I am also not a mechanic and was kind of in the same boat as you as far as flatheads go. The only difference was I did not inherit my mess I actually purchased it in a time of weakness. If it helps I called a reputable flathead re-builder in South West Ohio for them to take a look at it to be sure all was good. The advice they gave me was "if it is running ok just change the oil and don't mess with it." I will admit the thing runs like a Swiss watch and has no issues whatsoever. So I would say if it doesn't have any issues, smoking, missing, rattling, etc. I would leave it alone and drive it until you have a problem. As far as the mechanical systems go, brakes, electrical, suspension, etc. I would think any mechanic would be able to sort through that pretty quickly and let you know if you have serious issues that need attention. You could always do that inspection yourself, you don't need to be a mechanic to notice wear on bushings, missing bolts and things like that. This board is full of information and anyone with a reasonable set of tools should be able to accomplish most general maintenance jobs in your garage or driveway. If you run into something your not sure about I can guarantee you someone on this board can help you and don't forget Youtube is your friend.

 

Welcome to the board.
Looks like it could be a fun truck to mess with. I agree with Dangeruss, you can do most of the inspection yourself. In the long run you might as well jump in with both feet and start learning about the old truck. If you have to rely on a mechanic every time you need to do something on the truck you will quickly go broke.
These trucks are fairly basic, sure they do have some idiosyncrasies, but any vehicle would. This forum is a great resource and you will find tons of friendly people that have been/are in the same boat you are and are willing to help. You might even find someone in your area that can come by and lend a hand now and then.

My advice is to get it where it will run and drive safely (decent tires, brakes that work, engine will start and run reliably, etc). Drive it a bit. Let it tell you what it wants. In this process you will get a feel for what it takes to mess with an old truck, you will get a feel for how much time and effort it might take to take it to where you want it to be.

You'll find that when you have an old truck, you'll find a friend everywhere you go
Bobby

 

I agree with the advice above. Particularly love the part about "Let it tell you what it wants". So true with old cars. I wouldn't go looking for problems before getting to know her a bit more.

When you say you got it running...how did it run? Do the gauges work where you can monitor oil pressure, charging state of the generator, temperature?

How long did it sit?

Does it blow any smoke (little is normal if it hasn't run in a while)? Make any strange noises (remember these are old engines and not the quietest of powerplants ever built)?

Did you drive it under it's own power, even just a few feet back and forth? If so, brakes work okay?

Looks like you have new plug wires, maybe new plugs on there. Hopefully fresh oil. Get an air filter on that carb, and let her run a bit to sort some of this stuff out.

I would make sure the tires are good, brakes WORK, and the fluids are topped off (coolant and oil, may want to check the trans fluid if you're going to try to drive it after siiting for a while).

and...HAVE FUN!!!

 

Nice to see another truck being handed down in the family.

This is the best place on the planet for advice.........most of it good. You will find a receptive audience here ready to share their experience.

Like already stated, start with the powerplant and see how healthy it is. Check fluids in motor, trans and rear. Keep an eye on temperature, and oil pressure. Look for obvious leaks, there probably are some.

Once going, concentrate on stopping; inspect brakes and wiring.

Have fun with it, and soon you will be hooked. There are many enablers here.

 

Welcome to the wonderful world of old Ford trucks, and FTE.

 

Awesome hand me down!
I agree with everyone else.
Short of timing and carburetor adjustments i wouldn't mess with it unless it's telling you something needs attention.

The first thing i do to all my trucks is get the emergency brakes working. Those cables and linkages tend to rust up really good and it's the only way to get-r-stopped if your hydraulic brakes fail.