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Slow crank in cold X1000 ck, ck and recheck and clean all battery/main elec connections/grounds. Insp battery for proper charge and holding proper charge and recharging after truck is started. Meaning, ck the alternator function. Insp cables and starter solenoid. Take starter and get it bench tested. Replace if you want to rule it out.
Wrap the headers to make you feel better about, and that way that is off the list. Ck timing, when is the last time you did a basic tune up? Plugs, wires, dizzy cap, rotor bug, fuel filter?
Vented gas cap/vapor lock? If you have to hold the gas peddle to the floor to get it to start, that sounds like carb rebuild time, could be a bad/blown power valve or accelerator pump.
Sorry about not getting back to share the solution, but it was simply a bad starter. 3 bolts, 30 minutes, in/out/fixed.
Thanks for all the help.
Appreciate you letting us know how it finally got solved. We drove dad's ol' Lincoln for two years with his bad starter. Combination of me being lazy and it being ridiculously difficult to get at the starter kept us parking close to water hoses longer than anticipated.