I would like to introduce myself as I am a new member here.

I have been wanting an old Ford pickup for some time, casually looking for about 2 years or so now, but haven't been in a position where I could pull the trigger.

Found myself in a very fortuitous position about a month ago. As I was returning from working out of town, I stopped by an uncle's house that was on route for a chance to stretch my legs. Out in the trees next to his house was an 80's Ford truck. I casually asked what he was doing with it, and he replied that he was thinking of just taking it down for scrap since he hadn't driven it in 4 years. "Why?" He asked me, "Do you want it?" I said heck yeah!

He went inside and signed over the title, and after one last look, I drove on home, plans just whirring in my mind. I am a country boy, from Southern Idaho, and I moved up to Portland, Oregon for college. Lately, I've just been feeling a yearning back for familiar things like my dad's work truck, or my grandfather's farm, that sort of thing. And this old Ford gives me just a little bit of that to keep with me.

Without further ado, I give you the truck, sitting exactly as I found it and where it'll stay for a couple more weeks anyway. It is a 1984 Ford F-250 XLT, two-tone red with red interior, has an automatic transmission, manual locks and windows, and seems pretty straight save for some dings and dents on the bed rails.









I am really excited about this pickup, but I am also severely lacking in knowledge. The last time I worked on a Ford truck was in 2003 when I bought a 1951 Ford pickup that was sitting in the weeds behind a house for $100. I rebuilt the carburetor, replaced the plugs, plug wires, and battery and it started up and I drove it home.

This truck was running 4 years before, and had a new battery installed about 3 months before it was parked (and the battery was disconnected a week after it was parked just in case). They parked it because they didn't need it, they used it to haul around a big welder, but the welder was stolen off of a jobsite so the truck had no further purpose.

I ran out to the truck this morning early, had a look at it, snapped the pictures, and wanted to take a peek at what I was working with. I grabbed the battery and I am going to put a charger on it and see if it will still hold a charge. My plan was to replace the plugs, check the wires to make sure they are still in good shape, unplug all the wires from the distributor, crank the engine a few times to get the oil circulated again, add some fuel stabilizer and octane booster and then try to fire it up. I figure I might also need to rebuild the carb.

My older brother is into muscle cars, but is all GM (52 Chevy Pickup, 67 Pontiac Firebird 400), so I am skeptical that he is a little overkill with his recommendations. He said I should pull the valve covers and pour oil over the valve train.

I am comfortable working on cars, but haven't worked on something larger than a 4-cyl import for a decade now. And since the truck is an hour away I am hoping I can do it all in the next trip and be out of there. If anyone has any comments or suggestions, feel free to share, I am open to anything.

Thanks and have a good weekend.

 

Air filter, oil change, and a battery should fire it up. I would bring some type f fluid for the trans and power steering just in case. Fords want to run. Good luck

 

Bring a fuel filter also.
My daily driver is an 85 Bronco. The newest rig I have ever had is 1990. Ya call yer new truck old? It's just getting it's second wind Bud.

 

I wish the body on my truck looked half as nice as yours. Good luck on getting the old 3/4 ton going!

 

That's a nice old F-250. I remember when those H.O. 351s came out. Nice to see an find like this without cancer above the wheel wells.

 

Try to get the old gas out of the tank(s) ...
Make sure the engine isn't locked up...sometimes water on the breather will seep around the wing nut and get in it...PB Blaster or eqivalent will free it up..

I believe I would pull the plugs and get it turning free...this would be a good time to see if it pumping fuel to the carb,etc...

If you pull the dipstick and it is overfull...It has water in the bottom of the oil pan....PLEASE DO THIS BEFORE YOU CRANK IT OVER....

Also, when you get it running, keep an eye on your oil level..The fuel pump will likely have dried out(bad diaphram).This lets fuel into your oil(not good).
It may not be leaking on the outside so watch this closely...Fuel pumps are cheap...engines ain't..

After these few things, the water pump will probably have a leak after you drive it awhile..Not saying it will but USUALLY it does...

Please check brakes for leaks,etc..

These are a few things that I have went through with my 85 after sitting up for a few years....Hope it helps.. Trav.

 

Welcome to FTE! That truck looks great, I'm sure you will enjoy it.

I second Trav's suggestions. Take your time and do it right initially so you won't regret it later. And, one important thing is the fuel. It is very likely bad after four years, and just additive won't fix it. I siphoned mine out by removing the line at the fuel pump and placing it in a can. It took several rounds but I got most of it out.

 

Thanks everyone! It is good looking, I agree. The trees shade it all day so no bad sun damage and even with all the the rain it looks well preserved.

I hadn't even considered the fuel pump diaphragm, I haven't worked on a vehicle with a manual fuel pump in forever. And it sounds like it may just be safer to do an oil change rather than even bother checking for water im the oil. Anyone think the thermostat might be garbage by now?

I really want to just crank it, but I know it wouls be in my best interest to just take it slow and steady.

 

I can't believe he was thinking about scraping it. The body is straighter and cleaner looking than mine!

 

Nice truck, I really envy your rust free bed. Good luck with it. Looks like a keeper and the price was right.

Jim

 

Put a jug of gas in the cab and run a hose line to the fuel pump. Fire that sucker up and drive it home before he changes his mind.

 

I know! I am more utilitarian than a lot of people my age, I don't really see a difference between a 2013 and a 1973 pickup if it serves the same purpose. Which, to me, is a vehicle that I can use to pick up wood or materials at Home Depot, that I can use to take a load of garbage or yard debris to the dump, or to tow a car that has broken down. Possibly a camping rig (Dare I dream?).

What matters to me is that people can look at it and know that I care of the things I have, which I do immensely. I have to travel a lot for work, some days 15 miles round trip, some days 400 miles round trip, so I am not intending on ever using this pickup for a daily driver. I have a little Acura Integra for that job.

Now that you know what I am hoping for mechanically, I'll let you all in on my aesthetic plans that I have thus far:

That's enough projects for a year or two, we'll just see how it shakes out. The cool thing is that while I wasn't really planning on adding any mods to the engine, I might throw a part on here or there. But I think I'll be way too busy with just maintenance items for the first little while.

I'm in that honeymoon stage where I just think about the truck all day and go over plans in my head, it's wonderful! Have a good work week, everyone!

 

Haha, not much he can do now. I have the title! Wooo!

Thanks, Jim. I feel there's a little rust hidden here and there, but mostly just surface stuff, nothing to be too concerned of. I have only seen 1 or 2 cars in my life that were rusted through (one is my 1946 ****** CJ2A with it's rusty floor pan, I think the wood they used to brace the bed and footsteps held moisture against the metal and just really turned into a crappy situation).

It's going to be fun, I've got a lot of plans and am just barely containing myself over here.

 

Speaking of the cracked out speaker hole in the dash. Someone used clear silicone to repair mine. Doesn't look the greatest lol.

 

If your dash trim is rosewood, like it appears to be, and is in excellent condition, I'd like to buy it for the resto on Dad's truck. We can't talk price in a thread, but when you get enough posts to do a Private Message we can talk there or you can email me. I have other trim you could paint, although we need to determine which radio you have.

As for the dash, I think you will find that repairing what you have is difficult and, in my expectation, short-lived. I would recommend instead a cover, such as Coverlay's. I've had one and it does a very good job of covering the ugly dash pad in most, but not all, areas. The area it doesn't cover is that around the defroster vents that are visible through the windshield, so if your pad is good there then the pad will cover things well.