So, I've posted on here a couple of times about a 54 F-100 that I recently purchased from the widow of my wife's cousin. His name is Kurt, and he died of Kidney Failure. My 13 yr old daughter wanted an old truck, and we are rebuilding this together. I will get it running and install power steering and front disk brakes to make it safe for her to drive around town. When she goes off to college, I will get her something more sensible, and continue restoring the body.

Kurt was a good ol' boy, and bright...the kind of guy we all look up to, so this restore is in his honor. It will be as close to stock as possible. He got the truck from his dad, who was a farmer, who got the truck from his dad who was a mechanic in Oakley, KS. His wife, Jessica, had to apologize to Kurt for letting it go, so the pressure is on to bring this ol' boy bag to life with honor as he would have done. It has a 223 that has been converted to a 12V system, presumably by his Grandpa. Needs 1 new fender, new running boards, new boards in the bed, complete interior, probably completely re-wired, and god knows what else. Looking forward to the journey.

I am a chef by profession, and honestly have very little idea what I'm doing, but I am in it for the long haul and am in love with this truck. I will not quit until I am sure Kurt would be proud.

Pictures below are of Kurt, Kurt's daughter and the ol' 54.









I hope you all will help me with good advice along the way. Just got it started tonight for the first time. Has some fuel issues, of course. Leak in the carb and no fuel going to the fuel pump. So we begin. Wish me luck

Michael

 

Welcome.

That looks like a nice solid truck. Please post more pictures.

Are you wanting to replace the fender and running boards due to dents? Frequently you can work those out with a lot of patients. It is good to hear you are keeping the truck stock. What transmission do you have?

edit - reviewed the pictures and saw the floor shift. Unless someone changed something since the truck was built you have the T-98 four speed transmission. It is a good tough transmission, just not fast to shift.

 

I'll post more pics in the coming days. Front fender on driver's side, needs a lot of work. Probably not worth repairing. Running boards are half rusted away. The rest seems restorable.

 

Good to have you on the Forum. Looks like a good solid truck to start with. I also have a 54 (F250) I am restoring to original, so ask away. If you have parts to order feel free to ask opinions, I have ordered numerous parts and some items had better luck from different sources. If you have some rewiring to do, one thing I would have done differently is ordered original wiring to begin with. I spent a lot on misc. wire a little at a time, would have been about as cheap, and looked a lot better, to just buy the harness and do it right the first time. Are you in Kansas? I live in Nebraska.

 

Good luck with your project and welcome to FTE.

I'm not sure where you are located but as a chef I'm sure you could trade some good food for help with the body/mechanics/welding etc.

 

Restoring a truck in honor of someone is a special kind of project, I don't see how it could be done without love and countless hours of thinking and reminiscing about that person, in this case your wife's cousin. So my hat is off to you, in my eyes this makes you a pretty special person too. Have fun, enjoy the process, and make it safe for your Daughter to enjoy, and welcome to FTE.

 

Here's another welcome from California. I see that you signed up some time ago. You have come to the right place for help on a classic Ford truck!! One of the good things about these trucks...everything is pretty much available!

Dan

 

Thanks for sharing the back story and your plan. You'll be well served to get the old gal running and take an incremental approach - avoiding the multi-year tear down syndrome.

Sounds like your first task will be to replace the fuel lines and check the condition of the gas tank. Unless this truck was run routinely, there may be some crud buildup. To simplify the project, you may want to have the tank cleaned and sealed - radiator shops are usually your best bet here.

Personally, I wouldn't jump at the PS/PB conversions until you've put on some road miles. Depending on the nature of the driving conditions, well maintained drums are safe and reliable. Tire choice will have a big impact on the turning effort as well. Both of these will require engine / wiring changes that you may not be ready to tackle just yet.

Additionally, teaching your daughter to handle a standard shift tranny is a life skill that helps young gals with confidence in all sorts of ways. Especially when strapping young men are reduced to the role of slack-jawed passengers for lacking said skill.

Use the search function, ask questions, and enjoy the ride.

 

Thank you all for the great and kind comments and suggestions. I would be here all day if addressed them all individually, but I already am getting some great insight from your collective experiences. More pics and progress report to follow.

 

cable dude, I'm in Lawrence, Ks.

 

Welcome to FTE
There are several vendors that can provide new parts for our trucks. Centrally located right here in the heart of Oklahoma Is in Oklahoma City that may be close enough for you to go pick them up. Also some of the vendors go to large events such as shows and swap meets. There you can see what you're buying and can save on shipping.
Don't worry about not knowing what you're doing, just ask first. We've all been there. I'm sure you'll find a wealth of knowledge here. Also Great to hear your daughter is interested. It will be a great experience.

 

Good luck with your truck, I'm sure the whole family will be proud.

 

Welcome to FTE. The best Ford truck Site on the net.

 

There is something about these types of projects, I know of a couple of them. Go for it

 

NICE OLE TRUCK.