New "Pick-up" for all the towing needs..

**WoodmanYoel** · 02-14-2014, 12:16 AM

My friend & old shop mate has been working on a pretty neat project for the last few months. He was never a fan of lifting trucks, but wanted something that would sit higher than most stock ride heights. So he sent out to do an F700 Conversion.

Once Zach had the funds he located a truck listed online in upstate New York. Wanting something that is clean and rust free, he knew he was gonna have to go out of the state of Maine. The truck he found listed as clean was located at Caledonia Diesel , in Caledonia, NY. So one night at Midnight Zach, Angelo, & I set off on a 30 hour round trip to upstate New York. Once we arrived we weren't very happy to find that this "Rust Free, Very Clean" truck that the gentleman at Caledonia had lured my friend into coming to see, was a rusty old ass POS farm beater truck. I mean the guy talked this thing up so much, and was very firm on his $5,800 asking price. It as a 95 F700 with 236,000 miles on it. Diesel 5 Speed. The thing was such a heap it. The tread was separating, the frame was flaking, the cab had holes every where. I was more pissed than Zach. Zach offered him $5,000 being as he had driven all this way and didn't want to go home empty handed. Brian the sales man didn't want to budge. The guy had gotten the brakes to work previous to Zach coming out and told him he wouldn't budge cause they had put $1,200 into running a brake line and labor involved in bleeding it out. The sales guy was actually pissed off that he offered him less than the $5,800 sight unseen agreed upon offer for this "Mint, Rust Free Good Condition Truck".. We drove around the corn fields for a while and thought about it and ended up telling the guy we were gonna have to pass. He started to yell, but Zach held his composure, I couldn't help but giggle cause I wanted to sock the guy for wasting my days off. As we left I hopped on Craigslist and found another F700 in Rochester, NY for $5000, with only 85,000 miles also listed as clean. It was a gas job automatic, and looked great in the pictures.

We met the guy, he had it on ebay and it was ending in three hours - so after a little ebay trickery I bought it on ebay for like $4800. The guy does E-Scrap and was using the truck for his business. He was a great guy & we could tell he took awesome care of his stuff. He's half the reason I post on this board actually, he turned me onto e-scrap as I was mainly a vehicle recycler. Anyways after the hectic change of plans we had trouble with insurance but we got the truck set and we drove it home. Arrived back in Maine at 6am a day after we set out.

f700pickup by woodmanyoel, on Flickr

Zach sold the box off from it for $1200.00 and the lift gate for another $200.

He was pretty concerned about finding a rust free dually bed for the project, and again went and shopped online, found one in Florida for $640.00 and bought it off ebay - then drove his little turbo diesel rabbit conversion pickup truck down with a trailer to get it. (Averaging 48mpg down and 43mpg back)

1380550_10151754307819751_2085292692_n by woodmanyoel, on Flickr

1398613_10151755299134751_1477103995_o by woodmanyoel, on Flickr

He wants it to look like a factory made large pickup.

1073152_10151762734389751_1939484109_o by woodmanyoel, on Flickr

He doesn't want to do anything crazy or flashy but he did drop a couple g's on nice alcoa rimps.

rims by woodmanyoel, on Flickr

He got the bed lined up and made a frame spacer so the body lines match.. after getting the axle lined up and the holes drilled we cut the frame now its just about ready for paint.

1465966_10151819901749751_1186674762_o by woodmanyoel, on Flickr

magdrillzach by woodmanyoel, on Flickr

1404907_10151853167749751_2146400617_o by woodmanyoel, on Flickr

1398294_10151855829309751_1438856416_o by woodmanyoel, on Flickr

Its gonna get sanded and painted white with new everything on exterior (lamps, lenses, mirrors, foot steps etc) he also is planning on running dual tanks in the stock locations. Should be a fun summer truck and it will haul the trailers around no problem. He's looking into getting the triple car trailer to go along side his 12,000lb equipment trailer he currently has.

1495327_10151954952254751_178487770_o by woodmanyoel, on Flickr

**WoodmanYoel** · 02-14-2014, 12:17 AM

1077424_10151853167754751_1244146249_o by woodmanyoel, on Flickr
It should be a real head turner!

1529983_10151948946019751_722753338_o by woodmanyoel, on Flickr

More pictures to come

**newattitude** · 02-14-2014, 03:45 AM

wow. lol, I don't know what else to say here!

**spinroch** · 02-14-2014, 07:08 AM

Woodman! Thanks for posting the photos! It's great to see my old beast gain a fun new life

**Patriot76** · 02-14-2014, 08:23 AM

Thanks Woodman. Love the project and cool truck.

**MattInTheHat** · 02-14-2014, 09:35 AM

Awesome truck!

Just wondering what made you think you could find a rust free truck in upstate NY? The only one I ever saw around here more that 3 years old was hauling a unicorn.

**WoodmanYoel** · 02-14-2014, 09:55 AM

Originally Posted by Patriot76

Thanks Woodman. Love the project and cool truck.

Thanks! I wish it was my very own, but I know it would have become a roll back no questions.

Originally Posted by MattInTheHat

Awesome truck!
Just wondering what made you think you could find a rust free truck in upstate NY? The only one I ever saw around here more that 3 years old was hauling a unicorn.

I think Zach was convinced from the advertisement and pictures. Caledonia Diesel put up a good front but it was a terrible truck. Shopping online can be a crap shoot. but Zach was ambitious to get the ball rolling with the project and in the end it turned out to be a good one. Somehow we still managed to bring one home =)

Originally Posted by newattitude

wow. lol, I don't know what else to say here!

