I only have 4 and since they're holding up my truck an even swap for 8 lug wheels and tires would be fine. Glad someone can use them

 

All the tires were dry rotted here so I had them dismounted and tossed. I'll see what I can come up with. The place over in Ellensburg has the 16" 8-lug 1 piece innies like the ones that I've got on the one truck. Really like them for a stock look with a wheel everyone can deal with but they ain't cheap either.

 

Regarding the cost of your new blasting toy, in the immortal words of Charlie Brown, "Aaackkk!" Good thing I was sitting down. I agree it makes perfect sense for you, but I don't think I'll be looking for one under my Christmas tree this year (or any year!). Wish I lived in Seattle so I could come visit though. I'm still jealous!

 

I hear ya there. I have struggled with the decision for a few months now. If you do get up to Seattle let me know and you are welcome to come by and try it out, just for the heck of it.


Their DB1500 Mobile big dude with compressor on a trailer is $72,500 so the DB150 is very affordable in comparison. Lol.

 

Tore into the old replacement 390 in the Ranger and had to take a quick video of the timing chain. Just a LITTLE slack in it. Lol. Lucky it didn't jump a tooth on the trip North.




.

 

Ah - that was good for another 50K miles!

It's very rare, but a few times I've had to pull a motor apart after building it or one someone else built and am always surprised how sloppy a timing chain can get with very few miles on it. It seems they stretch a lot in the beginning and then both wear on the gears and more stretch they'll go for a long time sloppy on one side without actually jumping a tooth.

Jumping a tooth is really a misnomer anyway - you'd actually be jumping something more like 28 of them, if talking cam gear, and maybe 6-8 of them on the crank gear. It happens, but it takes a lot more wear than what you saw. On my 67 w/352 I had probably the worst chain slop I'd ever seen in my 40+ years of hands-on engine building - caused by both a factory nylon cam gear missing all the nylon and runing on the aluminum nubs below - combined with a pretty worn chain. Apart from the lack of oil pressure (due to a bunch of ground-up nylon making it into and grinding away a rod bearing) - it ran pretty good.

 

I hear that. In high school my Pontiac 350 had the chain slip. Old original nylon cam gear worn to the nubs. Ya, this isn't terrible, but just glad it didn't slip or the trip could have been much worse.


Here are a couple of shots of the engine mounts and the extra plate they added in to bolt the older engine style to the newer mounts. Someone asked about putting the earlier FE into the 65-66 era. This is what they did on this truck. Mounts do have a number molded into the rubber. C5TA-6xxx-Y so they might be the ones from the 352.

 

Finally got the rest of the brake springs. These first ones are mirror opposites of each other but not really left hand and right hand since they are more front and back on each side.


C6TZ-2068-A and C6TZ-2068-B





Got a few more of the C6TZ-2296-A









Some time ago I picked up some NOS wing window weatherstrips. Then recently I got some of the Dennis Carpenter reproductions and was able to sit down and compare them side by side. When they say that they use the original molds for these I have no doubt. The NOS ones have the powdery mold release agent on them still while the new reproductions seem to have that cleaned off or use a different release agent. Anyway, the part numbers are molded in just like originals and they are perfect exact matches. I would not hesitate to use these on any restoration or refurbish.


C1TZ-8121448-A - R.H.
C1TZ-8121449-A - L.H.








The old weatherstrips were completely cracked and dry as a bone but I wanted to save the weatherstrip retainer without scratching it. I decided since heat from the sun had done the damage that heat would soften them up enough to remove them. I used my heat gun and a piece of hardwood to push the old rubbers out of the retainer. Took some patience but it worked perfect and the retainer looks good as new. Well, almost, anyway. I did it in chunks because friction was working against me to push them out in one piece.





















.

 

I'm always a big fan of NOS parts. Here are a few more bits and pieces from some recent parts gathering excursions for this truck. One of the tougher parts to find for the 65-66 trucks that came with side moldings.

