I need another project like I need...

Not being content with having a '72 Bronco that needs to be restored, a '73 Bronco that needs to have the body work finished so it can be sold, and ANOTHER '73 Bronco that is still in Colorado after my move to Missouri, I picked up a truck today.

This beaut is a 1968 F100 4x4 (F11YKDXXXXX). Originally Rangoon red with red crush vinyl and red leeds pattern woven plastic interior, it now sports some fairly custom body work and a unique interior design that can best be described as "homeless camp meets rodent enclosure." From the factory this truck was equipped with a 360 and NP435 transmission backed by whatever transfer case they were using back then.

The odometer on this cream puff reads in the neighborhood of 23k miles. It was originally built in Kansas City and carries a KC DSO code, so I'm inclined to believe the mileage is likely original. I mean, it is possible to roll 23k miles by flipping a truck end over end down every hill side in sight, right?

Current plans are to update my tetanus shots, do some research on the hauntavirus, and hose off my trailer before this cancer becomes airborne and eats my Super Duty.

Longer term plans are to remove every square inch of sheet metal so that it might become a five pack of Gillette razor blades, acquire a better body, drop in a fuel injected 5.8l, ZF transmission, NP205, and a high pinion Dana 44.

Not looking to do any sort of overboard frame off restoration but blasting and rebuilding the undercarriage is on the agenda.

 

Wow. Where will you start?!

I knew Fram oil filters were no good...

 

Step one will be to remove every piece of usable trim, gauge, ****, etc. from the body. If it can be salvaged, reused, or sold, it will come off. After that, I will dismantle the entire body and likely scrap everything but the cab, which might be saved for a later 2wd project.

 

Kudos on your well written and humorous post. .. The best one in a looooong time.

I too basically have four ongoing projects... it is madness.

 

Do not believe the miles shown on the odometer as it reads to 99999.9 then returns to ZERO.

IMO, this battered 'cream puff' with what remains of the drivers side armrest and seat upholstery has at least 123,000 miles.

 

Had me laughing on that one. I had a day kind of like that today. My father in law and I stomped around 2 salvage yards today. In the rain. The first yard looked promising as it was on a high spot and the first few rows looked well kept. Unfortunately all of the 60's Econolines and F100s were nowhere near this well groomed area. We had weeds 4' tall, wet, burning nettle, spiders, bird nests behind seats and mouse turds all around, but hey....no mosquitoes.

Second yard was a low spot. And by this time even though we had rain jackets on, our pants were soaked from pushing through weeds. The walking around the water holes was rougher than walking straight through them. Oh well, soaked shirts, soaked pants, may as well have soaked feet too.

 

Oh come on, Bill. Us Missouri boys can make 23,000 look like 123,000 any day of the week, given enough mud and field terraces.

 

LOL.. and a hyperactive bird dog.

 

Damn shame that people don't take care of scrap vehicles the way we think they should. No thought at all for us pickers. lol

This is actually my first foray into dragging something out of MO in a long time; at least two decades. Everything in Colorado was much cleaner. Or at least drier.

 

You want to see humorous, should have seen the look on the ol' boy's face when I told him we were going to drag it on to the trailer with ratchet straps on those things that once might have been called tires. He couldn't get to his tractor fast enough to push it up on the trailer.

 

Well at least it has a nice grill guard. That black protective coating on the engine should come right off( at 3600 PSI and using a small shovel).

 

Oh my, I thought I bought a project and a half, but mine is practically driveable in comparison. Hats off, and a raised glass to you!

 

I wonder if you give it a Female name, will one of the Battered Women's groups help you?

 

I just spit coffee everywhere. Great stuff here. I can't wait for more.

 

Well you know that Hillery will be right there to give out free parts for votes.