It seems that you have a 52 hood with 51 deluxe trim on the side

 

I am seconding Ben's advice.

I am in a similar situation. Bought mine (not nearly as nice, or assembled, as yours) and it came with an unknown 289 and C4. I changed the fluids, put a new HEI distributor, Edelbrock manifold and carb on it and fired it up. No nasty noises and 50lbs of oil pressure.

The way I look at it, you can do minimum investment and see if the engine is salvageable. If ok, then run it. If not, rebuilds are reasonable and for most, they will put out enough power to have fun in a 60 year old truck.

One suggestion is to get it safely running and stopping first. Enjoy driving it, and then tackle one project at a time. After completing each project, drive it for a while before starting the next. Too many people blow the entire truck apart with grand plans, get overwhelmed with the extent of the project, and then it just sits until they sell it as a project (how I got mine).

Keep us posted either way.

 

Ben,

Im in Houston. The last time I drove the truck (about a year ago) it smoked pretty bad at start up. I'm gonna take it apart and see whats going on. Hopefully its something minor. I'm not trying to build a 1/4 demon, but I'd like it to have good power, maybe 300hp or so. I planned on swaping out the front suspension and going through the motor. If i'm lucky, I hope to have at least one of the those projects done by the end of the summer. Any other advice? I appreciate the tips.

 

Harley,

Thanks for the info. I kinda like the hood, although I thought about removing the outer side trim and leaving the inner, non-curved part of the trim. Also, I need to get some new hinges, as mine close extremely crooked.

 

Thanks for the info. Will definitely keep you guys posted. I need to do some minor body work on the fenders and bed, and it needs new wood in the bed. I'm def going to heed you guys advice and do one thing at a time. Don't want to get overwhelmed. Killa deserves to stay on the road as often as she can.

I know it needs work on the dash and a new seat cover, but the headliner is in great shape. I've been looking for a electronic window kit but I've read they're full of probs. Anybody dealt with them? Results?

 

First thing you need to do is decide what you really want the truck to be when it grows up: A daily driver that is fun to drive and gets good gas mileage; A occasional (weekend) driver that burns the tires off the very light rear end and can pass anything but a gas station or a police officer with a radar gun; A trailered drag racer or park lawn show/mall parking lot ornament; or ???
Next decide what is the least changes/modifications needed to make the truck suitable for the preferred use.
Now decide what of those changes are you able to actually do/afford (parts and/or outside labor) and how long it will be before it is drivable again, whatever amount of money and time you estimate, the reality of this hobby is it will actually take 4 times as long and cost 3 times as much. Don't make changes just because that's what you see in magazines or are recommended by well meaning but clueless friends who's major experience is building plastic models or putting a fart can on their rice burner. For example front suspension swap on a daily driver: cost 1- 5K (average 3-4K with all required added changes, if you are a skilled welder/fabricator and have a good size garage you can tie up and extensive tool collection and can do all the work yourself) Time required 6 months to a year. Rebuild OEM beam axle and springs or replace with dropped axle and softened springs, add Toyota power steering: cost 1K to 1500.00, time needed 1 month of weekends, skills/tools required average mechanics tools and experience. Driving difference: very little.

 

Hey Killa,
If you post pics or compression #'s when you look further
at your 289 - experts on here will chime in with some thoughts.
We bought a short block 351W & then had it built out with an "Edelbrock Top End Kit" from Summit racing. The short block was $400 & the Edelbrock kit was around $2,000 not including all the brackets, starter, distributor, etc. Not sure how that stacks up to rebuilding a 289 - if that's an option for you.

Unfortunately a new Mustang II or similar IFS is pricey as well. We put in a Mustang II with coilovers, etc. - Just the parts were around $2300.
That's a pretty serious project with lot's of welding, cutting into the frame, etc.. A rebuild of the stock straight axle with all new bushings, king pins, etc is around $800 & can be done by the mechanically inclined with some skills.

I have to say I really like having disc brakes. You can get a front disc brake kit for around $400 if you want to stay stock. Play with your plan & see what makes sense for you. Take a look at Topmoo & Zoot for ideas as well (they are local Houston members).

