Since last August 2021, I have been restoring my 2004 F150, it's been some time slowly working on the restoration, and dealing with a slow recovery from heart and renal failure from five years ago. This all began from just wanting to replace cab corners, rockers, and clean up the frame and undercoat it with Blaster undercoating, and secure other areas with cosmoline.


Project start, descaling with an air scaler and air hammer. It's unbelievable the amount of rust and rock salt builds up in the frame and undercarriage. This truck is meticulously cleaned and washed every winter, but clearly, that wasn't enough. Really wish I did more with oil undercoating.








Aside from all the rust, road salt, brine that was eating away at the bed and the rest of the truck I've noticed the front frame plates beginning to swell up like Violet Beauregarde. I suppose I'll have to address this though I am not that confident to cut these off, however, I have designed a few replacements. Unsure what type I'll go with.












Carriage, removal of seats and carpet. The purpose for this is more room to move around and check the rest of the floor pan. Additionally, after all the bad metal is removed I'll scuff up the carriage, alcohol wipe, then coat with POR15. Perhaps I'll add a sound and heat barrier if time allows. The carpeting also needs a good cleaning at the local high-pressure car wash.
































I don't understand the amount of surface rust inside the cab dash supports. I find it ridiculous Ford made no attempt to zinc coat the supports and all the other bare metal supporting the dash, even under the seats.




Need to repair both fenders. I'll have to fab up some pieces and fill in the wheel arches.

 

With all the descaling look what I discovered.










Designed a wiring/loom track for what rotted out, had a local fab shop cut and bend them.


























Passenger floor pan. A new adventure. Looks ugly... turns into a flinstone drive.






















At this point I am debating if I ought to just purchase the sectioned floor pans online, they're 90 a piece. That's not economical with DIS income. I have plenty of sheetmetal. You'll see that brackets under the floor pan (carriage supports) need to be fabricated too. Body mounts for both passenger and drivers need to come out, and I'll just cut these marker marked areas with a plasma torch since I just bought a Herocut.

 

Driver's floor pan. I'm just starting to dig into it. This seems like a lot more work than the passenger.













Last but certainly not least the bed. Unsure if I'm going to attempt to restore it or look for another. This color scheme is VERY hard to find and paiting a bed will run me around $1500 at the local body shop. Back panel/front of bed corners inside are toast, and I haven't even had time to pull out the bed liner to see the rest of the corrosion. The bed does seem solid until steping up to the front corners. The bed needs to come off in order to weld in the cab corners.



















Will update as progress allows me to.

 

Very cool!

I need to do some rust work on another vehicle. A 2007 Jeep Compass. The doors are in need of some major rework. Including the hinges.

I was just working on an P0456 Very Small EVAP leak on it this morning. I think it's the fuel filler neck, but not 100% sure. Tested 6 different brands of fuel caps (one being OEM). Spent plenty of time behind the smoke machine today. I had a Purge Valve on hand and already replaced the metering valve a few months ago. We'll see.

On my 2007 F150, I had a small body shop that only does rework/rust repair do my truck for a very reasonable amount of money. They also undercoated it and did a truck bed liner for me too.

These vehicles are worth more now than ever.

I've been hankering for a barn find 2000-2002 F350 diesel (preferably a dually) 4x4 (auto or manual) with super low mileage (under 100k) with no to manageable rust. But the prices are insane right now.

 

She is gonna be a beauty when you are done!!!!! Looks like you have a good platform to start with, especially since you know the "history"... tends to limit surprises!!!! BTW- lots of old school tools I see!!!! The floor jack is an AFF? Those are all "real' tools that work and last!!!!!

 

​​​​​​​Good luck with that. 30 grand and up.

 

Yeah, I know. The brighter side is that it less complicated than a new truck and still a lot less.

Do I need it? Nope.

It's one of those things that I want it, and I'm keeping my eyes open, but not holding by breath.

 

reduced size of images. updating with new cab floor pan plates.

 

If you live in the salt belt it's very likely your truck is like this too. I hadn't realized the extent of the rust until I got under the truck and poked around, and poked some more and more. Wasn't like this three years ago. Body frame plates are toast so I designed a new plate though still in the process. The spacer between the cab plate and the floor pan is in good condition. All of this will receive a new coat of rust-stop paint and will be heavily coated with Blaster Surface shield after the restoration is completed. I've considered Cosmoline for the new fabricated parts. Fabricating with 18 ga












hopefully the paper will hold better than sheetmetal. paper doesn't rust.

 

desacled. rust cookies.










spacer is solid and no rust. cleaned the area and bathed it with rust-stop. new plates will be cut soon. two plates one for the bottom around the good spacer and the other will be welded over the top of the two. will be more rigid that OE design. again entire truck will be bathed in lanolin after everything is restored.

 

I had the back window leaking on this 2003 F150 XL I bought a few uears ago, that too can contribute to the floor rust, I wound up removing it last year, then re-sealing it. Luckily it didn't rust through, good luck with the restoration.