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Bullnose Garage is a hands-on journey into classic Ford truck restoration. Follow along as I bring new life to my 1985 F-150 and 1982 Bronco, one wrench turn at a time.

I document everything on YouTube @BullnoseGarage. Check it out!
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Ford 427 Side Oiler V8 engine with cross-bolted mains and polished headers, the race engine used in the GT40 at Le Mans.
Ford 427 Side Oiler: The Big Block That Beat Ferrari and Built a Legacy

Published on October 13, 2025

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Part of the Ford Engines series.

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Show Transcript
Ferrari thought they had endurance racing locked down with six straight wins at Le Mans. The whole world was convinced nobody could touch them. Then along came Ford, ticked off, with deep pockets and willing to throw everything at the problem. They had Carroll Shelby in their corner, a brand new GT40, and under the hood, a 427 cubic inch sledgehammer that could change racing history. Spoiler alert, Ferrari didn’t like what happened next. Howdy folks, Ed here. Welcome back to Bono’s Garage. Now, if you’ve seen Ford v Ferrari, you know the Hollywood version of the story. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great movie, but the movie plays pretty fast and loose with the facts. And while the truth is way more interesting, I’m not here today to debate about Henry the Deuce’s motivations or Ken Miles getting cheated out of first place. We’re here about the 427 that got into the line and gave Ford the photo op they wanted in 1966. Because the Ford 427 wasn’t just some one-off race motor. It was the peak of the FE family, the same big block line that powered Ford trucks for years before being replaced by the 429 and 460 that carried into the bullnose era. In other words, that Le Mans-winning motor didn’t just beat Ferrari, it laid the groundwork for Ford’s big block future. Let’s back up a little. Before the 427, before the GT40, and before the drama in France, Ford had to build the FE family. The FE wasn’t some accident of racing. It was born as Ford’s first true big block family back in 1958. FE literally stands for Ford Edsel. Yeah, I know the Edsel name is usually the punchline of a bad joke, but in this case, the engine family outlived the car by decades and became one of Ford’s most important platforms. The FE was designed to fill the gap between the small Y-block V8s like the 292 and 312 and the heavy-duty Lincoln and Mercury big blocks that were too bulky for most applications. Ford wanted one engine architecture that could scale. Put it in a Thunderbird or a Galaxy and make it fast, or stick it in an F-series truck and make it pull. That meant a middleweight big block that was compact but still capable of serious displacement. From a technical standpoint, the FE had a 4.63-inch bore spacing which set the ceiling on displacement. That’s why you’ll see FEs topping out in the 428 to 430 range, while the later 385 series 429 and 460 used a wider 4.9-inch bore spacing and had more room to grow. Deck height was set at just over 10.17 inches. Cast iron blocks were the norm, and the deep skirt design gave them strength for both racing and trucks. It didn’t come cheap though. The 429 clocked in over 600 pounds or more fully dressed. Some engineers joked it was like lifting an anvil with spark plugs. Unlike most engines where the heads are self-contained and the intake just sits on top, the FE’s intake is part of the head structure itself. That made the manifolds huge and heavy, often 70 pounds or more. And swapping one isn’t just a Saturday afternoon job, but that massive structure gave the top end a lot of rigidity, which was a blessing once Ford started pushing the FE into racing. Over its lifespan, the FE family covered everything from 322 cubic inches up to 428. The 352 was the first out of the gate, offered in cars and trucks in ’58. By the early ’60s, the 360 and 390 had become the bread and butter truck engines. Torquey, reliable, and built to take abuse. These were the motors farmers, contractors, and good old boys trusted for years before the bullnose era. And that’s the point I want to drive home here. The FE wasn’t just a race motor. It was Ford’s Swiss Army knife. Same external block, same basic design, but it could be tuned to idle smooth in a pickup, or it could be bored and stroked to scream on a NASCAR track. The 427 we’re going to focus on was the extreme end of that spectrum, the wild child of a family that also powered America’s work trucks. So, why did Ford decide to build the 427? Simple. They wanted to win. In the early ’60s, Ford was getting embarrassed in NASCAR. Their 390, even the 406, weren’t bad engines, but ‘not bad’ doesn’t win a Daytona or Le Mans. NASCAR’s 427 cubic inch limit was staring them in the face. Chrysler was swinging with the 426 Hemi, and Ford needed an answer. That answer was the 427. Same FE family bones, but bored and stroked right to the edge. A 4.23-inch bore and 3.78-inch stroke. That combination made a high-winding 427 cubic inch big block that could hang with anything on displacement. But Ford knew size alone wasn’t going to be enough. So here’s the problem. The FE was born as a passenger car and truck motor. It used what’s called a top oiler system. Oil flows from the pump, feeds the cam and valve train first, and then makes its way down to the crankshaft. And that’s fine for hauling hay bales at 3,000 RPM, but not for running 6,500 to 7,000 RPM wide open for hours. The crank was starving for oil when it needed it most, and bearings don’t last long when they go dry at speed. So, Ford did something radical. They created the side oiler block. This design ran a dedicated galley along the side of the block that fed the crankshaft first before anything else. The valve train could wait a fraction of a second because if the crank didn’t live, nothing else mattered. It turned the FE into a reliable racing engine, one that could survive the abuse of NASCAR and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. And if you know what you’re looking at, side oiler blocks are easy to spot. That external oil passage is cast right into the block. Collectors today will pay a fortune for a real one because they’re rare. And they solved that one weak spot that kept the FE from being a world-class race motor. Now, here’s where some folks scratch their heads. If the side oiler was so good, why didn’t Ford keep doing it? Well, the answer is that the side oiler was a workaround, not the future. It was a clever fix for an FE that was being pushed way beyond what it was originally designed to do. Later engines like the 429 or 460 Lima big blocks and even Windsor small blocks… went back to that top oiler layout, but they had stronger main webs, bigger journals, and better oiling capacity right from the start. They didn’t need the side gallery for everyday cars and trucks. A side oiler would have just added cost, weight, and complexity, and it wouldn’t have really given any benefit. So, the side oiler was a one-generation trick, a race-bred fix that kept the FE alive at the top level. But it wasn’t how Ford designed engines going forward. Think of it like a pit stop on the way to Ford’s later Big Block. It’s not the destination. But, you know, call it what you want. Trick, hack, genius engineering. Bottom line is it definitely worked. Once the 429 side oiler hit the scene, Ford wasted no time throwing it into the fight. In NASCAR, it was an instant game changer. The big bore and short stroke gave it the breathing room for high RPM. And with that side oiler system keeping the crank alive, it could run flat out all day. Ford team suddenly had the durability to hang with and beat Chrysler and GM. For a while, the 427 was the engine to have in stock car racing. And Ford didn’t stop there. They got creative. Maybe too creative. In 1964, they unveiled the 427 single overhead cammer. This was still an FE block at heart, but with wild single overhead cam cylinder heads, timing chains so long they looked like something off of a bicycle and the ability to spin to the moon. It was basically Ford’s answer to Chrysler’s 426 Hemi. NASCAR took one look and said, ‘Nope, that’s too radical,’ and banned it before they could dominate. But on the drag strip, the cammer became a legend, especially in Top Fuel and funny cars. Guys like Connie Kalitta and Don Prudhomme used it to terrorize quarter miles across the country. On paper, Ford rated it as 616 horsepower in stock trim. The NHRA, in their infinite wisdom, called it 425 for classification, which was a joke. Everybody was in on it. In reality, tuners were pulling 700 horsepower or more, which is why those engines were absolute terrors in Top Fuel and funny cars. Chrysler had the Hemi, but Ford’s cammer was the one scaring track officials. Of course, the 427’s most famous stage was across the Atlantic. Early GT40s with smaller engines had been fast but fragile. Ferrari ran circles around them. That changed when Carroll Shelby got involved. Shelby had already made the Cobra a world-beater by stuffing an FE into a lightweight British roadster. So when Ford handed him the GT40 program, he knew what it needed, the 427 side oiler. And here’s where Ken Miles comes in. Now Ken wasn’t just a driver. He was Ford’s secret weapon in testing. Miles would literally run engines until they grenaded just to give Ford engineers the data they needed to make them tougher. If the 427 side oiler held together at Le Mans, it’s because Ken Miles had already blown a dozen of them to pieces back in testing. He broke them so customers or racers didn’t have to. With a big block FE sitting midship in the GT40 Mark II, everything clicked. In 1966, Ford stomped Ferrari at Le Mans with a historic 1-2-3 finish. That was the year of the famous photo finish where Ken Miles was robbed of the win for technical reasons. But the real story is that all three cars were Fords and all three were powered by the 427 FE. It wasn’t a fluke. The GT40 kept winning four years in a row from ’66 to ’69, cementing Ford’s place in endurance racing history. And here’s a detail the movie didn’t really emphasize. Those 427-powered GT40s were breaking 200 mph on the Mulsanne Straight in 1966. That’s not just fast, man. That’s light years ahead of what most race cars, let alone road cars, could do at the time. Ferrari had nothing that could match that kind of straight-line speed, and everyone knew it. That’s why the win wasn’t just symbolic. Ford didn’t just beat Ferrari, they flat out outran them. And for gearheads and car buffs back in the States, those GT40s weren’t running exotic one-off race engines. They were running versions of the same side oiler blocks you could, in theory, buy in a Galaxy if you knew the right box to check on the order form. They were handbuilt, blueprinted, and tuned to the ragged edge, but at their core, they were still Fords. That’s part of why the story is so cool. Ford didn’t just build a race motor from scratch. They weaponized a production block to take on Ferrari’s best and absolutely stomped them with it. So, when people talk about Chrysler’s 426 Hemi as the ultimate ’60s big block, Ford fans have a pretty strong rebuttal. The 426 may have owned the drag strip, but the 427 FE is the engine that took down Ferrari on the world’s biggest stage. Okay, so why does all of this matter if you’re standing in front of an ’80s bullnose Ford? I mean, after all, no bullnose ever came with a 427 side oiler. And if we’re being precise, you couldn’t even get a 460 in an F150 during the bullnose years. The biggest gas engine in those trucks was the 351 Windsor. When a 460 had to step up to an F250 or F350, because that’s where Ford put the heavy hitter big blocks. Here’s the connection. The 427 proved something inside Ford as a company, that they could build world-class engines and, more importantly, that they had to. Before the FE, Ford was seen as solid but conservative. Good for trucks and family cars, but not global racing glory. The 427’s success changed that. It gave Ford the confidence to throw money and engineering muscle into performance, and the lessons they learned fed directly into the next generation of big blocks. Think about it this way. The FE had a 4.63 bore spacing. That’s why it maxed out around 428 cubes. When Ford sat down to design the 385 series, that’s the 429 and 460, they fixed that. They widened the bore spacing to 4.9 inches, gave the block more breathing room, and built in oiling improvements from the ground up. They took what the 427 side oiler taught them, that endurance requires durability at the crank, and baked it into a whole new engine family. Bullnose trucks. Now, the F-150 may not have gotten the 460, but plenty of F-250s and 350s did. Those engines weren’t just big for the sake of being big. They carried the same philosophy that the 427 proved on the racetrack: build it big, build it tough, and make sure it can survive under serious abuse. There’s a cultural side, too. Beating Ferrari wasn’t just a trophy for Ford; it changed how the world looked at them. Suddenly, Ford wasn’t just the company that built Grandma’s Galaxy or your dad’s farm truck. They were the company that could stand toe-to-toe with the Italians and win. That swagger carried into the muscle car era, into the Cobra Jet programs, into the Boss 429, and eventually into the trucks of the ’70s and ’80s. The Bullnose generation wasn’t designed to win alone, but it inherited the same DNA of toughness and confidence that Ford had proved with the 427. So, because this is Bullnose Garage, here’s a fun question: Would you ever stick a 427 side oiler into a bullnose? On paper, yeah, it’s possible. The engine bay in those trucks is plenty big. Mounts and adapters exist, and with enough determination and cash, anything’s possible. Let’s be real for a second. First, cost. A genuine 427 side block today is like striking oil in your backyard. Collectors, racers, and restorers all want them, and the prices are sky-high. By the time you source a real block, heads, intake, and all the hardware, you’ll have more money tied up in the motor than the entire truck is worth, even if it’s a nice one. Second, practicality. The FE family is heavy. That massive intake alone feels like it was cast out of battleship armor. By comparison, the 460 is cheaper, easier to find, and will make just as much or more torque for a fraction of the investment. A Windsor build or even a stroked 408 Windsor will give you more performance per dollar, and the parts are on every parts store shelf. Let’s not kid ourselves. If you did swap a 427 into a bullnose, you’d have bragging rights for life. That’s the kind of thing you pop the hood at a show and people stop mid-sentence. Most folks expect to see a 460 or a Windsor. Nobody expects to see the same engine that won Le Mans four years straight sitting in an ’80s Ford pickup. That’s pure ‘why the hell not’ territory. And sometimes, in this hobby, that’s reason enough. So, if you do, let me know because I want to talk to you. But would I recommend it? No. Not unless you’ve got a winning lottery ticket or a dusty old 427 sitting in your uncle’s barn. And even then, probably not. Here’s why. Ford only built around 40,000 427 blocks in total across all the versions. Compare that to the hundreds of thousands of 390s or 428s, and you see the problem. Genuine 427 sides are rare, and collectors will pay a fortune. Dropping one in a bullnose would be like using a Shelby Daytona coupe to haul firewood. Yeah, you could do it, but most people would call you insane. Would I respect it? You better believe it. Because a bullnose with a 427 under the hood isn’t about logic. It’s about making a statement. And that statement is, ‘Yeah, I put a Le Mans engine in my farm truck. What are you going to do?’ The Ford 427 wasn’t built to be practical. It wasn’t built to idle smooth, sip gas, or make it through a 100,000-mile warranty. It was built for one reason: to win. To take the fight to Chrysler at Daytona and to Ferrari at Le Mans, to prove that Ford could play at the very top of the motorsports world. And it did. Four straight Le Mans victories, NASCAR dominance, drag racing legends. The 427 earned its place in history the hard way at wide-open throttle. For us truck guys, it’s easy to look at the 427 and say, ‘Yeah, cool story, bro. What does that have to do with my bullnose?’ The answer is everything. The 427 forced Ford to innovate. It proved the value of durability, taught them how to build engines that could take punishment, and gave the company the swagger to go all in on big displacement. Without the 427’s success, there’s no 460. Without the 460, bullnose trucks don’t get the kind of big block grunt that made them kings of towing and hauling. So, no, your ’80s F-150 or F-250 never came with a 427, but every single time you fire up a bullnose, you’re hearing echoes of what Ford learned in the ’60s. That Le Mans-winning motor didn’t just beat Ferrari. It helped shape Ford’s big block legacy that carried all the way into trucks that we love today. And the F-series itself, that’s a whole story of its own. The 352, the 360, the 390, engines that earned their reputation in F-series trucks long before the bullnose. And you know what? We’ll dig into that in a future video. But for now, just remember the Ford 427 side oiler wasn’t just an engine. It was a statement. And it’s a statement that still echoes through every single Ford sitting in a driveway today. And that’s it, guys. That’s everything that I know or pretend to know about the legendary 427 side oiler from Ford. Any questions, comments, concerns, gripes, internet ramblings, if I got something wrong, let me know in the comments below. I really appreciate that. Again, guys, thank you so much for watching and we will see you next time.

The Ford 427 Side Oiler: Racing’s Big Block Legend

Introduction: The Day Ford Declared War on Ferrari

Promotional poster showing Ford GT40 and Ferrari 330 P4 race cars from the Ford vs Ferrari rivalry at Le Mans.
When Ford got mad at Ferrari, they built a car that made history.

he Ford 427 Side Oiler was the engine that took Ford from Detroit to victory at Le Mans… a race-bred big block built to beat Ferrari.

Ferrari thought they had endurance racing locked down. Six straight wins at Le Mans. A reputation that screamed perfection. Everyone figured nobody could touch them. Then along came Ford… ticked off, flush with cash, and determined to humiliate the prancing horse on its own turf.

They brought Carroll Shelby to the party, built a car called the GT40, and stuffed it with an American V8 so mean it would change racing history forever. That engine was the 427 cubic-inch FE Side Oiler, and it didn’t just beat Ferrari – it stomped them flat.

