I bought the truck new when I was 18 with a loan from my parents. I had just graduated High School and was in my first semester of College. I went to engineering school full time and worked part time while school was in session, and I worked full time in the summers. After making truck payments all through the College years, upon graduation, my generous parents forgave my remaining balance on the truck loan as a graduation gift! I will be forever grateful to my now late parents for making it possible for me to get the truck at such a young age and this restoration is in their honor.
I drove the truck for 28 years before gifting it to our son on his 16th birthday. He drove it 10 more years and I traded him a newer Ranger so I could get the ’86 F150 restored.
I restored the interior myself except for the seat which I had professionally reupholstered. I also restored the undercarriage myself and a few of the mechanical things I was able to do, but the majority of the mechanical work to include the engine and transmission rebuild were done by professionals.
The paint and body work was the last thing to be completed and I relied on a professional shop for most of that work.
We used a ton of LMC parts for both the mechanical and body work and we kept the truck as close to original as we could with the goal of making it as close to what it was the day I bought it as possible.
I hope to drive the truck until I am no longer able to drive, then gift it back to our son for the second time.