Nicholas Fluhart

August 18, 2010

16 ft Utility Trailer – Part 2

Filed under: Trailers — Nicholas Fluhart @ 1:11 am

Alright, now we’ll take a look at what went into fixing up this old trailer. I didn’t have room in the shop, so I’m out on the gravel for this one. I’m fortunate in that the trailer was in decent shape at the start. The boards were not rotted, the metal was all straight and undamaged structurally, and the axles were in good shape. First, I put it up on jack stands so I could remove the wheels and begin stripping the old paint.

Each of the four tires were a different brand and one tire had separated, so it was a good time to get a new set coming. I typically use one of two online tire retailers: Tirerack.com and Treadepot.com. In this case I got a great deal on a set of Kelly tires from Treadepot at $55.00 per tire and I easily mounted them myself with my tire changer. While dismounted, I stripped and painted the spoke rims with my favorite low-gloss black, which is not flat, yet not as glossy as semi-gloss. I polished the lug nuts and clear coated them so they wouldn’t rust and I replaced the center caps with a set I had on the shelf.

Before

After

Once I got most of the old paint and rust stripped from the metal, I began painting the trailer with my gravity-fed pneumatic paint gun. I used a good Rustoleum black industrial enamel.

Applying the Paint

While I had the wheels off, I checked the suspension links, bearings, and pulled the drums to check the brakes. I tested the brakes with a 12V battery. All is well, so I began wiring on some additional lights. I love lights. If there’s one thing I can’t stand when working at night, it’s inadequate lighting. I always install marker lights along with a good set of tail/brake lights on my trailers. I place a marker at the front of each fender to ensure easy visibility when backing the trailer at night. I also placed LED amber markers at the front of each side and I finished it up with a strip of 3 red markers on the rear.

As for the trailer light plug, I wanted to be prepared for anything so I wired up both of the two most common types used on half-ton trucks, the full 7-pin RV style plug and the standard 4-pin plug. I have an adapter for a 7-pin truck to hook to a 4-pin trailer, but it’s not feasible to use an adapter to connect a 4-pin truck to a 7-pin trailer because the weight of the plug pulls it out of socket. So I eliminated all that by having both available on the trailer wiring. I used a full 7-pin connector that facilitates lights (including reverse lights), electric brakes, and an auxiliary power supply wire. I then wired along side it a pigtail with the flat 4-pin plug which does just lights. Now the trailer lights are compatible to almost any vehicle I may decide to hook to it.

Using the 7-Pin Plug

I then finished installing the reflective decals and began treating the wood boards. I simply mixed some used Varsol with used motor oil in a pump sprayer. I put two thick coats on the dry wood when the temperature was about 103º outside. The boards soaked up the oil nicely.

Another thing I refuse to tolerate is a trailer with no place for straps or tie-downs. To solve this I installed ten 3/8″ D-Rings, four down each side and two up front. I bolted them to the angle-iron upright side pillars.

And here’s the finished product:

Finished……for now. However, I’ve already planned some more upgrades. I’ll soon be installing backup lights which will illuminate when the tow vehicle is in reverse. I’ll also be installing two 5 inch round LED work lights at the front of the trailer which will be powered from the auxiliary power wire on the trailer light plug. I’ll be installing an 8,000 lb winch at the front of the trailer as well. I’ll also be making or buying a set of loading ramps.

Until next time…

Leave a Comment

August 16, 2010

16 ft Utility Trailer – Part 1

Filed under: Trailers — Nicholas Fluhart @ 11:33 pm

Here’s a post on a recent addition to my trailer collection, and it’s actually become the most used of my trailers. I put it to work immediately upon purchasing it and have since did a bit of upgrades to it which I will outline in the next post.

Before the Rework

After the Rework

I’ve needed a good utility trailer for a while, so when a friend called wanting to sell this one for $700 I jumped on it. It’s a 16′ pipe-top tandem-axle trailer with brakes and rated to haul 7,000 lbs. Although it needed some lights and paint, it was a great buy. It’s difficult to find one in decent condition for less than $1K. My plan was to immediately prepare it for paint and upgrades which would bring it up to my spec, but my plans were delayed as I instantly had jobs to do with it, as seen below:

So, promptly after the trailer paid for itself with the jobs I completed, I began planning for the restoration. Stay tuned for Part 2 of this post to see what I did to it.