Now, Hollywood told that story in Ford v Ferrari, and sure, it’s a good flick. But the truth is even better and a lot more mechanical. The 427 wasn’t just a race motor pulled out of some secret lab; it was the peak evolution of Ford’s FE engine family, the same basic big-block line that powered F-Series trucks for years. Long before the Bullnose era ever rolled off the line, the 427 had already proven Ford could build a world-class engine out of production parts.

That’s what made it dangerous.
That’s what made it legendary.

And today, we’re tearing it apart, not with a wrench (though I’d love to), but with a deep dive into how this monster came to be, how it worked, and how it shaped the future of Ford’s big blocks.

Birth of the FE: The Foundation of Ford’s Big Block Era

Ford FE big-block V8 engine with  black valve covers, a precursor to the 427 Side Oiler.
Before the 427 came the FE — heavy, stubborn, and tough as an anvil.

Before the 427, before the GT40, and long before Le Mans glory, there was the FE: Ford’s first true big-block family. Introduced in 1958, the FE stood for Ford-Edsel, which sounds like a punchline if you only know Edsel as Ford’s biggest flop. But the FE outlived the car by decades and became one of the most important engine families Ford ever built.

Ford had a problem in the late ’50s: the old Y-block V8s were running out of headroom. They were fine for the smaller passenger cars and light-duty trucks, but Ford needed something that could scale… an engine that could handle both power and payload. The Lincoln and Mercury big-blocks were too heavy and expensive, so the engineers in Dearborn got to work on a new design that could do both jobs: go fast in a Thunderbird or pull a trailer in an F-Series.

The Engineering Vision

The FE was a masterpiece of compromise.  It was big enough to move heavy cars and trucks, yet compact enough to fit under a standard hood. The block featured 4.63-inch bore spacing, which set a natural limit on displacement (that’s why you’ll never see an FE go much past 430 cubic inches). Later engines like the 429 and 460 used 4.90-inch spacing, giving them room to grow, but the FE’s tighter layout made it a stout, dense package.

Deck height was just over 10.17 inches, giving plenty of room for stroke without making the block excessively tall. Cast iron was the material of choice, not aluminum, which meant these things were heavy.  They could be north of 600 pounds fully dressed. Engineers joked that lifting one was like bench-pressing an anvil with spark plugs.

The Deep-Skirt Block

One of the FE’s defining features was its deep-skirt block design. Unlike earlier engines that left the crankcase skirt short, the FE’s block extended well below the crank centerline, creating a solid cradle for the rotating assembly. This made it incredibly rigid, a trait that would later become crucial when Ford started chasing high-RPM endurance reliability.

The design had its quirks, though. For example, the intake manifold wasn’t just a cap sitting on the heads. On the FE, the manifold actually formed part of the cylinder head structure. That made for excellent rigidity and consistent sealing under load, but it also meant the intake was massive, sometimes tipping the scales at 70 pounds or more. Swapping one wasn’t a Saturday afternoon job unless you liked hernias.

Displacement and Applications

The FE family was flexible, covering everything from 332 cubic inches up to 428. The first version to hit the streets was the 352, launched in ’58. It quickly proved itself in both cars and trucks, leading to larger variants like the 360 and 390… engines that became staples of Ford pickups throughout the ’60s and early ’70s.

Those engines earned a reputation for torque and toughness. You could lug them all day on the farm, run them hard in a work truck, or drop one into a Galaxie and surprise the guy next to you at a stoplight. That’s the beauty of the FE design.  It has same external block, but with different internals comes a completely different personality.

A Family Built to Adapt

Light blue 1963 Ford F-100 pickup truck parked outdoors, showcasing the early use of FE-series engines in Ford trucks.
Where the FE earned its reputation: hauling, not racing.

The FE’s secret weapon was adaptability. It could idle smooth in a pickup or scream at 7,000 RPM in a NASCAR stocker. It was the Swiss Army knife of big blocks, and Ford took full advantage of that.

By the early ’60s, engineers started pushing it to its absolute limits. That’s when they discovered something crucial and the FE’s endurance Achilles heel.. the FE’s original oiling system wasn’t up to the job. The top-oiler layout fed the cam and valvetrain first, leaving the crankshaft last in line for lubrication. Fine for trucks. Not so fine for racing.

That flaw set the stage for the creation of one of the most famous racing engines of all time: the 427 Side Oiler.

Why Ford Built the 427

Ford 427 Side Oiler V8 engine with cross-bolted mains and polished headers, the race engine used in the GT40 at Le Mans.
The 427 Side Oiler — Ford’s iron-fisted answer to Ferrari.

By the early 1960s, Ford had a problem. They were getting beat on the track, and badly. Ford was tired of losing. NASCAR and endurance racing had become more than just marketing. They were a battleground for engineering bragging rights. Chrysler had the 426 Hemi, GM had their own high-winding monsters, and Ford’s best effort, the 406 FE, was fast – but not fast enough. NASCAR had capped displacement at 427 cubic inches, which gave Ford a target. If they wanted to win, they had to hit that number and hit it hard.

The result was the 427 FE, an engine designed to dominate and survive at full throttle longer than anyone else. It used the same FE architecture, but everything about it was reworked for racing. Bore was punched out to 4.23 inches, stroke was set at 3.78, and the block was strengthened everywhere Ford could get away with it. Ford engineers had learned through painful experience that you couldn’t just bore and stroke your way to victory. High-RPM endurance killed engines through flex, heat, and oil starvation, so they went after all three. This wasn’t a warmed-over 390 anymore. It was a hand-built brute made to live at full throttle.

Strengthening the Block

The first step was casting integrity. Ford revised the FE block molds specifically for the 427, thickening the main webs, cylinder walls, and the oil pan rails. The engineers even modified the foundry’s core supports to reduce core shift during casting, which is something that had plagued earlier FE blocks and made cylinder wall thickness inconsistent. That kind of attention to detail was rare in production iron at the time.

The result was a high-nickel-content casting that could handle abuse far beyond what Ford’s standard passenger-car engines ever saw. Nickel made the iron harder and less prone to cracking under load, but it also made the blocks more expensive. Ford didn’t care. Racing budgets were generous, and this was war.

Next came reinforcement at the bottom end. The 427’s crankcase was a deep-skirt design like other FEs, but Ford took it further by adding cross-bolted main caps. Instead of the usual two vertical bolts per main, they added a pair of horizontal bolts that ran through the skirt of the block into each main cap, effectively tying the crankshaft to the block from both directions. It acted like a cradle that stopped cap walk… the tendency of the main caps to shift under load at high RPM.

To make this work, each cap had to be machined with precision flats and drilled passages for those side bolts. That added machine time and cost, but it created a bottom end that stayed tight and square at 7,000 RPM. Ford even extended the pan rails downward and added cast ribs between the bolt bosses to keep the block from twisting under load.

The Rotating Assembly

Ford 427 Side Oiler forged steel crankshaft showing machined journals and counterweights.

Inside, the crankshaft was a beast of its own. Ford used forged steel instead of the nodular iron found in lesser FE engines. It featured rolled fillets for stress relief and, in some racing versions, cross-drilled oil passages to improve flow between journals. These weren’t mass-produced cast cranks — they were hand-inspected and balanced for competition.

Connecting rods were shot-peened forged steel with 3/8-inch rod bolts, and the pistons were forged aluminum with full floating pins. Compression ratios ranged from around 10.5:1 on street versions to well over 12:1 in race trim. Combined with the short 3.78-inch stroke, the 427 was a rev-happy big block that could spin faster than most of its contemporaries without grenading.

Cylinder Walls and Cooling

Ford didn’t stop at the bottom end. They also beefed up the cylinder walls, which was critical for longevity. Earlier FE blocks could suffer from core shift that left thin walls on one side of a bore, leading to hot spots and eventual cracking. The 427 addressed this with revised core geometry and a thicker casting between cylinders.

The 427’s cooling passages were also reshaped to flow more evenly around the bores, especially in the upper water jacket. That helped even out thermal expansion, which in turn kept head gaskets intact under brutal conditions. The decks were machined flatter and truer than any production FE before them, which meant the heads sealed better and the engine could survive hours of sustained high heat.

Heads, Valves, and Flow

Although most of the 427’s legend lives in the block, the heads got attention too. Ford offered medium-rise and high-rise cylinder heads, each with larger ports and better flow characteristics than earlier FE designs. The high-rise heads used raised intake runners that improved airflow at high RPM, feeding the 427’s appetite for top-end power. Some later race engines even used tunnel-port heads with pushrods running through the intake ports — a bizarre but effective way to keep airflow high at extreme speeds.

To top it off, Ford developed lightweight cast-aluminum intakes for racing and even dual-quad setups that turned the engine bay into something that looked more at home on a drag strip than in a dealership lot.

All of these changes added up to a block that was as close to bulletproof as Ford could make it in the mid-’60s. Engineers used to joke that the 427 could take abuse that would scatter most other big blocks, and they weren’t far off.

Even so, the engineers knew there was one area that still wasn’t perfect: oiling. The FE’s top-oiler system was holding the whole thing back. The next step would be the innovation that truly separated the 427 from its predecessors: the side-oiler block.

The Oiling Problem

The FE had started life as a car and truck engine, not a race motor. Its top-oiler design fed oil to the camshaft and valvetrain first, with the crankshaft coming last. That was fine for your uncle’s pickup or your grandma’s Galaxie. At 3,000 RPM, it lived forever. At 7,000 RPM for hours on end, the crank bearings would start to go dry. When that happened, rods welded themselves to journals, and the engine went from thunder to shrapnel in a heartbeat.

Ford’s engineers couldn’t let that stand. They needed a fix that would feed the crank first every time, no matter how hard it was revved.

Enter the Side-Oiler

Cross-section diagram of the Ford 427 Side Oiler engine showing the side oil gallery feeding the crankshaft first.
Ford’s side-oiler fix — oil the crank first, worry about the rest later.

The side-oiler block was Ford’s answer. Instead of sending oil up through the center of the block and letting gravity do the rest, they created a dedicated oil gallery running down the side of the block. Oil came straight out of the pump and went directly into that gallery, which fed the main bearings first. Only after the crank had what it needed did oil get routed upward to the camshaft and valvetrain.

That simple change solved the FE’s biggest weakness. The crank, the heart of the engine, always had pressure, even under brutal loads. It turned the FE from a strong street motor into a legitimate endurance engine that could run flat-out for hours.

If you’ve ever seen a real side-oiler block, the difference is obvious. There’s a long horizontal bulge cast into the side of the block that houses the oil passage. It’s the giveaway collectors look for today, and it’s the reason those blocks are so valuable. They weren’t made in huge numbers, and the ones that survived decades of racing are prized like rare gold.

Why It Worked

What made the side-oiler design so effective wasn’t just the oil path. It was the whole system. Ford engineers balanced the galleries so that pressure stayed consistent from front to back. Each main bearing got its own direct feed instead of sharing a single passage. That meant less pressure drop, less heat, and much better bearing life at high RPM.

They also used cross-bolted main caps, which tied the bottom of the block together like a race cage for the crank. Each main cap was bolted vertically as usual, but also held in place with horizontal bolts running through the skirt of the block. That extra support kept the crank from flexing under stress, and when you’re spinning steel that fast, a few thousandths of movement can mean the difference between finishing a race and scattering parts down the back straight.

The combination of the side-oiler gallery and the cross-bolted mains gave the 427 incredible durability for its time. Engines that used to fail halfway through an event were suddenly living to see the checkered flag. In endurance racing, that was everything.

A Clever Workaround, Not the Future

It’s worth remembering that the side-oiler was a brilliant solution, but it was still a workaround. Ford was pushing the FE architecture past what it was designed for. Later engines like the 429 and 460 big blocks, and even the smaller Windsor family, went back to more conventional oiling paths, but with stronger main webs, larger journals, and better casting design from the start. They didn’t need a side gallery to survive because the whole block was built for it.

For racing, though, the side-oiler was magic. It was Ford’s way of saying, “We’ll fix it with engineering,” and it worked. The 427 side-oiler didn’t just solve a problem; it made Ford competitive again. From NASCAR ovals to the Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans, it gave Ford the endurance they’d been missing.

And if you want proof that it worked, all you have to do is look at the trophies.

The Racing Legacy of the 427 Side Oiler

Historic 1966 Le Mans finish showing three Ford GT40s crossing the line together for a 1-2-3 victory over Ferrari.
1966 — the year Ford dropped the mic at Le Mans.

Once Ford had the 427 Side Oiler dialed in, they didn’t waste any time turning it loose. NASCAR was the first proving ground. The short stroke, big bore, and bulletproof bottom end gave Ford the perfect combination for high RPM power and endurance. It could breathe deep, rev hard, and stay together under punishment that would turn most engines into scrap metal.

At a time when a 6,500 RPM redline was considered “aggressive,” the 427 was comfortably running past 7,000. Oil pressure stayed steady, bearings lived longer, and the engines came back from races still in one piece which, in motorsport, is the only statistic that really matters.

NASCAR Dominance

Ford teams quickly figured out that the 427 wasn’t just powerful, it was consistent. In NASCAR, consistency wins championships. The side-oiler setup meant the crankshaft got oil pressure first, and that allowed teams to run harder and leaner without worrying about oiling failures.

The 427-powered Galaxies and Fairlanes started showing up everywhere. Drivers like Fred Lorenzen, nicknamed “Fearless Freddy,” made Ford a serious threat. In the early to mid-1960s, he was running speeds that other teams simply couldn’t maintain without engine failures. That reliability came from the 427’s design. Those cross-bolted mains and the crank-fed oiling system did exactly what they were meant to do.

Other manufacturers were scrambling to keep up. The Chrysler Hemi had power, no doubt, but the 427 FE was a freight train that could keep pulling lap after lap. It didn’t care about being delicate. It was built for violence.  It was just strong, simple American iron engineered to live.

The Cammer: Ford’s Wild Experiment

Ford 427 SOHC Cammer engine with single overhead cams and long timing chains, developed to rival Chrysler’s 426 Hemi.
The 427 Cammer — too wild for NASCAR, too good for everyone else.

Then Ford got ambitious… maybe too ambitious. In 1964, they unveiled a version of the 427 that made the racing world stop in its tracks: the 427 SOHC, better known as the Cammer.

The block underneath was still an FE, but the top end was completely new. Instead of the pushrod setup, Ford gave it single overhead cams on each bank, driven by a timing chain so long it could’ve come off a bicycle. The cammer heads breathed like crazy, with massive valves and hemispherical-style combustion chambers that looked suspiciously similar to what Chrysler was doing with their 426 Hemi.

The intent was simple: dominate NASCAR. The Cammer made a conservative 616 horsepower in “factory trim,” though that number was more for politics than truth. Tuned race versions easily pushed 700 horsepower or more. It was an absolute monster.

NASCAR, of course, took one look and banned it before it could ever dominate. The official excuse was that it wasn’t “production-based” enough. The real reason? It scared them. Nobody else had anything that could touch it.

Even though NASCAR shut the door, the Cammer found a second life on the drag strip. In Top Fuel and Funny Car, it became the engine that nobody wanted to line up against. Drivers like Connie Kalitta and Don “The Snake” Prudhomme made names for themselves running Cammers. You’d hear that shrieking, chain-driven top end echo through the pits, and everyone knew it was about to get serious.

In the quarter mile, Chrysler had the Hemi, but Ford’s Cammer was the one making tech inspectors sweat.

Le Mans: Beating Ferrari at Their Own Game

If NASCAR proved the 427’s durability, Le Mans cemented its legend.

When Ford first sent the GT40 overseas, it didn’t go well. The early 289-cubic-inch cars were fast but fragile. They couldn’t hold together long enough to challenge Ferrari’s dominance in endurance racing. That’s when Carroll Shelby stepped in. Shelby was the same guy who had already turned the British AC Cobra into a snake with an FE under the hood. Shelby knew exactly what the GT40 needed: the 427 Side Oiler.

The new GT40 Mk II was a different animal entirely. The 427 sat midship, low and angry, mated to a beefed-up transaxle to handle its torque. It was heavier, yes, but it was also unstoppable. Ford tested the hell out of it, often under the guidance of Ken Miles, the engineer-driver who pushed these engines to their limits.

