Good to know. Thanks! I discovered I was a little low on coolant and that seemed to resolve the issue. I plan to take a long drive to see how she does in the next few days.

It is beautiful here. Thanks!

Thanks for the info. Seems like a good investment. Sometimes the temperature worries me. From what I read on the info you sent, my be the solution!

[QUOTE=rougeriver;14438652]Thanks a ton!

 

This is one of my favorite threads going here currently! I like what you've done, your Ford might not have the creature comforts the dodge did but it makes up for that in class. Please keep updating us on your journey.

 

Thank you very much. I enjoy sharing with everyone, you guys are so positive and helpful.

I think I solved my temperature issues by adding an inch or two of coolant/water to the radiator. I'll have to keep an eye on it.

I am going to take her for the first long drive of my ownership. I have to (get to) drive the truck from here to DIA (200 miles) then to Colorado Springs (70 miles) then back to Denver and back to Steamboat. Soooo, tomorrow I am going to try and run it for 3 to 4 hours straight to simulate that drive but I'll have a mix of highway, mountain pass, dirt road, etc. Then I'll change the oil and fuel filter and address anything I notice, and I'll feel like she is ready for the trip! I have my camera on the charger. Wish me luck!!

 

Excellent thread and congrats on the truck. I think these are some of the best and best looking trucks made. We just got our son a 79 model and he hasn't stopped talking about it or pointing out how many of them are still on the road(followed by the "why don't we see any 70's model dodges or chevys, but the fords are everywhere" comments too).

 

Well, It ran awesome, the whole time.

Started out with a climb up Rabbit Ears Pass, which is a significant climb. It stayed right between the M and P the whole way. Seems to like it that hot.

Anyway drove it about 150 miles and 6 hours straight without turning it off. I am way more comfortable with driving to the airport next week. AND I still have just below 1/2 take left. Meaning I am pretty darn sure I am beating the 10mpg average max. I'll let you know when I refuel and calculate it. So far I have seen between 10 and 11 pretty consistently. I would be thrilled if it was like 14 or something

When I got home, I changed my oil and my fuel filter and it runs even better now!

I also got a wild hair and pulled the chrome off the bottom of the truck. There is a lot of rust under there. I am not really sure this truck is restorable without just a new cab and a new bed. I have mud on the inside of my passenger window... it came through the floor. I can;t say I have ever experienced that before. Generally, I have started doing things to preserve what it has, like removing anything that holds moisture (Carpet, chrome pieces, etc.). I think the big picture plan is aligning for this truck. I am going to keep it mechanically sound, patch the floorboard as best I can, sand down the outside, cut the rust and try to stop it, and then bed line the truck to try to seal everything up... Then I am going to drive it into the dirt.

As a side note, I noticed that the incoming connection to the filter is leaking at the filter. It is a rubber hose with a hose clamp. Tough to get to, that's for sure, and it is a very minor leak, but is also gasoline none the less, so it needs to be repaired by next week. I thought rubber for fuel line is generally a bad idea, is that true? What would you do in that situation?

Finally, some photos:

Pre-trip inspection you can see the torn up chrome... no more


The 100 straight miles celebratory stop.


The road I was on toward the end was pretty cool, but the rocks in the gravel were big and made a lot of noise on my rusty floorboard


I like this angle


Check out my awesome sound system... $20 but it gets the job done. Plus it works without the battery, under the hood, and on the tailgate. Hard to beat!


It was very green today!


My shotgun dog,


Hallway of pines over the hood


I was worried the truck would have trouble at higher elevations. I plan to take it higher than this, but I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't miss a beat at 10,000 ft.


Some scenery of the Flattops. To put it in context, I am about 30 miles south of my house.



So in the second picture, that storm was headed my way, and it hit hard. Lighting right over head with thunder like a 12guage or .357 mag. Then.... wait for it.... it started snowing! on June 22


The road was very mild, but the slimy dirt and rocks made it fun to play on!




And the iconic front end


Ok, so here is with the lower chrome trim removed. I think it looks better, which is good, because it's not going back on....





And the aftermath of it all

 

Nice pictures! Thanks for sharing

 

The climb up to Rabbit Ears Pass will test any vehicle .. What a grunt that is

 

Sure is, I think the only thing more difficult on my trip will be heading up to Eisenhower tunnel from Silverthorne.

Have you been up to the ears? that is a fun trail with some fantastic views! I'll get some pictures of the highboy doing it this summer.

 

Back in my back country skiing days went back in from Rabbit ears a few times .. Steamboat has changed a lot since they put the airport in (Yampa Valley Regional Airport) .. I remember it when it was just a sleepy little town a long way from anything

 

1976 ford f150

This CL ad looks like it might yield some good parts for you. Who knows what they look like in person, but maybe they aren't as rusty as yours. (bed price seems high)

Beautiful photos, as usual...absolute art!

David

 

I think I would like it even more if it was like that, but where I live it is, and my job wouldn't be near as good if it didn't have the airport. So... oh well

Looks like some good deals. Just not in a position to capitalize on it.

Thank you very much!

 

I'm not sure how good you are with body work, but if you can weld decently(or weld horribly but use a grinder) you can get the cab corners/rocker panels/floor pans/etc pretty cheaply from a place like lmc truck and fix it without needing to replace the cab.

 

Well, I have 0 experience with body work, and extremely limited experience with a welder... But I have access to two welders and a plasma cutter....

So I guess I should get to learning!

 

You were a flatlander before you became a mountain man and that didn't stop you so weld away

 

Unless I'm dealing with complete rot or an insane amount of rust I prefer to replace individual panels. It gives you fresh metal and you can properly rust treat it to keep it from happening again. Most of the panels are held together by spot welds and are easy to drill out.