Finding, Buying, and Fighting for My 1985 F-150

Finding the Right Truck

I never planned on becoming the guy who restores old Ford trucks. My background is in IT and web development, not mechanics. But somewhere along the way, I decided that I wanted a classic truck project—something that would push me out of my comfort zone, force me to work with my hands, and, let’s be honest, give me an excuse to finally own a vehicle with that lopey V8 rumble I’d always dreamed about.

The idea rattled around in my head for a while. I had no clue where to start, but I knew one thing: it had to be a Ford. I’d driven Fords for years, and I’ve always liked the look of their older trucks, especially the Bullnose-era F-150s (1980-1986). They just have the right mix of classic and rugged without feeling ancient.

So, with nothing but a vague plan and a whole lot of enthusiasm, I started my search for the perfect Bullnose project.

The Truck Criteria: My Unicorn

I didn’t just want any old truck. I had three non-negotiable must-haves:

1. A manual transmission – I had never driven a stick shift before, and I figured the best way to learn was to own one. If I had to drive it, I had to learn. Simple as that.
2. Air conditioning – I live in the Southwest, and there was no way I was going to bake in a truck without AC.
3. A short bed – I wanted that classic, more aggressive stance, especially since I had plans to turn it into a street truck.

That combo turned out to be harder to find than I expected.

Most trucks that still had air conditioning also had automatic transmissions—because if someone in the 80s could afford AC, they usually spent the extra money to ditch the manual. And clean, rust-free Bullnose trucks that were still running? Yeah, not exactly growing on trees.

I spent months searching. Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, random classified ads—I was glued to them, refreshing listings daily. I was willing to travel 200+ miles if the right truck popped up, but nothing quite fit.

That’s when I had an idea.

The Search Expands: A Lucky Find in San Antonio

My sister-in-law and brother-in-law lived in San Antonio, Texas—a much bigger market than my local area. San Antonio was still dry enough to avoid rust issues, and if I found something there, my brother-in-law—who knew his way around vehicles—could check it out for me.

So, I took a shot in the dark and searched San Antonio’s listings.

And there it was.

A 1985 F-150 short bed, manual transmission, air conditioning, and in great condition.

My heart skipped a beat. This was exactly what I had been searching for.

The only downsides? It was red (not my favorite), and it had a Ford 300 inline-six instead of a V8. But since I already planned on swapping engines, that wasn’t a dealbreaker.

Everything else? Perfect.

How I Bought the Truck (Remotely)

Since I was eight hours away, I called up my brother-in-law and pitched him an idea:

• He would check out the truck in person.
• I’d wire him the money so he could buy it on my behalf.
• If he negotiated the price down, he could keep half the savings.

That gave him a little extra motivation to haggle hard.

A few phone calls later, and I had a deal. We knocked $500 off the price, bringing it down to $3,000. Now, all I had to do was get it home.

The Road Trip to Pick Up My F-150

A month later, I borrowed a two-wheel tow dolly, loaded up my wife and father-in-law, and made the eight-hour haul to San Antonio.

Seeing it in person for the first time, I was relieved—it looked exactly as described. My brother-in-law had already test-driven it, so I knew it was solid. Only one small issue…

I couldn’t drive it.

At least, not yet. I still had zero experience driving a stick, so we pulled the driveshaft, loaded it onto the dolly, and headed back home.

The truck made it home without a hitch, but I couldn’t even drive it yet. So, I left it at my father-in-law’s place, an hour away, until I could learn to drive a manual.

Learning to Drive Stick: My Rite of Passage

The NP435 transmission in my truck was actually a great learning transmission. It’s slow, forgiving, and synchronized in all but first gear—which you don’t use much anyway.

After a couple of lessons on back roads with my father-in-law, I felt comfortable enough to take it home. That first one-hour drive back was an adventure—dim headlights, old-school dash lights, and an engine screaming at high RPMs thanks to the 4-speed.

By the time I pulled into my driveway, I had officially learned to drive a manual.

And the truck was truly mine.

The Nightmare of Registering It in New Mexico

If you think buying the truck was tough, try getting it registered.

Since I bought it remotely—with my brother-in-law acting as the middleman—the paperwork was a mess.

• The original owner couldn’t handle the sale himself due to health issues, so he had a friend sell it for him.
• My brother-in-law bought it from that guy.
• Then I bought it from my brother-in-law.

Try explaining that to the DMV.

Long story short? They made me responsible for proving the entire sales history.

I had to:

1. Get a bill of sale from the original owner to my brother-in-law.
2. Get a second bill of sale from my brother-in-law to me.
3. Fight with the DMV through multiple visits, each time learning I needed one more form.
4. Get kicked out of a DMV office when an employee decided she didn’t like my attitude.
5. Almost forge a signature out of frustration but stuck to the legal way.

After weeks of mailing documents back and forth, chasing down signatures, and making more trips to the DMV than I care to count, I finally had everything they had asked for. Every form, every bill of sale, every little detail was checked and double-checked. This was it.

I pulled into the DMV parking lot, confident that this nightmare was finally coming to an end. The clerk shuffled through my paperwork, nodded in approval, and stepped outside to do the final VIN inspection—the last hurdle before I could officially register my truck.

And that’s when it all came crashing down.

She leaned over, squinted at the dash, and frowned.

“I can’t read the VIN,” she said.

I blinked. What?

“Your windshield has a tinted border. It’s blocking the plate.”

I could feel my sanity unraveling. After all of this… this is what’s stopping me?

I tried to reason with her, but it was no use. Without a clear VIN, she wouldn’t sign off.

So, back home I went, fighting every urge to just set the damn truck on fire. I yanked off the dash pad, exposing the entire VIN plate like it was a prized artifact. No way they could miss it now.

The next weekend, I rolled back into the DMV, same paperwork, same truck—only this time, that VIN was front and center.

The clerk took one look, nodded, and signed off without hesitation.

Just like that, it was done.

I walked out of that DMV holding my brand-new registration and license plate like it was a trophy. After everything I’d been through, it wasn’t just about getting the truck legal—it was about winning.

And yet, as I stood there looking at my newly registered 1985 F-150, I had no idea that this was just the beginning.

I wasn’t just building a truck.

I was about to build Bullnose Garage.

From Personal Project to Bullnose Garage

At this point, I still had no plans to start a YouTube channel.

This was just my personal project—a way to learn how to wrench and build something cool. But the more I worked on it, the more I realized how much I enjoyed the process.

I had been watching Junkyard Digs, Thunderhead 289, and Project Farm, and I thought, Why not document my own journey?

And just like that, Bullnose Garage was born.

What’s Next?

This truck became the foundation of my channel, but the real work started after I got it home.

The next chapter? Early modifications I made before starting Bullnose Garage—things like minor fixes, first upgrades, and the beginning of the long journey of turning this 1985 F-150 into the street truck I envisioned.

Stay tuned. This is just the beginning.