Miles didn’t just drive; he broke things on purpose. He’d run engines at full load until they failed, then hand the remains to the engineers with notes on what went wrong. If the 427 survived Le Mans, it was because Ken Miles had already found every weak link during testing.

The Ultimate Show of Force

Row of Ford GT40 race cars lined up on the Le Mans starting grid in the 1960s with crowds watching from the stands.
The calm before 24 hours of mechanical mayhem.

In 1966, Ford brought the hammer down. The GT40s finished 1-2-3, humiliating Ferrari in front of the world. It wasn’t a fluke, either. Ford came back and won four straight Le Mans victories from 1966 to 1969, and in 66 and 67 every one of those cars was powered by the FE family — the same 427 Side Oiler that started life as a production-based block you could, theoretically, buy in a Galaxie.

That’s what made it so impressive. Ferrari’s engines were delicate, hand-built art pieces. The 427 was a brute. It didn’t whisper; it shouted. It didn’t glide; it muscled its way down the Mulsanne Straight at over 200 miles per hour… in 1966. That’s mind-blowing performance for an iron-block V8 from Detroit.

And here’s the real kicker: those GT40 engines weren’t exotic prototypes. They were built from the same basic architecture as the 427 you could find on a Ford dealer’s option sheet if you knew which salesman to ask. They were blueprinted, balanced, and tuned to perfection, but at their core, they were FEs. Production blocks, racing glory.

The Ultimate Proof of Concept

What Ford proved with the 427 Side Oiler was that durability wins races. Power gets headlines, but reliability wins trophies. That philosophy carried through everything Ford built afterward. The 427 taught Ford engineers how to make big displacement engines live under stress. Lessons that filtered down into the 429 and 460 big blocks that powered the heavy-duty trucks of the ’70s and ’80s.

Every time one of those GT40s roared down the straight at Le Mans, it wasn’t just about beating Ferrari. It was about proving that American iron could take the best the world had to offer and come out on top. The 427 Side Oiler didn’t just win races; it changed Ford’s entire approach to engine building.

Why It Matters

If you’re standing in front of an ’80s Bullnose Ford, it’s easy to think the 427 Side Oiler doesn’t have much to do with your truck. After all, no F-Series ever rolled off the line with one under the hood, and even 460 big block only went in the F-250s and 350s of the time. But that’s the thing… the 460 exists because of the 427.

The 427 didn’t just win races. It changed Ford’s entire approach to building engines. It taught them where the weak points were, what it took to make an iron block survive high loads, and how to design oiling systems that wouldn’t give up when the pressure was on, literally.

The Engineering Legacy

Ford 460 cubic-inch 385-series big-block V8 painted blue with aluminum valve covers, successor to the FE family.
The 460 — Ford’s last big-block bruiser built for torque, not talk.

When Ford engineers started designing the 385-series big blocks that replaced the FE family in 1968, they brought every hard-earned lesson from the 427 with them.

The FE had a 4.63-inch bore spacing, which was fine for 390s and 428s, but it limited how far you could push displacement. The new 385-series used a wider 4.90-inch bore spacing, giving more room for thicker cylinder walls and larger bores without sacrificing cooling. That’s how Ford got engines like the 429 and 460, which shared much of the 427’s philosophy but were easier to cast, easier to maintain, and even tougher.

They also took what they learned from the 427’s oiling system. The 385-series engines went back to a top-fed layout, but they strengthened the main webs, widened the oil passages, and improved pump volume to prevent starvation under load. The oiling “problem” that started this whole revolution was permanently solved in the next generation.

The deep-skirt block design carried over, giving the 429 and 460 that same rock-solid bottom end feel. Even though they didn’t use cross-bolted mains, the webbing was thick enough that the crank sat in a structure just as strong. The result was a big block that could take anything you threw at it… hauling, towing, or screaming down a drag strip.

And while the 427’s racing program was all about pushing the limits, the 385-series engines were about applying those lessons to real-world performance. You could run them hard in a truck, day after day, and they just wouldn’t die.

From Le Mans to the Work Truck

There’s a direct line between the GT40s that tore up Le Mans and the Bullnose Fords that pulled horse trailers and campers two decades later. It sounds like a stretch until you look at what really mattered: durability under stress.

The 427 proved that you could make a high-compression, high-output V8 live at full throttle for 24 hours. Once Ford had that formula, applying it to trucks was easy. Sure, the 460 wasn’t spinning 7,000 RPM, but it still had to handle heavy loads, steep grades, and long hauls in hot weather.  That’s the same kind of stress that kills engines when oiling or cooling is marginal.

That’s why those big-block Fords earned their reputation for reliability. They came from an era when Ford had something to prove and wasn’t afraid to overbuild. The 427’s success gave Ford confidence, and the budget, to keep that mindset alive.

When you fire up a Bullnose with a 460 under the hood, you’re hearing the same design philosophy that took Ford to the top of the racing world: build it tough, feed it well, and let it breathe.

A Cultural Shift Inside Ford

Ford Motor Company factory building at sunset with smokestacks and American flag flying above the roof.
Where Detroit iron met American stubbornness.

Before the 427, Ford was seen as dependable but conservative.  They were the company that built your dad’s work truck and your grandma’s grocery-getter. After the 427? Whole different story.

Winning Le Mans changed the brand’s identity overnight. Ford became a performance company. That victory opened the door for the Cobra Jet, the Boss 429, and even the Thunder Jet engines that filled muscle cars through the late ’60s and early ’70s. The 427’s DNA ran through all of them.

That same culture of durability and pride carried into the trucks of the late ’70s and ’80s. The Bullnose generation wasn’t designed to win races, but it was built with that same Ford attitude. Solid, practical, a little overbuilt, and proud of it. When you look at the engineering on those trucks, from the frames to the drivetrains, it’s the same thinking that made the 427 such a success: do it right, even if it takes longer.

A Legacy Measured in Iron

For enthusiasts, the 427 Side Oiler is more than just an engine. It’s proof of what happens when a company gets serious about performance and refuses to accept second place. It turned Ford from an also-ran into a powerhouse. And it made possible every tough, torque-heavy big block that came after.

So yeah, your Bullnose F-150 never had a 427, but every time you start it, you’re hearing echoes of that engine. The smooth idle, the deep tone, the feeling that the motor could pull a house down… all of it traces back to lessons learned when Ford went to war with Ferrari.

Without the 427, there’s no 429.
Without the 429, there’s no 460.
And without the 460, the Bullnose doesn’t get its reputation for being a hard-pulling, long-living workhorse.

That’s why the 427 matters. It wasn’t just a racing engine. It was a proof of concept that forever changed how Ford built power.

Would You Swap a 427 Side Oiler Into a Bullnose?

Red 1985 Ford F-150 short-bed pickup parked on grass, part of the Bullnose generation of F-Series trucks.
My ’85 F-150 — the heart of Bullnose Garage.

Now, this is Bullnose Garage, so let’s ask the question that’s been itching at the back of your mind since the start: “Would it be possible to drop a 427 Side Oiler into a Bullnose Ford?”

Short answer: yes.
Long answer: yes, but your wallet’s going to need CPR.

The swap can be done. The Bullnose engine bay is plenty roomy, the frame can take it, and adapter kits exist to bolt almost anything to almost anything. But just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

The Money Problem

A real, documented 427 Side Oiler block is one of the most expensive pieces of Ford iron on the planet. These weren’t mass-produced like 390s or 428s. Depending on the condition, just the block alone can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000, and that’s before you’ve bought heads, crank, rods, pistons, or an intake.

If you’re lucky enough to find a complete running engine, (talking a real one here, not a service replacement or re-stamped block), you’re probably looking at $30,000 to $40,000, minimum. That’s more than most Bullnose trucks are worth fully restored.

And that’s just to own one. If you plan to actually drive it, you’ll want a modern oiling system, better cooling, and upgraded ignition. The Side Oiler was designed to live at wide-open throttle, not to idle in traffic on a summer day with the A/C blowing. It’ll do it, but it’ll complain the whole time.

The Practicality Problem

Even if money isn’t an issue, there’s the matter of weight and geometry. The FE family isn’t exactly light. A fully dressed 427 tips the scales at roughly 620 to 650 pounds, and that’s all iron. No aluminum block, no fancy alloys. Your front suspension would notice that extra hundred pounds compared to a Windsor or even a 460.

Then there’s the intake. Because the FE’s intake manifold forms part of the cylinder heads, it’s a monster, sometimes 70 pounds by itself. Swapping one of those isn’t a “pop it off before lunch” kind of job. You’ll want a hoist, or at least a few strong friends and a six-pack.

As for transmission fitment, you’d need FE-to-modern bellhousing adapters, and custom headers would almost be mandatory. You could get creative with mounts and driveshaft angles, but the swap would involve plenty of cutting, welding, and head-scratching. Nothing impossible, just not easy.

And don’t forget about the fuel system. The 427’s thirst makes a 460 look efficient. On a good day, you might see 5 to 7 miles per gallon and that’s if you’re nice to it. But let’s be honest, nobody puts a Side Oiler in a truck to hypermile.

The Cool Factor

Two-tone red-and-tan 1980s Ford F-150 with hood open at a car show, surrounded by spectators.
Proof that Bullnose trucks still turn heads.

Here’s where logic goes out the window. Because a Bullnose with a 427 under the hood isn’t about practicality, it’s about bragging rights. It’s the kind of swap that makes people stop mid-sentence at a car show.

Most folks expect to see a Windsor or maybe a 460 if they peek under the hood. But when they spot those wide FE valve covers and that distinctive side gallery bulge on the block? Game over. You’ve just won every “coolest swap” conversation within a 500-foot radius.

It’s ridiculous. It’s expensive. It’s completely unnecessary. And it’s also one of the most badass things you could ever do to a Bullnose. The kind of thing that makes people say, “You did what?” and then immediately grab their phones for a picture.

The Reality Check

For most people, it just doesn’t make sense. Real 427 Side Oilers are collector pieces now, and every one that gets pulled out of a crate or race car to be stuffed into a pickup is one less surviving piece of Ford racing history.

If you want the look and the power without the museum-level price tag, a 390 or 428 FE build will get you most of the way there. Those engines share the same basic architecture and can be built to run hard with modern internals. You’ll still get that FE sound and torque curve, but without needing a second mortgage.

Or, if you’re chasing performance, a well-built 460 or even a stroked 408 Windsor will out-torque a stock 427 and cost a fraction of the price. You’ll have parts support, lighter weight, and fewer headaches.

But if you do happen to find a dusty Side Oiler sitting in your uncle’s barn and decide to make it happen? You’ll have my respect forever. Because a Bullnose with a 427 Side Oiler under the hood isn’t a build — it’s a statement.

It says: “Yeah, I put a Le Mans engine in my farm truck. What are you gonna do about it?”

The Wrap-Up: Ford’s Iron-Fisted Masterpiece

The Ford 427 Side Oiler wasn’t built to be practical. It wasn’t built to idle smooth, sip gas, or pass emissions. It was built for one reason: to win. To take the fight to Chrysler at Daytona, to humiliate Ferrari at Le Mans, and to prove that American engineering could go toe-to-toe with anyone on earth.

And it did.

It gave Ford four straight Le Mans victories, a NASCAR championship run, and a fearsome reputation on the drag strip that still echoes in the pits today. This engine didn’t just make power… it made history. Every FE that came before it led to it, and every Ford big block that came after owed it a debt.

The FE Family’s Final Triumph

The 427 Side Oiler was the pinnacle of the FE family. It took a design that started life in the late 1950s and refined it into something worthy of global domination. From the deep-skirt block to the cross-bolted mains and the side-mounted oil gallery, every inch of that engine was purpose-built to solve problems most manufacturers didn’t even know they had yet.

It proved that Ford could do more than build reliable engines, they could build bulletproof ones. The same DNA that made the 427 survive Le Mans for 24 hours without coughing up its crankshaft eventually found its way into the 429 and 460. Those engines powered dump trucks, tow rigs, RVs, and the heavy-duty Bullnose pickups that became legends in their own right.

Lessons That Lasted

The real genius of the 427 wasn’t just its raw output. It was what Ford learned from it. They learned how to strengthen block castings, balance oil pressure, and keep bearings alive under conditions that would kill most engines. They learned that overbuilding doesn’t just win races. It earns reputations too.

And that mindset filtered down through decades of Ford engineering. When you look at a 460 pulling a trailer through the mountains without breaking a sweat, that’s the 427’s legacy at work. When you hear a Bullnose rumble to life and feel that deep torque right off idle, you’re feeling the echoes of a time when Ford refused to cut corners.

The Soul of a Winner

Close-up of a black-and-white checkered racing flag representing victory and endurance racing heritage.
Every legend ends with a checkered flag.

For us truck guys, the 427 isn’t just a piece of racing trivia. It’s proof that Ford earned its stripes. It’s the reason we can still brag that our trucks were built tough before “Built Ford Tough” was even a slogan.

Every Bullnose out there, from the humble 300 straight-six to the big 460, carries that same bloodline. You can trace it straight back to the moment Ford decided they were done playing nice and started building engines to win.

No, your ’85 F-150 never came with a 427 under the hood. But the lessons learned from that engine shaped every big block Ford that followed, and every time you fire yours up, you’re hearing a little piece of Le Mans in the exhaust note.

The 427 Side Oiler wasn’t just an engine. It was a statement — one that said, Ford doesn’t follow. Ford fights.

And that fight lives on in every truck still rolling down the road today.


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If you want more specific information on Bullnose Ford Trucks, check out my YouTube Channel!

For more information on Bullnose Fords, you can check out the BullnoseFord SubReddit or Gary’s Garagemahal. Both are excellent resources.

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The Hard Truth About Aftermarket Parts for Classic Cars

Published on October 3, 2025

Click to play the video inline  or  see it on YouTube

Part of the Truck Talk series.

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Show Transcript
All right, here we go. This is a fun one. Aftermarket parts. Do they suck? Yes. Yes, they do. All right. Now, obviously, not all aftermarket parts suck. This is a hard question. It’s interesting. Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve seen several people on Facebook and Reddit ask if aftermarket parts are better. I’m going to approach this from a bullnose angle because the question is so broad that trying to answer it for every vehicle and every type of part is just ridiculous. Even for bullnose, some aftermarket parts are better, and some aren’t. But there are a lot of parts that just aren’t better. That was hard for me to grasp when I first started working on my truck. I got into working on these old bullnose trucks, and I thought, ‘I got this new truck. I’m going to fix it up, make it nice and shiny, and get all the new parts.’ Clearly, a new part should be better than a 40-year-old part, right? At this point, they’re 40 years old, so the new parts have got to be better for a couple of reasons. One, they’re brand new, so they’re not worn out, and two, the world has had 40 years to figure out how to make these parts better. So, if I go to O’Reilly’s, AutoZone, or Napa and get a brand new part, it should be way better. For performance parts like heads, headers, carburetors, and fuel injectors, new aftermarket parts, especially performance ones, are just going to be better. That’s what you’re paying for. What I’m talking about is replacement parts that claim to be OEM but really aren’t. Stuff you buy from AutoZone or O’Reilly’s, like Dorman parts, generally aren’t better. The point of this rant is to tell you that for many parts on your trucks, if you can keep them working or refurbish them, do that. For those doing restorations wanting all original OEM stuff, this isn’t an issue. It’s for guys like me tinkering in their garage who want to keep these trucks on the road. I wish someone had told me when I started that the parts I was replacing might be better fixed instead. When I first got the truck, I’d replace parts with ones from Amazon, thinking they’d be better, but that’s not true. In 40 years, the world hasn’t figured out how to make these parts better because nobody cares about an old F-150 part from ’85. What they care about is selling you something, and higher quality doesn’t sell as well as low price. They’ve figured out how to make these parts cheaper. Where a part used to be a nice, robust metal part, now it’s all plastic. A perfect example is the old school hubcaps. I’ll be doing an episode about how to get those hubcaps on aftermarket wheels. Those aftermarket hubcaps are all plastic, whereas the original ones were solid metal. Are the plastic ones bad? No, they’re not bad quality. They don’t crack or have problems; they’re just plastic, not quite as high quality. Some parts will give you problems. One of the first things I replaced on my F-150 were the side mirrors because one wouldn’t stay put. The connection between the mirror and the mounting was wobbly, so I’d drive, and it would flop around. Rather than fix the mount, I thought I should buy a brand new mirror. I looked at mirrors on Amazon, and they weren’t expensive. I thought a brand new mirror had to be good. So, I bought a couple of mirrors. If I’m replacing one side, I may as well replace both. I spent hours figuring out how to get the old mirrors off and replace them with new ones. The problem was the old mirrors were metal and solid, and the new ones were plastic. The new mirrors would stay in place but shake so much you couldn’t use them to look behind you. The old ones didn’t have that problem; they would flop around but didn’t shake. There’s no way to fix the shake because they’re cheap. They’re made cheaply. They’re not the big, nice, heavy metal mirrors. They are cheap, light plastic mirrors. What’s worse is, to my knowledge, you can’t find a good aftermarket set of side mirrors that aren’t made cheaply. I threw the original mirrors away because I didn’t know any better. Don’t make the mistake I made and assume that aftermarket stuff is just better. Now, obviously, this is a nuanced question because not all aftermarket parts are worse. A lot of aftermarket parts are basically the same. I have a Dorman door striker on my truck for closing the door and keeping it tight. My original one was worn out, so the door wouldn’t stay closed well. I bought a Dorman replacement door striker and had to modify it a bit, but now it works great. Another example is my windshield wiper motor. The new aftermarket one works fantastic, but I had to modify it to fit. In 1985, trucks came off the assembly line with parts made to exactly fit that vehicle. New aftermarket parts are made to fit multiple vehicles, so they often require tweaks to fit properly. It’s normal to buy a part that says it fits your vehicle, but it doesn’t quite fit, and you have to modify it. That’s one of the frustrating things about working on old vehicles. I don’t have a lot of experience with other vehicles besides my ’85 F-150 and ’82 Bronco, but I assume it’s similar with other old cars. If you’re doing period-correct restorations, you have to find original parts, which can be expensive and difficult. Junkyard parts can be a hassle to get. Sometimes you just want to go to AutoZone and get something new, but those doing restorations don’t have that option. If you can keep the old stuff going, do it. I wish I had kept those mirrors. I could have figured something out to make them work better. Just because a part is new doesn’t mean it’s better. Old parts were designed by engineers who knew what they were doing. They built them tough back then. Newer vehicles aren’t necessarily bad, but when it comes to parts, the new stuff isn’t always better. Non-OEM replacement parts can be shady. You just don’t know. I replaced my parking brake cable and made a video about it. I installed a parking brake cable, and within two uses, it was ruined because it bound up inside. There was a coating inside that caused it to malfunction. I had to buy a different cable from another brand, which didn’t have that issue and has worked fine since. Aftermarket parts can be a gamble; some are fine, and some are not. You don’t know until you try them. If I buy a part from Amazon and it fails, I leave a review to warn others. I did that for the parking brake cable that broke after two uses. I don’t like leaving negative reviews because someone is trying to make a living, but it’s necessary. Aftermarket parts aren’t always better just because they’re new. Especially with parts from China, they’re made cheaply for us to buy cheaply. People often look at the price before quality, which is why these parts keep being made. My advice is to keep old parts working if possible. If you can’t, keep them around unless they’re beyond repair. You might find you need them later. I have a file cabinet in my garage for old parts because you can’t always buy new ones for old vehicles. It’s not always about whether aftermarket parts are better; sometimes, they’re not even available. So, keep the old parts running if you can. Thanks for watching. If you have questions or comments, leave them below. See you next time.

Do Aftermarket Parts Really Suck?

Ah, the age-old debate: are aftermarket parts for classic cars and trucks actually any good? Spoiler alert: not always. Now, I know this might ruffle some feathers, but let’s dive into why ‘new’ doesn’t always mean ‘better’ when it comes to these parts. Trust me, I’ve been there with my own F-150 and Bronco projects, and I’ve got some stories to tell.

When New Isn’t Better

So, you might think that a brand-new part should outperform a 40-year-old one, right? Wrong. Especially when we’re talking about those parts you grab from AutoZone or O’Reilly’s. They’re often marketed as OEM replacements, but in reality, they don’t hold a candle to the originals. Take mirrors, for instance. I replaced the ones on my F-150, thinking new would mean sturdy and reliable. What I got were plastic pieces that shook more than a Polaroid picture.

The Plastic Problem

Here’s the deal: a lot of these new parts are made cheaper, not better. Where you used to have solid metal hubcaps, now you’ve got plastic ones. Sure, they might not crack, but they’re just not the same quality. And don’t get me started on those side mirrors. The originals might have flopped a bit, but at least they didn’t vibrate like a bad karaoke performance.

When Aftermarket Does Work

Now, I’m not saying all aftermarket parts are junk. Some are actually decent, especially when it comes to performance parts like heads and carburetors. You’re paying for that extra oomph, and sometimes it’s worth it. I’ve had some success with a Dorman door striker and a windshield wiper motor. But here’s the catch: they often need a bit of tweaking to fit just right. It’s like buying a suit off the rack; it might fit, but a little tailoring goes a long way.

Buyer Beware

Aftermarket parts can be a gamble. I once replaced a parking brake cable, and it was toast after two uses. The culprit? A cheap coating that caused it to bind up. I had better luck with a different brand, but the experience taught me to read reviews and proceed with caution. If you buy a part and it fails, don’t be shy about leaving a review to help out the next guy.

The Case for Keeping It Old School

If you’ve got original parts that still have some life left in them, my advice is to keep them going. Refurbish them if you can. These parts were built tough back in the day, and sometimes they’re just irreplaceable. I’ve learned the hard way that it’s wise to hang onto old parts, even if they’re not perfect. You never know when you might need them again.

Final Thoughts

In the end, it’s all about making informed choices. Don’t assume that new aftermarket parts are automatically better. Sometimes, they’re not even available, and when they are, they might not be worth the trouble. So, before you toss out those old parts, think twice. You might just save yourself a headache down the road.

As always, if you’ve got questions or comments, drop them below. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Until next time, keep those classic cars and trucks running!


Bullnose Garage at YouTube

If you want more specific information on Bullnose Ford Trucks, check out my YouTube Channel!

For more information on Bullnose Fords, you can check out the BullnoseFord SubReddit or Gary’s Garagemahal. Both are excellent resources.

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How My Bronco’s 300 I6 Nearly Became a Bomb

Published on September 8, 2025

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Part of the Truck Talk series.
Part of the The Bullnose Bronco series.

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Show Transcript
Have I got a question for you. Have you ever turned your 80s bullnose Ford into a literal ticking time bomb? No, because I have. There I was, cranking the engine for the 40th time, wondering why the hell this Bronco wouldn’t start. I’d been working on this thing for like a month or more, and it just wouldn’t catch and go. Then suddenly, boom, the dipstick flew across the garage. It was like a grenade went off next to my head, and the oil cap flew off and rocketed into the wall. I had to sit there stunned. I can tell you I have never had anything like that happen to me in my life. I hadn’t fixed anything. All I managed to do was turn my crankcase into a bomb. Let’s talk about what actually happened, what caused that, and how I damn near blew up my garage because of a no-start on my Bronco. Hi folks, Ed here. Welcome back to Bono’s Garage. This Bronco that I got, I had a hell of a time getting it started. When I first got it, the guy I bought it from had a little bottle, like a Pepsi bottle, with fuel in it. He put it inside the engine bay, running directly to the fuel pump, which then went to the carburetor, and it would run. He said, ‘Oh yeah, see it runs.’ I had no idea why there was a Pepsi bottle and not going all the way back to the gas tank. I figured maybe there was a fuel filter issue, like an inline filter or a fuel line issue. Maybe the gas tank had some issues. I replaced the gas tank, cleaned it out, and put it back in. After I did that, I tried to start it and nothing. There was fuel pumping. I got fuel out of the fuel pump, so I knew that wasn’t an issue. I verified that I had spark. That wasn’t an issue. Obviously, air wasn’t an issue because you’re just gulping it from the air. I didn’t know what was going on and why it wouldn’t start. I assumed it had to be something to do with the fuel system because I had just worked on it. I worked on this thing every weekend for a month trying to figure out why it wouldn’t start. I checked spark, fuel, ignition timing, and turned the distributor. I changed the spark plug wires and all the spark plugs, even cracked one and had to change it twice. No matter what I did, it would crank and crank. If I was lucky, it would sputter but not continue to go. It got to the point where it wouldn’t even sputter. As part of this process, I noticed my ignition coil was burning really hot. It turns out my ignition coil on these Broncos is generally externally resistant. That means externally on the wire going to the ignition coil there’s resistance, so it doesn’t get a full 12 volts. There’s also a wire from the starter solenoid to the ignition coil for when the starter is engaged to give it a full 12 volts while cranking. That way, you have a better chance of starting. But mine didn’t have that. Someone had replaced the coil and just wired it directly to 12 volts. I burned my hand checking the ignition coil. It was too hot. I thought maybe that’s my problem. I replaced the coil, put in the resistor, ran the starter wire, but it didn’t do it. I got the Bronco backed into the garage. I had to push it in there because I couldn’t drive it. It’s nicer to work in the garage than outside anyway. I put a battery tender on there, changed the battery because it had died from cranking so much. I got everything cleaned out, redid some wiring, and tried to figure out what was going on. Every time I tried to start this truck, I could smell the fuel. I knew it was getting fuel. I even had it pump into a bottle. I knew it was getting spark. I shocked myself on a spark plug trying to check spark. I checked the ignition timing. It was fine. Everything was okay. I didn’t understand what was going on. It wasn’t long before my garage started to smell like a gas tank. Remember back to the beginning of the video, I talked about explosions. You can probably see where this is going. What actually happened was that I had a full-on gasoline explosion in my crankcase as I was cranking the truck. Trying to get it to start, the carburetor is flooding the engine with fuel, right? My brother-in-law told me it might be my carburetor. Check to see if your float is stuck or if there’s something going on with the jets gathering too much fuel because too much fuel will cause it not to start. I’m not a carburetor guy, so I was hesitant to check that. In the meantime, I kept trying to crank it. Eventually, it dumped too much fuel into the cylinders. The fuel leaked past the rings, got into the oil, and into the crankcase. Every time I tried to crank it, the internals were moving around, mixing the oil with the fuel. A spark hit, and boom, it blew the oil cap off the valve cover and the dipstick across the garage. It was like a grenade going off. Luckily, it was just one bang, and then nothing else happened. I was able to regroup and reassess. It was a full-on detonation. Fuel had flooded the cylinders, leaked down past the rings, got into the oil, and ignited. Gasoline in your oil equals bomb. Aftermath, I checked everything out and, thank God, I didn’t crack the block. I did damage the oil pan gasket and blew a seal around the dipstick. I need to replace the oil pan, which is a several-hour job. But I can drive the truck. My brother-in-law was right; it was the carburetor. Once I got a new carburetor, it fired right up. I’ve driven it around the block a few times. It leaks oil while running, but it’s manageable. I’m not driving it into town, but I can take it around. The only real damage was to the oil pan gasket and the dipstick. If you have gasoline in your oil, change your oil immediately. I did all that, got the new carburetor, and now we’re good to go. I’ve also changed the EGR plate because it was gunky. The only issue is the carburetor I bought has a heat choke, which my Bronco doesn’t have. That tube does not exist. I’m not sure if someone removed it or what happened there. There’s been a lot of stuff done to this Bronco. Who knows? But that’s not there, so I have no choke. It’s not that big of a deal because I can still start it with some carb cleaner or a little shot of gasoline. It’s not cold around here, so it’s not that big of a deal. Once it runs for a couple of minutes, it’s warm enough that I can just use the key and I don’t have to worry about that. Key takeaways: if your engine smells super rich and won’t start, maybe take that as a hint to not just keep trying until it explodes. Realistically, you can sniff your dipstick, basically smell the oil to see if it smells like gasoline. Gasoline has a very distinctive odor, and if you’ve got gasoline in your oil, that’s an indication that something’s going on and you need to take care of that. You don’t want to make the mistake of turning your crankcase into a bomb. I never thought I’d be one of those guys that builds bombs in my garage, but here we are. That’s a joke, guys. I’m not actually building bombs in my garage, at least not purposefully. It’s just an engine that kind of exploded on me. Long story short, the Bronco’s got nice fresh oil, a carb that I can trust, the ignition coil seems happy now, all the spark plugs are good. It fires up, it runs, I can just let it run, I don’t have to baby it. It runs really well now. As far as the engine is concerned, at some point I will do the oil pan change and rebuild this engine. It’s a 300 inline 6, and I get a lot of guff from people for swapping out my 300 in my F-150 for a Windsor. For the Bronco, I’m going to stick with the 300 but I’m not going to leave it stock. I’ll do some work to it, at the very least a rebuild, and maybe more to give it more torque and horsepower. That engine’s going to get a rebuild. Something did happen internally to that engine, and I will find out when I pull it apart, but for now, it seems to run just fine. I’m not sure yet if I will get around to the oil pan change before I do the engine rebuild. Probably because I’m a long way away from the engine on that truck because I got the Windsor to do first. I don’t want to have multiple engine builds going on at the same time. I may drop the pan and do that, but that’s not really a priority. The F-150 is going to be my priority now that the Bronco runs. For a while, the Bronco was the priority because it couldn’t even run, and my wife was like, ‘You got to move this thing.’ If I want to move it from one place in the yard to the other, unless I wanted to push it, which is a pain, I got to have it running. That was my priority. Got that taken care of, and now it’s just going to be a back burner project, even more so than my F-150. Anyway, getting pretty close to home here. My commute is almost done. If you like this whole disaster scenario or feel sorry for me, give me a thumbs up. I appreciate that. If you have a similar story, any kind of disaster, that would be fun to hear about in the comments. But the fact of the matter is that no matter what, at the end of the day, I learned something and I didn’t die. Really, what more can you ask for? Thanks again so much for watching and we will see you next time. She’s rough around the edges, but she’s doing fine. Thanks again for watching. We will see you next time.

Introduction: The Day My Bronco Almost Exploded

Have you ever turned your 80s bullnose Ford into a ticking time bomb? No? Well, lucky you. I did, and let me tell you, it was one hell of a wake-up call. My 1982 Ford Bronco with a 300 inline-six engine went from a simple no-start issue to a full-blown crankcase explosion. And it all started with a flooded carb and a few bad assumptions. Let’s dive into what happened, what I learned, and how you can avoid turning your own engine bay into a pressure cooker.

Diagnosing the No-Start: A Comedy of Errors

The Fuel System Fiasco

When I first got my hands on this Bronco, the previous owner had rigged a Pepsi bottle as a makeshift fuel delivery system. Charming, right? I figured the problem lay somewhere in the fuel system, so I replaced the gas tank, cleaned it out, and verified that fuel was indeed pumping. But still, the engine refused to start.

Spark and Ignition Mysteries

Next, I turned my attention to the ignition system. I checked the spark, fiddled with the ignition timing, and even replaced the spark plug wires. The ignition coil was another suspect, burning hot enough to fry an egg. Turns out, someone had bypassed the resistor, giving it a full 12 volts. I fixed that, but still no dice.

The Explosion: When Things Went Boom

After weeks of cranking and cursing, the garage started to smell like a gas station. The rich fuel smell should have been a clue, but hindsight is 20/20. As I cranked the engine for the umpteenth time, an explosion rocked the garage. The dipstick flew across the room, and the oil cap ricocheted off the wall. It was like a grenade had gone off.

What Went Wrong?

The culprit was a flooded carburetor. Too much fuel had leaked into the cylinders, past the rings, and into the crankcase. The mixture of fuel and oil turned my engine into a bomb, and a stray spark set it off. Luckily, the damage was minimal—just a blown oil pan gasket and a dipstick seal. But it could have been much worse.

Fixing the Aftermath

Once I picked my jaw up off the floor, I replaced the carburetor, which solved the starting issue. The Bronco now fires up without a hitch, albeit with a slight oil leak. I also changed the EGR plate, which was gunked up. The new carb has a heat choke, but my Bronco lacks the necessary tube. It’s not a big deal, though; a little carb cleaner or gasoline gets it going just fine.

Lessons Learned: Avoiding Engine Explosions

If your engine smells rich and won’t start, take it as a hint. Don’t just keep cranking until something blows. Check your dipstick for gasoline odor, a surefire sign that you’ve got fuel in your oil. And if you do, change your oil immediately. Trust me, you don’t want to turn your crankcase into a bomb.

Conclusion: The Road Ahead

Despite the explosion, the Bronco is back on the road. It’s not perfect, but it runs. The engine will eventually get a rebuild, but for now, it’s a back-burner project. My F-150 needs attention first. If you enjoyed this disaster scenario or have a similar story, share it in the comments. At the end of the day, I learned something and didn’t die. Really, what more can you ask for? Thanks for reading, and see you next time.


Bullnose Garage at YouTube

If you want more specific information on Bullnose Ford Trucks, check out my YouTube Channel!

For more information on Bullnose Fords, you can check out the BullnoseFord SubReddit or Gary’s Garagemahal. Both are excellent resources.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you see an Amazon link on my site, purchasing the item from Amazon using that link helps out the Channel.
Understanding 80s Ford 4×4: BW1345, NP208, NP205 Transfer Cases

Published on September 1, 2025

Click to play the video inline  or  see it on YouTube

Part of the The Bullnose Bronco series.
Part of the Ford Truck Systems and Parts series.

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Show Transcript
If you ignore the fact that one of these is an F-150 and the other is a Bronco, then these two trucks are almost identical. They both run the trusty 300 inline 6. They both have an NP435 four-speed transmission. And of course, they both wear that classic bullnose style. But other than the model and the paint color, there is one pretty big difference. The Bronco has four-wheel drive. Howdy, folks. Ed here. Welcome back to Bullnose Garage. Four-wheel drive is one of those topics that can divide truck guys. Some folks will tell you that a truck without 4×4 is just a car with a bed. Others have never even needed it, let alone actually put a truck in four-wheel drive. But here’s the thing. Even if you’re in the first camp, the guys who swear by 4×4, do you actually know how the system works in an 80s era Ford? Ask any Ford guy what transfer case he’s running and you’ll either get a blank stare or a half-hour lecture. So today I’m going to save you the trouble of both. We’ll look at how the 4×4 system works in bullnose trucks, what transfer cases Ford used, how they differ, and how it all ties together with the hubs, the axles, and that floor shifter down by your right leg. And just to make it interesting, we’ll use my ’82 Bronco here as the guinea pig. It’s running a Borg Warner 1345 hooked up to an NP435 transmission. Even though the door tag says it should have been a T18. So somewhere along the way, this thing got a little surgery. You know, that’s half the fun of these old Fords. You never quite know what you got until you actually crawl under there and check it out. So, let’s check it out. So, before we dig into transfer cases and all the details, let’s zoom out and look at the big picture of how four-wheel drive actually works on these bullnose trucks. Because it’s not just one part, it’s a whole system working together. In two-wheel drive, power runs from the engine into the transmission, through the output shaft, into the drive shaft, and straight back to the rear axle. Simple enough. You’re just pushing the truck with the back wheels. But when you add four-wheel drive into the mix, the transfer case gets involved. That’s the box hanging off the back of the transmission, and its whole job is to split the power. One output goes to the rear drive shaft like normal, and the other output sends power forward to the front drive shaft. The catch with these older trucks is that the front wheels aren’t always connected. And so, let me introduce you whippersnappers out there to the old school manual locking hubs. This means if you shift the transfer case into four high or four low, but don’t lock the hubs, well, the front drive shaft will spin, the differential will spin, and even the axle shafts inside the knuckles will spin. But the wheels themselves are just freewheeling. You’re not actually putting the front tires in 4×4 until those hubs are locked. Funny enough, you could technically just lock one hub and not the other. And this means that the rear axle is pushing and one front wheel is pulling and you’ve basically invented three-wheel drive. It’s not smart, but it is possible. And I guarantee a few people watching have probably done that. And because I know some keyboard warrior out there is going to call me out. Technically with open diffs, you only ever drive one tire per axle at a time, but you get the idea. The whole open versus lock diff thing is a rabbit hole of its own. Two-wheel drive, four-wheel drive, one-wheel peel, py lockers, but that’s a topic for another day. Anyway, so let’s talk transfer cases. This is the heart of the whole 4×4 system, and it’s what makes the magic happen. Ford gave us a few different options of the bullnose years depending on the truck and the year. The most common one you’re going to find is the Borg Warner 1345. That’s what’s in mine. It’s aluminum chain driven and it was the bread and butter of the F-150s and Broncos in the early to mid-80s. Lighter than the old cast iron monsters, but still tough enough for what most guys use these trucks for. It weighs about 85 to 90 lbs dry, handles enough torque for both those applications, and uses a 2.72 to 1 low range with a chain about an inch and a quarter wide. It’s plenty stout for a small block or a six-cylinder, but if you throw a big block or crazy torque at it, that chain, it’s eventually going to stretch. Another one that you’ll run into is a new process 208 aluminum case, also chain driven, and just a bit lighter duty than the Borg Warner, about 80 pounds with 2.61 to 1 low range. A lot of F-150s and Broncos had them and while they get the job done, the housing was just a little bit weaker. You drop one on a rock and you’ll find out real quick why a lot of guys like to swap them out. Now we go to the NP 205. It is the Brute. All cast iron gear driven, tip of the scales at about 140 lbs dry. It’s got a shallow 6 to 1 low range, but what it lacks in gear reduction it makes up for in sheer indestructibility. By the bullnose years, you weren’t likely to see one of those in a half-ton or a Bronco because they mostly lived in the F250s and 350s or they got swapped in later by guys who wanted bulletproof strength. These things will take a thousand ft-lbs of torque without even blinking, which is why rock crawlers and heavy haulers still hunt them down today. And finally, at the very beginning of the Bricknose era in 1987, you had the Borg Warner 1356, just a touch heavier than its brother with 2.69 to 1 low range. Think of it as the 1345’s bigger brother. Still chain driven, but beefed up for the next generation. And I’m mentioning here because even though it’s not a bullnose transfer case, it’s a potential swap in. So, quick note here on the difference between a chain driven case and a gear driven case. Gear-driven cases like the NP 205 are heavier, they’re noisy, and they’re pretty much indestructible because it’s just gears meshing together. Chain-driven cases like the 1345 or 208 are lighter, quieter. The chain is always the weak link. You could stretch it, skip it, break it, and if you do, you’re dead in the water. It’s a classic trade-off: strength, weight, and durability versus refinement, manners, and everyday drivability. My ’82 Bronco has the Borg Warner 1345 transfer case. Down here on the floor, you have the shifter with four positions: two high, four high, neutral, and four low. In two high, you’re sending power straight back to the rear wheels. Shift into four high, and the front drive shaft gets engaged, putting you in four-wheel drive at a 1:1 ratio. Neutral disconnects everything, useful for flat towing or certain recovery situations. Ford included neutral as a true towing mode, with an internal pump that keeps things lubricated even when flat towed behind an RV. Four low is where things get serious, with a 2.72:1 reduction applied to both the front and rear drive shafts, increasing torque for crawling through tough terrain. My Bronco runs this 1345 behind an NP 435 four-speed, even though the door tag says it should have been a T18. Someone swapped it, but it doesn’t change how the transfer case works. With the NP 435’s ultra-low granny first gear, if I put the transmission in first and the transfer case in four low, the reduction multiplies to about an 18:1 overall reduction before hitting the axles. With my gears and 31-inch tires, that’s over a 60:1 final drive at the wheels. Translation: I can just about pull a freight train at 1 mph. Obviously, that doesn’t mean my Bronco could actually tow a freight train. The gearing gives control and torque multiplication, but the driveline parts are only so strong. Low range is built for crawling through tough terrain or easing a heavy trailer into place, not dragging half the Santa Fe railroad behind you. It’s a good way to understand the mechanical advantage these old Fords can give you. One thing I love about these old trucks is how simple the shifters are. No buttons, no electronics, just a lever on the floor. In my Bronco, this shifter goes straight into the Borg Warner 1345. It’s a mechanical linkage, so when I pull it, it physically moves the gears inside the transfer case. The pattern is simple: two high, four high, neutral, and four low. You feel it clunk into each position, and you know exactly where you’re at. It’s not the smoothest thing; sometimes you have to roll the truck a bit to get it to drop in, but that’s part of the character. It’s raw and mechanical, and you’re connected directly to what’s happening underneath. These old Borg Warner cases weren’t true shift-on-the-fly setups like newer trucks. The manual says you can slip it into four high while rolling real slow, maybe under 5 mph, but it can be rough. Four low is full stop only. Yank while moving, and you’ll quickly find out why replacement parts are hard to come by. Treat it like the old 40-year-old mechanical box that it is. Smooth, deliberate shifts will serve you well. Fast forward three decades, and my 2015 F-150 has a neat little knob on the dash and a digital readout that tells me I’m in four-wheel drive. It even shows how much power is going to each wheel. It’s super convenient, but it lacks the character and charm of that old-school floor shifter. With the old trucks, you feel the clunk, hear the gears, and know something mechanical just happened. It’s a whole different feeling. Let’s move up front because the transfer case is only half the story. This Bronco, like most bullnose F-150s and Broncos, is running a Dana 44 twin traction beam front axle. That’s Ford’s unique take on independent front suspension, with two beams that pivot in the middle and a differential offset to one side. Some people love it, some hate it, but it was Ford’s way of trying to give a smoother ride without going full independent. On the ends, you have the locking hubs. These are manual hubs, meaning if you want four-wheel drive, you have to hop out, grab the dial, and twist it from free to lock. That physically connects the wheel to the axle shaft. When the front drive shaft spins, the wheels spin with it. Leave it on free, and the front wheels just coast while everything else spins inside. Ford also offered automatic locking hubs starting in the early ’80s, especially with select shift automatics. They became more common by around ’83 or ’84 when automatics became more popular, especially on higher trim Broncos and F-150s. By ’85 and ’86, they were fairly common, though manuals were still available, and many trucks stuck with them. Mechanically, the difference is simple. Manual hubs are driver-controlled. You turn the dial on the hub, and that physically locks the wheel hub to the axle shaft with a set of splines and a clutch ring. Once it’s locked, you’re connected. Period. Automatic hubs, on the other hand, use a cam spring setup inside the hub. When the axle shaft starts turning under power, the cam engages the clutch and locks the wheel to the shaft automatically. That sounds great, but the problem is that they rely on friction and movement to engage. If the system’s worn out or you’re in a tricky spot, sometimes they’ll flip, half engage, or not engage at all. That’s why a lot of guys today either swap back to manuals or wish they had. Manuals are dead simple. You lock them and you know you’re good. Since we’re talking about the Dana 44 twin traction beam, here’s a fun tidbit. Ford kept this design alive all the way into the ’90s. Some folks even argue that the basic concept is still alive in a lot of trucks today. A lot of people bash on it compared to a solid front axle, but the twin traction beam did what Ford wanted. It rode nicer on the highway, still gave you four-wheel drive off-road, and it’s become a hallmark of Ford trucks from that era. Love it or hate it, it is pure bullnose DNA. If you’re interested, I have a great video specifically about the twin I beam and twin traction beam setup on these trucks. Definitely go check that video out because it dives into all that information. Let’s tie it all together and actually go through the process of engaging four-wheel drive on this Bronco. First, I got the truck sitting in two-wheel drive. That means the transfer case is in two high, sending power straight back to the rear axle, and the hubs are set to free. In this state, the front drive shaft and the axle can spin around, but the wheels aren’t connected. Basically, just a rear-wheel drive truck. Now, let’s say I want four-wheel drive. Step one is to lock the hubs. Walk up to each front wheel, twist the dial from free to lock. Now those wheels are physically connected to the axle shaft. Step two is to hop back in the cab and move the transfer case shifter from two high into four high. At that point, the case engages the front drive shaft. Because the hubs are locked, the front wheels now get power. Congratulations. You’re officially in 4×4. You might be wondering what happens if you lock the hubs but leave the transfer case in two high. In that case, the front wheels spin the axle shafts, which spin the differential, which spins the front drive shaft, which spins the front gears inside the transfer case, but none of that’s actually engaged to the engine. All you’re really doing is turning a bunch of extra iron for no real reason. You’re adding wear, you’re adding drag, and you’re getting reduced fuel economy. On a bonus Ford, reduced fuel economy usually just means a little more terrible. Once you’re in 4×4, a couple things change in how the truck behaves. There’s no center differential in these part-time systems. That means the front and rear axles are locked together at the transfer case, spinning at the same speed. It’s great for traction in mud, snow, or dirt, but if you try to run on dry pavement, you’ll feel it bind up in the turns. That’s called driveline bind, and it’s why you should only use 4×4 on loose or slippery surfaces. Another thing to keep in mind, tire size and pressure matter. If your front and rear tires are mismatched even slightly, the transfer case is going to feel that difference and start fighting itself. If you push it hard enough, something’s going to give, usually a U-joint or a chain. Now that we’ve covered the basics of how it all works, let’s talk about some of the quirks, common issues, and things you want to stay on top of if you’re keeping one of these old Ford trucks on the road. First up, chain stretch. The Borg Warner 1345 and 1356 both use a chain to drive the front output, as does the NP208. Over time, that chain can stretch, especially if the truck’s been used hard in four low. You’ll know it’s happening when you start hearing a rattling or popping sound under load, almost like the chain is skipping teeth. If you ignore it, you’ll eventually be sitting in the mud with a whole lot of noise and no forward motion. Then there’s the case on the NP208. Easy transfer case for what it was, but the housing could be a weak point. They were pretty lightweight, but one smack on a rock or over-torque the mounting bolts and you could end up with a crack. Once that happens, you’re not fixing it with JB Weld. You’re just hunting for another case. Shift linkages are another wear item. After 40 years, the bushings get sloppy and you’ll feel it when the shifter doesn’t want to fully drop into gear or feels a little bit vague. Sometimes guys think the whole transfer case is shot, but really it’s just a linkage that needs a refresh. Don’t forget about seals. These cases can leak, and output shaft seals get tired. If you don’t keep an eye on them, you can run low on fluid. Speaking of fluid, here’s a critical one. The Borg Warner and new process chain-driven cases use ATF, automatic transmission fluid, not gear oil. The gear oil can ruin the internals. The NP205 is the exception. It’s gear-driven and it takes gear oil. Knowing what belongs in your case is step one. Regular fluid changes are cheap insurance. Ford called for around every 30,000 miles, but let’s be real, most of these trucks went decades without one. If you buy a bullnose and don’t know its history, draining and refilling the transfer case should probably be one of the first jobs on your list. On the axle side, keep an eye on the U-joints. If you hear clicking when turning in 4×4, that’s your sign they’re worn out. They’re cheap and easy to replace, but ignore them and you risk a failure that could take out a yoke or drive shaft. As for upgrades, there are a few no-brainers. If you have automatic hubs, swap back to manual. Manuals, upgrade. That alone can save you some headaches. If you’re doing a Borg Warner 1345 or 1356 behind something making serious torque, you need to consider an upgraded heavy-duty chain. And if you’re building a hardcore off-roader, the NP 205 is still the king. Heavier, shallower, low range, but about as close to unbreakable as it gets. One last fun bit of trivia: some guys lock the hubs while driving in too high, especially in winter or muddy conditions, to avoid getting out of the cab to lock the wheels every time they get stuck. It adds a little drag, wear, and maybe knocks half a mile per gallon off fuel economy, but on a bullnose Ford getting 12 mpg anyway, who’s counting? That’s the rundown on how Ford’s four-wheel drive system worked back in the bullnose years. From the transfer cases, whether it’s the Borg Warner 1345 like mine, the NP 208, or the legendary NP 205, to the floor shifters, the hubs, and the D44 twin traction beam up front. It all comes together to give these trucks their character. Modern trucks have knobs on the dash, digital readouts, and fancy electronics do the thinking for you. Convenient, sure, but there’s something satisfying about pulling a lever, feeling it chunk into gear, and knowing those front wheels are locked in because you made it happen. Four-wheel drive isn’t just about getting unstuck. It’s about understanding how all the parts work together and respecting what these old trucks were built to do. They may not be the most efficient or the smoothest, but they’ve got a kind of honesty and mechanical charm you just don’t get anymore. That’s why I love working with them. For me, that’s what makes this ’82 Bronco and that F-150 special. It’s not just another truck. It’s a reminder of how Ford built 4x4s tough, simple, and ready for anything. Love them or hate them, bullnose Fords have their own DNA, and it’s alive every time you roll out of the driveway in two-wheel or four-wheel drive. So, there you have it. Everything I know or pretend to know about bullnose Ford 4×4 systems and transfer cases. If you have any questions, concerns, gripes, or got something wrong, drop it in the comments and let me know. As always, thanks so much for watching, and we will see you next time. She’s rough around the edges, but she’s doing fine. Tinker Moon’s garage. She’s considered divine. Thanks again for watching. We will see you next time.

Welcome to the World of Bullnose 4×4

Hey folks, Ed here from Bullnose Garage. Today, we’re diving deep into the four-wheel drive systems of the 1980s Ford trucks—specifically, the transfer cases that make these systems tick. If you’ve ever wondered how these classic machines manage to pull themselves through mud, snow, or whatever else you throw at them, you’re in the right place. So, grab a coffee, or a wrench if you’re feeling ambitious, and let’s get into it.

How 4×4 Works on Bullnose Fords

First things first, let’s zoom out and look at the big picture. In two-wheel drive, power runs from the engine into the transmission, through the output shaft, into the drive shaft, and straight back to the rear axle. Simple, right? But when you engage four-wheel drive, the transfer case gets involved. This little box splits power between the front and rear drive shafts. The catch is that the front wheels aren’t always connected, thanks to those old-school manual locking hubs. Shift into four high or four low without locking the hubs, and you’re just spinning parts without actually being in 4×4. Funny enough, you can lock one hub and not the other, effectively inventing three-wheel drive. Not smart, but possible.

The Transfer Case Trio: BW1345, NP208, NP205

Now, let’s talk about the heart of the 4×4 system—the transfer cases. The most common one you’ll find in bullnose trucks is the Borg Warner 1345. It’s an aluminum, chain-driven case weighing about 85 to 90 lbs, with a 2.72:1 low range. It’s tough enough for most applications but can stretch under heavy torque. Next up, the NP208, another aluminum chain-driven case, slightly lighter duty at 80 lbs with a 2.61:1 low range. It’s a bit weaker, and dropping one on a rock will teach you why many folks swap them out. Finally, the NP205, the brute of the bunch. It’s a cast iron, gear-driven monster weighing in at 140 lbs, with a shallow 1.96:1 low range. It’s indestructible, making it a favorite among rock crawlers and heavy haulers.

Shifter Positions and Crawl Ratios

In my ’82 Bronco, the Borg Warner 1345 transfer case offers four positions: two high, four high, neutral, and four low. In two high, power goes straight to the rear wheels. In four high, the front drive shaft engages for a 1:1 ratio. Neutral is useful for flat towing, while four low gives you a 2.72:1 reduction for serious torque. With the NP435’s granny first gear, the reduction multiplies to about 18:1, offering over a 60:1 final drive at the wheels. Translation: you can pull a freight train at 1 mph, theoretically speaking.

Manual vs Automatic Hubs

Moving up front, let’s talk hubs. My Bronco uses manual locking hubs, meaning you have to hop out and twist the dial from free to lock. Automatic hubs, on the other hand, engage when the axle shaft starts turning under power. Sounds great, but they can be unreliable, leading many to swap back to manuals. Manuals are simple and reliable—lock them, and you’re good to go.

Common Issues and Maintenance Tips

These old systems come with their quirks. Chain stretch is a common issue in chain-driven cases, leading to rattling or popping sounds under load. The NP208’s housing can be a weak point, and shift linkages can wear out, making gear shifts vague. Regular fluid changes are crucial—use ATF for chain-driven cases and gear oil for the NP205. And don’t forget to keep an eye on those U-joints.

Upgrades and Real-World Quirks

If you’re looking to upgrade, swapping automatic hubs for manuals is a no-brainer. For serious torque, consider a heavy-duty chain for the Borg Warner 1345 or 1356. And if you’re building a hardcore off-roader, the NP205 is still king. A fun trick some folks use is locking the hubs while in two high for quick 4×4 engagement, though it adds a bit of drag.

Why Bullnose 4×4 Still Matters

Modern trucks might have fancy electronics and dashboard knobs, but there’s something satisfying about pulling a lever and feeling those gears engage. These old Fords might not be the most efficient, but they’ve got a mechanical charm that’s hard to beat. They’re a reminder of a time when trucks were built tough and simple, ready for anything.

So, there you have it—everything you need to know about the 4×4 systems in bullnose Fords. If you have questions or want to share your own experiences, drop a comment below. Thanks for hanging out with me in the garage, and I’ll see you next time.


Bullnose Garage at YouTube

If you want more specific information on Bullnose Ford Trucks, check out my YouTube Channel!

For more information on Bullnose Fords, you can check out the BullnoseFord SubReddit or Gary’s Garagemahal. Both are excellent resources.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you see an Amazon link on my site, purchasing the item from Amazon using that link helps out the Channel.
Rusty Bronco Restoration and Welding Misadventures

Published on August 24, 2025

Click to play the video inline  or  see it on YouTube

Part of the Truck Talk series.

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Show Transcript
I’m going to get you a little bit closer. Why? Because I’m a nice dad. No, you’re not. I’m not? That’s not very nice to say. Why am I not a nice dad? You’re a good dad. I am a good dad. No. No. Hug right here. All right, fine. Get out, you hooligan. Out. Out. Out. He’s telling you to get out. Bye, girls. Love you. Yep. Have a good day. Be good. Bye. Bye, Dad. Bye, kid. Here. Howdy, folks. Ed here. Welcome back to Bono’s Garage. Today, we’re trying something different. I’m going to call it Bullno’s Garage on the road. You guys have to let me know if you like this format or not. It’s something new. Basically, it’s just going to be me off the top of my head, driving on the way to work. During the summer, I’m sure you guys have noticed that I just don’t drop videos. I’ve said it before; I may sound like a broken record, but I just don’t have any time with the kids, family obligations, work, and everything else going on during the summer. There’s just no time to produce and film videos. I don’t have a lot of time, even in the evenings, but what I do have is a 20-minute commute to work. So, I think I’m going to try this little thing where you and I just sit in my truck on my way to work and talk. It’s not really a conversation because you’re not talking back to me, but it’s kind of like a podcast type thing, except it’s mostly just a YouTube version of that. Let me know if you like this because if you do, if you find it entertaining, then I’ll keep doing it. If you don’t, then I won’t. I have no problem not doing something if you guys aren’t interested in it. It’s just going to be talking about things like bullnose-related stuff, garage-related stuff, automotive-related stuff, and it’s just off the top of my head about what I find interesting or what I’ve worked on lately. I’m still working on stuff even though I’m not doing a lot of videos during the summer. I don’t have a lot of time, but at night after the kids go to bed, I can tinker in the garage a little bit or work on some things. I try not to work on the trucks too much without you guys there. I’ve done quite a bit of work on the Bronco and got it running. I have an interesting story about that too, which I’ll get to at some point. I’m not going to work on the F-150 without doing videos on it, but I also work on all the other garage-related stuff. For instance, I’m trying to teach myself how to weld. I’ve always found welding fascinating. How cool is it to stick two pieces of metal together with fire? That’s pretty neat. But I’ve never really gotten into it; I’ve never had the chance. It’s super useful. The number of times in my life that I’ve thought, “Man, I’d really like to get these two pieces of metal together” is way too high. So, I figured, you know what, I’ll learn how to weld. There’s a local place that has classes, but I don’t have time for that. YouTube is a thing, and welders are fairly affordable for the most part now. I thought, let’s go out and get myself a welder and give that a try to see if I can teach myself how to weld. I know I’m going to miss some things, and teaching myself is going to handicap me a little bit from the beginning because there are things that a pro or even a teacher would know that they could tell me right up front. I may teach myself bad habits and all that kind of stuff, and I understand that. But it’s something I want to teach myself and get into anyway. Ultimately, the goal is to hopefully get good enough to weld body panels. The Bronco has a little bit of rust right now. For the Northeast or near the coast, it’s not hardly any rust at all, but for down here, it’s actually quite a bit. There are a couple of places where there are holes in the body panels that are completely rusted through. I’d like to learn how to cut out a piece, weld in a replacement, grind it flat, and make it look nice so that you could paint it and not even know it was done. I don’t know that I’ll ever get that good, but that’s a goal. I do feel like I can at least get good enough to potentially weld a mount for a seat. I’ve got a back seat from a 2005 F250. It’s a rear seat with nice fold-down cup holders in the middle, and I want to put that in the F-150. Of course, those seats are not going to fit. They’ll fit dimensionally, but the mount points aren’t the same. So, I’m going to have to fabricate something. I want to get good enough to the point where I could at least fabricate that and feel confident in the welds I do so that I’m not going to go flying out of the vehicle at 70 mph with the seat attached to me because it’s no longer attached to the truck. Hopefully, I can get to that point. I’m not there yet, but welding is an art. Respect to you guys that do it because it looks easy. These guys on YouTube make welding look super easy. They just get out the gun, set the machine, strike an arc, and do some stuff, and then it makes a stack of dimes, right? But it’s nowhere near that easy to do. Look, it’s fairly easy to use a welder to get a couple of pieces of metal to stick together strong enough that if you bang it with a hammer, it’s not going to come apart. That’s not that hard. But making them look good and be truly structurally sound so that they can work in an application is a different story. I hope to get there. You can set yourself up for failure right from the beginning if you don’t get your spool speed correct, your wire feed speed, or your power levels. You need to use the right diameter of wire. You have to know how thick the metal is that you’re working on and what kind of metal it is. You have to make sure the metal’s clean. You need to have the right equipment. I went out and got myself a Captain MP205. This is not an advertisement for them. They have advertisements all over YouTube for this thing, but I’m not advertising for them. I thought about reaching out to them to see if they would give me one for free, but I’m just going to pay for my own stuff every now and then anyway. That way, I can talk to you guys about it without having to worry about some corporate sponsor. So far, so good. It seems to work pretty well. It’s a little expensive, but it does all the stuff right. It does MIG and TIG, pulse MIG, pulse TIG, and it even has a plasma cutter, which is cool. I’ve never plasma cut anything before in my entire life. That’s actually a lot harder than you’d think it would be, too. I tried plasma cutting, and I’m wiggling all over the place. The plasma cutter is like a lightsaber; it has no resistance whatsoever. It’s just a plasma arc slicing through metal like a hot knife through butter. It’s awesome, but it’s actually pretty hard to be straight. It makes a mess if you don’t have the settings right. I’ve found that using a cutoff wheel is better than the plasma cutter for me because it’s quicker to set up, and it cuts straighter, leaving cleaner lines. The plasma is undeniably cool, but I’m not great at it, so I’m wandering all over the place. Anyway, it’s got all that stuff, and I’m teaching myself with flux MIG for now because buying a bottle of gas, 75/25, is a whole thing. They’re expensive. You can get a bottle of gas for MIG on Amazon for 300 bucks, and it’s full. The problem is that I don’t even know if a place around here will fill it. What’s that about? It’s a legal bottle; it holds gas and has all the stamps and markings. It’s been tested and everything. It should be fine, but I guess some places won’t do it unless you buy their bottle because they want to make the money. To be fair, I haven’t checked with any place around here whether they will refill a bottle from Amazon. I have an 8 to 5 job, and all these places are open from 8 to 5, so I can’t just pop out of work and go down to the welding shop to ask about a bottle. I may have to take a day off one of these days to run some errands and make that one of my stops. Anyway, I’m teaching myself with flux, and it’s not bad. There’s a lot of spatter, but I feel like I’m doing pretty good. I’m building a welding table, which is the first thing you build when you’re learning to weld. I got some old angle iron from my father-in-law and found a couple of guys selling some old angle on Facebook Marketplace. The top is going to be an old industrial shelf, 4×2, that I just had laying around. I just tossed it together, and the angle is actually pretty nice. If you’re from the Southwest or some of the drier places, you know that a lot of less advantaged people will use what’s called a swamp cooler instead of an air conditioning unit. Swamp coolers suck, but they’re better than nothing, especially when it’s 100 degrees outside. Basically, you run some water over an element, and a big fan blows the humidity into your house, helping to keep the air a little cooler. They put these on top of roofs, and to get them up there, you need some kind of scaffold or mount. A lot of guys make those mounts out of angle; they just weld some angle together and plop it on top of a roof to hold the swamp cooler. Many of those are just hanging out in salvage yards around here. My father-in-law had a couple of those laying around, so I got those from him, cut the pieces off, cleaned them up, welded them together, and now I have the beginnings of a welding table. But like I said, I’m using a cutoff wheel. I bought a big cutoff wheel for my chop saw. I know you’re not supposed to use a chop saw. for cutting metal like that. It’s not really designed for that, but it works. It makes nice straight cuts, which is important when you’re building a table because you don’t want it to be wobbly, right? So, I got the table and I put some casters on it, and I’m working to put it together. But man, welding is an art. I feel like I’m not doing too bad. I’m definitely not stacking dimes, but I’m trying to learn how to see the puddle and how to manipulate it, and what pattern I like the best. There’s a lot of muscle memory involved. You have to know what angle to be at and your stick out, and how far away you are. I find myself wandering away as I’m going down the line, and that’s a problem. You have to keep the angle right. There’s a lot of stuff that you don’t think about, and you shouldn’t have to think about it if you’re a good welder. You just do it, and it comes naturally to you. I’m just waiting to get to that point. But like I said, I may never get to the point where I can do body work. I may end up trying TIG one of these days to see if that’ll be better for body work. But again, I want to get at least decent with the fundamentals of MIG before I do that stuff. Anyway, it’s fun though. I enjoy it. I look forward to doing it, but it’s a process. I got this MP 205, and it’s like an $800 machine, which I had to save up to get. But then you can’t just buy the machine; you’ve got to have all the stuff. You need a helmet because, god forbid, you don’t have an auto-darkening helmet. You may as well just throw in the towel. So, you have to get one of those. They’re not super expensive, but the stuff adds up. You need gloves, and a welding jacket or shirt to keep yourself from getting burned. You have to have the wire and the consumables, a cart, and a table. I’m building my own, but you still have to get the materials for that because not all the materials I have are from the junk pile. You need some stuff to stitch things together. It gets expensive, but I’m having a good time. I have a whole wish list full of things on Amazon to try to make my life better when it comes to welding. Who knows, it may be the flavor of the month for me. One of the issues I have in my life is that I get excited about something and I’m all in for a few weeks or a couple of months, or maybe even a year, depending on what it is, and then I just lose interest and move on to something else. So, we’ll see if welding is that thing for me. Luckily, the YouTube thing and the F-150 thing have stayed pretty well cemented. I’m keeping myself from playing video games at night because if I do, I’ll get sucked in and then I won’t make videos or do anything else in my spare time, which I don’t have much of. I’m teaching myself, and I’ll show you guys the welding table once it’s done. I’m pretty happy with it. I have some cool features planned, like a vice mount that rotates and some other neat stuff. I want to add my own touch and make it neat. Hopefully, one day I’ll be able to do the Bronco thing and weld some body panels together. Now, I look around and every piece of metal I see is an opportunity. I can build something out of that. I’m planning to build an engine stand, a run stand, with all the gauges, fuel tank, and radiator mount because those are expensive too. If I can build my own, that’s a win. But that’s one of those practical applications where you have to ensure you have good solid welds because, god forbid, the engine flops off while it’s running. It’s a learning experience, and I’m kind of a scatterbrain. I constantly set tools down and forget where I put them. I spend half of my time looking for tools, and I know I do that, but I still do it. I’m especially scatterbrained when it comes to something I’m not familiar with or new at. I was cutting some angle irons for this welding table and dropped a piece of angle iron right on top of a brand new set of Basset racing wheels. I think it’s Basset; I always mix it up with Barrett. I found a set of really nice painted red wagon wheels for the Bronco because I like that classic look. I was looking for a set, and some guy had them for sale on Facebook. I thought, “That’s perfect,” and he advertised them as five on five and a half. I brought them home and tried to put my hub on them, but the holes didn’t line up. I measured, and it’s five on four and a half. That’s on me for not checking it, right? So, I didn’t check it, and now I have these wheels I need to sell. In the midst of trying to sell these wheels, I found someone on Facebook selling Basset racing wheels, and I really like the look of those. I need a different lug nut for those since they’re racing wheels, but that’s okay; I’ll figure it out. I went out and got those, had them in my garage, and dropped a piece of angle iron. It hit the back of one of the wheels right where the bead seat is and left a divot. I believe the divot is big enough that it might cause a tire not to seat and hold air. However, they are steel wheels, and I’m learning how to weld, so I might be able to fix it by welding. I might try pulse welding for that because I think it will be better at controlling the heat and not blowing through. But I’ve never done pulse welding before, so I’ll need to test that on a piece of scrap angle first. It’s interesting that learning how to weld caused me to drop something onto a wheel that I can now fix by welding, now that I kind of know how to do it. We’ll see. By the way, these Basset racing wheels aren’t street legal. The ones I got aren’t even marked, so that’s another thing we’ll have to contend with. I will probably talk about that in another episode because I’m pulling into my parking lot as we speak. So, like I said, let me know if you like this format. It’s just me sitting in a truck talking, but it’s what I have time to do. It’s easy for me to edit these and get them out to you quickly. If you like this, I will keep doing it. I have all kinds of topics I could ramble about. I like to talk; I can hear myself talk. Anyway, thanks again so much for watching, guys. We’ll see you next time. She’s rough around the edges, but she’s doing fine. Getting things to shine at Moon Knows Garage. She’s considered divine. Thanks again for watching. We’ll see you next time.

Hey there, folks! Ed here from Bullnose Garage, and today I’ve got something a little different for you. Instead of the usual wrenching and walkthroughs, I’m taking you along for a ride—literally. Welcome to the new “on the road” format, where I share some shop talk during my daily commute. In this episode, I’m diving into the rust issues on my ’82 Ford Bronco, getting my hands dirty (and possibly burnt) with some welding, and the saga of my Basset racing wheels. Buckle up!

The Rusty Bronco Chronicles

Let’s kick things off with my 1982 Ford Bronco. It’s got a bit of the dreaded rust, which is a bit like finding out your dog has developed a taste for your favorite shoes. Not ideal, but not the end of the world either. In the Northeast, rust is as common as bad drivers, but this Bronco has a few holes that demand attention.

The goal? To learn how to repair these panels the right way. And by ‘right,’ I mean not using duct tape or JB Weld. I want to cut out the cancer, weld in some fresh metal, and make it look like it just rolled off the factory line—well, maybe not that good, but you get the idea.

Adventures in Welding

Speaking of welding, I’m teaching myself how to weld with the ArcCaptain MP205. It’s a nifty little machine that’s supposed to do everything from MIG to TIG to plasma cutting. In reality, welding is less about sticking metal together and more about developing a new form of cursing.

I’ve been playing around with flux core MIG welding, mostly because gas bottles are pricey and my garage budget is tighter than a lug nut on a cold morning. Spatter everywhere and a few burns later, I’m slowly getting the hang of it. The dream is to weld up some body panels on the Bronco, and maybe, just maybe, fabricate a seat mount for an F250 rear seat swap in the F-150.

Racing Wheels and Gravity’s Grudge

Now, onto the Basset racing wheels. I was all excited to pick up these beauties for the Bronco, only to play a cruel game of ‘angle iron meets wheel.’ Dropped a piece right onto one of them and left a nice divot where the bead seats. Because, you know, why not add more to the fix-it list?

Now, I’ve got a set of wheels that need selling and another set that need fixing. Maybe welding will save the day here, too.

Learning, One Mistake at a Time

Welding is an art, and I’m learning it the hard way. YouTube makes it look easy, but trust me, it’s not. Every weld is a lesson in patience, precision, and, occasionally, band-aid application. But I’m determined to get good enough to tackle those body panels and possibly prevent any future wheel-dropping incidents.

So, what do you think? Do you like this new format where I ramble while road-bound? If so, let me know in the comments. Your feedback will decide if I keep these “truck talks” coming. Thanks for tuning in, and as always, happy wrenching!

Catch you next time, and maybe by then, I’ll have a little less rust and a little more welding finesse.


Bullnose Garage at YouTube

If you want more specific information on Bullnose Ford Trucks, check out my YouTube Channel!

For more information on Bullnose Fords, you can check out the BullnoseFord SubReddit or Gary’s Garagemahal. Both are excellent resources.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you see an Amazon link on my site, purchasing the item from Amazon using that link helps out the Channel.
Fleximounts GL1 Garage Lift: The Perfect Bronco Cap Solution

Published on June 16, 2025

Click to play the video inline  or  see it on YouTube

Part of the The Bullnose Bronco series.
Part of the Bullnose Garage Reviews series.

Want to see more like this? Subscribe to Bullnose Garage!

Show Transcript

All right guys, here we go. This just showed up at my door today, and I know what you’re thinking: oh no, Ed, not another sponsored video. Yes, it is, but this one’s really cool because here’s the deal. Ever since I got the Bronco, I’ve been looking for a way to store the cap, right? ‘Cause you get this big old cap on the back of a Bronco, you want to take it out and go under the sun and go off-road and have some good times with the cap off. You got to have a place to put it, and I’ve been trying to think of a way to do that. And in the middle of doing that, this isn’t a joke, these guys actually reached out to me and said, ‘Hey Ed, we noticed that your garage is, uh, kind of, you know, cluttery all the time, and we think that maybe we’ve got a way to help you clean it up, and if you can do a video on it, we’ll go ahead and give you a unit for free.’ I said, ‘Okay.’ And then I looked into this, and you can actually use this. It’s got enough lifting capacity to tie the cap of the Bronco to this thing and lift it to the top of the garage. This is a Fleximounts GL1 ceiling storage lift, and I’m going to mount it right back there, back the Bronco in, and then we’re going to store the cap up on top of the garage ceiling. All right, so according to the contract I signed, I got 30 days to get this thing installed, get the Bronco in here, and get this up on the lift and show you guys exactly how it works. That’s pretty neat.

It’s kind of loud, but it works. Now you may think that’s a lot of time, but, uh, not in my world. That’s a turkey. That’s a turkey. You’re a turkey? No, that’s a turkey in there. Oh, what are you taking a picture of? Ew, don’t hit the tree! Don’t hit the tree! You want the holy cow?

Hello.

Howdy folks, Ed here. Welcome back to Bullnose Garage. And as you can see, my garage is a complete disaster area. I’ve been working on stuff all spring, and I got no room for anything in here. The engine still sits right there, mocking me as I walk around the garage working on other stuff. But I’m hoping that with this, I can knock out two birds with one stone and kind of clean things up a little bit, get some storage space to store things in, and find a cool way, an innovative way, to store the Bronco cap. Now that’s not what this is advertised to do, right? It’s not for that purpose, but I’m hoping that I can make that work. And if I can, then, uh, maybe you guys who have Broncos out there looking for a place to store your cap can, uh, can follow suit. So we’re going to open this thing up, do a little bit of an unboxing, uh, and get it installed and see how it works. So, uh, stick around.

All right guys, finally got some time to, uh, put this thing together. Let’s see if we can get it installed. First things first, uh, I’ll go ahead and open the box for you so you can see exactly what comes and, uh, kind of what we’re dealing with. So here’s kind of a picture of what it is. Basically, it’s a lift that’s built for your garage or storage area, uh, to put some stuff on and lift it up. This thing can lift up to 300 lb, so, um, that’s pretty good, but it does mean that you have to have it sturdily mounted to your ceiling, uh, on some joists. So, uh, ceiling joists are generally, uh, 2ft center apart, so, uh, this is designed to be, uh, 48 in centers. And luckily, my ceiling, even though it wasn’t, uh, built great back in the day, it was built to that spec, so, uh, I’m good there. All right, let’s see what we got.

Okay, so obviously we got our, uh, hardware here, and, uh, manual out there. And this looks like the first piece that will probably go up on the ceiling. Looks pretty sturdy. This got all the cables, this side of here, just like that. Now this looks like the, uh, handle to roll it up and down. That’s pretty cool. Um, it does actually come with some tape so that you can mount the mounting, um, template to your ceiling so you know exactly where to pre-drill the holes and to put the, uh, the hardware. So that’s actually really cool. All the different bits and pieces I have to go through to see what exactly all this stuff is, but I mean, so far it looks like it’s pretty sturdy. Oh yeah, okay, so see, there’s our installation template. Uh, that’s going to go up against the ceiling to tell us exactly where all the bits and pieces are going to go. Um, and that’s what tape is for, to tape it to your ceiling. So that’s pretty cool. I like the fact that they include that. That’ll make things a little bit easier. Oh, here’s the rollers. Cable’s packed really well, which is nice. I I’ve got some of this stuff from places, and their packing is just, yeah, so substandard. You get it, and there’s, you know, I mean, you guys know UPS and FedEx and even the postal service, these guys bang around your packages all the time, especially getting auto parts and stuff. You get them, and they’re all tore up. So it’s really nice when a, uh, a company packs things well. I appreciate that. I’m not trying to find things to give kudos for, right? You know, this is an honest overview here, but kudos where kudos are due. I’ve seen some pretty bad packaging. Here’s your handle for raising up and down, and there’s the bottom grate here. Now I’m not sure how easy this is going to be to install for a one-man show like myself. We’re going to find out, and the box already says team lift, right? Which I completely ignore like everybody else does. All right, let me lay this stuff out, and we’ll take a look.

All right, so here we are all unpacked. Actually, there’s just a few pieces here, so I’m hoping, um, that it’s a pretty simple installation. Um, I haven’t gone through the instructions yet. I’ll do that next. Uh, for something like this, that this sort of, uh, industrial kind of garage equipment, you probably should go through the instructions first just to set yourself up and know exactly what you’re doing. I don’t usually do that, but in this case, um, I’m going to go ahead and do that first because this thing is pretty heavy, and I’m hanging it from the ceiling of my garage, so I want to make sure that I get it right. So, uh, yeah, I’m going to go through.

that and then the next thing is going to be putting that template up on my ceiling so I know exactly where it’s going to mount. All right, well there we go. My template is all up on the ceiling. You can see the size of this sucker. It’s 4×4, 4T x 4T, so it’s pretty good size. I am going to be able to fit a lot of stuff on there, and when it comes time to put the Bronco cap on, yeah, that’s a perfect size for that. So I’m just going to use a couple of ratchet straps underneath the cap to basically hang it. I’m not going to do any kind of tightening or really hard strapping down. It’s going to be just hanging up here. I don’t come through here with anything tall, and really, I’m not going to plan on leaving the cap off of the Bronco for an extended period of time. Maybe someday down the road I’ll get like a soft cap or something, but if I do that, then that cap will go into storage, right? It won’t stay in here. So this is just for like if I want to go out on the weekend, I back the Bronco in, pop the cap off, raise it up, get it out of the way, and then drive off. And now I’m cool. I can do my stuff. I can go, you know, out rock crawling in the desert with the kids or whatever. And then when I’m done, back the Bronco back in, lower the cap back down, attach it, and drive out. And now I’m back to having my space back again, and I can use the actual lift itself to put some things on, car parts, tools I don’t use all the time, you know, whatever stuff that I’ve got laying around that just sort of like takes up space on the floor in my garage. Now I can lift it up, so this is a win-win. But I’m really looking forward to seeing how it works. Also, guys, just to let you know, I just double checked with my handy dandy crapola stud finder. These things are garbage, aren’t they? Anyway, it did give me a reading exactly where I expected the stud to be up there, right in line with the second part of that template there, so I think I’m good to go. Now it’s time to start mounting the thing.

All right, guys, changed my hat. Starting to sweat, actually doing some work today. Okay, so I am not a like interior DIY channel generally, so I’m not going to go through every last single step with you guys for installing this thing. But I will go through it when to take the cap off the Bronco, ’cause that’s the kind of channel I am. Anyway, the next step is to use these two brackets. These are the ones that go on the side where you crank it, and then these two pulley pieces here, you stick them up there, mark where the holes go to meet the template that they’ve got, and then we pre-drill. I think I have to go check my instructions, but I think that’s what we do next. So yeah, I’m going to go stick these up there and mark my spots.

All right, guys, real quick. I made a mistake when I set this up. My plan was to put the cranking side closer to the skylight, and actually turns out this template matters which direction you go, and I didn’t think that way. I just kind of sort of slapped it up there. So the cranking side, according to this template, is now closer to me, which you know what? I’m okay with. It doesn’t really matter which side has the crank on it. The crank itself gets stored somewhere else. You just lift it up and put it in there and then crank it down. So it doesn’t make any difference which side it goes on. So yeah, so this is the bracket for the cranking side, and that lines up with, there’s some little divots up there in the template. So I already marked the spots for the pulley side of the template, but that’s okay. This will cover that up. Nobody cares. I don’t care. So anyway, yeah, so rather than pull that thing down, flip it around, and put it back up, I’m just going to go ahead and flip where the crank side is, and I don’t think it really even matters. So that’s just God’s way of saying this is the direction it’s supposed to be.

Well, all my holes are pre-drilled. I guess now it’s time to mount things up. Two hours later. So I don’t know if you can tell by looking or not, but my ceiling actually has a bit of a slope to it ’cause I’ve got a flat roof on the house, and so the whole thing slopes downward so the rain and the water will run off that direction. And it’s actually enough to cause me a problem. It’s about a 2-inch difference from one side where I’m going to mount these pieces to the other, and it’s a little bit different for the front and the back because they’re different widths. So, you know, I did some measuring and everything. I’m just going to try to get close to level with some fender washers and a 2×4 and some plywood just to try to get some spacers in there. So I got out my trusty can of Ford blue and made a couple of spacers here to go up there, and we’re going to see how that goes. Now, I actually had to go to the store and spend about 16 bucks on some lag screws. Yeah, so I had to go to the store and get some lag screws. This is the one that came with the kit. This is the one that I’m going to use to sort of make sure that my screw goes through all my spacers and up into the rafter, and it’s good, getting good, getting good, getting secure up there. So yeah, couple little changes here to deal with my sloped ceiling, but I think I’m going to make it work. It might void my warranty, but you know, do what you got to do. We’ll see how it goes.

It was at this moment he knew he up. Hey guys, future Ed here. I was in no mood after that happened to try to analyze or explain exactly what happened there, but I can look back on it now and laugh. So I’m going to go ahead and explain to you exactly what happened and the results of that whole thing. So here is what’s left of the main support bar from the GL1 mount. As you can see, the mount is no longer attached here. That piece is, is this piece here. This is the bracket that slides into the bracket that goes onto the ceiling.

It goes on there and then there’s another piece here that goes on top of there. There’s a cotter pin that holds that, and normally there would be a little bearing inside of there, and this is what is left of that bearing. There’s a couple more pieces that I had to pound out, and they’re gone now, but, uh, yeah, then the, um, the balls are long gone. I have no idea where they even went, unfortunately. This, um, the bearing was just right inside this hole right here, and it was press fit in. There’s nothing out there on the market that that’s like this. This has got to be a custom part that they have made for this bracket specifically, so, uh, I couldn’t find anything out there that would, um, that would do this. So here’s kind of what happened there. Because my ceiling is sloped, the mounting brackets are also a little bit sloped, which means that when I hung this up on the ceiling, it was caned just a little bit. I mean, this is exaggerated, but it was caned a little bit like this. And so to get this side in, I had to kind of bend it down just a little bit, and that caused that bracket to be a little bit tighter than it would be if the ceiling was flat. And so I found myself needing to use a rubber mallet to get that pounded in. This, uh, piece of equipment telescopes to go to the right size so they can pack it. This side telescopes really easy, and this side is kind of harder, right? And so I opened this to what I thought was full extension, but it turns out there’s actually a little bit more extension on this that I didn’t get because of how tight that little last piece is. And so I didn’t have it extended all the way. And so what happened was, when I, and you can see it on the video, I got to a certain point where this had already, um, this, the length of this wasn’t quite long enough to go in between both mounts exactly. And when I pounded this side in, this side started coming out, and as I got this side locked completely in, the other side popped out and swung down, and then gravity did its thing, and this, uh, here just bent inside that bearing and popped that bearing right out of there. And, uh, things went flying, and that was it. And there was just no, uh, yeah, no way to stop that from happening. So this is completely my fault. One, I wasn’t paying attention to how far the extension was on this. Two, I wasn’t really watching while I was pounding in. You can see on the video I turn around and look just right before it happens just to check to make sure that I’m okay, and the last couple pounds I did, it moved a lot, right? It just popped right out of there and swung down. Um, but again, that’s on me. And also because my ceiling is, is, is, uh, at an angle, that’s an atypical installation. I think most folks are going to have straight, straight ceilings, so, um, and it’s, and again, it’s on me as the installer to make sure that I’m doing what I got to do to account for that kind of stuff, and I didn’t. So anyway, bottom line is don’t think too badly of the product. That was all on me. It’s not because of cheap materials; it’s because there’s no bearing out there this size that would handle the weight of this thing swinging down like that. That’s all there is to it. So let’s go ahead and continue on and see how it got resolved.

One week later. Hey guys, so it’s about a week later after my little, uh, incident, and I just got home from a field trip with the kiddos. As you can see, I’m very appropriately dressed for that. And, uh, look at what I have here on my front stoop. It is another GL1 from Flexmounts. I got a hold of them and let them know that, uh, I had the little accident and I was really sorry about that. It was totally my fault. I wasn’t paying attention. It was all me, and they sent me a whole new one. And I’m guessing it’s because these parts are all manufactured together, and they can’t just send me like the little bearing piece or the mount piece or whatever it is. So they sent me a whole new one, and they didn’t even complain or nothing. As a matter of fact, I haven’t even heard from them. They just, I sent them the email, and then a week later one shows up on my front stoop. So we are going to finish this installation and, uh, show you how it works.

Okay, let’s try this again with a new one, fully telescoped this time. Yeah, see this one telescopes easier than the last one, and I don’t blame them for that. I don’t, that’s, that’s not their fault. I mean, they can’t manufacture everything to the exact same specs, and I should have read the directions better and known that how the telescoping thing worked before I tried to put it up here. But that’s, see, it is sturdy enough. Oh, I moved my ladder’s in the wrong spot. So these brackets, mounting points, and this bar are sturdy enough that when I get it in here like that, it will stay, you know, it’ll stay in there, and I can hang it just like that with this other bracket coming down. So I have room and time to move over here and get that one mounted in. Now, last time I had to use a hammer, a little bit of persuasion to get it in. Let’s see if this one’s the same thing, and I’m going to keep an eye on the other side, you better believe this time, to make sure that I’m not pulling it out of there.

Oh wow, okay, yeah, that’s much easier this time. And there we go, not going anywhere this time, he said confidently. All right, now it says to assemble the grid. So I put together a lot of things like this where the instruction manual just kind of gives you a bunch of pictures, and you have to kind of infer how things are oriented based on how the instruction manual looks, and I hate that because I like to be more exact than that. So I do appreciate that Flexi Mounts, their instructions actually tell you things like the label face is out, make sure that the bars are perpendicular to the stacked grid, and, you know, this is exactly how this goes, make sure you do this, make sure you do that. So I appreciate all that. Oh, there’s even labels on here that says this side of the wire deck should face upward. It’s nice when product designers actually think about the people.

Doing the installation, it kind of tells you like where this should be located and how far back and forth it should be and that there should be enough like an equal amount of bar on both sides and all this. So yeah, pretty good.

All right, basket assembled. Now it’s time to hook it up. I’m a cheat. I don’t feel like bending over, so I got my grid all wired up, everything’s hooked, got my handy dandy winding pole here. It says before using the product to unlatch the safety catch on the gearbox, and I’m guessing you just put that in there like that, and now you can wind it. Okay, it takes a little bit of work to get it wound. It’s got a low gearing, so that’s so you can raise all that weight. But it’s nice that you can kind of move this wherever you want.

Now it says it holds 300 lb evenly distributed. I’m not 300 lb, but I’m also not evenly distributed, so I think I’m going to try it with something I can put right in the middle. So I don’t know if you can see in the camera or not, but there’s a fair bit of slack in some of these cables, and one of the things that the instructions does tell you to do is to put a heavy load on there the very first time that you lift the lift up so that it can take some of that slack out and it can wind things up appropriately.

So I just happened to have a relatively heavy load over here that I was going to actually use this thing to store anyway, which is my tote full of parts from the Windsor. And this seems like a pretty good way to store that stuff. I may have to move some things out of the tote so I can, you know, have more vertical room, but that’s a pretty heavy load there to start with.

Oh yeah, see, it’s starting to take the slack up there. Oh, and one other thing that the instructions noted is that if you want to, you can take the handle off and use a power drill to do this. So, um, yeah, that’s pretty neat.

It’s kind of loud, but it works.

All right, so that is as far as I can get it. How much do I trust this thing? Huh, that’s as far as I can get it without the parts inside that tote actually touching the ceiling. But that’s pretty nice, you know, I can walk underneath of it, and it’s a little lower in the front than it is in the back. I think that’s just, don’t kill me, so little lower in the front than it is in the back. And I think that’s just due to, you know, the slop that’s inherent in mounting things like this. It’s not going anywhere, so that’s pretty nice.

Yeah, yeah, I like that. And I’ll end up taking those parts out of that tote, the ones that stick up there, laying them next to it, and then I can put all those parts up there and it gets them off my floor. That’s pretty slick.

All right, so there it is tucked all the way up. Yeah, that’s not bad. Yeah, that’s pretty nice, actually.

Well guys, unfortunately, I couldn’t get my Bronco running. I tried to get it running this morning and didn’t have any luck. I still don’t know exactly what’s going on with it. The spark plugs are black and carbony even though they’re brand new. It popped on me once or twice, and now it won’t start even with starter fluid, so I still got some work to do there.

But luckily for me, past Ed had some foresight and put in this cool little doohickey right here, which ignore the clothes garage sale stuff. I have a video about where I how I did this if you want to see. And this just allows me to use a comealong basically to get the Bronco up over the hump in the front right there. I could push it on my own or pull it without that hump there, but with that hump, I don’t have the strength to do it, so this comealong helps me get over the hump. It also gives me a little bit of safety so it doesn’t go flying forward or anything if, you know, I lose control of it.

So yep, that’s what we’re doing right now. Come on.

Woo guys, this is nuts! Look at how close I am to everything here. Can you see that? That is ridiculous. It’s not actually touching, but it is pretty much exactly where it needs to be to be underneath this flex amounts lift. So now I get to learn how to take a back off a Bronco, the cap off, and see if we can’t get that sucker lifted up.

Hey guys, welcome to the inside of my Bronco, and as things are beautiful in here, we’re going to see if we can get this cap off.

All right, now I know some models have some interior lights back here. You’d have to disconnect the wiring. I don’t see any in this one, so I’m going to assume that there’s no wiring in here. Even the cab light is like empty, you can see right there, so even if there was a light, it’s probably not hooked up. And you can see where the trim is all but completely missing on both sides. I have to take some of this off, but I could just rip it off really. It’s pretty roached out.

But there’s, take, if you have a nicer Bronco, you would take the trim off, you would unplug the light, and then there’s these bolts here that you take off, and there’s some pins here that help kind of guide it on. But, yeah, that should be about it. Once I get the bolts off, it should come off, and we’re going to see what happens.

All right guys, so to be honest, there’s more to this than I thought. I’ve never taken the cap off a Bronco before, so you have to take all this trim off, and there’s some bolts up there too, and these bolts are kind of a pain to get out. They’re really fine threaded, so they take a long time. But we’re working through it, and eventually I think I’m going to leave all this trim off. I’m not putting the trim back on, and I think I may try to create like a quick method of putting this cap on and off. I’m not sure what I can do there. I’ll have to take a look and see what other guys have done. But, yeah, ’cause I’d like to be able to just like remove this thing for a few hours for a fun on a weekend and then come back and pop it back on. So we will see what I’m going to do, but for now I just got to.

Get it off. Okay, so now comes the only part that I’m actually really kind of concerned about, which is getting the top actually off. Who knows how long it’s been since this thing has moved? Uh, I got all the bolts out, got all the trim off, uh, so it should be good to go. But, uh, there’s a little bit of sealant, I think, um, keeping this thing on. So you can hear where and see where it kind of moves. Make sure if you’re doing this, use a trim removal tool and not something more, uh, aggressive than that. You don’t want to crack this fiberglass. That would be really, really bad news. So see if I can get it off. I feel like this is a bigger pain than it would normally be ’cause I’ve got my engine back there and a bunch of just stuff crammed in this garage. It’s the consequences of being a dad in the summertime with the family and all that stuff. There’s yard sale stuff in here and just random bits of whatever. There’s one way to do it. So I think what I’m going to do now is I’m going to lower the, uh, the lift down to basically touch the top of the, uh, cap so that, uh, when I ratchet strap it, it’s already kind of right there. There we go. All right, here we go, all tightened up. Moment of truth, come on. Yeah, so for something like this, I think I’m going to use the hand crank rather than this, uh, this drill because the drill is a little bit clunky for this. That’s pretty impressive. All right, guys, well, there you go, a completely novel way to store your Bronco cap. I mean, you could probably even store a Blazer cap or a Jeep cap or, um, yeah, a newer Bronco or anything really that’ll pop off like this. Um, you know, you can maybe do like, uh, those hard cover, uh, tanu covers if you wanted to take those off and go off to the, uh, the store and get you something from the hardware store that’s a little bit bigger or furniture or whatever, or refrigerator, you know, and take that hard cap off. And this is a place to store it, right? I think it’s a really, really cool use for this thing. I didn’t see this use case advertised anywhere on the Flexi Mounts website. Flexi Mounts, I think that’s an untapped market that you should look into, but hey, I’m helping you out with that, so you’re welcome. Uh, as far as Flexi Mounts and the GL1 lift goes, pretty impressed. Obviously, I made a little bit of a mistake and that thing swung down and I busted it, but they sent me a whole new replacement. Now, I can’t guarantee that they would be the same way for you guys ’cause I’m doing a video for them. We kind of have a contract thing going on, so, you know, and I don’t know what’s going to happen once this is done and over with. I got to send it back to them. What’s going to happen with that? I got to work that out with them. But anyway, um, I’m going to keep one of these. True story, if they were to say, ‘because you broke it, you got to pay for it,’ I would pay for it to keep it. And that’s not a joke. I would. This is so useful, uh, that I would definitely, definitely pay for it. So, um, yeah. And on top of that, you know, you can see up there, I’m not sure you can see very well, but there’s a little bit of space between the top of that rack and the ceiling, so I could store some other stuff, being mindful I don’t go over 300 lb with this cap on there. But yeah, and that’s what it’s for, right? It’s for storing, uh, garage items up and out of the way. Uh, but I mean, you can hang stuff from it ’cause it’s got the grate and everything. It’s really super useful. You know, I was thinking of a way to store my cap, and I was looking at things like, I don’t know, I’ll put it on some pallets outside or maybe I could build a rack or maybe I could, I don’t know what I could do. Maybe I could get a winch. That would be pretty cool, right? And then Flex Mounts, literally just a couple of weeks after I had that thought, sent me an email saying, ‘Hey Ed, you know your garage is full of garbage and we think it would be great for you to store some of that garbage on our lift and get it out of your way.’ No, that’s not what they said. What they said was, ‘We like your channel, we like your style, we would like to have you talk about our lift on your channel.’ I said, ‘Well, yeah, okay, let me take a look at it as I do.’ And when I did, I went, ‘Oh my gosh, this would be perfect for storing a Bronco cap.’ And it is. I mean, guys, look, look at how cool it is. Look at that. This, this, I’m not acting like that’s super cool. I could just drive this thing out, go out, have a great day, back it in, drop this down. Now look, this is not as simple as taking off parts of a Jeep, right? But with a piece of equipment like this, it does make the up and down and taking this thing off a whole lot easier. I did this alone. Nobody helped me. And, um, it’s just going to sit here while I drive out. If I could, I can’t because this is broken, but hopefully yours isn’t. So if you have one, you can just drive out, do your stuff, drive back, pop it down, bolt it on, and you’re good to go. And I think at some point in the life cycle of this vehicle, I’m going to try to figure out a way to make this a little bit easier to take on and off. Uh, maybe put some studs here with some, um, uh, wing nuts or something. I’ll figure something out. I mean, do they have kits for that to make it easier to take a cap on and off on a Bronco? Uh, I don’t know. If not, I’ll figure something out. Um, but yeah, so anyway, bottom line, uh, Flexi Mounts GL1 lift, big thumbs up, big five stars, super impressed with it. It is not that expensive, guys. Go check it out. The link is in the description of the video. Uh, you know, as always, if you learned something today, you learned how to take a Bronco cap off, learn a great way to store a Bronco cap, um, give me a like, give me a subscribe. That really does help me out. I am super sorry that I’m not putting out very many videos right now. In the middle of the summer, it is just so much going on. I have literally taken days off of work to make this video happen because, uh, I just haven’t had any time otherwise. Uh, but I do appreciate every single comment.

Every single, like every single subscribe, keep doing that stuff. This engine back here will get worked on eventually, I promise. As always, guys, thanks again so much for watching, and we will see you next time.

She’s rough around the edges, but she’s doing fine. Take her head away, getting things to shine at Bullnose Garage. She’s considered divine. Thanks again for watching, we will see you next time. Thanks again for watching, we will see you next time.

When it comes to storing the hefty cap of a classic Ford Bronco, improvisation is key. In my latest video, I tackle this very challenge with the help of the Fleximounts GL1 Garage Lift. Spoiler alert: it’s not marketed for cap removal, but it turns out to be a fantastic solution.

Let’s dive into how this ceiling lift handled the Bronco cap and why it might just be the tool you didn’t know you needed.

Unboxing the Fleximounts GL1

First things first, the Fleximounts GL1 showed up at my door, and yes, it’s another sponsored gig. But before you roll your eyes, hear me out—this lift is genuinely useful. Ever since I got the Bronco, I’ve been on the hunt for a way to store the cap. The solution? A ceiling lift that can handle up to 300 lbs.

The GL1 comes well-packaged, which I appreciate because, let’s face it, shipping companies can be brutal on packages. Inside, you get an array of components, including a sturdy frame, cables, and even a mounting template. This template is a lifesaver for ensuring you drill your ceiling holes precisely where they need to be.

Installation Adventures

Installing the GL1 was no walk in the park, especially with my garage’s sloped ceiling. After laying out the parts, I realized I needed to use spacers to get everything level. A little DIY with some Ford blue-painted wood, and we were back on track.

Now, I did have a bit of a mishap during installation. A misaligned telescoping bar led to a catastrophic fail, but Fleximounts sent me a replacement without a fuss. Kudos to them for that. Lesson learned—read the instructions and make sure everything is fully extended before you start pounding things into place.

The Bronco Cap Test

With the lift installed, it was time to see if it could hoist the Bronco cap. Now, if you’ve ever attempted this, you know it’s not just a couple of bolts and off it comes. I wrestled with trim pieces and bolts before finally freeing the cap.

Using ratchet straps, I secured the cap to the lift. Cranking it up was a breeze, thanks to the low gearing designed to handle heavier loads. The cap is now safely tucked away, suspended above the garage floor, leaving me room to maneuver.

A Versatile Storage Solution

The GL1 isn’t just for Bronco caps. It’s versatile enough to store Blazer, Jeep tops, or even hard tonneau covers. With a bit of ingenuity, this lift can transform your garage storage setup. It’s perfect for getting bulky items out of the way without taking up valuable floor space.

Final Thoughts

In the end, the Fleximounts GL1 Ceiling Lift impressed me. Despite my initial snafu, it proved to be a solid, reliable piece of equipment. If you’re looking to optimize garage space or easily store a removable cap, this lift is worth considering.

Check out the full video above and see for yourself how the GL1 handled the Bronco cap. Let me know what you think, and don’t forget to like and subscribe for more garage adventures.

As always, thanks for watching, and stay tuned for more updates from Bullnose Garage!


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