Bought it today! Story is it belonged to an older lady, and her husband had the motor in it rebuilt and the seats reupholstered, and then she passed suddenly. Her husband let it sit outside for six years.

It is SUPER clean, I was amazed. Got in it, it started on the first crank, and driving it down the block gave me a HUGE grin. Little bit of wandering to the steering, but nothing major. Tires are dry rotted, will need to put new ones on before I bring it home (At a friends mom's place 60 miles away currently). Only things that need fixing are all minor. The rear signals need rewiring (they don't work) before I can drive it around. Gas gauge is stuck on E. Not a whole lot else that I could see right off the bat.

Anything I need to look for? Anything I should know? I have been dreaming of one of these trucks for years, it's by far my favorite body style.

 

Man, that's a nice one! Looks to have a factory push-bar, which is pretty rare. Is that a 460?

I'd change all the fluids (engine oil, NAPA Gold Line oil filter 1515, antifreeze, transmission fluid). Check the brake fluid, maybe pull the front tires and check the front brake pads. Be sure and check the gear oil level in the axles, too.

Welcome to FTE, by the way. You'll find a wealth of information here.

 

Welcome !! Nice Looking Truck !

 

Yep, 460, and it was freshly rebuilt before it was left to sit. I'll check all that as soon as I get it home!

 

Well the 460 has been swapped in. Looks like it has/had AC/heater issues. Air filter needs replaced and PCV hose hooked up. Nice stepside, always liked those. She should be a screamer with that powerplant.

 

How can you tell on the AC/heater problems? I gotta get it driven sixty miles home next week and then I can start fixing crap. I know the owner said there's an issue with the fuel tank that fills from under the fender where he can't get it to take any gas but the rear tank fills just fine. Any ideas there?

 

I'm handy with a wrench and do all the work on my own vehicles and bikes so I'm comfortable wrenching on this thing once I get it home, but I'm not familiar with these motors and what I need to do at first glance. Can the pcv vent be replaced with one of those k&n style pods? I knew that's what I did with my last Jeep

 

Decent rig.

The heater core is bypassed.. See that wormy red hose looped back to the water pump?

I don't think that's a factory brush bar...it's cool that it already has a winch plate... or at least a plate that looks like one.

 

Plus the compressor is missing. Sometimes people just remove parts that they don't want to spend the $$ on fixing.

 

Even in the desert heat of Vegas I never use AC so no biggie. Nothing to worry about on this motor with the heater core bypassed, right? It's bypassed on my 96 Ranger due to leaking core and had no troubles there.

I'm really anxious to get it home, Friday seems like it's forever away

 

Nicely done. Welcome! I'm not a huge stepside guy, but it's a sick Ford and that's all that matters. Hopefully she's sound!

 

Got it home . had to go over a mountain to get home and on the way up she overheated and the radiator spit a little fluid. Stuck around for half an hour or so to let her cool and drove the last twenty miles home no issues..
Gonna go through and change all the fluids and plugs since it did sit for six years.


Couple questions:

The pull/push **** under the dash next to the brake release, is that the tank switch? Nine odd the switches have markings anymore.

This truck has the 460 in it, and I gather that means it was a swap in.

What oil do you guys suggest, how much for this motor, and does anyone know what the part numbers are for plugs and oil filter? is there a certain brand tstat that works best in these motors? Not many actual car enthusiasts at my local parts store so explaining what I need for what motor just gets blank stares.

So, flush radiator, replace tstat to be safe, change oil, filter, and plugs. Check oil in differentials. Anything else I should do right off the bat that I'm missing??

Thanks for your help and patience with me, I'm sure I'll keep coming back to this thread to ask questions. My first older Ford truck and motor.

 

I went in to a parts house and asked about mandrel bent tubing all I got was a blank stare, and it was an older guy with grey hair, he referred me to another older guy with grey hair after I explained to him what exactly it was the other guy didn't know either. Jumped in the truck went to the next parts house and a lady running the store by herself chasing parts answering phones and checking customers says "No Im sorry we don't carry that all we have is crimped bends."
Sorry about that, thought it kinda related.
Nice looking truck bud, good luck with your project. Looking forward to your progress. Also I believe counting the filter it is six quarts of oil.