snowaddict91
Adventurer
Well, now that I have had my truck for a year I suppose I should finally get around to making my build thread. Backstory- I have wanted an OBS ford since I was a kid. Drove several over the years and the want never left. Was casually looking for a truck last fall and was split on keeping my Montero and getting an older, cheaper truck or getting something a bit nicer. The first truck I looked at was a T100 and then on the way home I went and looked at a 95 F250 ECLB, reaffirming that I definitely wanted a full-size and to keep my montero as a DD.
A few months of casual looking went by and I stumbled on a 97 CCSB with a 7.3 for a good deal. Originally wanted a long bed as I was living in the mountains in CO and heated with wood in my then-rental home. Also wasn't looking for a diesel or a high mileage truck (261k). But I was facing the likelihood of moving to a city somewhere in the next year for my girl to start grad school, and I decided 6.5' was still long enough to camp out of, especially with a full crew cab for storage. And I have always wanted a diesel deep down, lol! Went to drive it and brought it home a few days later. It was pretty rough, matching the deal I got, but only had two owners and supposedly 90k on a rebuilt/swapped engine and trans. It drove good so I went with it (maybe my biggest impulse buy ever)!
Well now that a year has went by I've put around 5k miles on it and have fixed a few typical 7.3 issues (glow plugs this past fall, new batteries this week, fixed some leaks, door pins and bushings, random interior and exterior fixes), typical high-mileage truck stuff, new tires, and I added a camper shell for dog hauling and camping. Learned a lot about diesels as I have went along. The truck has settled in well to its role as dog hauler, bike hauler, temporary home, and ski mobile.
This truck is never going to see a huge build or be nearly as nice as some of the other OBS fords here due to my budget, lack of motivation, and other responsibilities, but it fits my current needs VERY well just as it sits without having to build it out, which is exactly why I bought it!
We added a second dog to the home this week so the truck is more important now than ever! Unfortunately I started this week with two COMPLETELY shot batteries when we went to pick up the new dog and now it is sitting in the driveway with a blown return fuel line from our trip to the ski hill this morning. But now she has fresh batteries and will be getting new return lines next week!
Here are a few pictures from the last year, and I am making a resolution to get better about taking pictures so hopefully there will be more to come!
First camping/wheeling trip with the new rig
new camper shell
Rosie admiring the new 285s
On the to-do list for the near future:
Replacing the blown return fuel line
cleaning up the HUGE mess it made!
Couple small cooling system leaks that come and go when it sits for a week or two at a time
Finish rebuilding door panels to eliminate squeaks and rattles
trans flush, maybe?- Fluid looks good
Maybe a sleeping platform next summer, have been back and forth on building one since I bought the thing.
A few months of casual looking went by and I stumbled on a 97 CCSB with a 7.3 for a good deal. Originally wanted a long bed as I was living in the mountains in CO and heated with wood in my then-rental home. Also wasn't looking for a diesel or a high mileage truck (261k). But I was facing the likelihood of moving to a city somewhere in the next year for my girl to start grad school, and I decided 6.5' was still long enough to camp out of, especially with a full crew cab for storage. And I have always wanted a diesel deep down, lol! Went to drive it and brought it home a few days later. It was pretty rough, matching the deal I got, but only had two owners and supposedly 90k on a rebuilt/swapped engine and trans. It drove good so I went with it (maybe my biggest impulse buy ever)!
Well now that a year has went by I've put around 5k miles on it and have fixed a few typical 7.3 issues (glow plugs this past fall, new batteries this week, fixed some leaks, door pins and bushings, random interior and exterior fixes), typical high-mileage truck stuff, new tires, and I added a camper shell for dog hauling and camping. Learned a lot about diesels as I have went along. The truck has settled in well to its role as dog hauler, bike hauler, temporary home, and ski mobile.
This truck is never going to see a huge build or be nearly as nice as some of the other OBS fords here due to my budget, lack of motivation, and other responsibilities, but it fits my current needs VERY well just as it sits without having to build it out, which is exactly why I bought it!
We added a second dog to the home this week so the truck is more important now than ever! Unfortunately I started this week with two COMPLETELY shot batteries when we went to pick up the new dog and now it is sitting in the driveway with a blown return fuel line from our trip to the ski hill this morning. But now she has fresh batteries and will be getting new return lines next week!
Here are a few pictures from the last year, and I am making a resolution to get better about taking pictures so hopefully there will be more to come!
First camping/wheeling trip with the new rig
new camper shell
Rosie admiring the new 285s
On the to-do list for the near future:
Replacing the blown return fuel line
cleaning up the HUGE mess it made!
Couple small cooling system leaks that come and go when it sits for a week or two at a time
Finish rebuilding door panels to eliminate squeaks and rattles
trans flush, maybe?- Fluid looks good
Maybe a sleeping platform next summer, have been back and forth on building one since I bought the thing.