Leave a Comment

July 13, 2010

4×8 Tilt Trailer

Filed under: Day to Day,Trailers — Nicholas Fluhart @ 10:30 pm

Here’s a nice compact trailer I recently flipped (“flipped” meaning bought and sold, as opposed to having turned it over in the road). I purchased it in combination with a Honda 300 Fourtrax ATV at $500 for the pair. My plan was to fix up the old trailer for resale and part-out the ATV. With this in mind, I immediately got to work on the trailer.

First, I stripped the old dead paint from the metal surfaces before rolling it into the shop. Then I pulled the wheels, lights, etc. to ready it for paint.

Then I began painting the steel surfaces with a good semi-gloss black paint that does not require primer. I also inspected and painted the hubs, hitch, and chains with a good quality silver.

The next to tackle was the lights and the floor. I rewired the lights using heat-shrink connectors and replaced any bulbs that needed it. One thing that I like to install on my trailers are marker lights, particularly on the front of the fenders so they are easy to see in a rear-view mirror. I also installed a new connector. On the floor, I used a low gloss black to seal the wood.

And that wraps up the project. Now we’ll see how it’s used.

The great thing about this trailer is that it tilts. This eliminates the need for loading ramps. The axle is far enough to the rear that it appropriates the load correctly and does not “fish tail” while pulling it down the highway. The overall length is just long enough for your ATV and an ice chest or tool box. Overall, a very handy trailer. It sold very quickly for $400. So I basically had $100 invested in the ATV that came with it. Not bad. Until next time…

Leave a Comment

July 6, 2010

The Ghost: Part 2

Filed under: The Ghost — Nicholas Fluhart @ 10:11 pm

The great thing about this truck is that it is still usable as a streetable truck. It could even be a daily driver if needed, all the while still turning heads at a show. Below is a recent pic of me hauling an air conditioner unit for my shop. The unit is heavier than it looks, but the truck doesn’t squat a bit. I simply air up the shocks and the truck always rides level.

The next day we took it down and entered it in the 4rth of July car show.

Leave a Comment

July 4, 2010

“The Ghost”: F-150 / Mustang GT Conversion

Filed under: The Ghost — Nicholas Fluhart @ 10:09 pm

This is one of the more in-depth projects I have done. It is my very first truck, a 1984 Ford F-150. What started out as a stock, old truck turned into a very neat retro style hot rod with a modern twist: an early 90’s 5.0 HO Mustang GT electronic fuel injected engine. I have always been a big fan of the 80’s step side F-150’s. In my opinion, they have the best body lines of any Ford step side truck, and I love the retro style bed with the wood floor. I have also been a big fan of the 80’s fox body 5.0 Mustangs since my dad purchased one new in 1989. My brother also has a clean 1991 model. So naturally, this was the best of both worlds and a great project.

Sometime around 1999 I got my first vehicle a few months after I turned 16. My dad found this old Ford F-150 step-side for $1000. It needed a transmission overhaul and some other work. My parents got the truck for me and I paid them back in installments after.

The stock setup was as follows: The truck was originally silver (badly faded and in need of paint when I received it) and it is a short wheelbase stepside. The stepside is a factory retro style wood bed with the old type of tailgate, fenders, etc. It’s very unique and there aren’t many clean ones left. Again, I think it has the best lines and overall appeal of any step side truck bed ever made.

The engine was a stock 302 V-8, and originally it had an automatic overdrive (AOD) transmission, but someone replaced it with an automatic 3-speed C6. The rear end was a single-track differential with 3:55 gears. Someone had also installed P255/70-15 tires on chrome spoke wheels that actually looked pretty decent along with a chrome roll bar in the bed and bed rails.

The interior is pretty basic with a bench seat, manual locks and windows, no cruise control or tilt wheel, but it does have factory A/C, factory tachometer, and a clock in the dash.

