Last weekend my wife agreed not to leave me if I bought a certain old truck. We'd had a very bad experience with a 1971 F-100 that turned her off from that generation, specifically, and made her wary of old trucks in general.
As you can see from the photo, it has a dentside bed on it. That's something I'll resolve eventually. The rear bumper is also on the front of the vehicle. The seller admitted to the truck sitting for eighteen months because of an 'ignition issue'.
My hometown is rather unpleasant towards project vehicles, and we don't have a garage, so I needed something I could get running quickly. Their requirements are that it is able to move under its own power and has plates. That's a target I think I can hit pretty quickly.
I'm going to keep this thread up to date with my plans and progress. I'm channeling my obsessively organized wife and making this something of a to-do list, as well.
Since the vehicle arrived the other day, we've changed the oil, fuel pump, carburetor, distributor cap and rotor, breaker points, condenser, and several rusted lines. With a fresh battery, we got the vehicle started with a hose in a gas can, as the fuel tank smells rancid.
Before the vehicle can move, I need to...
...clean and seal the gas tank. (I'm thinking a couple of gallons of denatured alcohol in various positions over a couple days to clean out varnish. Then filling it with oxallic acid solution to rid it of rust and give it a mild rust-resistant coating. Finally, I'll either use sloshing from the local airfield or some retail coating to seal the thing up.)
...check the clutch. (It doesn't feel quite right, but I haven't driven stick in two years.)
Before the vehicle can be driven, I need to...
...replace the jammed brake master cylinder. (Convert to two-pot master?)
...replace the rusted and broken brake lines. (There's a clean break on the rear brake lines. That's where the fluid went.)
...source an air filter. (There was a rodent nest in the airbox.)
...bolt down the battery. (we have the parts.)
...fix the parking brake. (The lever won't move.)
...free the choke actuator cable. (Kroil is my friend.)
...check oil levels and quality in the transmission and differential. (The seals and gasket on the differential are weeping.)
...adjust everything having to do with timing and fuel delivery. (It stalls at 700 rpm and might have an intermittent miss on the passenger side bank.)
Before the vehicle can be driven safely, I need to...
...locate and repair the intermittant short behind the instrument cluster. (It clicks, and the ammeter twitches.)
...fix the horn.
...adjust the brakes. (A safe guess, though I haven't checked them.)
...replace the fuel filler neck. (Heard a story from my small engine mechanic about him filling up one of these trucks when he worked at a service station as a boy. 35 gallons into the nineteen gallon tank. When the guy opened his door, it all spilled out. Then they called the fire department.)
...add seat belts! (Legal without it, but not wise.)
...get the tailights and brakelights working. (Headlights & turn signals work already.)
...replace the bald and dry-rotted front tires. (The rears are about half used up.)
...put a fire extinguisher in the truck.
Before the vehicle can be driven routinely, I need to...
...replace the headliner. (It keeps grabbing my hair.)
...fix the drivers side door. (You have to pull back the lever inside while depressing the exterior button, and pulling really hard to get it open currently. It will not open any other way.)
...check the health of the valves.
Any advice would be very appreciated. I think I've come up with everything that has to be done, but if you can think of anything else, please let me know. Also, if you have any recommendations on how to do this, I would also like to hear them, though I have been reading the Tips & Tricks section.
from Al. Very impressive to do list.Where are you located? Might be a member close
