I've been running around the last 7 years in my '81 K30 crew cab keeping my heavy equipment in the field going, and for it's age it's been a terrific truck. But, in the last year or two I have really been wanting a crane truck, and having two service trucks going during the spring months would help logistically since our operation is spread out through two counties, and the K30 would have to work less trying to keep everything fueled/serviced/repaired.
The K30 has been a trooper, and with everything that I managed to stuff into that little utility bed, there were still a few more things I wanted to add but was worried about getting too much weight on for an SRW, especially with it's age. Truck weighed 9200lbs easily.
The day I bought it....
After some TLC
So I ran across this 1997 F-SD that on craigslist that wasn't running. What caught my eye was the IMT Dominator 1 body and huge IMT 6K full hydro crane.
Here are the CL add pics.
Had been sitting for about a year and a half, what a mess when I went to see it. Covered in dirt inside and out. Junk in boxes, spider webs, broken glass on the floor boards, you name it. But I saw through all that and knew I wanted it since a new IMT Dominator 1 body and crane of this size goes for $50K new.
We pulled it onto my trailer and I headed home.
I got home, figured out there was no power to the PCM, found that the fuel bowl heater had shorted out and blown the fuse that happens to feed power to the PCM. Changed the maxi fuse, and boom had it running that night. I didn't have the heart to tell the PO that it was just a fuse, I told him I had to replace the PCM ( I was still in contact with him over some registration issues and getting two air compressors gathered up that came with the truck).
I painted the rims and put a new set of steer tires on.
The next issue was the 7.3 Powerstroke, it could hardly get out of it's own way. Even with 225HP from the factory, it was slow through the gears with a ZF5 5 speed and a truck that weighs 13,000 lbs. I ordered a TS performance 6 position chip and what a difference, I am running around on the lowest 50HP setting, much better get up and go. I will say, the PSD is no Cummins, the PSD even chipped still doesn't have much power below 1900rpms. It comes alive around 1900 or so and pulls pretty good to redline, but with the 5 spd it feels like climbing out of a hole every time I shift, I'm just used to the Cummins animal in the Dodges I guess.
The paint on the cab was obviously in terrible shape, I had some white left over from the bankout build so we went at it.
While I was at it I thought I would go ahead and upgrade to the chrome XLT grille and trim.
New exhaust tip, and got my Hobart Champ welder mounted and my Kohler/Champion compressor mounted in front of the welder.
The K30 has been a trooper, and with everything that I managed to stuff into that little utility bed, there were still a few more things I wanted to add but was worried about getting too much weight on for an SRW, especially with it's age. Truck weighed 9200lbs easily.
The day I bought it....
After some TLC
So I ran across this 1997 F-SD that on craigslist that wasn't running. What caught my eye was the IMT Dominator 1 body and huge IMT 6K full hydro crane.
Here are the CL add pics.
Had been sitting for about a year and a half, what a mess when I went to see it. Covered in dirt inside and out. Junk in boxes, spider webs, broken glass on the floor boards, you name it. But I saw through all that and knew I wanted it since a new IMT Dominator 1 body and crane of this size goes for $50K new.
We pulled it onto my trailer and I headed home.
I got home, figured out there was no power to the PCM, found that the fuel bowl heater had shorted out and blown the fuse that happens to feed power to the PCM. Changed the maxi fuse, and boom had it running that night. I didn't have the heart to tell the PO that it was just a fuse, I told him I had to replace the PCM ( I was still in contact with him over some registration issues and getting two air compressors gathered up that came with the truck).
I painted the rims and put a new set of steer tires on.
The next issue was the 7.3 Powerstroke, it could hardly get out of it's own way. Even with 225HP from the factory, it was slow through the gears with a ZF5 5 speed and a truck that weighs 13,000 lbs. I ordered a TS performance 6 position chip and what a difference, I am running around on the lowest 50HP setting, much better get up and go. I will say, the PSD is no Cummins, the PSD even chipped still doesn't have much power below 1900rpms. It comes alive around 1900 or so and pulls pretty good to redline, but with the 5 spd it feels like climbing out of a hole every time I shift, I'm just used to the Cummins animal in the Dodges I guess.
The paint on the cab was obviously in terrible shape, I had some white left over from the bankout build so we went at it.
While I was at it I thought I would go ahead and upgrade to the chrome XLT grille and trim.
New exhaust tip, and got my Hobart Champ welder mounted and my Kohler/Champion compressor mounted in front of the welder.
The F Super Duty trucks never had a 4x4 option. Quigley conversion and that hammilton outfit were doing most of the conversions when these trucks were new nearly 20 years ago. The 10x7.25 lug pattern is an issue, some of the D70 fronts that were used for the conversion had that pattern, some weird Italian axle had it, and I guess there were adapters for a D60 from an F350. The problem is trying find that stuff now. Nearly impossible. 
