1992 Ford F150 Project Fiery Redhead

1992 Ford F150 Front Passenger Side View

After: Our rust-free truck has a new lease on life and it looks darn good to boot.

Before: Cracking body filler was partying with the corrosion on our F-150.

Last month, we detailed how Erick Wells and the hand-selected team of gonzo body techs at Vintage Iron & Design in Monroe, Wisconsin, repaired or replaced all of the rusty cab panels on our project F-150 with new panels from LMC Truck and a new cowl hood from Stylin' Concepts. We also described how they utilized refinishing supplies from Keystone Automotive to get the cab of the vehicle prepped and primed in preparation for painting. This month, we delve further into the Redhead's rebirth by detailing the painting of the cab, application of the work-ready Vortex bedliner, and the restoration and painting of the cargo bed.

1. After the cab was shot with the Keystone Automotive PPG K36 primer, it was lightly sprayed with TECHnique Painters Coat Guide. This material is used to ensure that the body is smooth. The Painters Coat Guide was block-sanded with 320-grit sandpaper and then the entire area to be painted was DA'd again with 400-grit sandpaper. Any areas that couldn't be sanded with a machine were sanded by hand. The cab was ready for paint once Erick Wells and his crew were satisfied that the body was smooth.
1. After the cab was shot with the Keystone Automotive PPG K36 primer, it was lightly spra
2. Painting the cab was actually a three-step process. First, it was sprayed with PPG sealer. Then it was shot with three coats of PPG Vermillion Red paint. Finally, three coats of PPG DCU 2002 clearcoat with PPG DCX61 clearcoat hardener was sprayed on. Wells applied all of these coatings while wearing a VOC-approved respirator and a hooded paint suit. The paint booth featured an explosion-proof exhaust fan with filters.
2. Painting the cab was actually a three-step process. First, it was sprayed with PPG seal
3. The bed restoration began by removing the factory bedsides. This is painstaking work that requires drilling out each factory spot weld with a spot-weld drill bit. To make the job easier, we cut the majority of the bedsides off with a Sawzall and then went to work removing the end panels. Here, Chris Gerrits removes the last of the spot welds on the driver side of the box. The trick is to remove the spot weld from the outer panel without drilling into the box itself.
3. The bed restoration began by removing the factory bedsides. This is painstaking work th

4. With the bedsides removed, we could go to work on the rust in the cargo box. We used a grinder to remove the larger areas of surface rust, and then a sandblaster was used to knock off any remaining rust. All bare metal was covered with acid etch primer to help fight corrosion.
4. With the bedsides removed, we could go to work on the rust in the cargo box. We used a
5. Spot welds are also used on the inner wheel arches, so like the bedsides, they had to be drilled out so the rusty inner arches could be removed.
5. Spot welds are also used on the inner wheel arches, so like the bedsides, they had to b
6. We found that rust had destroyed the rear bedside bracket on the passenger side. This was a problem because this is a major mounting point for the rear of the passenger-side bedside. Using the driver-side bracket as a guide, Chris Gerrits fabbed a new piece and welded it in place.
6. We found that rust had destroyed the rear bedside bracket on the passenger side. This w

7. To guarantee longevity of our new bedsides, we coated the inside of both of them with rubberized undercoating before they were mounted to the cargo box. Here, Chris Gerrits sprays on the undercoating after taping off the area where the new inner fender will be welded to. Before taping that surface, it was sprayed with weldable primer.
7. To guarantee longevity of our new bedsides, we coated the inside of both of them with r
8. After the old bedsides were removed and the cargo box prepped, it was time to mount up the new LMC Truck bedsides. It is critical that before the bedsides are welded on, they be aligned perfectly. If even a slight miscalculation occurs, the tailgate may not fit correctly or the cab-to-bed body lines may not line up. Getting all of this right is a long, painstaking process that requires experience and patience. After everything was aligned perfectly, Wells welded the new bedsides to the cargo box.
8. After the old bedsides were removed and the cargo box prepped, it was time to mount up
9. To install the new LMC Truck inner wheel arches, we flipped the bed upside down so it would be easy to access the work area. Each inner arch was positioned and then tack-welded to the inside of the new bedside and the cargo box. Each inner arch was then liberally coated with rubberized undercoating just like the inner bedsides. Our cargo box was now ready to be positioned right side up and lined with Vortex bedline
9. To install the new LMC Truck inner wheel arches, we flipped the bed upside down so it w

