Meet Ruby! Newest addition
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Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,600
Likes: 64
From: Billings, MT
Meet Ruby! Newest addition
My dent side project has been wrapping up and naturally I'm starting to get bored and look for the next thing! Been looking for a project to build for my wife, plans are to do the crown Vic swap and cheap coyote swap with a truck 5.0. Also a Tremec 5-speed.
For now she is a 360 four speed (NP435? Too grease covered to tell) manual steering and brakes. This thing is pretty mint and looks like the paint will buff out. There is rust, front fenders are toast so I'll be looking for some and maybe talk to my brother about how we can match them to the rest of the paint. Rear brakes don't work and there are some oil leaks but it runs and drives pretty damn good. Needs cab corners and a little rocker and cab brace work as well.
It's a surprise for my wife's birthday so tight now efforts will consist of getting it road worthy and cleaned/shined up. Let her drive it for a few years while I accumulate parts then we'll tear into her for the build.
My oldest son and accomplice
For now she is a 360 four speed (NP435? Too grease covered to tell) manual steering and brakes. This thing is pretty mint and looks like the paint will buff out. There is rust, front fenders are toast so I'll be looking for some and maybe talk to my brother about how we can match them to the rest of the paint. Rear brakes don't work and there are some oil leaks but it runs and drives pretty damn good. Needs cab corners and a little rocker and cab brace work as well.
It's a surprise for my wife's birthday so tight now efforts will consist of getting it road worthy and cleaned/shined up. Let her drive it for a few years while I accumulate parts then we'll tear into her for the build.
My oldest son and accomplice
Thread Starter
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Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,600
Likes: 64
From: Billings, MT
He says to me, I'll stand in front of the rust! Smart boy! It's such a clean, original truck. If only that old farmer had rinsed the mud out from underneath there would be no rust. I'll have to take the interior out to clean everything, but it's all there and good shape
Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
Likes: 82
From: NorCal
For just faded paint or neglected paint, I'd start with the least gritty means and then if it needs more then use the next grittier product.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 6,399
Likes: 40
From: El Dorado, Arkansas
Polish compound, to get the oxidized paint off, followed by a coat of wax would probably go a long ways towards getting some shine out of the old paint.
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Thread Starter
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Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,600
Likes: 64
From: Billings, MT
Well here are some before pics. Guess it's not an NP 435 trans as I forgot reverse is over and up on this one... T-18? First order of business is tracking down some front fenders and fixing the rear brakes. Have my powdercoated black lightning wheels on ebay right now, guess if they don't meet reserve they'll be going on ruby with some new rubber.
Bout to get pic heavy...
If someone wouldn't mind decoding that fer me I'd greatly appreciate it!
Have the other headlight bezel, just broken clips
Obligatory old man stuff that came with...
not sure if this is the correct MC? Drums all around and the rear reservoir is bigger. Ruby has no rear brakes at all and the brake warning light is on. Brake fluid looks like rusty chocolate milk so there's that.
P.S. everything works, I mean everything! Even the freakin' original radio! This thing is mint!
Bout to get pic heavy...
If someone wouldn't mind decoding that fer me I'd greatly appreciate it!
Have the other headlight bezel, just broken clips
Obligatory old man stuff that came with...
not sure if this is the correct MC? Drums all around and the rear reservoir is bigger. Ruby has no rear brakes at all and the brake warning light is on. Brake fluid looks like rusty chocolate milk so there's that.
P.S. everything works, I mean everything! Even the freakin' original radio! This thing is mint!
Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
Likes: 82
From: NorCal
The engineering, assembly, and quality control sucked monkey nuts in the late 70s. Thanks UAW.
Hotshot
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 14,255
Likes: 199
From: Phoenix, Az.
Congrats. On the Vin go here: