Here's what the truck looked like back when U-haul had it;



Oddly, the truck was built on July 4, 1979 at the Oakville plant in Ontario. The production cost was $11,701.53. It was put into service for U-Haul on July 1 1980 at a dealership in Edmonton, Alberta.

I wished theU-haul technician that I got these records from, could have had the logbook also. It would be interesting to see all the truck's rentals/treks. U-haul iincl;udes the logbooks when they sell their trucks. Unfortunately, I wasn't the truck's first private owner,. and the log was lost or destroyed.

The truck was pulled out of service on November 27, 1997. That same year, it was sold to a dentist who used the truck for storage. He bought the truck for $2,996.

A while afterwards, the truck was sold again to a heavy duty mechanic working for a trucking firm in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He removed the aluminum box to make way for a 12' long x 8' wide steel flatbed. He also installed a hydrolic motor or pump on the firewall, just beside the fan motor for the heater vents. On the front left side of the bed is a large tunnel for a base for his hyudrolic grapple. He would use the grapple to pick up or opffload heavy truck pieces and transport them back and fourth.



I bought the trucxk from him in April 2006 for $2,000. Was asking for more, but I negotiated with him. The way I figure it, the flatbed alone would have cost about that. Unfortunately the grapple wasn't included. Only the base, the motor or pump and some cut hoses remain of that. That gentleman was now retired and had no use for the truck except to haul wood at his cabin.

I don't have much use for it either, don't have a valid driver's license. I enjoy it, the classic automotive hobby/culture. That's a story itself, for a rainy day.

Since owning the truck, I have added 3' extra inclined fleet to the bed, thus a length of 15'. Added a trailer hitch with trailer lights, an air-tight storage bo, a rear window protector, a new cassette player radio, 5 oem cab lights, cargo light and other small upgrades and mechanical work.



That's a pic taken at last year's car event. I have my friend's 1978 Harley-Davidson bike on the flatbed. Ken owns a bike business, called Death Row Cycles. He also has a 1960 Ford panel van that used to be a military van in BC. It is unknown if it was a military ambulance or a troop carrier/transporter. Ken uses the van as his business vehicle.

Tyl

Cool story, man. Glad you shared it with us. So.. how many km's on that beast?

Gorgeous truck. Looks like it's been in good hands. Thanks for sharing

Absolutely fantastic. I would never had thought it could have come such a long way. Hats off to you for a good lookin job well done.

That story is cool brother and the truck has really come along way!

Now all we need is about 12" of lift SA4X4S and some big azz tires! LOL

Cool truck! If you would have made the dovetail just a foot longer, I could use it to haul my Bronco to the mudhole.

Many thanks for the possitive comment bout my truck. Such as Chris said, it was in good hands and I'd like to think it is now as well.

When I bought the truck, it had 78,559 miles on the odometer. Although a Canadiian truck, I hear all odometer back then are miles, not km. My uncle says the odometer must have rolled over a couple times. Sure wished I had that logbook to prove its correct mileage.

Mileage now is in the early 80,000's miles. Some of that mileage was me, even tho I'm unliscensed. My apology, I'd dish out soo many expenses for it.... It truly hit me hard that my dream of being a truck driver would never be realized when I was 16 yrs old and annonced I had a genetic disability of a slowly progressive nerve and muscle deteriation.

Having the truck is a combined passion of mine for classic vehicles and the trucking industry.

Your bronco would fit, providing the rear would hang out. I laughed when I first heard the term dovetail... The welder that welded my storage box on the truck called it a dovetail. I was confused and asked what he meant.

This summer, I'd like to have a toolbox welded on, add the power steering, fix the fuel gauge and undercoat it. My rims are 16.5. I'd truly like to find aluminum rims.

I will scan and post some pics of the interrior and that hydrolic motor or pump.

Tyl

Here's some additional pics of the truck. The first is the hydrolic motor or pump on the firewall next to the heater blower motor;



The next pic is the interrior, the day I officially bought it at the mechanic's garage performing the safety check. Note the old U-haul orange paint, U-haul stickers and keytag. Note the lever-type parking brake under the dash on the left side of the steering wheel. Also note the red warning light for the parking brake and the amber warning light for fuel economy. Both lights are positioned on the dash above the headlight and wiper switch.



