That's just it, he can no longer drive. The truck will remain in my possesion from now on. It's just not easy to go against the wishes of someone who has taught me so much over the years, and kept an old "POS" running and looking it's best for nearly 40 years. He may be able to ride in the old truck a few more years, but his days behind the wheel are history. He runs into/over stuff with his power chair, there's no way anyone will ever let him have control of a vehicle any faster/heavier.
I guess the whole idea of respecting your elders is a concept that is rapidly going the way of the dodo bird, like so many other values from the past.

 

nah, I respect my father.... but I am a mechanic by trade and he was a school teacher.

 

Mine was a mechanic, and he taught me most of what I know. Of course, he was also smart enough to let me learn things the hard way, when I didn't listen. There was a time that I didn't understand his saying about teenagers and engineers. Can't tell them a thing, since they already know everything.......
There is such a thing as giving up a little power, in order to gain reliability. Headers are prone to leaking gaskets and rusting out. Along with the heat soak that kills starters, which are so easy to change with a header in the way....... (sarcasm, just in case it isn't obvious)

Yeah, I've done the headers on truck before. Dad just shook his head when I was installing them. I later understood why.

 

ohhh well. You only get one dad.....
Anyway, enjoy your truck and family. And yeah.... my current pass side headers need to be unbolted to change a starter, gotta keep a lil rtv in the glovebox :-)

 

Yeah, you only get one dad. As long as he is still breathing, I feel compelled to honor his wishes. The truck may be in my possesion, but it will always be "his truck" in my eyes, even after he is no longer with us. He always said he wanted me to have it when he was done with it, as my brother and sister have zero automotive sense, and their partners are even worse.......
He can't use it anymore, and even though he is willing to sign the title over to me fully, I intend to keep his name listed on it along with mine. It just seems natural to me. Nearly 40 years now that his name has been on there, I see no reason to change that now.
He feels the same way about the collection of tools that he accumulated over the course of 40+ years. I may not be able to use part of them, but he knows I will get use out most of them. He also knows that I won't sell either, unless it is literally a life or death situation. The "other 2" (again, his words) would, just because of the cash value they could get from them, which would then be blown on useless/stupid crap.

 

OT here on signing titles etc. If you haven't already, have dad spell things out, create trusts, have a will, designate who gets what etc. Easy to do once you get past the idea of it all. If those things are not done, it's not yours, it belongs to the estate. You may or may not have some issues getting it at that point. Plan ahead.....

 

Yeah, all that stuff is in the works. As for the title thing, having it listed with "and/or" is enough to prevent any claims from the siblings being considered as valid by the state. I've already investigated that. There is currently another name on the title, and that person knows what his wishes are, even though she and him split up many years ago. Her name had to be added for insurance purposes. I thought he had already gotten it removed, but the state says otherwise......

I even explained to him that he would have to put it in writing that he wants to be cremated. Simply telling me and my sister isn't going to be enough, should my brother (the oldest) refuse to believe us.
He reasoning for cremation, he spent too many years working on trucks broke down on the side of the road during snowstorms due to frozen brakes or gelled fuel. He spent enough time frozen to the bone, he wants to go out cooked to the core. I can't argue with his logic there......

 

There was never a 390 hp 390 setup. There was a 401 hp @ 6000, a 390 with a 3X2 on it in 1961 and '62 but it used a mechanical cam. In 1963 it became a 340 hp @ 5000 engine. The highest 4V 390 was 375 horses in 1961 and '62, it also used a mechanical cam. The 335 hp 390GT was the highest hydraulic cammed 390 engine, even the 390 PI was only rated at 330 hp. There was a 390 hp 427 with a hydraulic stick (same cam the 390GT and the CJ used) in it in 1968, this is also the only 390 hp engine Ford built in the FE engine line. This 390 hp 390 engine sounds like wishful thinking rather than factual.

 

I didn't say it makes 390 HP, I was asking about a 390 Hi-Po, just didn't spell it out.
I've pretty figured out what he did when he built it, and the 390GT/CJ cam is the most likely suspect, as he said it was the hottest hydraulic cam Ford put in a FE series, but he reffered to it as "390 Hi-Po" cam. He was mechanic, not a parts guy or car salesman, so exact marketing lingo wasn't really his area. Putting stuff together and making it work, was.
After lots of discussion, I have come to the conclusion that he basically built a 390GT inside a later model truck block, topped with later truck heads, using over the counter Ford parts, since his employee discount made them quite affordable. He was getting assistance from an area rep for Ford that knew "a little" about the glory days of the FE, along with stuff like the 360 using pistons that were virtually identical to old 390GT "flat-tops", for a cheap method to bump the comp ratio back into the 9's for a 390. This rep also helped to locate the cam, as it had been obsoleted by that time, but one showed up on a list of inventory at some small town dealer in La that was shutting down, so the rep got it shipped to where dad worked. For some reason, Ford didn't really want to take that item back.......
No, this engine doesn't really like the crap gas available today (gold-plated crap, as he calls it), even moreso now that ethanol has been added during it's 2.5-3 year dormant period. I kinda wish E85 was a bit more popular around here, as retuning for that stuff makes for a cheap "go-fast" fuel..... It can support CR numbers in the double digits, as well as boost numbers into the mid 20's.
This engine was also the main reason he removed the LP fuel system. It didn't really like running on that either.

The engine was built in the mid-late 80's, and still runs today without any signs of smoking, so he must have done something right. Even with regular coolant changing and proper cooling system service, the freeze plugs are starting sweat a bit, and the hot idle oil pressure isn't the greatest, so I may have to pull it out for a bit of refresher. If/when that happens, I'll know for sure what parts he put in. Until then, I'll just have rely on his memory, during the periods where it's still fairly clear.

No, it's not some 400HP monster, but it was very capable of showing some old truck taillights to the new 454 SS chevy trucks of the late 80's/early 90's, and he did it rather often, just because he could. That was good enough for him. I did it a couple times myself, just because he told me to. He drinks a bit, but never a problem handing his keys over to someone else, so long as they weren't afraid to mash the loud pedal on request.
He always said, there's not a lot you can do to improve the MPG with an FE, but there's also not much you can do to hurt it much either, so you might as well make it run good.