I think some of you are misunderstanding...i'm not looking to buy an $8k truck...and that's an old ad anyway, so the price is now lower...but i'm just looking at trading mine for something of equal value...i'll be going early next week to actually drive the truck & look it over once again in more detail...then hopefully i can tell whether things seem to be done right & not just thrown together...cosmetically I could care less...i don't want a beauty queen, otherwise this truck wouldn't even be in the picture...i like the old school "rat rod" (whatever you refer to it as) look...i've owned a really nice '93 fullsize Chevy truck before that was show worthy & highly modified...all I did was worry about it & hated to get it too dirty (i'm a neat freak)...so, it would be refreshing to have something with patina that doesn't need any attention other than hosing it off every now and then....thanks for all the input/opinions, & you're welcome to keep them coming...i'll give an update after I go check out the truck next week...thanks again

 

Well, I think the truck has problems but only one way to tell and that is to take it for a 2 hour cruise hitting speeds from 10 to 75 mph or so over streets and highways. The thing has been lowered a lot and with a nova front end you really don't know how it will steer with the weight of the 351 and C6 and how it is all balanced. I would be wary myself. If it was built right, if the suspension is strong and well done, if the frame welds are good, if the driveline is balanced, if the motor is sound, as you can see there are a lot of ifs.

 

Try and get it for as little as possible and enjoy it, if that's the type of thing you are into, I don't think that anyone is questioning your judgement, just looking out for your best interests.

There have been many that have purchase something without knowing what to look for and find out that they have bitten off more that they can chew.....I know from experience, that's why I put mine through the blender and the whole thing is now going smooth.

 

likaroc13,
Sounds like you've got things in perspective as far as the price/swap value goes. Others have given good advice on what to look for during inspection. I keep remembering this statement from the e-bay ad:
"I have only driven the truck around town and not on the interstate so I would recommend you getting to know it before you drive it a long way home. The prior owner stated it made a 240 mile trip with no problems, but I trailered it home."

The "getting to know it" statement reminds me of a truck I took for a test drive prior to installing a clip in mine. It was a '53 with a GM clip and you definately had to "get to know it" before joining any other traffic. Very sensitive and did not come close to returning to center after a turn. I read a post by AXracer several years ago that led me to belive that these problems may indicate a camber/caster/toe in adjustment problem. A trip to a good alignment shop should tell you alot about the install if all other fabrication appears to be done well.

And now I will just do a little picking. Looking at the pics from the E-bay ad, the driver's side rear fender appears to sag in the rear. Not a big deal, but may be an indication of other issues and something to give a closer look during inspection.

Good Luck and let us know what you decide!

 

like someone else said ... your trading the chevy for a ford , and gasp a real ford driveline !!! so you are getting the better end of it !!!!!!!! i like the way it looks , but yeah it's gotta be safe . mine has a look of it's own too , it's called used and abused all it's life .aka it was a work truck , still kinda is .

 

Well, I might as well chime in here too.....I have always found that working on a 40s/50s modified truck is much different than working on something like an '88 Blazer or a 93 Chevy Truck; the later being easier. Modified Classics take a lot more mechanical attention...hope your skills will mirror the needs. I would make sure that the Front suspension clip is welded in properly so that it can be aligned properly. I would make sure that the brakes are in perfect working condition and that the Master cylinder/proportioning valve are mounted correctly. Steering and Stopping = Safety first. I would look at the wiring and insure it is not a rat's nest in a rat rod. Fire and Failure. If you know what you want to do and that'll make you happy; then do it.

 

I am wondering why this has not been mentioned so I'll be the one to bring it up. I am assuming you want to drive this thing so since it is now imperative in every state I know of, what do you intend to do about insurance. I would check into that before I bought anything that I intended to put on the road immediately. It's hard for me to imagine an insurance company knowingly covering a vehicle with a toilet and a cane chair for seating. If they have state required safety inspections where you are I doubt this thing would pass. That would be another deterant to getting it on the road. You may well be investing a lot more than the asking price to get the truck to pass inspections and be safe. If you have to go to all that trouble I'd think you would be beter off buying something a lot cheaper and building or re-building it yourself. If you take your time you can get something for $500.00 or sometimes less, invest another 2K in donor trick parts plus your time and end up safe and on the road for less.

Later Man...

 

funny how things work out!

 

Roger, likaroc13 asked for input on that truck and i gave him my input,as for my ad in the classifieds twice i posted my truck and you guy's tell everyone this is a friendly forum and twice i get comments how you guy's would'nt buy my truck because i desecrated and frankenstiened it by running a 350CHEVY and trans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

C'mon FF... You wrote, "not another roachrod that thing is lame........................." Try as I will, I can't for the life of me figure out how you clasify this remark as helpfull input. I'm pretty sure that is more of an insult and opinion. For whatever reason, likaroc13 seemed to be attracted to that truck. I gotta admit, it's not my cup of tea, but I see no reason to insult it or him. I'm wondering why you didn't expect the response you got. It is a friendly forum, but that does not imply you can insult people with impunity. Do you think the comments made here by others are meant in a spirit other than helpfull criticism?

I went back through this thread and re-read all of it. While I found a lot of negative comments regarding the truck in question, I found nothing quite like what you said. Others including myself pointed things out about it the could end up being a lot of problems down the road for him. I'm pretty sure that is the input he was looking for.

Later Man...

 

well ya gotta have thick skin fast few if you put a chev in it then hop over here ........be kinda like me showing up on a chevy truck forum with my 53 then claiming i was gonna kick all their butts with my mighty flathead . better expect some crap !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Well if you do trade for the Ford.....you might want to change your handle.....it's way too Bowtieish for this forum.

 

The truck was on ebay at one point. Ebay says the auction is over. Not sure what the add is or if it has sold or what. Maybe that is an old add as well.

eBay Motors: Ford (item 160284684791 end time Sep-23-08 18:46:20 PDT)


If you are serious about this particular truck...the others have told you some things to watch out for.

One I would like to mention (because I have seen it many times with my own eyes) is the front clip. Usually they are done in someones back yard who has no clue about engineering, steering geometry, or welding.

A friend of mine's brother (is that english?) bought a later model ford truck with a chrysler cordoba (or whatever that thing is) front clip. Not only were the welds horribly unsafe, but the whole thing was 2" out from straight. In other words...the front end was 2" over to one side.

The welds were done with a Mig. That is not the problem. They were just thousands of dobs with welding wire sticking out everywhere. No real weld anywhere holding it together.

They had to cut the frame apart, cut it properly (replacing what was all screwed up), and weld it all back together.

 

thanks for the eBay add, & you're correct in saying that it's an old ad...but that gives everyone alot more pictures to see...as for inspections, I don't have to worry about that...but trust me, it wouldn't be doing much traveling until there is an interior including the seat/seatbelt in there (i'm not one to skip on the seatbelt)...i wouldn't be driving it around with the chair & toilet....but i understand what everyone is saying concerning the safety aspects of the suspension/subframe, etc....safety would be my main concern as well, so if things look shotty, then I won't be getting the truck

 

Another safety item that throw up a red flag for me is what appears to be a huge open hole in the floor for the shifter. That is asking for carbon monoxide fumes to fill the cab, especially if it doesn't have a sound exhaust (pun unintended) system all the way to the rear, but could still be a serious problem in city traffic or even parades. Carbon monoxide is clear and odorless and gives no warning as it gently puts you into a sleep you never wake up from. It is important to seal airtight any openings into the cab.