Slow & steady gets the job done, keep up the good work.
Dave ----

 

Thanks for the encouragement. New progress, the engine turns over by hand very nicely. I've sourced some more parts and am hunting others. There is something that has me scratching my head on how to figure out so I thought I would reach out and see if anyone could help. Going with the theory that this truck has the correct spark plug wires, it seems they are going to the wrong cylinders. It's not the firing order that is wrong but the lengths. All of the longest ones are on the passenger side for some stupid reason. The only way to plug in #s 5, 6, and 7 puts the wires right on the exhaust manifold. If I try to route them like they are supposed to be, they are too short. I don't want to trial and error my way to getting it right if there's an easy way to know which are which. So, is there a list of which lengths go where?

 

Not really, just replace them one at a time and it will make sense. Here's a couple pics

 

Thanks for the pics. I wish mine was on a stand, it'd sure make it easier to figure out. I guess you're right, one at a time and I'll get it.

 

Well if you lay em all out, I think there is one wire that is longer than any of the others. That's probably the #1 cylinder. The next longest is #2, or is it #5? I dunno. Never mind... you'll get 'er. Since I did it I know for sure you can.

 

Thanks for taking the time to document this stuff, I don't own a classic right now but would love to some day in the future. Super cool ford hope you're able to uncover more of the history on it

 

Have you confirmed that the vin plate matches the frame vin?

 

No, I haven't checked the vin tag against the frame yet. I don't have a good excuse, I just haven't. I found that the cargo bed was originally red so this is a very cobbled together truck. I know he had it titled and drove it for years although as I mentioned how he accomplished that given the wiring is beyond me. I need to contact his estate and get paperwork started so if I were smart, I'd check it. That and it needs to stop raining and I need to find my knee pads. There's my excuse.
Anyway, I figured out the plug wires thing. Here's what I came up with:
from shortest to longest
4
2 8 (same length)
3 7 (same length) (slightly longer than 2 & 8)
1
6
5

 

I don't know if they do VIN verifications like they do here in CA but if they do you might want to take a peek before or you might get an unpleasant surprise.....

 

This is what I'm dealing with in order to mount an ignition switch. Apparently he had trouble removing the old one. I'm no metal fabricator but my plan is to remove some of the mangled stuff that's bent inwards since it's in the way. I'll make something to go over the top and screw it down then make a round hole for my new switch. Below that you can see another project. The parking brake is frozen. It looks as if he pulled really hard but that didn't work. Fortunately the truck rolls. My new harness is ready to install once I find my step bit to make a hole in the firewall for it, that and repair the ignition switch hole. I went back to the boneyard and grabbed the headlight circuit breaker I forgot and grabbed a spare from an old Comet. I also got a plug I needed for one of the tail lights and a nice positive battery cable. I managed to also find a carburetor to replace the funky piece of junk that it now has. I'm now the proud owner of a really dirty Holley two barrel list# 1835. I believe this is original for a 59 truck. Does anybody know these well enough to help. It has three ports. Fuel inlet is obvious and I'm guessing the other two are vacuum?

 

Looks like he installed a Chevy ignition switch hole..........

 

If you want, I'll cut out the mounting hole on my old cab that I am stripping and mail it to you. I can cut as big a margin as you want.

 

You're too kind. I'll pass though, If it were a nicer truck and I knew how to weld I'd take you up on it. It's not and I don't and I can patch the chevy hole good enough.
Google told me one of my ports is vacuum for the distributor. I just need to figure out the last one. It's behind the throttle linkage.

 

One's probably timed vacuum source and the other full manifold vacuum meaning one has vaccum as you open the throttle and the other has vaccum with the throttle closed or at a low constant.

 

Thanks for the info, I can work with that.