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Project International Hauler

14K views 41 replies 17 participants last post by  bwillis2003 
#1 · (Edited)
I started on this project a few months ago but figured i would post it up here for any that are interested.

A couple of months ago i purchaced a 2000 F-450. It came equiped with the 7.3 and the 6 speed manual and a 4.88 rear. The only option that the truck has is A/C. The truck was purchaced with the sole intent of being a truck built for haulin, either my 2003 to the truck pulls or the 5ver on vacation or any other load that i need to move. I plan to replace all the ford emblems with international emblems hence the name International Hauler (IH).

So that being said, here is what i plan to do with the truck. It had a dump bed on the truck when i bought it. That has been removed and sold so now it is just a open chassis. I am currently building a custom bed for the truck, but will tell more about that in a moment. I also would like to update the front end of the truck to a newer style. I really would like to go to an 08 style but am not sure what would be involved in doing this. Right now i have the intention of upgrading to a 05 style front clip. I also plan to upgrade to the 22.5 semi wheels and tires. I would like to go to the super single in the rear like the truck that FCDP is building but not sure on that yet. I also have started to collect the parts that i will need to convert the rear suspension from leaf spring to air bag.



The interior is strickly for work with rubber floor and a bench seat. I plan to replace this with a carpet floor and captain chairs with a custom built center console. I also am looking into swapping the dash over to a 2005 since i really like the built in brake controller and aux switches. Installation of a basic stereo is called for as well since it only has a radio now. Nothing crazy just a cd player and new speakers, And of course a CB.



Now for the bed that i mentioned earlier. I looked into putting a regular dual wheel bed on the truck and found out that the frame is longer on the 450 than the 350. I found a place that sells kits to mount the bed on the frame and fill the gap between the bed and cab but the price of the kit plus the price of a bed was way more than i wanted to spend. I thought about just putting a flatbed on it but really dont like the look. After some thought and looking around i came up with this idea. I bought a single wheel 8 ft bed and cut the center section out of it and spread it to the width of a dually bed. I also cut the sides of the bed down to lower the bed height when pullin my 5ver. I am building the sides wider like a utility bed but with no storage inside. Just enough room in the center for my fifth wheel. I have some pics that i took i will try to post them up later.
 
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#5 ·
I am putting a bed from a 350 on my 550. I don't have my page of notes in front of me but I think it has to be moved forward 3 13/16". If it isn't too cold in the shop tomorrow I am going to begin the process. The nice thing about the 450 and 550 suspension is it is all bolted on (250 and 350 might be like this but idk). I am also changing my gears to 3.54. I alreay have a new third member but I have to take it to the machine shop to have the abs tone wheel put on and mount the sensor in the housing. In the beginning I bought it for a work truck but plans have changed and I'm going to use it to replace my Dodge that I drive everyday. The 7.3 and 4r100 are staying for now until I can get the 6.7 Cummins and 1000 Allison built the way I want it. I can't wait to get the Cummins in it becase I love the one in my Dodge just not the rest of the truck.
 
#8 ·
alright here are a few of the pics that i have. Unfortunately i lost all the pics from before that i had on my camera but here are a few that i took today. The last one is the only pic i have of the truck when i bought it. Its the one pullin the trailer. That was 2 days after i bought it.
 

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#10 ·
Actually the bed will stick out past the cab on both sides. Kinda like the sleeper on a semi. I plan to either bring the stacks out in front of the bed front, but i am not sure how it will look. If I dont like the look i will move the stacks into the bed and i will smooth the front and put some clearance lights in the bed front.
 
#12 ·
well the snow is finally gone and i got some work done on the bed. Got the front and both sides framed up the way i want to but going to need some more work on the rear to get everything the way i want it. I am trying to keep the body lines in the rear as close to factory as i can.

Anyone know of a place i can get a steel rollpan and a set of blanks to smooth the tail lights out?
 
#13 ·
im pretty sure that lmc truck has steel rollpans, sir michaels has tail light filler panels for 97- 03 f150, i thought that they have the same taillights as a super duty
 
#16 ·
Not a lot done on it here recently due to some marriage issues but I did start on the rear if the bed and figured out that I need to set the bed on the frame and get some mesurements. I am hoping to do this next week as I have off all week so should get some work done. I will take some pics once I get it on there and post them up.
 
