Common Maintenance Jobs to Keep Vintage Trucks Like New
Owning a vintage truck is one of the great pleasures in life, but they do require a little more care and feeding. Keeping it in show or road trip ready condition may take a lot of effort, but it is well worth the time and toil to keep the smiles going.
1. Proper Wash and Wax
You may not consider washing and waxing your baby a maintenance item, but it really is for vintage or classic cars and trucks. Until the 1980s most trucks didn't have the rust resistance we take for granted these days, so it is important to keep the crud off of them to keep rust from getting a grip. For a restored truck, you should strive for a monthly wash and occasional wax to preserve that great paint job you spent a small fortune on making. Don't forget to clean underneath and detail the engine compartment as well, to prevent rust and corrosion and keeping her looking great. Get the neighborhood kids to help!
2. Change the Oil
Changing the oil might seem like a no-brainer, but if your daily driver fairly new it will tell you with a series of lights and indicators. Your vintage truck doesn't have such luxuries and you'll want to make sure that you always keep fresh oil in the engine. Even if you only take her out a few times a year, change that oil every fall before parking it for the winter. If you use your vintage truck regularly for truck stuff, you need to change it every 3 month, especially if you drive in the mud or dust. Replacing the oil and filter is a lot cheaper than rebuilding a worn engine.
3. Change the Air Filter
Until recently, the air filter was more open to the elements, as well as rodents and vermin, especially if your truck stays parked outside for any length of time. Just like with the oil, if you drive your vintage truck around off-road, the filter will get dirty faster. You may want to consider adding wire mesh covering the opening to the air cleaner to keep out bugs and mice. Make putting a new air filter on the motor part of your annual spring tune up.
4. Check and Adjust the Brakes
Older trucks don't have the great brakes that modern vehicles do, unless you have upgraded them, and some drum brakes don't adjust themselves. To keep yourself and your truck safe, every spring make sure the metal lines aren't rusting, the rubber lines aren't cracking or bulging and the wheel cylinders aren't leaking. You'll just have to take the tires off to get a good inspection of the shoes or pads, since your classic truck won't have the fancy electronics to tell you. If your truck uses drums and shoes, make sure that you are mindful of the wear and adjust as necessary. Only regular inspections and maintenance will prevent costly repairs.
5. Don't Forget the Lube Job
Besides the engine oil, you will also want to make sure that you keep your sweet old Ford properly lubricated. There are many moving parts in the chassis that will wear out over time and you want them to last. Newer vehicles have a lot of closed and sealed systems that don't need as much lubricant-maintenance as a classic. There are grease fitting on the chassis for a reason, so get out the gun and lube them up. Also check that the wheel bearings are packed with grease. Be sure to replace the gear oil in the transmission and rear end every few years, too.
6. Don't Neglect Your Tires
Whether your truck is a classic, or just an old beater, if you don't drive it that regularly you want to make sure the tires are in good shape and fully inflated periodically. If you do have a vintage size, or wide whitewalls, they are not cheap, so you want to be sure you keep them fully inflated especially if it is sitting in storage; they may flat spot. Listen for the telltale rumble of tread separation, and keep an eye on the way they are wearing. Remember, modern tires may last 40k or 50k miles, but old bias ply rubber was lucky to be good for 20k.
8. Flush and Bleed the Brakes
A regular brake inspection should be on top of your list, but a regular flush and bleed should not be overlooked either. Brake fluid absorbs moisture and water can cause the brakes to corrode from the inside out. Every other year, fill the master cylinder with flesh fluid and bleed out the old stuff through the wheel cylinders and calipers. As mentioned before, old brake systems need all the help they can get with modern traffic.
Many of these tasks are gone into in more detail in the how to section of Ford-Trucks.com