Red or Blue pill?
Logistics Pro
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 3,771
Likes: 80
From: tujunga, calif
I find myself worrying about the future when can't work on them anymore. I have friends with old cars that can't work on them anymore and take them to shops and return with huge bills. I can't afford to pay someone $100+ an hour. Just the insurance on 4 cars is killing me. The wife and I do a couple of road trips a month, we call them one tank trips. My last fill up for a one tank trip was $70 
Mountain Pass
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 242
Likes: 54
From: Central Texas
Been quite a few years ago, the passenger side exhaust manifold starting leaking on my 66 F100. I had bulged a disc in my back a couple of months earlier and couldn't stay bent over long enough to fix it. Got to thinking on it and decided I would take it to the Ford dealership down the street from us to get it fixed. I figured a younger mechanic would get a kick out of working on a classic truck and it would be a fairly easy repair. Pulled into the service department and sure enough quite a few of the mechanics along with a few customers came over to look at my truck. The service writer was real polite, wrote down what I needed done and said they would get right on it.
A few hours later the service department calls and tells me they can't find anyone to work on the truck. The long and short of it was they 3rd partied out all of their exhaust and brake work and couldn't find a shop willing to work on it. The kicker to this is they tried to charge me for doing absolutely nothing, other than making a few phone calls. Told them to take their invoice and ram it with several choice words added in for emphasis on my opinion of their shop.
A few hours later the service department calls and tells me they can't find anyone to work on the truck. The long and short of it was they 3rd partied out all of their exhaust and brake work and couldn't find a shop willing to work on it. The kicker to this is they tried to charge me for doing absolutely nothing, other than making a few phone calls. Told them to take their invoice and ram it with several choice words added in for emphasis on my opinion of their shop.
Laughing Gas
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 1,163
Likes: 360
From: Anderson, California
I would like the pill that makes me tall please. LoL
Now, if i were working on a small import car, I would prefer the pill that makes me small.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 1,459
Likes: 70
From: Southern Maryland
Older vehicles in general....
What I have observed.....and experienced to some degree, is that many love the IDEA of an older, simpler vehicle.
The REALITY is something else altogether. A big percentage of those that think they want an older vehicle are not prepared for the reality.
... I am firmly in the older vehicle camp. But I'm an old man. I learned very young, and have been wrenching on cars for well over 50 years. Nothing scares me. There is nothing I'm not prepared to do. I have the tools and skill set to tackle nearly anything. Unwilling sometimes. Sometimes it's getting more difficult physically. But really, never unprepared. On the other hand, aside for routine maintenance on my late model vehicles, I have to take 'em to a "tech." Hell, I can't even change the spark plugs on my '12 Ram. I'm not limber enough anymore to get to those plugs way under the cowl.
What I have observed.....and experienced to some degree, is that many love the IDEA of an older, simpler vehicle.
The REALITY is something else altogether. A big percentage of those that think they want an older vehicle are not prepared for the reality.
... I am firmly in the older vehicle camp. But I'm an old man. I learned very young, and have been wrenching on cars for well over 50 years. Nothing scares me. There is nothing I'm not prepared to do. I have the tools and skill set to tackle nearly anything. Unwilling sometimes. Sometimes it's getting more difficult physically. But really, never unprepared. On the other hand, aside for routine maintenance on my late model vehicles, I have to take 'em to a "tech." Hell, I can't even change the spark plugs on my '12 Ram. I'm not limber enough anymore to get to those plugs way under the cowl.
I know there are differing opinions on how to approach an older vehicle, some say just get it running and fix as you go. I find repeatedly breaking down to be very frustrating. I'm too old for that nonsense. These trucks may be dirt simple, but they're not dirt cheap, at least not to get them to perform reliably. If you don't have a decent amount of mechanical skills and mad money, this probably isn't the best hobby for you.
After driving mine home I rebuilt and/or upgraded virtually everything; brakes, suspension, steering, engine, belts, hoses, wiring, rear axle, swapped out the 4 speed for a Tremec 5 speed as well as creature comforts like new interior everything. Now I can hop in and drive cross country without fear or hesitation and expect I should be able to for many years to come. I just need lots of gas money.
I've started work on creating a '66 F-250 Camper Special. After I drove it home it's been parked for the past 3 years. The next time it drives it will be with new or rebuilt everything, including a stout 390 and NV4500 5 speed.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 2,818
Likes: 375
So far the Red Pill team is ahead
From the tone here, it looks as if its mostly a hobbyists game. Those who need work done for them need to do their homework and vet the shop as well as plan to plunk down plenty of green. At least red and green are holiday colors!
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 3,553
Likes: 442
That's pretty much how I would sum it up. You either spend the money up front or on the back side.
Tuned
Joined: Jul 2021
Posts: 486
Likes: 174
After driving mine home I rebuilt and/or upgraded virtually everything; brakes, suspension, steering, engine, belts, hoses, wiring, rear axle, swapped out the 4 speed for a Tremec 5 speed as well as creature comforts like new interior everything. Now I can hop in and drive cross country without fear or hesitation and expect I should be able to for many years to come. I just need lots of gas money.
That is exactly how I'm doing my own......except for the gas money part! I'm building mine with fuel mileage as the measure of performance. Inline 6, EFI and overdive trans. The goal is 20mpg hiway. And hopefully reliable enough to drive those hiways coast to coast if I want.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 1,899
Likes: 236
From: Southern California
Here's where I stand on the subject, red pill BTW. I'm a full-time career mechanic. I work in a body, paint, and restoration shop and have for going on twenty years now. This place has always had a full-time mechanic to take care of heavy hits and because the boss wants to keep all the money in house. Being a resto shop, I work on old cars and gained much of my knowledge here. But since we cater to ALL customers, I am also a tech, well versed in OBD11 diagnostics on modern cars. But I like the old stuff, that's why I drive my slick. As it turns out, I'm one of the last guys in my part of town that will touch a carburetor. Or a distributor, or anything built before 1996. Consequently, I get to work on lots of cool cars and I have plenty of work. As for my truck, I keep it pretty close to stock except for the dual pot master cylinder, Tremec 5-speed, and of course, the motor is pretty hopped up. My inheritor, my son, has been involved or at least present for all the upgrades and a lot of the repairs and being somewhat of a chip off the old block, knows what is going on with it. plus I have a fat folder of receipts if there is any doubt about what is what.
Dan TK65
Dan TK65
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Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 2,818
Likes: 375
Thanks for the input everyone! This thread had inspired me to make a detailed list of parts and corresponding part # for each while everything is fresh and I have receipts in hand. Even some of the more common parts now could become less available so crossover numbers may help. This way its easier for everyone including me later on! Would you consider this to be a “Build Sheet” or custom spec?
FTE Legend
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 30,912
Likes: 4,123
From: Angier, NC
You guys have hit on a lot of good points.
I rebuilt my truck, cab off, over 4 years and made some changes using factory parts from the same year as my truck but never offered on a flare side.
Guess I should make a list of the parts I used not stock to the truck so who ever ends up with it will know and keep it in the glove box
Dave ----
I rebuilt my truck, cab off, over 4 years and made some changes using factory parts from the same year as my truck but never offered on a flare side.
Guess I should make a list of the parts I used not stock to the truck so who ever ends up with it will know and keep it in the glove box
Dave ----
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1980 - 1986 Bullnose F100, F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks
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Sep 11, 2004 10:20 AM