Hood moldings - C5TZ-16722-A





Cowl moldings - C5TZ-8102328-A





Door moldings - C5TZ-8120938-A and C5TZ-8120939-A





Cab corners - C5TZ-81423A16-A and C5TZ-81423A17-A
Not sure how I end up with 3 of the right and 1 of the left. Huh.



Bed moldings - C5TZ-9929038-A and C5TZ-9929039-A



A good selection of original style retainers





My originals aren't dinged up badly at all, but the anodizing has definitely faded.

 

Now that is a sweet find.

 

where are you at now on restoration?

 

Here's a few more bits and pieces I've scored lately.

Like many others, this truck was also missing the headliner and as a result the dome light housing was missing in action but the faded lens was in the glovebox and the wiring was still mostly intact except for the ground wire had been cut or broke at some point.

You can see more of the cool gold paint here.

Found an NOS dome light housing

C4TZ-13786-A - Interior Lamp Body and Socket Assembly

You can see it has both a power wire and a ground connection wire. The ground connection has a ring connector and there is a small screw that goes through that into the cab above the back window. You can also see the hot wire there that comes from the light switch over the drivers door and around behind to connect to the dome light. Pretty simple.









Picked up a C5AZ-17A603-B windshield washer kit that is technically for a 1965 era car (Galaxie, etc.?) but the bag and pump are the same as the F-series trucks. Plus it came with a nice selection of 3-ribbed hoses.







The pump has the same ID number stamped on the back side of it as the original DOA pump that I took off the truck - C2AB-17664-A




I also received the reproduction dash bezel and lens as a present.


C5TZ-10876-A - Instrument Cluster Bezel and Lens from the Dennis Carpenter web site. I'll have to paint the insides of the chrome rings to match the originals with some argent silver.





Also another C1TF-13A409-AN taillight wiring harness. That makes two of them. This one came with clips and the large grommet for where the wire passes through the frame in the back there.


Just need one more for the third truck now.









Just waiting for the stars to align so I can break out this new tool and remove the surface rust. I need to rent a trailer mounted compressor to drive it. My 7.5 HP 28CFM just can't cut it. Of course they recommend a minimum of 60CFM so that makes sense. I have used it with my compressor and it works slick, just needs a lot of air.





.

 

Very nice finds. All eBay? I go there looking a lot now but seems everyone wants $45 for everything that should cost $10. Just seem to see that price a lot for some reason.

Like the blaster. I'm removing surface rust too at the moment, but the method I'm using is not dust free, that is for sure. What's the media and/or method it uses? Is it dust free because at 60cfm it is blowing the dust over to your neighbors place?

 

Some eBay - the Uhaul guy sells stuff for dirt cheap on there...
But some from obsolete vendors or other forum members, mostly one.


Here's a web site link for the blaster.

Home - Dustless Blasting


Look at how bad the header panel looked before. You can zoom in on the front end of this older picture. Click on this link and then click on the front end of the truck to zoom further.


https://www.ford-trucks.com/g/picture/937154


I have blasted the front and back of the header panel with the first part of a 50 lbs. bag. Here's pics of that. You can see the blast hose and the deadman valve on the floor under it. Needs another second or two and it'll be ready for prime.








I used the other part of that 50 lbs. bag on back side and most of front side of a spare fender that was REALLY nasty on the backside, mud and all and then for a test left it un-primed in the garage for a couple of months now. It has not flash rusted at all. Pretty amazing considering you add water to the mix. I did get a drip of grease or oil on it since then, but that was me.

This much area took about 2 minutes or less once my compressor was fully charged. It almost goes too fast.



.

 

I just happened to come across a nearly identical F250 CS to yours sitting in an alley. Had seen it sitting there for years but never realized until today that it is a Ranger. Not sure if it's ever been restored but judging by the interior I'm guessing maybe not. Pretty cool, eh? How unusual are Rangers and, specifically, F250 Rangers? This one has a bed-side tool box, a v8 and automatic.