86 F150 6cyl 4spd OD

[junkpile]

New to this forum here.
I recently bought a nice driving 86 F150 regular cab/8' bed with a 4.9L 4spd. OD manual trans.
It had been sitting for over 20 years, it was elderly owned and the owner passed and the truck was left to sit under a lean too semi covered until last year. I found the truck for sale after the last owner spent over $4k on it getting it up and running again.
The thing runs great, has only 55K on it, and it went right through state inspection here.
The bad is that it don't have A/C, the seat, tops of the door panels, and dash are sun faded pretty bad and there are many cracks in the now brittle vinyl bench seat.

I had been looking for one of these for years after selling my original 1986 which other than color was basically identical to this truck. I bought my first one new, kept it only a year and traded it for a loaded 1987. I regretted that move for years.
This truck runs and drives as good or better than my original truck and the body doesn't have a single dent. There's a rust spot just starting on the left rear wheel lip, and the tailgate looks like they took it from another same color truck since it's missing the FORD lettering and has an OVERDRIVE emblem most often only found on AOD equipped trucks.
I can deal with the lack of A/C, its not worth it to me to add air. I do want to make the interior look better.
The dash isn't cracked, its sun baked and turning black, but it's not warped or cracked at all. My options seem to be a carpet cover, hard dash cover or shell, or to repaint the dash cover.
The tops of the door panels are turning white from the sun, their too dry to repaint and are beginning to flake on top. I see Coverlay sells new panels, as well as a dash top, has anyone used this brand?

How hard is it to remove the top dash pad to repaint it? Does it just unscrew and lift off or is the pad part of the whole main dash?

 

[Mattx2214]

The dash pad is just held in by 12 screws or so ive had numerous dash pads and all of them just crack for me

 

[Fordzilla80]

Your door panels sound too far gone, so you're on the right track with replacing them. However, Coverlay does not have the licensing to build door panels to Ford's original specifications. This means that there are differences between the two panels that are quite noticeable on the lower trim trucks. The biggest difference between Ford and Coverlay panels is with the speaker grille. On Ford models, they feature long slots cut vertically in the panel. Coverlay's panels feature a matrix of small holes drilled into the panel that form a square. Personally, I think Coverlay's panels look too plain, and would rather have factory cut panels.

If you don't particularly care about the speaker holes, or if you have an XLT Lariat, then this won't matter at all. XLT Lariats have a cloth trim panel that covers the speaker grille, so you won't be able to see the tiny holes.

As for your dash pad, if the speaker grille in that hasn't cracked, I would suggest simply restoring it, and then buying one of the carpeted dash covers. You want to keep the sun off of it as best as you can. Also, if you choose to remove it, be extremely careful with it. The one in my F150 was perfect when I bought it, and I didn't even need to paint it. Left it in my shop properly supported one night, came back out the next and there was a crack in the speaker grille.

 

[junkpile]

I pretty much figured that if I touched the dash pad wrong it'll crack, but apparently new one's can't be had?
I just got back from a visit to the local dealer and was told 'nothing' is available for a 1985/86 truck. Yet most parts are available for 81-83, and 87 and up.
Having worked for Ford dealers for years, that don't sound right to me. It wasn't that long ago, while I was still working at a dealer, I was able to order parts for my 1966 F100.

This truck is a plain model, not even an XL. The door panels are just plain red. I made the rounds to all the local yards but found only one older truck and that was an XLT in even worse shape. The excuse I get is that 'Cash for Clunkers' sent all the old stuff to the crusher.

I don't have speakers in the doors, the truck was built without a radio, I'll most likely just add one and put the speakers behind the seat out of the way. I'd be happy if I could get a pair of panels with no speaker holes at all.
The speaker holes appear to be the only real noticeable difference in those panels.

For now I'll try to repaint the old panels but I don't expect much.

The truck lived in a barn with no door for the past 14 or so years, an elderly owner had passed and the truck just sat. Its last registration was in 1996 and the mileage is 11 miles less than what it shows now at 69,554 miles.
It's a bare bones model but its identical to one I had new back then, its not much worse off than my first one was back in 1988 when I traded it.
I got tired of the feedback carb issues back then and moved on, but never liked the newer trucks as much as I did my first 1986. It's almost as if this one skipped a whole bunch of time, other than some faded or oxidized paint on top and some age on some of the rubber bits its in great shape. There's only one nickle size rust blister on the left wheel lip, the rest is great. The truck handles, runs, and drives like new even after it's long term in storage. Even if I had kept my first 86, it wouldn't be in this condition today as it would most certainly had a million or more miles and have spent its last 26 years outside.

 

[dustybumpers]

Think outside the box. That cab was also used until the late 90's, so you order dash pad and door panels for a f 650. There are still some left, although they only come in black.

 

[Fordzilla80]

Concerning the dash pad, Dustybumpers is correct, the same interior was used in the F600, F700, and F800 from 1980 until 1999. Ford does indeed still have dash pads for our trucks, new old stock, however it would have to be special ordered, and they cost 6 arms, 13 legs, and 4 kidneys.

As for your door panels, my F150 was originally a radio-delete truck as well, but the door panels still had the holes for the speakers. Unfortunately they don't make door panels without the speaker grilles.

 

[junkpile]

Unfortunately the dash pad too would be in a different color, regardless of the cost. If mine would survive a repaint, I'd be in good shape but not sure I want to risk cracking it yet. Besides, the cost of red paint is too high, and the chances of getting a perfect match is slim. I don't have the means to spray bulk paint, I'd have to either find the paint in a spray bomb or take it somewhere to be painted, which again would up the risk of damage to the original dash pad.

I bought a pad for my 1979 at the dealer about 10 years ago, it came in black and cost me $99. It cost me $100 to get it painted.

 

[dustybumpers]

I got lucy on my 86. I was at the junk yard looking for something for another truck, and happened to find a perfect pad, that was still flexable, and the right color

 

[jdk]

LMC truck has everything your looking for. the catalog is free just and dotcom to it. Sorrry is this sounded like a comercial

 

[5.0Flareside]

LMC truck has everything your looking for. the catalog is free just and dotcom to it. Sorrry is this sounded like a comercial

sad part is lmc truck stuff is garbage. can get better stuff for just a couple dollars more.

national parts depot
Dennis carpenter
Jeff's bronco graveyard
or even your local salvage yard