Just picked up the 56 F100. It was a daily driver for the past year & in storage for 3 yrs before that.

It is a very solid truck but needs some maintenance.

1) power steering leaked really bad - finally found the appropriate PS pump - just need to find the pulley & I'm back on the road.
2) driver door latch busted - installed a brand new one last night - door opens & closes like a brand new car! Love it! - Still need to get the interior handle fixed - threads are stripped - will have to replace it.
3) Bushings in the jaguar rear end have a hole in them. I thought this was from rot & wear. Ordered new bushings & found the new ones also have the hole. So there is some weather cracking in the rubber - but nothing like what I was first believing....Nothing to fix here - at least not right away.
4) Seat belts - next on the list after the PS pulley

That's all it needs to be a dead reliable daily driver.

The other things I want to fix are -
1) install an oak bed - currently has ply
2) install a reese hitch - so I can tow my trailer
3) move gas tank out of cab

 

Welcome, sounds like a good project. Post some pictures of your truck when you can. Looking forward to following your project.

Gil

 

 

It's a great truck - just needs a little TLC to be a really nice truck.

I plan to paint it next spring too - the Grape Ape purple is not doing it for me.

 

Ya looks like a great truck. I also would paint it.
And maybe put a hidden hood latch up near the
firewall and an in cab release.

 

Tell me more about this? How would it work?

That is a great way to keep some knuckle head from getting in there when parked.

I was thinking a power actuator that was controled from inside - but that is a very long way down the list.

 

I can come up with several Ideas in my head. But have never done a tilt hood.
Many on here have. Maybe they will pipe in or you could Google it as I don't
think ya have enough post counts to use the search on here yet.

 

I think there was a tilt latch in jon's thread here:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...0-project.html

 

Yup. Right here:

Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums - View Single Post - My 55 F-100 Project

He used a trunk release. His isn't exactly the same, because his front end slides forward and back, but it certainly opens up some ideas.

 

I used a hood latch from a Ford Windstar van with a cable release in the cab. I mounted the latch on the front of the cowl with a home made latch pin on the hood support on my '52. I have a reverse tilt hood, not a tilt front end.
By the way, nice looking truck! Looks like most of it is done already, you are way ahead of the game...

 

My Solstice has a forwards tilt hood, as did 57-58 Ford cars, with mechanical catch and interior release. The Solstice trunk is reverse opening as well, but has an electric release latch. I have a couple Chrysler products soft touch electric trunk latches I got off ebay when I was working on forward tilt hinges for my panel hood. Haven't given up, just on the back burner for now. Personally, those external suitcase latches on your fenders would have to go for a hidden setup if it were mine. No inner fender panels? how do you keep the engine clean/dry?

 

Very nice, it wont take much to make it all you. Congratulations on your new truck, and welcome to the site. Your doing good, heck I think it took me a few years B4 I figured out how to post a picture.LOL

 

I also love the wing windows.
I hope ya keep them. Not just for the look.
To me a rig is uncomfortable without them.

 

Agree - since there is no AC - these windows really move the air around inside the cab.

Thanks for all the great advice - I was digging through the box of spare parts that came with the truck & I found 2 latches - one has a wire.

I like the idea of using an electric trunk popper though. Push the button & have an actuator drop the hood. That is a winter project for sure though - I will be removing the latches - they have butched up the paint pretty bad - I need to replace the rubber / foam cushion where the hood hits the cowl. $0.05 here $0.10 there...



As far as keeping the engine clean - ha - I haven't driven it much - the power steering pump puked & I'm waiting the replacement.

 

What I have seen done with a tilt front end with the cut fenders is to close off the cut lines across the inside of the fenders so they kinda look like they were solid before cutting like slicing thru a whole baloney and seeing the inner surface. Install a cone shaped pin1 1/2" to 2" long and ~ 1" in diameter in the center of the moving part and a plate with a hole in the center the size of the largest diameter of the cone pin on the fixed part in alignment with the cone. As the fender comes down, the center of the cone will easily find the hole in the plate, and as the fender comes together it will self align and tighten in the plate. Nothing seen from the outside.
I was looking at the trunk latch on my Solstice just a few minutes ago. I think it wold be an ideal latch to use. Mechanical close (with the Sol, you just drop the lid the last 6") and electric release pop up. It's relatively compact and the 2 parts would be easy to install to the center of the firewall and underside of the hood very similar to the way they are installed on the Solstice. I bet they are fairly inexpensive from an online GM parts dealer or from a salvage yard. I have seen a number of front end wrecked Solstices and Saturn Skys (same car). I have a friend who races a Solstice that has been completely stripped to lighten (even the windshield). He may have removed the trunk latch.