I have an old 1979 ford f-100 with a 300 straight 6 and a 3 on the tree, the transmission is now leaking water randomly and the steering column and shifter are just all jumbled up. i realize i would have to put a new transmission into it and a new radiator seeing as how my brother has ran it into a few than desirable poles and the radiator is junk. the two front fenders are basically rotted out, the cab is crooked and the bed is rusted out. along with the right front of the truck being smashed into the wheel from another one of those lovely poles and only made it home after being pulled off of the wheel with a chain and a cummins. no wheels on the truck, it will turn over if jumped and its been sitting about 3 years....it is an old truck my grandfather had for a long long time and it just holds a special spot in my heart and i hate to see it go and know it would be a huge thing to the grandmother and the mother if i were able to get it up and rolling around again. is it worth the money to try and do all of this or is it just a waste of time?

keeping in mind that i work a factory job at $17.00 an hour and this would be my first rebuild of this magnitude. it sounds like it would be an exspensive and time consuming process but if you experts on here think it can be done then by God i'll try my best to make it.

i will have more pictures posted soon.

 

Why does your transmission have water in it in the first place?

 

i have no idea, im getting out of the military and going back home, it has been sitting outside behind the barn for the past three years and my brother is trying to get rid of it, im trying to decide whether to let him or not. i couldnt tell you why it has the problems it does.

 

first thank you for your service

second get home and look it over take lots of pics and be ready to take more for us (just happens a lot)

third used parts aren't to hard to come by in some areas (don't be afraid of getting a donor truck if needed )

also take into consideration how much it means to you to have that connection to your grandfather
example: I know you couldn't buy the old tools I got from mine for any price

 

Where are you located?

 

"...my grandfather had for a long long time and it just holds a special spot in my heart and i hate to see it go and know it would be a huge thing to the grandmother and the mother if i were able to get it up and rolling around again."

You can't put a monetary value on that. If you are willing to invest the time and finances as they become available, the sentimental value is priceless.

 

something that has the sentimental value as this truck has to you is absolutely worth it. you said finances are a problem but it doesn't have to be done in a week, take your time when money comes about and have fun with it. some day you will be driving it and it will be worth way more than any amount of money you could ever put into it. on a private note, thank you for your service

 

I will add this. With that truck having that much sentimental value to you, your mother, and your grandmother. If you do let it go not only will your heart be broken, but so will theirs. And you will always regret that decision. But with that said, I'm curious though. Why is your brother so insistent on selling the truck? And why did he do so much damage to the truck?

 

I'll give you an honest (backed by experience) opinion.
Is it worth it? NO! from a financial stand point. These trucks will never be worth putting that kind of money into them, period. That being said, again, is it worth it? YES! from an emotional standpoint.
However (and here's where the personal experience comes in) whenever you attach the word "sentimental" or, as I spell it "$entimental" to any project, the cost can spiral upwards.
You don't have to do it all "right now". If you decide to go ahead, you can set the pace, do the work as time and funds permit. Personally I'm thirteen years into a five year project and I have about what its worth ($25K) when done in it right now and haven't even done paint yet.
I've had this truck since 1985 and its like part of the family.
From the description, I think finding a donor truck would be the way to go. A lot of people say "Yeah, but now it's not original". My take on that is, as long as it's the same frame (and title) it's the same truck. From your description, if you repair the body, you'll be doing the same thing only one panel at a time.
Post some pics and I do hope you take on this project. Something like this can be very rewarding, but in the end, it will be up to you whether you feel that you can take on this project. Most importantly, you have to be honest with yourself. If you feel you can learn how to do the work and can work the financial end, then I say go for it.
P.S. I wouldn't let your brother anywhere near that truck anymore.

 

jlan87: Hopefully you feel motivated for emotional reasons,if you do then I hope you try to go ahead with restoring grandpa's truck. The sense of achievement you can get from it as each small victory is achieved will increase every time.

If you decide to proceed, then I (as a relative newbie to old Ford trucks myself) can really speak for the motivation I receive from all the old-timers and regulars here in the FTE forum.

The wealth of knowledge and selfless desire to help fellow enthusiasts is little short of astounding, you will receive a level of support you never thought possible. It almost seems like some of them never sleep, just waiting to help others with all manner of truck problems. And with their advice and encouragement it's possible to save bucketloads of money at the same time...

Welcome to the crew and thank you for your service!

 

Setting sentimental stuff aside - and you should insofar as you don't want it to interfere with your finances. In other words, can you afford to do what you want to do. Do you have a lot of debt, do you have say, three to six months living expenses saved up. Many people are surprised how quickly the costs add up. Worse, they have to quit halfway through.

Parts aren't cheap, labor is definitely expensive. Trust me, every thing on that truck will need to be either replaced, inspected, repaired, serviced, adjusted, cleaned, calibrated, set, reset, flushed, torqued, lubed, greased, brazed, aligned and installed before it's OK to drive.

Maybe your financial situation is good, only you can decide that. You might be money ahead by finding a similar model that has already been restored.

 

You can get into a lot better truck for cheaper. I wouldn't deal with it based on what you've described.

Be very, very cautious letting the $entimental value grab hold of you. That should not be the sole reason you entertain a vehicle. I wish I had learned that sooner. I went through that with a Galaxie I had since high school. I drug it around for years until I realized I could have a lot more fun with something else. At the end of the day, these trucks are for driving and enjoying. If they're not letting you accomplish that within reason, you need to re-evaluate.

I swore up and down that I would never get rid of my Galaxie, and while it was hard to give up, it did not take long for me to realize how good of a decision it really was. I realized I could spend another $3,000 on something that would still look like a pile, or $3,000 on an entirely new project that would start out better than the old one could ever get to. One of the better financial decisions I have made, and like I said, I only wish I learned much earlier. Hopefully my tough lesson will save you some grief.

Also, thank you for your service. Folks like you are why we get to wrench in the first place.

 

That kinda goes without saying. You can almost guarantee that buying a similar truck in very nice condition will be much cheaper, but, that not only misses the point, it takes the fun out of it.
There's a big difference in whipping out the check book and saying look what I bought vs. lots of hard work and saying look what I built.

 

No argument there.. That's why I mentioned leaving the $entimental part out of it, and there is clearly a lot of satisfaction in DIY. I hear ya, believe me. But at some level, it's just not always very healthy to get wrapped up in things. Just one man's opinion, who is probably too sentimental himself.

 

If you were to get a road ready truck "just like your grandfathers", it will still evoke a sentimental response in your brain.
If it were me, i would probably salvage many things off the truck and put them on one that is in better condition, that grandmother will have time to ride around in.