The truck has a speed governer. No one told me. Learnt that the hard way. My friend Scot and I were driving the truck home. We were still 600 miles from home. We crawled up behind a slow moving camper with two big rigs also caught behind down a two laned hwy. Perhaps a good opportunity to stretch her old legs, we figured. Steered to pass cuz we wanted to get home. Truck picked up her speed excellently, however 120km is her max.

I laughed about that incident with the U-haul technician. He told me how to knock it out. Drill this rivet and such, however I would risk blowing the engine running iot in higher rpms. I haven't knocked it out, I told the technician I wouldd much rather keep my close friends.

Come with me... This last pic is of me and the truck, not too long after having it home. The rear window protector isn't on yet. I invested soo much in the truck, I'd never risk getting a fender bender.



Tyl

Gee Tyl, that's neat! It's amazing to see that 330ci complete with the twin thermostat housing and oil bath air cleaner in an F350! I also notice your truck has a four speed. For some reason or another, I thought U-Haul opted for automatics so that anybody could drive one. Maybe that was in later generations of their rental fleet.

You make mention of the log book in some of your posts. When I was young, our local Ford dealer had service till 1:00 am. They had a service contract with U-Haul and would quite frequently have a truck or two in the service bay area. If I happened to be there when a truck was in, out of curiosity I would go through the log book and marvel at where that truck had been.

You would think they had autos, but no. No ps, but they did have pb. I think the 80s trucks all were auto, even the big IH S series 26' van truck.

It is the new process 4 speed manual trans with super low 1st for better torqueoff the green lights. Sure would be nice to see some first timers rent the truck grinding gears. U-haul had 2" clutch wheels for longer use.

All I care to know from the log, is if Cindy Crawford ever rented the truck. Sat and farted on my seat. I laugh with the technician to forget the 1 in a million odds, it's a 50/50 chance she did. Yes or no haha.

Tyl

With that Orschein type handbrake handle, you also have a different e-brake system than the production F100/350's used.

If you ever need parts for the e-brake...make sure you mention that hand brake handle. Otherwise...

What's the hood ornament off of?

Thanks for the e-brake info Bill. The brake is much like a drum brake around the transmission. When I had the safety done when I bought the truck, the brake was worn out and replaced by blocks of wood. I would have to call that mechanic, he told me the pads were custom built. I didn't pay much atttention. Just get it done was the order. Would be interested in knowing where it came from, and if any alterations were done in the process.

The hood ornament has a story and is unique much like myself. I truly wanted a girl ornament for the truck. The truck didn't have one before. I truly hated the nude chrome figurine ornaments you can find most anywhere.

I've been searching for a respectable clothed girl or woman for an ornament. I found the perfect candidate at a gift shop. An older biker mama sitting on a wood stool. She was intended to be a bookshelf decoration.

I saw it and knew I found my ornament. She's made of resin? I call her 'Cecilia', named from that tune by Paul Simons. I coated the wood stool with urethane and use a hangar bolt to secure her down to the hood. I glued Cecilia to the stool. Screwed the stool and Cecilia up the ass and bolted her through the hood.

Every truck needs an ornament. Cecilia clears the road for us, with me watch her ass threw the windshield. My friends tell me she needs a joint in her yap or go to a model store and buy small beer bottles to lay around her.



That pic was taken in the fall of 2006. Scot and I were going to bring in some aluminum to the metal salvager.

Tyl

tylstruck said:

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Sooo.... I see that you're sitting on the hood... But who is the goofy lookin' dude in the passenger seat?

Get some sun too, your awfully WHITE!
Oh Yea, that guy behind you is staring at your azz

I'll hafta take a newer pic of Cecilia. Her skin is actually brown now. She burnt quite a bit. Her black coat and boots and blonde hair faded a bit.

As for me, I got a farmer's tan yesterday. I spent the day washing the exterriior of my truck. I still have the passenger's side chrome to polish.

Another local classic cruiser kids me about Cecilia. He knows I'm a die hard Ford truck guy. He says 'is that what you do with all the Chevy truck girls. Screw them up the ass and bolt them to your truck' ahhah

When I first started here on the boards, I sent Chris a pm about his handle 'Skandocious'. I told him to consider changing his handle, because it iis very cl;;ose to a term I use in my vocabulary. I told him I use the word or name 'skank' in reference to all those golden bowtie (Chev) girly truck driivers.

Tyl