I didn't know anything about these old truck just over a year ago. Then i found FTE and with yall's help i built a nice truck. But there is alot more to learn if i want to build a stock truck with a flathead.The truck i'm going to get friday has a complete v8 flathead right down to the stock breather. I'm going to have alot of ????????? 's about this one folks. [1] Like were to get flathead parts ?[2] What is the best way to get power steering with a stock straight axle ? I see classic haulers sales 4 diff. ways to achieve this. gm power kit /power rack & pinion /power ram assist /or a toyota box. What do yall think is the best way to go ? Ram assist cost the most so i'm down to 3 ways.[3] What do i need to do to convert it to 12 volt and keep everything else stock ? STOCK BUILD class 101 OMG its like a drug.

 

Step one to going stock original. Ditch the idea of power steering and 12 volts.... just messin with ya Fred

Not sure about the steering question but with 12 volts just need an alternator and bracket, and a bunch of volatage reducers for the original 6 volts parts. my F-6 and my F1 will be 12 volts (Someday)

 

Try a stock truck with well-greased steering and good kingpins; they aren't hard to steer.

 

You talked me into it ROSS. I remember i put new kingpins in a 72 ford i had and you could turn it with two fingers. Until a pinetree crushed it when hurricane opal came to town. LOL

 

I agree with Ross. Rebuild every suspension component, including the steering box and the truck will be a lot easier to drive.

 

It depends on what you are going to do with it. If you are going to show it stock in competition, things like power steering and 12 volt conversions are no no's. I agree with Ross's comment on the steering and the same goes for the 6 volt system. New properly sized wires, good components and good grounds, and you will have no trouble with the 6 volt system, it will start that flat head just fine. If you just want it close to stock and don't really care about a true restoration and showing, there is nothing wrong with the mods - it is just a very slippery slope to make more and more modifications. So few are actually stock, I would want to make it a true restoration, but it is your truck and your decision.

Good luck,

 

I'm working on my custom truck now that will be a driver (kids baseball has REALLY put a slow-down on that). Somebody modified it about 30 years ago. So I'm not gonna go back stock with it. But I've also got my completely original 49. Let me tell you, it will put a smile on your face. It's not always about speed or being able to hug a curve like it's on rails. I got caught in a huge rain storm the other day. The most fun I've had driving a vehicle in a long time. One single vacuum wiper. I was laughing out loud by the time I got home. If those old farmers could handle these trucks 60 plus years ago, why can't we do the same now? But on the flip side, I can't jump in my 49 and drive 200 miles without any worries. And interstate driving is out of the question for the most part. But it's a blast to drive around here local. As far as converting to 12 volt, not absolutely necessary. They sell 6 volt batteries and all the replacement gadgets every day. Walston is right. Good grounds are the key. On the other hand, I can't wait to cruise down the road in my 50 and throw it into a curve with its new IFS someday. They're just 2 different animals.

 

so ..where are the pictures of your new mistress??..my 54 has the 12v conversion ..still havn't got a radio in it and with 17" lumpy tires it steers fine..except parallel parking...

 

My 6-volt system gets a lot of looks and smiles at the shows. It starts the Y-block fine and I put in a 6 to 12 volt converter for the hidden stereo/radio. Jag

 

Stock..... what's that????? Never had an unmodified vehicle, so I really don't know

 

I've had both stock and modified vehicles. The modified is easier to drive and more comfortable in the summer. But, if you show them like I do, the experience at the shows is totally different. The modified got a few looks and an occasional question. On the other hand, the stock draws a crowd and everybody has a question or a comment. The sad part is that stock vehicles cost about 1/2 of the modified.

It's nice to hear that somebody else is going to make a stocker!! Good luck, Jag

 

When I joined this board, I heard the siren call of the Darkside... (They have cookies)....

But I wanted to stay stock, cause even though my truck was a mess, it was all stock. Didn't run, one of the Flatheads were in the bed of the truck.... And there are so few stock......
SO, my truck is ready to start going back together.... 6 volt (so far).
The ONLY thing I've done is hopped up the Flattie.
The crank was cracked and I had lucked upon a Merc Flattie, which gave me a longer stroke... so we upped the cam a little... and I did a Triple Deuce set up for looks....
Rebuilt the stock trans, kept the original generator, (had to get an angle bracket for it cause it wouldn't fit dead center with the carb set up....
BUT I'm still all stock otherwise.... Went with the original Meadow Green color.
Still not on the road, cash strapped right now...

 

Nice Steve, those vintage engines have great exhaust notes! I even like the old 240 and 300 sixes. Jag

 

I still consider hopped up engines to be in the "stock" category. It's still a stock engine to the truck and the hop up parts are all period correct.

 

Yeah, I KINDA agree... 51Panel. I"m thinkin the changes I made to the engine are ones that I would have made if the truck was mine in 1953.....