Lets see some full size pictures...

[Easternshoreman]

My '99 7.3 runs a 4" lift and 35s. She'll take me where ever she fits. Mine is a short bed. I'm retired Army, so I'm not working the truck at a job site. I love the short bed, but with the crew cab, even it is long in places like parking lots. Unless you really need a lot of cargo room, I'd just build up your short bed. Given that it's not rusting away. I started with a rust free truck, so I got no problem throwing money at it to fix her up. New engine, new trans, lift, camper shell, saving for air lockers now... Start with what you got, and make her what you want...

The bed is starting to rust around the wheel wells a little, but that's really it that i can see. When i move back to Maryland in a year i'm going to take it to a mechanic I trust, and does really good work for a good price. I'm going to have him go over my truck now and come up with a list of everything he feels needs to be fixed (suspension, engine, etc.) to get it back to tiptop condition. Depending on how much that would cost will be a deciding factor on whether I go ahead and buy a newer truck or dump money into a truck that already has 331,000+ miles on it

 

[swamp_beast]

little bit of rust is fairly easy to fix as long as its caught early. as for 331 on your current 7.3, the 7.3 was one hell of a stout engine and the last really good diesel to be installed in a ford if you ask me and they are well known to run many more miles than you currently have. plus if the rest of the truck is in good shape a rebuild would still be cheaper than a new/used truck. plus you atleast know what ya got. buy another used truck and god knows what you can end up with. 2003 if i remember correctly was the last of the good 7.3 without all the emisions crap that seems to plauge newer rigs. my philosophy is dont toss it out unless it cant be repaired for cheaper than it can be replaced. although this may be why my newest truck is a 97 with 592,000 kilometers on the clock

 

[gypsybarber]

Right now we're in North Bend/Coos Bay area, but we are going to the greater Eugene area.

The truck was originally from Myrtle Point. The (step)father of a friend from high school bought the truck new with a stock bed and a 454 big block. He then had the utility bed put on it and had it painted the blue color over the stock white. After using it for a farm truck for many years my dad bought it with a bad engine about 12 years ago. Dad put a 1970 402 in it, then after a few years we swapped the 6.2 out of an '84 3/4 ton 2wd regular cab long bed (with a 4.10 posi rear end) that I had (that truck btw was QUICK with the 402 in it). I'm the 3rd owner and personally knew the original owner. The bad news is that the cab is cancerous from the inside where I can't get at it, and it will need re-cabbed in a couple of years. Too long living on the coast without proper maintenance.

 

[Sock Puppet]

New snap shot today:

 

[DaveNay]

New snap shot today:

I like the brush guard. What make is it?

 

[myershorsepower]

gypsybarber
welcome!
Got to love those old crew cabs

 

[Sock Puppet]

I like the brush guard. What make is it?

It's a Ranch Hand (Legend model, IIRC). I've run Ranch Hand guards for quite a few years and always been very happy with them. They make a full bumper relacement that's very nice, too.

 

[seriousseries]

05 3500 duramax

A great truck that gets me there (until someone buys it).

 

[150]

 

[Carson]

any links to the full build? wouldent mind reading up on it!

 

[LTLDEMONZ]

Guess I have lurked long enough. Here's my 97 powerstroke, still getting organized though.

 

[redthies]

Guess I have lurked long enough. Here's my 97 powerstroke, still getting organized though.

Sweet ride demons! Welcome to HexPo!

 

[pappawheely]

Guess I have lurked long enough. Here's my 97 powerstroke, still getting organized though.

Nice truck. Tell me about your suspension mods.

 

[Prepper]

My 36 year project: 1975 K5

I was the second owner of this truck when I was 21 in 1977. It was a pretty prestigious vehicle back then and it still gets plenty of attention today even though it's not as pretty as it was then. Here it was in '77. If you look close you can see my "upgrades"!



It's been in outdoor storage for the last 5 years. I've spent the last 3 weeks troubleshooting and getting the bugs out of it. It's running pretty good now. It was tough finding all the big and little things wrong with it.



It may not be pretty right now, but it's a whole lot better truck than when I bought it 36 years ago:

383 4 bolt, Edlebrock Performer, Holley 650? vac sec, comp cams 270h, Blackjack? aluminum coated headers, 2.02/1.60 heads (don't remember the casting #, was same as '70 LT1 but with straight plugs), D44, 14BFF, 4.10 gears, 33" BFG ATs, 203 TC with tail shaft part time conversion, small lift from camper special front springs and rear blocks, etc.

I found this site while looking for ideas to make this a better BOV. I like the term "overlander" a whole lot better. I started filling up the back of the truck with totes stuffed with tools, gear, parts and equipment.

I'm poor right now, but I'm getting ideas and inspiration from all the threads here. I might even start my own build thread. A good way to stay focused.

 

[LTLDEMONZ]

A bit about the 97's mods.
The suspension is Sky's Offroad shackle reverse with SuperDuty 4" lift springs in the front, the rear is Skys Shackle flip plus a 5" block (will be replacing that with ICON 5" spring eventually). Blistein shocks all round, but I don't remember the stroke on them.
Axles were fitted with 5.13 gears (short while I stuffed 46 XML's under the truckbut they were old and dry rotted so didnt last long) with detroit in rear and ARB in front. TIres are currently 37" Guard Dogs from Treadwright running on recentered HMMWV 8 bolt wheels.
Rear fuel tank was replaced with one from JC Whitney that was advertised as 45 gal. but has never fit more than 40. Fuel system from tank selector to engine was replaced with one from Beans Diesel.
Engine mods are 6637 Air intake, 38R ballbearing turbo and SD intake phelums. ARB head studs and some stage3 injectors are the only internal mods so far.
The Workmaster shell is the latest find from CL. There will be more mods later but as I said I'm still getting organized.