I found a F100 4x4 v8? automatic trans in a junk yard. The owner of the junk yard said he has a clear title on it that says it is a '58. I am not quite sure of this. I read that any pre '59 4x4 were Marmom-Herrington conversions, but it has the Custom-Cab emblems on the doors which were new for '59. The truck is a half ton and appears to be all original. The hood needs to be replaced and the floor pan of the cab needs attention. The owner told me that he parked it 4 months ago and took the carb off to put on a nother truck. He said it ran good when he parked. He has a brand new windsheild for it in the crate. He wants $1200 for it. What do y'all think?

Thanks.
Donnie

 

Get the serial number and post it. That way the year can be determined. For that amount of money, I'd want to hear it run.

Barry

50 F-1

 

I would say if the rust is not too bad to fix, and the engine is rebuildable, it's a steal. Like you, I understand that the 59 is the first year of "factory" FWD. I have a 60 F250 4x4.

 

58's are a Marmon Harrington conversion done for Ford. If it runs good and you feel it's a good deal, grab it. One less truck saved from eventual destruction.

Barry

50 F-1

 

warecreek, I will say this much. That is a very reasonable price if the truck is in decent shape. My motor has been rebuilt, seat redone, lights all work, and I would not take less than $4500 for mine. I've done a lot of little things, but cab corners are rusted a bit, real panel around the taillights has rust, but nothing major. Mechanically mine is very sound now. One door has a big dent from a cow!.....that truck is fairly hard to find. You won't see a lot of 4x4's in the 57-60's, and in my opinion, that makes it worth the money if it is rebuildable. It's not worth more than someone is willing to pay, though. Do a search on ebay, include completed items, and see how many you can come up with. Not many probably. Keep in mind that parts may b e hard to find, but the folks on here are great at pointing you in the right direction. Oddly enough, the most difficult thing that I tried to find was a speedo cable for a F250 4x4.

 

Shelstin..... You need part number C3TZ 17260-L, it's a long sucker 109 inches.( core and casing) I found 3 possibilities for you.

Gyrhead and sons lawrence, Ma. 1-978-682-5817
( slow to respond to you)
Miller Obs. Vestal, Ny 1-800-546-7278
Southside Obs Faribault, Mn 1-800-866-1310

All sow one in stock. Miller Obs is the best bet as thier inventory is the most recent. Call them up and see if these guys still have it.

Barry

50 F-1

 

Donnie,
Like Barry said, posting the serial number would help in telling you exactly what you have.

The "Custom cab" emblems appeared on the doors I believe starting in '55. The emblem was re-designed for 1957, and 1957-'60 used the same "Custom cab" script emblems.

Ford never offered automatic trannies on their factory 4x4's ('59 and '60).
I read that back then they did not think an automatic would hold up in a 4x4.

With that in mind, it seems unlikely to me they would have sent a truck with an automatic to be converted before 1959. It may have been added by a previous owner.

I hope this helps.

 

If it's is truly a Marmon Herrington conversion, it should have some kind of tag(s) in the cab on the dash or header panel.

If there is no evidence of such, it may be a homemade job. One thing that has worked for me when I run across a 4x4 that looks suspicious is to examine the front axle. If the turning knuckles are enclosed, at least the axle is period correct, meaning it could be legit, just missing the tags. Also, examine the transfer case. If it is a modern New Process 203 or 205, be suspect. Is it a divorce-mount transfer case?

Finally, look carefully for any none factory appearing hardware, welds or other attaching methods for the front axle, transfer case, engine mounts, etc. From my experience, older converted (backyard) 4x4s usually have some telltale signs such as those listed, in addition to mismatched bolts, washers; you get the idea.

Basically, if it has an open knuckle front end, and/or a modern looking transfer case, it is a homemade job. You may use this as a bargaining chip with the owner if you still want it.

 

Don't forget, there were some Napco conversions also, which are rare. They did 99% for GM, but did some Ford work also. It very well could be a cobble job, or a 58 body on a late frame. Anything is possible!

Barry

50 F-1

 

You're right, Barry. Forgot about the Napco conversions. I believe they had a Spicer 23 or 24 transfer case.

 

Dang, I learn stuff here every time I read this forum a bit. There is a lot of knowledge on this board.

 

I don't know if you guys will remember, but several months ago I had a touch of carbon monoxide poisioning from my truck. I ended up filling my cab corners with expandable foam until I got a chance to fix it correctly, and put in a new filler hose as well as a new sending unit gasket. All of those recommendations worked, and now I can drive the truck with the windows up and do not notice any fumes from either raw fuel or exhaust. My son took a welding class last semester, and now thinks that he can weld well enough to put in cab corners this summer. I know that it will be a less than perfect job, but I figure that us doing the project together will more than make up for any cosmetic concerns that I have. Here is a question that I have. I have been looking around ebay at smaller welders for light use. Would one of those be sufficient for projects of that type?

 

You'll probably get a lot of answers on this, so here's the first shot across the bow. Think about this project and any other welding projects that will come up. If all possible projects will use steel less than 1/4", then a 110 volt will be just fine. In fact, for sheet metal, they are ideal; lightweight, easily portable, and 110 volt. IMHO get a gas attachment= cleaner welds.

A couple of things to consider: duty cycle, the higher, the better; brand name, has this welder company been around awhile, will it be around awhile (parts)?

Some folks will tell you to get a 220 volt welder suitable for welding 1" thick metal and other uses. Again, think about your uses, storage space, current accessibility, cost, etc.

If you have a local welder dealer, discuss your needs with them. They will give some good pointers and maybe a good deal on a trade in, reconditioned unit, or a demo.

 

Shelstin -

I do remember the carbon monoxide event. I'm glad that you came thru that and solved the problem, even temporarily.

I agree that the project this summer with your son is a great plan. Working on trucks with your kids is as good as it gets.

I second 1952Henry's recommendation on a 110V MIG welder (with a gas bottle). I bought a Lincoln Handy MIG last year and love it. Try the flux-core wire (no gas) on stuff 3/16 or so and use the MIG gas for the thin stuff.

Happy truckin!

 

1952henry and Randy Jack have the right idea. I assume you are talking about a MIG unit?

If you are NOT going to be heavily into welding for the long haul, a 110V unit has advantages - like no special wiring and portability - as they mentioned. If you are buying a tool you think you will use a lot in the long run, you might want to consider a bigger unit.

If you aren't in a hurry, watch your local welding supply and on-line stores for special deals. I got a Lincoln SP-175 Plus unit when they had them on clearance. I ended up spending about $915 including tax on the welder, gas regulator, gas bottle, gas, helmet, gloves, extra wire, tools, etc. It was a much better deal than I would have gotten without the clearance price.

As far as brands go, I only have experience with my Lincoln and a demo unit they had at the store. I can tell you that a unit with continuously variable voltage and wire speed is a big help. Some of the units have the voltage and speed set by controls that have a fixed number of settings - like the fan speed on your car. There have been a lot of times, especially on thin metal, where I had to tweak either the wire speed or voltage just a little to get things to work well (or reasonably well given my lack of skill). The units with the click-stop settings don't allow you to make make fine adjustments if you need to.

Have fun!