#18 ·
Robert pressured washed the frame and then we put the motor clutch and trans in today. Putting cab and bed on sometime this week....






 
#19 ·
Well I got all the lil things done on the motor and frame last night(starter, turbo, etc). Hopin to put the cab back on today or tomorrow and fire this thing back up. As soon as she is movin under her own power I will be puttin the bed on to see how everything fits and what still needs modified.
 
#22 ·
Well i did get the bed set up on the frame to check fitment and all and it fit really nice.... i will have to remove about 1 - 1 1/2 inches from rear of frame for bed to clear my hitch mount plate but that should be easy enough and wont interfere with fuel tank mounts. still in the air about how to fill in the gap between the cab and the bed but thinking bout mounting stacks in that gap and notching the front of the bed to clear the pipes.

9872c2a8.jpg picture by vader2003 - Photobucket

9872c2a8.jpg picture by vader2003 - Photobucket

9872c2a8.jpg picture by vader2003 - Photobucket

9872c2a8.jpg picture by vader2003 - Photobucket

now for the bad news, well kinda.... due to some work i have had come my way and other issues i have had to put the bed build on hold and have built a flat bed for the truck to do some hauling with. I was planning to build a flat bed for the truck eventually anyway cuz it will most likely see work as a plow and salt truck over the wintertime, so now that is out of the way. here are some picks of how that turned out.

9872c2a8.jpg picture by vader2003 - Photobucket

c2636869.jpg picture by vader2003 - Photobucket

c2636869.jpg picture by vader2003 - Photobucket

c2636869.jpg picture by vader2003 - Photobucket

c2636869.jpg picture by vader2003 - Photobucket

c2636869.jpg picture by vader2003 - Photobucket

Thinking of painting the tool box black to match everything else as it is the only shiny thing on the truck. Also still have to add the 3 red clearance lights in the middle back of the bed. :doh:
 
#23 ·
lil update with the truck. motor is currently out of the truck and being replaced with another forged rod motor. Also being installed will be a set of swamps 250/100 inj. Going to run all this on the stock turbo and fuel system for right now and am looking at an adr from dieselsite or stealth from beans for lil more hpo. hopefully will be a decent setup for towing till i can get a h2e and RR on it.
 
#24 · (Edited)
Figured I would drag this one back up.

Got some new updates for the truck. Since my last post I got the forged rod motor installed in the truck. Before I installed the motor I took the time to install ARP head studs, Smith bros pushrods, and Comp valve springs. I also installed a regulated return with a 1/2 inch pickup tube and a walbro fuel pump. I am still using the stock fuel bowl and it is holding up nicely. I have the mounts and filters to do a pre and post pump filter but going to run it like this for now and see how it holds up.

So as of right now the truck is running and I have been using it to haul loads of lumber, drywall, roofing and such as I am helping 2 of my buddies renovate their houses. I started ordering parts last week to get this all finished up and hopefully to where I want it to be.


On that note here is the list of parts that I have in the shop and on order as of right now.

Valair 500 hp single disc clutch
Ceramic coated Irate Wastegated up-pipe setup with 46mm wastegate
DI Headers Ceramic coated
s466 Turbo
4" downpipe and 5 inch exhaust
Short throw shifter
Glowshift gauges
Terminator Scan gauge
05 Power tow mirrors with turn signals and heat
Tan captains chairs and a Center console
Pioneer Head unit and 4 Pioneer speakers
Power windows and locks
05 front clip
Tinted Windows
And a set of stock wheels painted black

I plan to wait another week or two to start tearing into everything since I still need the truck for the renovations that need finished. I also need to finish removing the Power wiring from my parts truck so that I have it all ready to go in. Gauges, turbo, pipes, mirrors and some of the other parts are still not here either so wanna have everything here to get done at once.

I will get some pics of the parts that I have in the next couple of days.

Goal is to have the truck complete in time for the Beans dyno day in NJ beginning of August.

Also If anyone could point me in a direction to get some custom badges made up I would appriciate it.
 
#25 ·
Quite a project ya got there Robert! I'll be watching to see this beast and its transformation!
 
#26 ·
i got my international emblems from riffraffdiesel, im sure there are other companies that carry them too..
 
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