carb was in a bag in the cab so likely it has been sitting long without it on, I dont really care since I'm parting with it, just anxious to get a running motor and tran and brakes to get this project literally rolling

funny thing is you guys said to expect 3 times time and cost estimates and you're clearly right, here I thought I was going to get a 302 and C6 combo for $300 but now I'm entertaining a freshly rebuilt 302 for $740 and a freshly rebuilt C4 for $599, luckily for me I budgeted enough to spend $2,500 for a chassis/body plus $1,000 for engine and drivetrain but I scored the whole truck for $850 so I can spend a little more lavishly on whole drivetrain, again, my main focus is driveable this winter, pretty later on

 

That's just a heat stove on the pass. exhaust manifold. It feeds warm air to the snorkel on the stock air cleaner until the engine warms up. Pretty common on older cars in cold weather climates.

 

here is a stock 302 from a 93 Mustang for $300, 95k original miles, what do you guys think? (plus I'm experimenting with Flickr since my office blocks Photobucket)

 

That appears to be an EFI engine. If it doesn't come with the original ECU and harness RUN AWAY!

 

What he said!! The EFI engine would be great, but it has to come with the required electronics to work . Also note that the fuel system probably relies on an in- tank high pressure pump....so you'd need to consider a fuel tank & system as well. It's all do- able, just more work than it sounds like you were planning

 

THANK YOU! thats exactly why I post these questions, he is using those and they aren't coming with the engine

 

That motor has no accessories on it. You could convert it to run a carb but all the accessories would nickle and dime you to death. And you have no clue what condition the engine is in internally.

You should really quit looking for just an engine. Because if you can't hear it run before you buy it you have no idea on what condition it's in. You should really look for a complete drivable vehicle that has the engine and transmission you'd like to run. That way you can hear it run and drive it so you know the engine and transmission are good. You also get all the wiring & etc. you will need. You might pay a little more up front but you end up saving a lot more in the long run!!! Then you can pull all the parts you can use on your truck and sell the rest of the vehicle to make some of your money back.

 

Hey Phoenix,
Hmmmmm.... $1,000 for drivetrain & $2,500 for body work seems pretty optimistic given where you are starting from. I would think most folks on here are spending north of $15,000 & they had a running truck to start with.

o Brakes - All new brake lines, new double chamber master cylinder, new pads, turning the drums, etc. $500. (That's 4 wheel drum brakes - personally I'd do front discs for another $400).

o Steering - Steering column, wheel, joints to attach to front end, power steering so your wife can drive it? unfortunately steering stuff is expensive. Most of us have to rebuild the front end to get it driveable -
minimum $800 - likely more if you replace the column & wheel. (Personally I wouldn't put used steering stuff in my truck - too scary & I'd convert to Toyota power steering up front - another $400).

o Gas Tank - If the truck has been sitting I'd replace the gas tank
& gas line - $300 at least.

o Gauges & Wiring - You'll need all new wiring &
updated gauges or reconditioning your old gauges. $400 for new gauge
set plus $400 for EZWire kit.

o Engine/Trans - Don't look at engines that aren't running - You already have one of those. New Engine Mounts, Transmission mount, drive shaft,
etc. etc. Who knows? I bought rebuilt for $2000 - probably closer to $3,500 all in.

If the objective is to make a nice, safe, fun to drive truck - try to do it right up front - all new brakes, steering, wires, gas tank, & a drive train that's up & running well before you buy it.

Good luck over there!

Ben in Austin
1950 F1 (351W/AOD)

 

do I need a motor to test/install/repair the brakes? I think the cylinder is there as when I manually lift the brake pedal, it slowly lowers its self to the floor, since I have no motor, it would be a good time to focus on brakes

 

OK, I'll try once more.
Ben is correct, the honest fact is a safe drivable truck with the sheetmetal rust repaired/replaced, good dependable running engine and tranny, a basic paintjob, basic interior, minimum extra accessories costs between 15 to 25K. The difference between the high figure and the low figure is how much of the work you can actually do yourself or have to pay others to do and if you make bad choices and/or false starts that runs up the costs or need to be redone later.
It doesn't matter if you start with a 8K early stock restoration, or nearly completed drivable restomod project where the builder is strapped for cash or has lost interest, or you start with a 500.00 basket case pile of rust. The higher priced one will still take another 7-16K to complete, The rust bucket will require 14.5-24K in repair/replaced parts, body work, drivetrain, etc, etc, etc..
The real difference is that the first example will be easier to finish and can be on the road in 6 months to a year. The basket case will require a tremendous amount of labor and 3 to 10 years or more before it will ever motor down the road.

Yes a few people have been able to build their truck for less than 10K, but they were extremely lucky to stumble across a smoking deal on the truck, and are very experienced with a fully equipped shop. It usually takes that kind of guy to be willing to search long enough and far enough and have the knowledge to recognize the right deal on everything from the truck to the wheels. They are really few and far between.

 

Hey Phoenix,
On Brakes - You don't need an engine in place to install brakes.
We did our brakes toward the end of the build just to ensure we didn't smash them when grinding away on things or hoisting engines/trans, etc.

I liked your original plan to take a run at your drivetrain first. A 302 is a good choice - we couldn't give our old 289 away when we installed our 351W so you may find some of them laying around very reasonable as well.

Good luck over there.

Ben in Austin
1950 F1 (351W/AOD)

 

I would first rebuild the front axle. Remove the axle and springs. New kingpins and bushings, new tie rod ends, HD tie rod from Mid Fifty, new drag link ends and steering arm ball if worn. (don't change the ball on the pitman arm unless you are planning on sticking with the stock steering box.) Replace the bushings and hanger bolts in the front springs with new ones. Disassemble the springs (do a search here to learn how without getting seriously hurt) and clean. Remove leafs if you want to lower the front (read how in the Mid Fifty catalog) or replace them with reversed eye ones if you want to go extra low or with stock replacements if any leafs are broken or heavily grooved. Add HMW plastic liners between the leafs before reassembling. Next decide if you are going to retain the front drum brakes. They are more than enough to handle a stock small block and auto tranny for driving around town. If you have a heavy foot, are hauling heavy loads or trailer, drive a lot in wet weather or in heavy traffic then you might consider changing to disk brakes using one of the conversion kits. If you are going with the drums, replace the wheel cylinders and brake shoes, have the drums turned if in good enough condition or replace with new. Replace the wheel bearings and seals. If you decide on swapping to disks, wait until you decide what you are going to use for a rear axle and have it in hand so you can order the disk brake kit with the matching wheel lug pattern so you only need one spare. Once the front and rear brakes are decided on and installed, decide if you are going to add power assist or not (definitely do if you go with disks and/or the wife is going to drive the truck.) and buy a dual chamber MC and booster with mount matched to your brake choices. Plumb it all with new metal lines and flex hoses, then fill and bleed the system. Do yourself and the people here that are trying to help you, a big favor and don't vary from this order or try to use other parts. We are trying to keep you from having to learn from mistakes to keep your build as pain free and inexpensive as possible. Trust us that we know what we are talking about and tell the truth because we have already been there, done that, and have plenty of T-shirts to prove it!

 

I noticed you had her up for sale on craigslist....ya' quiting already?

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/cto/3379555684.html

 

Why weren't you honest and tell us all you wanted to do was try to flip it for a profit? I could have saved myself a lot of time and typing trying to help you...

 

Well, this ought to be good....