You will likely need to add a lead additive on fuel ups..
You are correct in the way the doors work but you can put a lock on the drivers side if you wish but will have to cut the hole in the door face..

 

Also, Y-blocks started in USA Fords in 1954.

 

I've had my 54 F100 with the original 239 Yblock since 1977. The engine was rebuilt in 1979. Years ago, like in the mid 80s, I put lead additive in it for a while. Then I stopped doing it. Then I joined FTE and we discussed this and researched it. The consensus is that unless you are hauling heavy loads daily or drag racing you don't need a lead additive.

My engine is running great after all these years.

 

Good morning, guys, from Greenwich Mean Time.

I braved the snowstorms yesterday to travel the 400-mile round trip (that's a lot in these parts!) to view the beast. The vendor, Trevor, was very accommodating and a pleasure to meet and deal with. I was able to closely inspect the truck, and I'm happy to report that it's as solid as I'd hoped. Please see photos below for details.

The frame legs, firewall, front inner fender, cab corner, pedal area:


Cab floor:


Rear cab corner from inside (this is the 'worst' one):


Inside wheel well, looking forward to headlamp bowl dish:


Looking the other way towards the front cab corner, cab mount outrigger, rear of fender area:


Mucky, but rock solid.

 

A couple of other items of possible interest.

The data plate from the utility body:

A dash sticker of considerable intrigue to me:


I had to google 'CONELRAD' but now I understand what it was about. I guess we had a similar arrangement over here back in the day for the same reason.

I found the old (presumably original) licence plates tucked away in a corner:


And finally, how the truck looked on arrival to view it yesterday - a sight which is fast growing on me...

 

Hope you make the deal and happy with your purchase, looks like a very solid start...

 

Thank you.

Happily, the deal was done there and then, and included the 'spare' 3.73 axle, a spare set of springs, and a piggy-back home.

So I now have a load of work to do to clear out the left half of my garage to make room. The right half is already full of old car.

Once it's clear, in a couple of weeks hopefully, I will give the signal to Trevor the Vendor to ship him on up to me. I can't wait to see my wife's face. Tee hee!

 

Be sure to post that pic...lol

 

Visualise Edvard Munch's "The Scream"

Or something like this:

 

I get the picture, I presume she does know about it already though and is bracing herself...lol

 

No, she doesn't know a thing.

It's my surprise birthday present to her.










(Only kidding...)

 

She'll love it I'm sure. My wife can't wait to get back into ours..

 

Abe, your new heads have hardened seats. You can drag race now. Dennis

 

Ha-Ha! Yes, I know. Thanks to you and Barry Ober! You and I should run one sometime.... Maybe at Truckstock in Sept.

 

So, I haven't even got the truck home yet, and my mate Trevor phones me this morning to say he's at a swapmeet and has come across a pair of good F100 rear fenders - do I want them? He sends me a picture (below). All looks good, and the deal is done. Can't say as I like the colour scheme much, but that won't matter anyway as I will be finishing them to match the weathered appearance of the rest of the truck. I'm sure there will be plenty of headscratching to come when I try to figure out how they are going to hang on the sides of that utility body.




I'm already buying parts for a truck I haven't even got home yet. Is this a bad sign? Has "the bug" got me already? Or is this perfectly normal behaviour for people like us?