1994 Ford F800 – Full Rebuild, Tandem Drive Conversion & Complete Refinish

This Ford F800 came to us with a long, hard-working history. Originally a Department of Fisheries unit here in Nova Scotia and later converted into a highway tractor running Alberta to Mexico, the truck eventually became a dump truck—but it needed far more than a quick touch-up. The owner brought it to us for a full overhaul so it could serve reliably in his excavation business.

Major Structural & Mechanical Rebuild

When the truck arrived, the dump box and rear structure were showing severe wear. What started as a small repair became an 18-week full restoration—because once we got into it, it was clear that doing the job right meant going much deeper. Key structural upgrades included:

• Rebuilding the entire lower tailgate mating section

• Replacing multiple crossmembers

• Repairing damaged structural supports

• Replacing a worn section of the dump floor

• Installing a brand-new telescopic hoist to replace the leaking original unit

Tandem Drive Conversion & Driveline Fabrication

One of the largest components of this build was the driveline overhaul. The truck arrived with a non-driven lift axle, which wasn’t going to cut it for real aggregate work. We removed the lift axle and installed a heavy-duty Eaton tandem drive axle, then:

• Fabricated custom driveshafts

• Built new brackets and mounts

• Added air plumbing for suspension and locker operation

• Integrated a full three-way locking system for maximum traction and jobsite capability

Every inch of this conversion was built in-house, overbuilt where it mattered, and designed for long-term reliability in daily commercial use.

Electrical & Lighting Upgrade

The entire truck received a full LED conversion. We fabricated a new rear wiring harness, eliminated decades of spliced repairs, and brought the electrical system up to modern standards. Lighting placement and wiring were redone cleanly for ease of future service.

Refinishing, Paint & Corrosion Control

Once the structural work was complete, the truck was stripped, prepped, and refinished from top to bottom.

• Dump box interior (upper 2 feet) refinished

• Full exterior prepped and repainted

• Undercarriage and chassis coated in industrial-grade urethane

• Cab sprayed in 2K epoxy primer, then refinished in dark blue basecoat/clearcoat

• All door jambs refinished for a factory-level colour swap

The truck originally came in a faded green. It left in a deep, professionally finished blue with a long-life industrial coating on the frame and box.

Final Result

What began as a “quick repair” became a complete restoration that elevated this F800 far beyond its original condition. It now serves as a fully capable aggregate hauler with modern lighting, a reliable tandem-drive system, and a full structural rebuild designed to handle real commercial workloads.

We documented the transformation with extensive before-and-after photos and even a full build video on YouTube—showing exactly how deep we went to bring this truck back to life.