Shortly after I received the truck, I began sanding and priming in preparation for paint. At the age of 16, I didn’t know precisely what I was doing, but I did a decent job, all things considered. My dad and I then took the truck to a local body shop who painted it for $150 plus materials. We went with dove gray as opposed to silver because the type of paint job (old style with no clear coat) required a solid color to look good, and with no matalic, the dove gray would last much longer without fading. It turned out OK. Definitely not what I would call a professional job, but for the money it was great. I polished up the wheels, bumpers, and roll bar and then tinted the windows. I also installed two KC Daylighters on the roll bar. I had one of the best looking trucks in school. It was named “The Gray Ghost”, later to be known only as “The Ghost”. The picture below shows me at age 17 posing by my truck. I think it was taken in the fall of 2000.

About a year later I acquired a set of polished aluminum sawblade rims and the truck looked like you see it in the photo below which was probably taken around 2001.

It was also during the summer of 2001 that a major transplant occurred. I had been working as an automotive mechanic since the age of 16 and was working very long hours at a local garage when I acquired an engine out of a wrecked 5.0 Mustang GT. I recall having lots of money around this time because I worked so much that I had no time to spend it. LOL So I began building the 5.0 “fuely” engine (short for fuel injected). It was the first automotive engine I built from the bottom up. Now keep in mind, this was my daily driver and was not intended to be a show truck or anything like that. I just wanted a powerful, unique truck.

Below are the vitals:

– Bottom end rebuilt to OEM specs
– 1966 289 Hypo heads (higher compression) w/Windsor valves
– E303 Ford Racing Roller Cam
– Mass Air Conversion
– Custom cold air intake w/K&N filter
– Larger radiator with electric cooling fan
– Black Jack Headers (already on the truck)
– Serpentine belt system, maintaining A/C and power steering

Later upgrades include:

– 24 pound per hour fuel injectors (replaces the OEM 19 pound)
– Crane performance ignition (most bang for the buck horsepower increase)
– Ford Racing plugwires
– Custom made fan shroud for the electric fan
– Full 2.5 inch aluminized exhaust system with Flowmasters and tips
– Polished GT40/Explorer intake manifold (most noticeable horsepower increase)
– Big bore throttlebody and mass air meter
– Roller rocker arms (the high-lift cam destroyed the stock ones)

Converting an old carbureted truck to a modern OEM style electronic fuel injection system complete with all the sensors and wiring which also allowed the ability to run computer diagnostics was NO EASY TASK. However, the project was a success, although it took a very long time to work out all the bugs. In late 2002 I bought my first new vehicle, an ’02 Ford F-150, and retired the Ghost to a weekend hobby truck. It was around this time that my father took an interest in it and we began partnering on the project.

The next upgrade to the truck was the transmission.

Tired of the C6’s lack of overdrive, we wanted to reunite the truck with its long lost companion, the AOD transmission. Since I had undertaken the cost of the initial engine build, dad got the transmission. After much research, we found a speed shop that specialized in AOD’s. We ordered a custom built AOD with the following specs:

– Transgo Shift Kit
– A+ Servo
– Extra clutches AODE style
– 2500 RPM Stall Converter

I also purchased a B&M ratchet shifter which moved the gear shifter to the floor. I installed the transmission and the result was the sweetest shifting automatic transmission I have ever operated. I mean really, it turned out very nice.

The next major upgrade was the rear end.

Dad and I decided we needed a little more low-end thump, so we changed out the stock 3:55 gears with a set of Precision Gear 3:73’s on an Eaton positive traction locker. Perfect! It is exactly what was needed.

Other upgrades:

During our time working on it, we did a lot of other things to the truck. We rebuilt the front end by replacing all the old rubber bushings with new polyurethane bushings. We replaced the entire brake system. We decided to go with a retro hot rod type of look, so we did away with the roll bar (as bad as I hated to see my favorite 80’s icon go), the bed rails, and those big mirrors. Then we lowered the truck 2 inches and put air rides on the back so we can adjust the height to compensate for a load or if we pull a trailer. We went with 50 series wide tires. We also replaced the front bumper with a smoothie chrome one, replaced the headlight housings, and installed a billet grill. We also reworked the interior having the seat recovered, re-carpeted the floor, and installed new door panels and dashboard.

Here’s what it looks like: