Before Bullnose Garage was even an idea, I was just a guy with an old truck and a desire to fix things up. My 1985 F-150 was in decent shape when I bought it, but I had no clue about its maintenance history. That meant the first order of business was getting my hands dirty—changing fluids, replacing worn-out parts, and making small but meaningful upgrades. This is the story of the modifications I made in the summer of 2020, months before my YouTube channel became a reality.
Fluids First: Learning the Basics
Since I didn’t know when anything had last been serviced, I started with the basics: fresh fluids.
- Oil Change – Easy. Drain, refill, done.
- Coolant Flush – Slightly more involved, but nothing too bad. Everything looked good—no rust, no gunk.
- Differential Fluid (Ford 8.8) – Pulled the cover off, drained the old stuff, and got my first look at the inside of a differential. No metal shavings, no weird noises—just needed fresh fluid. I used Permatex black gasket maker instead of a traditional gasket, and to my surprise, it sealed perfectly.
Then came the transmission fluid… and that’s where things got ugly.
The Stuck Transmission Drain Plug from Hell
The NP435 transmission in my truck had a square drain plug—odd, but not necessarily a problem. Except this one had been tightened down with the strength of a thousand suns.
For three weeks, I tried everything:
- Penetrating oil
- Heat
- Hammers
- Monkey wrenches
- A hydraulic bottle jack to apply force
- Thoughts and prayers
- Ritual sacrifice
At one point, I had the wrench under tension with the jack lifting the truck off the ground—and still, nothing.
I had resigned myself to the idea that I might need a new transmission when a friend of ours came over with her husband, who worked on Army vehicles. I explained my struggle, handed him a pipe wrench, and figured he’d struggle for a while like I had.
Five minutes later, he walked back into the garage.
“It’s loose.”
I was stunned. To this day, I have no idea what magic he pulled. But I finally drained the transmission, swapped in a fresh drain plug (no way was I reusing the mangled one), and learned a valuable lesson—sometimes, you just need the right touch.
Chasing Rattles and Sealing Up the Cab
Once the fluids were sorted, I moved on to making the truck more livable.
Replaced Both Side Mirrors – The originals were floppy, but the replacements, while functional, felt cheap and plasticky. The metal was thinner, and the glass vibrated more than the originals. While they stayed in place better than the old ones, they just didn’t have the same sturdy feel. Lesson learned—sometimes old parts are better if you can refurbish them.
Installed New Door and Window Seals – This was one of the few areas where modern replacements were actually better. The old seals were dry-rotted and cracked, letting in an annoying amount of wind noise. After installing the new seals, the truck was noticeably quieter at highway speeds, making long drives much more comfortable. The doors also shut with a nice, solid feel instead of the tinny clank they had before.
Replaced Door Strikers – The doors rattled like crazy when I got the truck. The culprit? Worn-out door strikers. Sounds simple, right? Well, aligning them correctly was a whole different battle. I spent more time than I’d like to admit tweaking the alignment so that the doors would close firmly but still latch properly. Even after all that work, you still have to give the doors a solid slam to get them shut—but once they’re closed, they stay put, no rattles or movement. That’s a win in my book.
Electrical Gremlins: Batteries, Alternators, and Lights
The truck had an electrical problem, but I didn’t realize it at first.
- The battery that came with the truck died.
- I replaced it. That battery also died.
- Finally, I figured out the real culprit—a bad alternator.
I swapped it out for a new stock 1G alternator—nothing fancy, but it worked. And I swore I’d install a mini-split in the garage after sweating my way through that job in the middle of summer.
Once the charging system was fixed, I started tackling the lights:
LED Tail Lights – The first set didn’t fit well, and in my impatience, I broke one. Lesson learned: take your time.
Clear Front Marker Lights with Amber Bulbs – A subtle but clean upgrade. Gives the truck a slightly custom look.
LED Dash and Interior Lights – Hands down one of the best upgrades. Better visibility at night, a must-have for any Bullnose owner.
Interior Upgrades: Steering Wheel and Mirror
The factory steering wheel was thin and uncomfortable. Cracked, worn, and just unpleasant to use. Since aftermarket steering wheels are expensive and I didn’t have a puller at the time, I decided to wrap it.
The problem? It was too thin for a standard wrap to feel right. My solution? I used flexible packing material to build up the thickness before installing the wrap. It sounds like a hack job, but it worked beautifully. Now, the wheel has a much better feel and looks great.
I also swapped out the rearview mirror for a much bigger one. If there’s one thing I hate, it’s not being able to see enough behind me. This upgrade made a huge difference in everyday drivability.
Final Touches: License Plate Relocation
The rear license plate was mounted too high on the bumper, causing the tailgate to smack into it. The previous owner had already dented the tailgate from this.
I moved the plate down and installed LED-lit screws to keep it illuminated and legal. It cleaned up the look of the truck and made loading and unloading the bed much easier. Plus, those little LED-lit screws? Surprisingly bright and a nice touch.
Conclusion
By the time I finished these mods, I felt like I had a decent grasp on my truck. I knew its quirks, its strengths, and its weaknesses. And at that point, I was just fixing it up for myself—no camera, no audience, just me and my garage.
Of course, everything changed when I started Bullnose Garage. From then on, every mod and repair became a video.
But there was one more big event before that—one that nearly made me give up on the truck entirely. A Craigslist deal, a careless forklift operator, and a bed that got crushed into the cab.
That story? It deserves its own post.
Next in the Timeline: The Craigslist Forklift Disaster
Stay tuned for the next post, where I break down the time my beautiful straight truck could’ve been totaled before the channel even started. It involved a legal fight, frustration, heartbreak, and a hard lesson in dealing with careless sellers.