Hi everyboy in FTE Bullnose forum!

Let me introduce myself; My name is Juan Regueira and I`m from Venezuela where i born an live for the past 37 years!!

Im a very very fan of the ford trucks, in my family these trucks were always present, my grandparents had ford trucks as its daily driver vehicles and i grow up seeing this trucks always near to me. Perhaps is why as soon as I could buy my first car this was a ford pick up!! My first truck was a 1977 F100, 2wd, AT, i bought it from a friend of my father and rebuild it completely. Unfortunately in these years I dont`t know about FTE and even more unfortunately i dont have no one photo of these trucks, years after sold it to another friend of my father

I have spent several years looking for another truck to make a new resto project; the problem is that in my country many things are completely different from the rest of the world!! In venezuela an old car can cost the same amount or even more money that a new car from the dealer, you can think we are crazy, that this is not possible, but the true about this is that every year from the last 15 years the local production of vehicles has declined tremendously and for this year (2014) have only been assembled throughout Venezuela and sold something like 5000 units only from 4 marks now operating in the country (Ford, Chevy, Mitsubishi and Toyota), its for these reason and other fiscal and policies thats an old car is in my country an investment and not a spending. Another fact, a gallon of fuel costs something like 0,021$ and anyone can have an old and very very not friendly with the environment car!

In march of 2013 i just found was looking for!! Near from where i live a man have a F150 Custom 2wd AT 1981 I6, This man was the first an unique owner for this truck, another rare to find thing in Venezuela!! This man uses the truck as the daily drive since bougth it in february of 1981.

I paid for it the last year the amount or 60.000 venezuelan bolivares, then equivalent to 3000$. Please dont think im crazy!!! In this moment a new Ford F250 (2013) sold in venezuela was around 1.000.000 venezuelan bolivares, eq 50,000 $ but to get one you must wait for it at least 3 o 4 months.

This is what i bought in March 2013:






Its best photo angle!!

The truck needs lots of works!, lots of parts and lots of money but Im very enthusiastic with my project. Many of my friends, my wife, my brothers says im crazy!! But i dont take care about they said, my unique idea is bring to his best shape this old truck!!

My project includes the total frame off restoration, a change from 2wd to 4wd, an engine swap and rebuild from an 300 I6 to a 351 W, new body parts; as you can see in the next photos there are several rust in my truck, the original bed is gone! totaly rusted and with a very bad repair work (fortunately found one) the cab floor is not too bad but i yet order and received in venezuela floor pans from LMC truck, i have the doors from other 2 trucks bought in a salvage yard and recently find the front end (radiator core, grille, fenders) fron other JY. The last summer i spend some days in Florida and i went to the U Pull It local yards and get many parts from my truck, but still need that so many will be getting in my country

Let me say another comment at this point! In my country is very very hard to find original parts or oem parts, even if there are lots of old cars and trucks the auto parts shops dont specialize in resto parts, if you want build a project like mine you must go to the salvage yards, where all come from USA!!!.

I estimate it all the knowledge and advice that you can give me; I'm no expert mechanic but I grew up in the middle of the mechanics, my father and my father in law have mechanicals shop and body shops with a trajectory of more than 40 years and I am a fan of DIY!!

My project is not developed as fast as I woud want; but in the last year i dont leave for a moment to make plans, buy parts, read these forums in search of pictures, advices, know how and the best experiences. I travel frequently for work, but even in those moments I take to find pieces and parts in various cities where I live.

Finally for today i leave other pics from my truck, hope you enjoy it!























These ones are from the "new" parts for my truck:




















I want to apologize if I have unknowingly violated any rule from the forum or post, also I offer apologies if my english is not good enough to make me understand as you guys deserve.

I hope you can help me and make me feel that i`m not crazy, or at least feel that im talking with a lot of nutty like me!!!

Have a good day guys!!

 

I'm looking forward to this build. Good Luck!

 

Welcome to FTE, Juan!

Wow... that's a very ambitious project for anybody, and being in another country will make it even harder.... where are you going to be doing all of this work? In your garage at home?

 

Thanks Bowtieman!! I will post soon another pics, the last weekend i work in make an engine crane to use it in the build, in this weekend i plan to begin to sandblast some of the found parts to prepare it to the paint works.

Here a pic of the engine crane that i have made:

 

My plan its rent a short term place in order to make all the things that i can do; for the body work i will send it to a Body Shop in my city. Unfortunately my father in law have a Body Shop but he lives 300 miles away from me and have lots of cars in the shop and no time for me in this moment.

 

Welcome aboard mate

Is the keg of beer for before, during or after the build ?

 

Thankd Brad! I promise keep one keg available in my house in every moment of the build.

In venezuela i work in the most important and larger Beer brewery, you can supose how easy is to me drink a good and cold beer!!!

Thanks again for see my thread!

 

Juan - Welcome to FTE. As Chris said, that is an ambitious project, but I can see that you have the drive to do it.

I, too, am looking forward to your build. Keep us informed, please.

 

Welcome to FTE and good luck on your project! It looks like a lot of fun. Your English is good, no worries understanding

 

Welcome Juan. You'll find alot of assistance on here. Someday we'll be looking at your final pics and be saying "Muy Bueno". Steve en San Antonio

 

Welcome to the forum, jrf81!

I, too, am looking forward to following your project! Please tell us again what is the current price for a gallon or liter of gasoline in your country?

 

Thanks man!!! Keep in mind thats i come to the forum daily in order to get knowledge and catchs the best experiencies of the members in this fantastic forum.

 

The price for a liter of gas in my country is only 0,07 ven bs. This price has been the same price for the last 18 years! None political authority wants to take the decision to increase the price. Its amazing this; when a Gas Station owner calls to the Government Athority for a dispacth of fuel, the government office send it and a check for 0,28 ven bs for each liter sold, the gas station owner recives more for the incomes thats the price he can pays for the fuel to the distibuitor.
Actually i have a 2010 Chevy Silverado as my DD, i fill the fuel tank of this truck with only 6 ven bs (equivalent to 0,20$ at the official exchange rate)

 

Currently, where I live [Alabama], the cost is $3.29 for a gallon of 87 octane unleaded gasoline, which contains 10% Ethanol.

 

In Venezuela only we have 2 types of fuel; 91 and 95 octanes unleaded. None of this have a partial content of ethanol. For 91 octanes the price is 0,07 bs/l, for the 95 octanes the price is 0,09 bs/l.

I know about the prices of fuel in usa!! When go to usa to spend vacations days always keeps in mind this cost!! Is really high for me, but these are the best vacations that i can have!!