Ben in Austin
1950 F1

 

Thanks for the advice. I've known what I wanted Killa to be for years. I want it to be a weekend cruiser that. Occasionally drive during the week. Want it convenient (A/C, PS, PB, etc.) fun to drive but not a 10 sec truck. My hp range is between 300 and 400 hp, but I'm not concerned it I'm a little short. Think it'll prob take me a year or so to do it(so probably 3 years). And I'd like to change the color since its been two different colors during my lifetime. Thinking of black, although I know how hard it is to paint.

 

I'll look them up on here. I'm gonna look at the cost diff between the 289 and the 351. Knowing how much you paid helps me with my decision. Did you use a late model 351 block or the earlier ones that are (supposedly) a little stronger?

 

Hey Killa,
I don't remember what the 351W short block came out of - we bought it from one of those engine exchange places where they have stacks of
blocks. Look forward to hearing what's up with your 289. We went the 351W route because it was the same price to rebuild as the 289 we had & there was a lot more HP potential. It's also nice that they are virtually the same size 289/302/351W all fit without major adjustment.


Replacing an engine sounds like a big deal but if you choose one that fits the mounts you already have in place & bolts up to your trans - it can be done pretty quickly. The much bigger project you mentioned is the IFS - that one is a bear. You have to pull everything off - all the front sheet metal, in our case the engine/trans, cut into your frame, cut the wiring, weld in the new one at the right angle & exact position. That's at least 3 to 6 months. If there is a way you can get happy with a rebuilt stock front end with disc brake conversion or power steering - you will save yourself a lot of headache & money.

(Changing out the rear axle is a lot easier project if you need better highway gearing - that one takes a weekend or two).

Good luck over there.

Ben in Austin
1950 F1 (351W/AOD)

 

If the truck has been sitting for awhile the best thing you can do is drive it. Change the oil, perhaps with some of the "high mileage" oils that condition the seals. The oil burning at startup may only be valve stem seals. They can be easily replaced with the engine in the truck. Your truck looks great! Follow the advice above. Drive it, come up with a plan, make one change at a time, and drive it!
Rusty

 

Welcome to the site. I have a 289 w/c4 from a 68 passenger car. I also put in a MKII IFS. It is a lot of work. I'm very happy with the result but I did drive mine stock for over a year before I broke it down. Good advice. Rebuild on the 289 was about $1200 by a professional. Tranny, $450 and rear for $200. The IFS was 1300 with discs. I did not do power steering, you really don't need it. Same with power brakes. Upgrading to a dual master cylinder and a kit from ECI. Works fine. Manual rack and pinion gives a better feel for the road IMHO. 289 is a great engine, very dependable and runs cool. Hey Ben, I'm in Virginia, not Texas, but thanks for the shout out, Dean

 

Do a compression test (be sure it's done correctly so the results are meaningful) and a cylinder leakdown test to determine the engine's condition. If the numbers are good, put new valve seals in and drive it. 150 or 400 HP the actual driving difference will not be significant. Tell people whatever number makes you happy they will not be able to tell the difference. To get 3-400 actual dyno HP out of a 289 is going to be costly, would make much more sense to put in a 351W or better yet a 4.6 mod motor. You can easily get a true 500 HP out of the 4.6 for < 2000.00 including the take out motor and ecu, or 300+ HP with just an ecu reflash without opening up the motor. Ready to use take out 4.6's are available for 2-600. Couple it with the EOD tranny and a 3.7:1 8.8 rear axle and you will have a tire burner that sips regular gas for <1000.00 for the entire drivetrain.

 

Thanks for the heads-up. I guess my first step is going to be to figure out exactly what components the truck has currently installed. All of my info has yet to be confirmed. I think I still may try to tackle the Mustang II IFS at some point in the not too distant future, but you guys have a good point, I want to keep it as close to drivable as possible.

 

A few years ago when I first got the truck, I considered buying a PI crown vic cheap on ebay and snatching out the motor, tranny, rear end and engine acc. Still kinda thinking about going that route since it would likely be cheaper. If I got close to 300 HP and relatively decent gas mileage, I'd be extremely happy. Has anyone yanked out a panther front end and put it under these trucks? Are they too wide? I know where I can get an 2003 PI for around $1,500. That could be the cheaper, easier route.