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My grandfather died three years ago and left behind a variety of items. This 1958 Ford F100 was one of those which the siblings insisted stay in the family.
Grandpa used to build barbed wire fencing in Texas. This 58 was his work truck. My parents have video of my cousins and me riding in the box of this truck, out to the job site where we got to play while he appeared to effortlessly set posts into the rocky hillside.
The truck has been sitting in his Texas garage since 1986. I stepped up and agreed to give the truck a new home with the promise of bringing it new life. Three weeks ago I drove from Denver to Austin to pick it up and bring it home.
Now what!
I have many questions... and an $8000 budget (roughly).
My goal is to confirm I can get it started. If yes, I need to make some decisions and prioritize.
Starting it:
First off what are "must do" items in an effort to get it started.
I have changed the oil and am in the process of removing the gass tank to clean it. I've added water to the radiator as temp solution.
Considerations:
Should I keep the in-line 6
How fast do they go? Can I do 70mph on the highway
How many gears does it have (shifter is on steering column)
What size of motors fit in this truck
What would cause me to require a new frame (a new motor, new suspension?)
Should I put a front suspension?
Is a Mustang II the only option
Should I level the truck with suspension or are air bags a requirement / is one cheaper than the other
What should I work on first?
I'd like to get it running as soon as possible. I'm leaning towards a clear coat on the existing paint.
I'm painfully new to this. Thanks in advance for your patience and recommendations.
Pull all the sparkplugs and put about 2 oz of Marvel Mystery Oil in each hole. Let that sit a few days, then see if you can rotate the crankshaft by hand with the pulley. If the engine is free (not seized), let us know and we can go from there. Not much need to address other questions until you know what you have with the current drivetrain. There are three forward gears and one reverse on that column.
Pull all the sparkplugs and put about 2 oz of Marvel Mystery Oil in each hole. Let that sit a few days, then see if you can rotate the crankshaft by hand with the pulley. If the engine is free (not seized), let us know and we can go from there. Not much need to address other questions until you know what you have with the current drivetrain. There are three forward gears and one reverse on that column.
...and the thing in the center of the firewall is a vacuum motor for the wipers, best replaced with an electric model which was an option in those days. We're getting way ahead of ourselves, but that will involve not only the motor, but also some wiring and a replacement wiper switch on the dash.
Hardlyrider - I pulled the spark plugs tonight. A couple of them were stuck!
[I]Broke one of the plugs. Will also need to replace a couple of the cables. Maybe all of them, they were pretty brittle.
If you didn't get them all out, you may need a little penetrating oil on the treads to soak for a while. All the plug wires will have to be replaced, but no need to get those until you know the the engine will spin. Keep at it!
...and the thing in the center of the firewall is a vacuum motor for the wipers, best replaced with an electric model which was an option in those days. We're getting way ahead of ourselves, but that will involve not only the motor, but also some wiring and a replacement wiper switch on the dash.
05-08-2017, 11:51 PM