Thanks!'

Originally Posted by spinroch

Woodman! Thanks for posting the photos! It's great to see my old beast gain a fun new life

Thank You! You saved our trip with great hospitality and a clean truck. Who knows maybe you'll get to see it again someday!

**lousypirate** · 02-14-2014, 10:39 AM

nice, I've seen some similar chevy topkicks for sale as well as running around near me. If I did that, I'd go to crew cab, but that is personal preference.

I wish stuff stayed that clean here in MI. Nice build.

**spinroch** · 02-14-2014, 11:57 AM

I bought it on eBay. It was a former Coca Cola fleet vehicle. I bought it only by the pics and the seller's reputation (feedback) on eBay. I flew in (boy, were my arms tired!) and drove it home. I miss the dock height & lift gate (A LOT) but my wife just hated it in the driveway at home. (Although she did suggest using the truck as a drive in movie theatre screen) It was too tempting a graffiti target to leave at work.

**SuperDave** · 02-14-2014, 01:28 PM

Love the idea! Up here in Canuckland, I would have to get commercial insurance and CVOR registration. Log book.
Are you going to install a fifth wheel hitch on that? That would be terrific!

**Sirscrapalot** · 02-14-2014, 03:21 PM

I know what words I can use to describe it...Pretty bad ass.

nice ride, now go fill up with some scrap, an get more pictures!

Sirscrapalot - Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home. - Matsuo Basho

**WoodmanYoel** · 02-15-2014, 05:01 AM

Haha, I think its pretty much gonna live the good life as a road queen now. It will get worked, but the only thing that will see abuse is the trailers that get hooked up. The only thing going in the bed will be a removable bench seat for picking up ladies at the beach =]. It will never see salt up here either. He's going to build one of those miniature tumble weed houses to pull around. No 5th wheel just a Pintle hook. Can't haul over 10,000lbs without class A.

**Sirscrapalot** · 02-15-2014, 08:36 AM

ah...ya don't need no stinking cdl to tow a 5th wheel, unless your working. That or a lot of senior citizens are going to be fined, ticketed, an sent to jail.

If it's commercial of course you do, otherwise, you don't. Trust me, RV'ers don't all have CDLs. According to everything I ever read on the subject, an I'm a future full time rv'er. Only way I'll get a CDL is if I decide to expand into hot shotting, or expediting.

Anyway nice truck.

Sirscrapalot -

**WoodmanYoel** · 02-15-2014, 01:13 PM

Well that's good to know. My understanding was that if you are hauling anything over 10,000lbs you need a CDL

**Sirscrapalot** · 02-15-2014, 01:56 PM

Not in a RV Yoel. If your just traveling. You do need a cdl for commercial stuff tho. The key word tho here is commercial. When I was out in KS a few years ago working for Amazon, the campground I stayed in had a bunch of fellow workcampers there, an the majority drove big ass pick ups pulling their 5th wheels. I think the only guy I met with a CDL was one using a Heavy Duty truck to pull his 5th wheel. He was also 76 an worked harder then the majority of the young folks at Amazon. lol. He basically pulled his 5th wheel with a tractor (18 wheeler type). His wife even drove that sucker an she was 75!

Good folks, I sure do miss those people, had some good times hanging out with the older folks.

The one exception to this rule is, some states do require you to get a class a or b license, minus the CDL. PA is one state that requires that. Not sure on others. I found the PA info on their DOT website. They don't require CDL, just class a or b.

Anyhow, I envy your buddy! Nice truck an he's pulling a hut!

Come on down to the sandbar, I'll point you where you can take that baby out on the beach an camp.

Sirscrapalot - Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all. - Sam Ewing

**sledge** · 08-12-2014, 11:05 AM

How the hell did I miss this thread? WOW What an awesome bit of work.. BAM!
I don't think Woodman is around much.. would love to have seen finished pics of this project!

Went to his flickr account but can't copy the pics here

**AuburnEwaste** · 08-12-2014, 08:01 PM

I know this is a bit old, but you don't need a CDL unless you are driving a vehicle with a 26,000 pound or more gross vehicle weight. At 10,000 you do need a U.S. DOT number though

**armstrt8** · 08-12-2014, 09:13 PM

Wow!! Seriously how did I miss this one!!

That truck is INCREDIBLE!! Reminds me of the body shape of the old Tonka Trucks I would drive around the living room floor haha

**Mechanic688** · 08-12-2014, 11:07 PM

Originally Posted by AuburnEwaste

I know this is a bit old, but you don't need a CDL unless you are driving a vehicle with a 26,000 pound or more gross vehicle weight. At 10,000 you do need a U.S. DOT number though

Not if it's a private owned vehicle, "not for hire". When I hauled RV's commercially all I needed for a license was a chauffeurs license.

**WoodmanYoel** · 08-15-2014, 08:32 PM

That's good to know - We've been tthinking about what were gonna do with the truck. He wants to pick up a 48ft trailer so he can haul a few cars around at once. I mentioned to him that he is gonna have to do something if he plans on driving by the DOT without getting stopped.

Here are some recent pictures (it just came back from Paint about a week ago).

Well he managed to drop another 3,400 dollars on it on paint - now all he's gotta do is put the wheels on and its finished.

Looks a lot better all the same color

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trunk