10. Jon Wise, one of the body techs working on our rig, is the owner of Trinity Coating Systems in Freeport, Illinois, and an authorized Vortex installer. Since the machine used to apply Vortex is completely portable, he simply brought the machine to Vintage Iron & Design one day and applied the Vortex before the bed was painted and while it was off the truck. Wise began the application by sanding all areas of the inside of the cargo box (shown) and the tailgate where the Vortex would be applied with 60-grit sandpaper. Any bare metal was primed with self-etching primer and then sanded.
10. Jon Wise, one of the body techs working on our rig, is the owner of Trinity Coating Sy
11. The surfaces where the Vortex would be applied were then cleaned with degreaser. Wire tape was applied near the tops of the bedrails and the tailgate to ensure a straight line. Finally, the box sides and the front side of the tailgate were covered in plastic to eliminate overspray during the application process.
11. The surfaces where the Vortex would be applied were then cleaned with degreaser. Wire
12. Here, Wise is beginning the Vortex application process on the new LMC Truck tailgate. The Vortex material is pumped out of the machine at a very low 8 to 10 psi, and it hardens to a slightly tacky feel in about 10 seconds. Vortex can be applied to a variety of surfaces as long as the surface temperature is over 50 degrees Fahrenheit. He coated the inside and upper lip of the tailgate to offer maximum protection.
12. Here, Wise is beginning the Vortex application process on the new LMC Truck tailgate.

13. The bed was next. We chose a dark gray for our bedliner color, but there are more than 250 colors available. The surface texture of the bedliner can be varied from smooth to very rough. We chose a medium texture that would ensure traction for us and cargo even if the surface is wet.
13. The bed was next. We chose a dark gray for our bedliner color, but there are more than
14. Within just a few minutes of applying the Vortex, Wise began removing the wire tape and plastic so we could begin preparations to paint the bed. Vortex doesn't require any baking or other special treatment--it just dries. We were impressed at how handsome the bed looked with the Vortex applied.
14. Within just a few minutes of applying the Vortex, Wise began removing the wire tape an
15. The steps and material utilized to paint the cargo box and tailgate were a duplicate of those mentioned earlier to prep and paint the cab of the truck.
15. The steps and material utilized to paint the cargo box and tailgate were a duplicate o

16. After the paint had dried for about 24 hours, the cargo box was reinstalled on the chassis using a bed-mounting kit from LMC Truck. This kit includes eight new bolts and nuts. At this point, all of the new paint was laboriously wet-sanded. This process involves hand-sanding all of the new paint with 1,200-grit wet/dry sandpaper followed by hand-sanding with 2,000-grit wet/dry sandpaper. After all of this, the new paint is sanded yet again with 3,000-grit sandpaper using a DA. All of this sanding is what removes any "orange peel" and it gives the new paint a mirror-like finish.
16. After the paint had dried for about 24 hours, the cargo box was reinstalled on the cha
17. Buffing was the next calorie-burner. First, 3M 06062 Perfect It III rubbing compound and a white foam pad were used to remove any sand scratches left by the wet sanding process. This was followed up by buffing using a black foam pad and 3M 06064 Perfect It III swirl mark remover. After buffing was completed we applied a pair of new OEM-style LMC Truck bed panel "4x4" decals.
17. Buffing was the next calorie-burner. First, 3M 06062 Perfect It III rubbing compound a
18. The last step in the reconstruction was to reinstall all of the remaining components like the grille, headlamp bezels, and so on. With this job done, the Project Fiery Redhead's new body was officially finished.
18. The last step in the reconstruction was to reinstall all of the remaining components l

You're probably wondering how much a detailed, complete restoration like this costs. Well, ours tallied a shade over $10,000. That included all of the body panels and assorted items from LMC Truck ($1,500), the Stylin' Concepts Reflexxion Domination Series cowl hood ($450), Trinity Coating Systems Vortex bedliner ($475), Keystone Automotive refinishing supplies ($1,500) and the Vintage Iron & Design labor ($6,750). Clearly, labor was the lion's share of the cost, but that's to be expected-the team at Vintage Iron & Design had well over 150 hours into our rig. Naturally, your cost could be higher or lower depending on what your rig needs. The bottom line is that our resto proves that there are real-world options for trucks with rusty or trail-trashed bodies.

After three years and countless hours of wrenching, our work-ready Project Fiery Redhead is completed. In an upcoming issue, we'll recap what's been done to our '92 F-150 and we'll tell you what has worked great and what we wouldn't do again.

SOURCES
Keystone Automotive 8-00/-328-1145	Vintage Iron & Design
LMC Truck 8-00/-562-8782 www.lmctruck.com	Stylin' Concepts www.stylinconcepts.com
Trinity Coating Systems