Heritage Stonemason Carver
Country Estates | Rockstar Retreats | Restoration Specialist | Onsite Eastcoast
FORD LN8000 Louisville Restoration page
WELCOME
This is my Ford Louisville LN8000 which I'm currently resto modifying.
The old 76' model truck began life as a moving vans prime mover
with Beckley transport of Geelong Vic. in Aus. Originally built in the
Ford factory at Broadmeadows, it started out with a 3208 Caterpillar
Clarke 5 speed transmission and a 2 speed Eaton single axle rear.
Its second owner was a sheep farmer in the same region who after
buying it decided it wasn't up to the power he required and
subsequently repowered it using his old Dodge truck engine
A rebuilt Detroit 6V53 currently fills the engine compartment coupled
to a Roadranger RT6610 10 speed box and a new single speed
Rockwell 38 000lb single rear axle. As well as installing the
powerplant he also used the Dodge gauges in the interior.
Years on and looking rather tired (externally) I'm now the third owner.
The LN8000 is the mid medium duty truck in the Louisville range L
being the model N being a short hood and 8000 designating it
medium duty diesel.
My plan is to rebuild a lot of worn out components gradually bringing
it back to its former glory with a few nice modern custom touches.
The chassis will be detailed, resprayed black, the Detroit will also be
detailed, given a few HP upgrades ie new injectors better air intakes
and dual exhaust stacks.
The drivetrain has always been well maintained so a few checks will
be all that required.
The cab does have a few small rust areas ( as most Louisvilles do)
The doors and rain gutters require some rust repairs but with any
luck I can replace the doors and cut the gutter off.
Paint wise, the cab could do with a touch up but would be better
completely resprayed using similar colours to the example above.
A lowline 48 in sleeper will be fitted and include a crawl through so I
don't need to cut the back of the cab up.
Interior will be a combination of grey black and red seat trims.
The dash, door panels and roof being grey with matching black and
red highlights. I'm looking at using a polished wooden floor or red
carpet.
Wheelbase will be left as is so a short tray of 11ft will be fitted with a
gooseneck ball hitch fitting instead of the current fifth wheel.
This is my Ford Louisville LN8000 which I'm currently resto modifying.
The old 76' model truck began life as a moving vans prime mover
with Beckley transport of Geelong Vic. in Aus. Originally built in the
Ford factory at Broadmeadows, it started out with a 3208 Caterpillar
Clarke 5 speed transmission and a 2 speed Eaton single axle rear.
Its second owner was a sheep farmer in the same region who after
buying it decided it wasn't up to the power he required and
subsequently repowered it using his old Dodge truck engine
A rebuilt Detroit 6V53 currently fills the engine compartment coupled
to a Roadranger RT6610 10 speed box and a new single speed
Rockwell 38 000lb single rear axle. As well as installing the
powerplant he also used the Dodge gauges in the interior.
Years on and looking rather tired (externally) I'm now the third owner.
The LN8000 is the mid medium duty truck in the Louisville range L
being the model N being a short hood and 8000 designating it
medium duty diesel.
My plan is to rebuild a lot of worn out components gradually bringing
it back to its former glory with a few nice modern custom touches.
The chassis will be detailed, resprayed black, the Detroit will also be
detailed, given a few HP upgrades ie new injectors better air intakes
and dual exhaust stacks.
The drivetrain has always been well maintained so a few checks will
be all that required.
The cab does have a few small rust areas ( as most Louisvilles do)
The doors and rain gutters require some rust repairs but with any
luck I can replace the doors and cut the gutter off.
Paint wise, the cab could do with a touch up but would be better
completely resprayed using similar colours to the example above.
A lowline 48 in sleeper will be fitted and include a crawl through so I
don't need to cut the back of the cab up.
Interior will be a combination of grey black and red seat trims.
The dash, door panels and roof being grey with matching black and
red highlights. I'm looking at using a polished wooden floor or red
carpet.
