6.4L Excursion conversion

Wayne · May 27, 2014

Since I'm changing jobs mid-project, and I don't have time to sell most of the good left over parts, I turned a bunch of those parts into a temporary trailer to haul a bunch of the other parts.

Yeah, I know it's pretty redneck, but emphasis on the temporary situation. Once I get everything to Twin Falls Idaho (hopefully done moving after this for a very long time), I'll stick it in storage until figure out all the details. The '08 frame section is obviously cut, and I've got the body clip ready to go on, so tomorrow will be the beginning of the frame graft.

On that note, I did a lot more close inspection of the two front frame sections. Almost everything would be perfect except for the excursion main frame rail sections being about 2" shorter than the '08's, just in front of the front cab mounts, so I won't be doing the graft as I hoped. I will just do it under the cab like everybody else does, and sleeve it. I was really hoping to not need to cut anything but rivets and factory welds, but that's life, I guess. I'm not worried about strength, but I was hoping to go for an extra clean factory look. More pics to come in the next few days as the two halves come together.

co04cobra · May 27, 2014

It's looking good Wayne!! Coming along very nicely for not having a ton of time to devote to it.

Did you seperate the rockers at a factory spot? Looks like it in the pics can't tell for sure.

Wiring the rear half should be fun to the 08 front harness. Keep us posted on that part.

Wayne · May 27, 2014

Thanks. I just drilled out the spot welds to separate everything except for the inner rocker liner, which will be overlapped. The floor and rocker joints between the 6.4 and 6.0 are identical at least. The windshield posts are staggered 6+" from the insides to the outsides, but just at ideal locations. There are no joints to separate on the A pillars.

smcox1 · May 28, 2014

That's definitely the nicest truck bed trailer I have ever seen lol! 08+ bed with monster rims! Can't wait to see the ex done

Wayne · May 30, 2014

Monster wheels are gone off the trailer now it's sporting the axle and tires from the blue ex. I have been doing some cutting, welding, and axle swapping though.

Also, I ordered some '08 style badges from billet badges, black with machined text and vent slots. I'm having second thoughts on the text though. Under the "EXCURSION" logo most trucks say lariat, xlt, xl, or whatever, then "SUPER DUTY". I ordered them with the "LIMITED" text, but I'm far from settled on how I will finish the interior as I'm considering an interior conversion to black among other things. They can't distort the "EXCURSION" text to fill the entire top section, and eliminate the text just below as it's copyright infringement, so I'm at a loss since I don't want to "personalize" the logo too much. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

webb06 · May 30, 2014

Wayne said:
Monster wheels are gone off the trailer now it's sporting the axle and tires from the blue ex. I have been doing some cutting, welding, and axle swapping though.

Saweet!!!! Are you doing this by yourself? Or do you have another set of hands helping?

Wayne · May 30, 2014

unfortunately I'm flying solo without a lift either. I'm too cheap to pay for help LOL I had to get creative to bring the two halves together where everything lines up, but all the gaps and body lines are perfect, so I'm good with that.

webb06 · May 30, 2014

Wayne said:
unfortunately I'm flying solo without a lift either. I'm too cheap to pay for help LOL I had to get creative to bring the two halves together where everything lines up, but all the gaps and body lines are perfect, so I'm good with that.

Enginuty at its finest!!! Looking great!

co04cobra · May 30, 2014

It's looking sweet!! That would be a major PITA solo. You get any pics on the frame graft? Have you started on any of the wiring?

If I can get one of these 6.4s to hold up :lookaround: the ol lady needs one in the future. Even though she doesn't know that yet.

Looking forward to seeing it painted.

05dieselex · Jun 2, 2014

Glad to see things moving forward. Not that I ever had any doubt, but that's gonna be one sweet ride! Just make sure all the go fast parts from the pickup end up in the Ex!

05dieselex · Jun 3, 2014

& how about Excursion Unlimited on your billet badging?

Wayne · Jun 4, 2014

Hahaha. Some of the go fast parts will make their way on, but some will definitely be replaced. I'll be doing different turbos, transmission, and fuel injection. Not that anything was wrong with what I had, but I just want to try some different stuff. Seth, I'd get you a pic of the frame graft if I had any, but I won't be near it until next week as I'm in the process of moving. I'll try to get a pic then. I have definitely thought about calling it the unlimited edition, but haven't settled on it just yet. Anybody else have an opinion on the badge text?

dsberman94 · Jun 4, 2014

CR (common rail) edition but make it like the KR truck badge with excursion instead of f-xxx.

05dieselex · Jun 5, 2014

Make the Unlimited edition badges & put em on all the custom trucks you do.
I'll throw a set on Red!

Wayne · Jun 5, 2014

We will come up with some cool ones for red Bill, maybe more specific to the plans in the works. It's already a really sweet ex you have. The next level will definitely put it over the top though. I keep going back and forth on unlimited vs. Limited. It could go either way, and I'm about out of time. The CR deal is cool too, but I'll have to give it more thought as to how it would look.

Meniacal_Mark · Jun 5, 2014

Wayne said:
Monster wheels are gone off the trailer now it's sporting the axle and tires from the blue ex. I have been doing some cutting, welding, and axle swapping though.

Also, I ordered some '08 style badges from billet badges, black with machined text and vent slots. I'm having second thoughts on the text though. Under the "EXCURSION" logo most trucks say lariat, xlt, xl, or whatever, then "SUPER DUTY". I ordered them with the "LIMITED" text, but I'm far from settled on how I will finish the interior as I'm considering an interior conversion to black among other things. They can't distort the "EXCURSION" text to fill the entire top section, and eliminate the text just below as it's copyright infringement, so I'm at a loss since I don't want to "personalize" the logo too much. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Love it! fx4 grill looks killer on the ex

superpsd · Jun 11, 2014

Very cool project

Wayne · Jun 11, 2014

Thanks guys. I finally got a snap shot of my unfinished frame graft. It still needs the inside plates and some clean up, but without a way to lift the body at the moment, and finishing my move from North Dakota tomorrow it will have to wait until I get set up in Idaho to be finished. If all goes well, I will blast and paint the whole frame anyway, but here's a pic to at least show the graft location.

Wayne · Jun 12, 2014

Well, updates on this thread won't be for a while I suspect. I'm loaded up, and headed out in the morning. Once I paint it, I'll probably throw up a few more pics. Thankfully the Ford dealership I'm going to work at has a full blown body shop. I bet I can sneak it in the booth one weekend once all the prep work is complete. Also, I figure I better show off my newest tool/toy as I've had my eye on it for a very long time. It's a 22' full hydraulic tilt deck, deck-over with a 12k# winch; pretty much a roll back wrecker on a bumper hitch, which I chose over a goose neck for when my truck breaks down and I need the wife to come rescue me. It was kinda spendy, but I have plans to use it to make money in the near future, so it's sort of justified. That, and I still have nightmares of putting stock front tires on to clear fenders, then using dual ratchet straps for over an hour dragging a truck up a deck just to load it.