The title and VIN plate and windshield are going to be the basis for one of the trucks I am building from parts I have collected. I can fab everything but the fenders. Believe it or not, the fenders on old red are salvageable. Why that is I have no idea. The cab, bed and inner fenders are rotten. Why one part goes and the other doesn't is a mystery. It may be the rolling chassis is salvagable. I won't know until it is stripped and blasted. If it is not I will harvest any parts that can be saved. If the enging runs I will clean it up and replace or rebuild ignition and fuel system and sell it for $300.00. The 4SP T-98 will be sold with clutch and bell housing. Of course I am open to trading the engine and tranny for doors, fenders and a good hood.

The first truck is being built on an Explorer rolling 4WD chassis by grafting an extra cab onto the Explorer floor pan and firewall thus maintaining the heat and air system as well as the 4WD capabilities. I have collected much or what I need and the rest I will find in time. My other '53 which is in much better shape than the red '53 will be also built on a custom frame and chassis.

Later Man...

 

My 53 will be on the road tomorrow to the recyclying center,and then off to the parts store for some green engine enamel and a gallon of 1969 power-red from a olds 442...that will be my case tractor paint.
I will replace the fuel tank after my vacation,and then paint the old girl!! I am then going to focus on my 56f100 no.1 project and get her in sealer and running.
The big 56f500 will be painted in next few days....and then ALL new 20'' tires on the beast........then the car-show scene with my trucks for the summer......I am tired of repairing these old trucks for a while....haha
BUT....I FOUND A 1970 F100 and a 1964F100 and a 1958F100 this week and gave him a price for all 3......they are all nice as heck.........see if he bites.......and then I will have even my annex full...LOL

 

Regarding the hard starting. I wonder if you have the coil/distributor wired right. The Neg post on the coil should go to the ignition switch and the Pos post goes to the distributor. It's the opposite of how a 12 volts system works.

The battery straps on that beast need to be for 6 volt engines. They use twice the current that a 12 volts system uses so they need to be much bigger. Double zero gauge or bigger.

There should be a big ground strap from the Pos term on the battery that goes to a good connection on the engine block, then another braided ground strap from the block to the truck's frame, and a third ground strap wire that goes from the block to the firewall. If you fail to attend to the grounding of your chassis, the lights will be dim, the truck will crank over slowly, and it will be hard to start.

Good luck.

 

Thanks pc....but my hard to start problem was the fuel line. I disconnected the line and blew air through it......still no good......then emptied all the fuel from the tank.......and the tank was full of crap.........so I installed a 1 gallon tank to the fuel pump and hooked it up and truck starts up easily now.
The new tank install will be a big pain......I wish the tank was in the cab like the 56. I also have 3 spare 56 tanks.
I figure there will be alot of swearing when the tank comes out....LOL
Thank you for your help.....Bill

 

Bill, my 54 had a similar problem; junk in the tank and a fouled fuel line. I was able to force enough solvent through the fuel line to get it working. Dropping the fuel tank and cleaning it out was not hard. I used lye to dissolve the varnish and I think I used gravel in the tank, swirling it around with a cleaner, to scrub some of the loose debris.

Good luck.

 

pc----I have always used a pressure washer with some tide3 and then swirled some thinner inside and usually always have no problem.
I found a new poly tank for it for 40.00 and just have to use my old 6 volt sending unit.

It still sometimes takes a lot of cranking to start up....I think the truck will get painted next and then worry about the mechanical issues....thanks