Wheelbase will be left as is so a short tray of 11ft will be fitted with a
gooseneck ball hitch fitting instead of the current fifth wheel.
| as delivered Sept 2015 |
| 6V53 under the fibreglass tilt hood and RH door profile |
| The bullbars I plan to remove and replace with a second generation Loiusville chrome bumper by Dawsons in the USA supplied by Gleemans truck supplies Sydney |
| Above pictures show the nice fit of the 6V53 Detroit Diesel under the LN's hood. and the RH door profile with rust bubbles at the bottom. below the original Bostrom Westcoaster drivers seat in poor conditio now currently being reupholstered at the triimers. |
Typical 70's glitter shift stick I'll keep
| Some parts I've sourced so far. aftermarket chrome bezels and chrome switch covers XY W Falcon rear door armrests XP Falcon window wnders from Rare Spares 67 F100 interior door handles supplied by Classis Pickups in QLD Left.. stripped bare cab floors ready for refinishing |
| below.. Tanks and top skirts will be polished new tank rubber and steps will be fitted. The plastic mudguards will be replaced with Lelox SS guards. |
| Above... Original Ford microfiche parts drawings I acquired |
In order that the labour of centuries past may not be in vain during centuries to come..... Denis Diderot 1752
| Well I have got around to making repairs to the dashboard including using expandding foam and flexi moulding in the area I didn't think was repairable I made a mould out of modeling clay and pump the foam into it, after curing I sand down the high spots and filled the lows with flexible filler. More preparation and vinyl colouring to follow. Meanwhile new gauge panel are installed for repositioning of some gauges a carbon layer will finish it off. |
Bullbars have been removed and will be replaced with this new Dawsons LN Louisville chrome bumper. I stripped the outer, inner
grilles to strip paint of the stainless and polished them up some small dings will have to be know out but overall came out nice.
grilles to strip paint of the stainless and polished them up some small dings will have to be know out but overall came out nice.
| It was time to disassemble the badly fitting exhaust, PTO and rear crossmember which I discovered I don't need now cause of the bellhousing modal mounts. Then coated the floor with a bitumious paint for sound deadening |
| The rest of the exhaust system and tidy up at the back of the cab Doors needed some rust repairs and straightening along with some future GRP work on the fenders. Below is one of the refurbished LN8000 badges another needed. |
| Below...... The bostrom seat base is rebuilt, recovered and trial fitted back into the cab note.... the carbon faced dash panels being mocked up to suit the new clutter of gauges on the left centre section the tacho, speedometer along with the heater controls and air park brake vavle are yet to be cut out. |
Below... working out the colour scheme using Duplicolour rattle can paint. As the white painted cab will be rubbed back for a better top
coat respray I decided to play with the gold colour to see if it would match the other truck paint schemes.
The Louisville fender break line is exactly the same height as the KW. Two upper narrower gold lines are planned along with a dark grey
pinstripe on the out edge. Kenworth will be requiring this same grey pinstripping as well.
coat respray I decided to play with the gold colour to see if it would match the other truck paint schemes.
The Louisville fender break line is exactly the same height as the KW. Two upper narrower gold lines are planned along with a dark grey
pinstripe on the out edge. Kenworth will be requiring this same grey pinstripping as well.
| Below is a LN8000 specifications sheet. Click to enlarge and download. |
| below..... is a modified 1/25 scale LN8000 Louisville I'm currently working on, which I hope the restoration will turn out like. Model is an old U.S AMT parcel pantec truck which has been shortened. |
| There is some scratch building of parts to be done in aluminium. The original kit has a 3208 Cat engine and is LH drive but I can live with that |
| Some more rust and fibreglass repairs below, showing roof gutters, inner LH door and glass hood fenders |
| Complete LN workshop manuals available for $60AU click the thumbnail link above |
| FORD production numbers built in Aus. |
| A trial fit of the Stainless steel mudguards which will be fitted under the steel flatbed Original mudguard bracket were in good condition so a simple re polish of the alloy brackets will do. Some grinding of the welded pipes will need to be done before repainting. |
| A nice touch to add some colour to the front grille surround in Kenworth red. |