fabrication and 97/99 plow truck on a hot-dip galvanized frame

I completed this project last summer and figured I'd throw some photos up here in case anyone is interested.

We've been plowing snow with a '99 3.4L SR5 for many years on our family farm in Minnesota. Nice maneuverable little truck, gets down sidewalks and into tight areas like our loading docks better than a 1-ton truck. I fabricated some wings a few years ago to minimize the spillover at the edges of the 6.5' Meyer blade, which really improved the truck's efficiency (although, you have to stay on top of plowing if the snow accumulation is particularly heavy, or the lightweight truck will struggle to push the volume the blade is capable of.)

It had the typical 1st gen frame rust issues, and I had the box off a couple times to patch the frame behind the cab. Eventually, the frame beneath the cab was pretty compromised, and the steel was beginning to buckle behind the front suspension attachment points.

I found a clean '97 3.4L SR5 in Salt Lake City a couple years ago - apparently the owner had moved from Atlanta to Utah and brought the truck with him, and then it suffered a mechanical failure. (It had a reman Jasper engine in it; when I disassembled it later, I found it had swallowed an intake valve.) I had just completed revamping my F-650 with air ride suspension, flatbed, and a wheel lift, and had been planning on taking a shakedown road trip out to Vegas for the SEMA show, rather than flying. Got together with the Tacoma owner, made some plans, exchanged funds on the way out, and scooped up the truck on the way home.

When I got home, I carefully disassembled the '97, sandblasted the frame, reinforced it with 3/16" plate, and welded some sturdy plow mounting gusset plates to the front of the frame. I palletized the frame, crossmembers, gas tank skid plate, hitch, spare tire brackets, plow mount, etc. and dropped it off with AZZ Galvanizing in Winsted, MN. A couple weeks later, they had run all the parts through their facility and I was able to begin reassembly.

I used the engine, automatic trans, TRD/Kazuma LSD, cab and engine wiring harnesses, and ECM from the '99, and used the frame, cab, and box from the '97. I had to order new OME lift springs for the rear (due to the difference in length between early and late 1st gen trucks,) but pretty much everything else swapped over without trouble.

I redid all the plow wiring with a new bank of relays and a DPST switch, so that one rocker switch changes over the headlights and energizes the plow solenoid/joystick circuit.

I fabricated a tube bumper to hold the Meyer E-47 hydraulic unit, and fabricated a light bar tower. I sprayed both of those parts with UPOL Raptor bedliner and topcoated them with a good single-stage urethane to match the truck's gold two-tone paint. After that, I applied a generous coating of 3M Cavity Wax and Fluid Film on every surface of the truck's underside.

Next couple posts should contain some photos... bear with me.

Colin

 

Seller's original marketplace ad:



The '99 a couple years before it was forced into retirement:



On the way home, somewhere in Wyoming IIRC:



Disassembly back in MN:

 

Drivetrain out, minus the diffs:



Reinforcement plates cut and welded to the frame:




Big sloppy MIG action:



All palletized and ready for the trip to the zinc bath:

 

Back from galvanizing. I had to chase every thread with a tap... still worth it.


Crossmembers



Once I hit 50 posts, someone can buy the complete manual trans swap from the 97:

 

Gotta harvest the good parts... note the reverse cut vinyl on the windshield: "UNREGISTERED, UNINSURED, UNSAFE. DO NOT DRIVE THIS TRUCK OFF THE FARM."


Easier to move around when you cut all the scrap metal off the back:


Old frame sucked a big fatty:

 

Welcome to TW, Colin, from a fellow Minnesotan! Very familiar with the AZZ facility…former employer had a lot of parts galvanized there. Look forward to some more pics of your rig!

 

New frame assembled; engine, trans, diffs, new springs, fuel tank, etc installed in the new frame.


Cab Calloway or whatever


Might fix that fender dinger and find a new flare one of these days. Doesn't bother me too much, it's a farm truck. Pro-tip for these bigger jobs: write your to-do list on the window with paint marker.


Light tower built, still unpainted:

 

Off to Tires Plus for its first lifetime alignment:




I forgot to mention, between my acquisition of the rust-free '97 and beginning the swap, the engine in the '99 blew a head gasket and started consuming coolant. I actually pulled the engine and put it on the stand, replaced both head gaskets, and replaced the timing belt/idlers/tensioner etc and then put the engine back into the rusty truck just to get us through that plow season.... knowing full well I'd be pulling it all back apart the following summer.

 

Upgraded the Meyer from those leaky ISO connectors to flat-face fittings.


I loooooove gold!

 

Cool Tacoma!

What's the story behind the F-650/750? with the flat bed and underlift?

 

That's a sweet Ferd

 

I have 10x as many photos of the Ford build as I do the Tacoma build. I don't know if this is quite the right place to post that.

It started as a 26' Budget Rental moving van, which was flooded in Hurricane Sandy. I dragged it home from the Copart auction lot in Trenton, NJ and pretty much built it from the ground up into what it is today. The flatbed is all handmade from 10- and 12-gauge sheet, and also hot-dip galvanized.

Colin

 

That last photo reminds me: I accidentally pressure-washed all the vinyl off the tailgate, so I found some good images online and traced the original fonts in Adobe Illustrator in order to create vector files. I don't really have any interest in selling stickers, especially now that everyone and their mother has a Cricut. I'll throw the files up in a Google Drive folder in case anyone wants to cut new graphics for themselves.

 

Sweet builds! This is definitely the right place to post what you've done.

Welcome aboard

 

Cool, I see you did mention the Ford in your 1st post. I also like the King Ranch paint scheme on the Toyoya.

 

Dang this is a cool thread! Welcome to TW!

 

I don't know if you want me to start posting all my fabrication work... it might crash the server.