on right. They all worked great so I bolted the tower on and I am now resetting the carpet.
-windshield dude came and installed the windshield for $100
-ordered another new rear window rubber this time with no trim so i can install it myself
-bought 30 of the standard 5/16 bumpside bolts/washers and 10 7/16 bolts for where the bumps have the bigger bolts (inner fender to firewall, etc.). Also new bolts for the cab and radiator support mounts.

[1971ford]

-Bolted core support on with new bolts
-Bolted front 2 cab mounts on with new bolts/washers
-Bolted lower valance on
-Stole the turn signal lenses from the '71 and put them on
-Stole the optima battery and put it in the highboy (starts instantly now)
-Stole the air cleaner from the '71 and put it on
-Discovered my pinion seal spontaneously got a pretty good leak (will fix it this weekend)
-pulled the carpet up and bolted down the shift tower on the tranny now that i knew it was on there correctly. Then I bolted the trans hump on and put sound deadening over it.I put the carpet over the shifter boots too, looks pretty good. I need to restore the shift levers and get some new knobs.

Then I drove it around the block several times, It drives great! No funny noises, engine sounds perfect, shifts great. Only issue is that the suspension feels as if I have metal tubing in place of shocks. I do have no shocks, so I'll have to do something about that



I really need to get the glove box door on and I need a horn ring badly then the interior would look pretty sweet. Still on the list is to put carpet over the kick panels. I'm trying to make it as luxurious as a bumpside can get inside








Fri/sat/sun I plan on setting the bed on (I'm going to install the mustang tank later this winter when the bed comes back off to get sandblasted inside), Installing a new Alpine Stereo I have, painting the door panels, finishing adjusting the doors and getting them assembled, install rear window (should get the rubber any day now), install sound deadener on the roof and isntall headliner, bolt the seat down, swap VIN plates, and weld the nut in the radiator support.

It will be registered/insured by monday for sure... very excited

[impappy]

I just read through your entire thread, and I must say...Fantastic work! Very impressive. I am excited for you and all the fun you will have in your Beautiful truck. I could'nt be more impressed by someone that had been doing restorations for decades. Congratulations on a job well done.

[1971ford]

Thanks!!
I too am going to look through my entire thread right now. This should be interesting.

[69rangerf100]

Ryan i am so jealous with all the time that you have to get things done. with work school and 3 kids i dont have that much time to do much

[RTG_RACING]

I don't think the air filter is tall enough.

[1971ford]

yea when it is on my '71 with 429 it rubs the underside of the hood.
It just barely clears on the 390.

My engines don't complain about breathing

[1971ford]

Today my dad and I went to the insurance place and wapped the '71 for the '69... the '69 is totally street legal now, and is officially my daily driver as of today. Today (I'd say tomorrow but I'm up late) I am driving it all over town so we'll see how it goes
In a few hours we will be dropping the bed on and I'll hook up big in cab tank thats bolted to the front of the bed.

[Doug Comer]

Have fun and be careful breaking in that new truck.

[1971ford]

The highboy's first day of daily driving went great!

It ran great, started right up with the turn of the k.... um ... screwdriver, and drove great. Really need some shocks though
Sound deadening did pretty good it seems, I can't hear the 390 at all inside the cab! But I can hear the way overpowering 4spd/390 whine of compression... I sitll need to sound deaden the door panels and get them on as well as the roof and back of cab.
I installed one of my CD players (kenwood) and simply wired it right to the original in-dash speaker. I had no idea how it would sound in that 40 yr old technology speaker but it actaully sounds pretty good and goes pretty loud while stilling being clear! I am still going to mount some speakers.... somewhere....
Of course we dropped the bed on, I hooked up the tank in the bed and then wired the taillights up and was ready to rock.

The headlights are 100x better than the race truck's.... plenty bright now! I just finished aiming them as well. I like having the high beam switch on the floor again just like good ol times
The delay wiper setup is nifty, there was a misty rain and it worked great for it
The heater is 100x better than the race truck as well, I got the ducts hooked up and the vents from the '71 in it and it blows air very fast compared to the '71.
It also works very well.. it will turn the cab into an oven if needed . No more seeing my breathe the entire way to school!

Only problem was/is that it is leaking brake fluid out of the MC somwhere, it's hard to tell where for sure. It is most likely coming from under the cap. Maybe a new MC is in line.

My brother helped push on the rear window as I installed it... it was pretty dang easy. Looks very clean.
The cab is very sealed, Every hole i could possibly find I covered with sound deadener, plus the new and very tight anti-rattle kit, and new front and rear window rubber, the heat stays in the cab.







I'm probably going to go hoodless for a little bit, I can't stand the white hood, it ruins the look of the whole truck!

[FordTruck]

Glad to see its working out for you. Someday I hope to feel that same since of accomplishment with my highboy but its gonna be awhile............it needs alot of work! I know ming the shocks aren't doing a bit of good cause I feel every little bump in the road