Hi I am new here and seeking some expert advice from you all. The son left to college back east three years ago. He left his truck a 69 Ford Pick Up, here, with the idea of turning it into a classic. The truck has some minor cosmetic issues, like hole in windshield and a few small rust spots.

However, the clutch went out before he left and the truck has been sitting there for almost four years with out the engine turning over. When it did work there was an oil leak somewhere that required adding a quart of oil a month.

So this week, I cleared all the trash piled up around it, uncovered it and thought about calling the local pick and pull to come get it. But then I looked at it and wondered if maybe this is a project I want to take on and maybe make this a decent truck, although not a classic as my son would say.

I have limited automotive experence, however I am a worker with my hands. I work with wood and construction. I have a large number of tools included a pretty extensive set of sockets and other wrenchs. I know how to read plans and schemetics. I also have lots of time and willing to put some money into it. I think I would rather get the enjoyment of doing much of this myself rather then taking the truck some where and having them fix it. Although, this may have to be done with the clutch. I would also expect an engine rebuild or a new engine altogether.

So my questions are with my limited experence, but willingness to learn by trail and error and a budget of say $2,000 to $3,000, is this a viable worthwile project that will be something I will enjoy as well as bring the beauty out in this beast.

I thank you in advance for any advice and input. I also realize that this may be something that I really don't want to do.


Woodflesh.

 

i think it is if your mind is set for the things that need to be done. i got maybe 2000 in my truck now ( after i finish with the enginbe overhaul i currently doing ) i still gotta replace the drivers side cabmount but then i just need to finish sanding and priming the body and tilting the front clip and replacing the seat and finding a decent set of rims and then maybe dropping it a few inchs then adding a gas tank inside the bed with a toolbox on top of it then.. well you get the idea. but i paid only 500 for mine and i think those year trucks look great when all cleaned up

 

Don't give up on the engine just yet. These things are meant to last. But if it sat for that long, it may need at a minimum new gaskets and seals. So while you're in there (or whomever would do a rebuild) you may want to have rings done. I think if you do most of the work yourself, your money will get you a real reliable truck. Stick around here and ask questions and search. You might want to investigate rust damage a little closer. The cab corners are notorius and if you live in an area where they salt the roads, could be some real damage. There are weld in replacements though. Also, check out the vendors here for an estimate on part availability and prices to see if what you need fits your budget.
My opinion is that the '69 is one of the most desireable of the '67-'72 vintage. I own a couple '71s, but I lust over a '69 Highboy Ranger XLT-but that's another story.

 

Ford Lover and Coment thanks for the fast response and great input. It's nice to know there are others out there willing to offer some advice. However, some of your comments made me wonder what kind of truck it is. All I know is 69 ford, because that's on the title.

The truck is what I would call a short bed. The bottom of the bed is wood. There are two I gues you call them sideboards, or stepping stools right behine the doors and right before the rear wheel wells. I am not sure what else to look at to see what kind it is. I know it has some heavy duty leaf springs in the rear and the truck is registered as a commercial truck in California. I live in Sacramento. My son bought it from a farmer who was the original owner.

Is there any thing else I sjould look at to indentify it?

Thanks

 

Past the VIN number (without the last 4 digits) and any codes off the rating plate. Put some pictures in a hidden "before" gallery so we can see them.

 

I would say with the skills you listed as having you should be fine, with an old truck you will learn as you go, they are fairly easy to work on most of the time, and this is a great place to post your questions.
In my opinion you have a great platform to start something that at times may be frustrating but the pride that comes with accomplishment will far outweigh these moments, it is the old love hate realationship that keeps me coming back to these old Ford trucks when I could have bought a new one long ago, but knowing I can haul stuff around for myself and my friends is great, and all I need to have with me is a screw driver some duct tape and a spare radiator hose, and she will never leave me on the side of the road.

 

You'll need to decide what you want to do with the truck, ie. use it for occasional hauling, daily driver, work truck. With $2-3k you won't be able to do a complete restoration, but you can most likely get it running just fine. My advise is to have a game plan and goal. As far as being tough, I don't think you can beat these old Fords. Sounds like you have a step side. Clutches aren't that hard to change. You'll need a clutch alignment tool. There are also tricks to removing the pilot bearing/bushing without buying a puller. You'll definitely need a torque wrench. Get a factory repair manual. The best thing about working on these old trucks is that everything is mechanically simple and I find that there's lots of room to work unlike the newer cramped computerized engine compartments of newer trucks.

 

Short bed '69s are sought after by the hotrod guys. They like to slam them to the ground, stuff big tires in them and hotrod the motor. Sounds like this is an F100 to me as I am not aware of the shortbed being offered in the 250. I prefer the style sided trucks, but the step sides definetly have a following.
Probably has the Ford 9" rear. What motor? This would be a fun project, whether you intend to use it for a work truck or go another direction.

 

First of all thanks for the great input, the various websites for information and the ideas. I allready have a truck so I don't really need this as a working truck. With that said, I think my goal will be to fix it and then jazz it up a little. I understand I will have to go higher then my budget of $3k, but what the heck, I sounds like a neat project and I can see in my mind what it might look like.

So far this is what I found out about the truck. It is a 69 ford, registered as a commercial type of vehicle. The unladen weight is 4140 lbs according to the title. The vin minus the last four digits is F25YRF5. It is a short bed and it has step sides that are chrome, albeight pretty dirty.

I had a Mr. know it all, but never did anything come over and he said the engine was a 360. All I know is it is an eight cylynder.

So any Identification information would be helpful. Is there a place I enter the vin and it tells me what type of truck it is?


Once again thanks for the info and advice.

 

it is a 3/4 ton 2wd
360 engine
built in san jose, ca
now as far as the engine goes thats just how it came stock the fe engine series is a little different they are all pretty much externally simillar, the only way to really check is pull out a plug and check the stroke. ask one of the tech guys cuz i dont know the stroke lengths of the top of my head.

 

i thought the 69's were basically all 390's but to check it is like 3 1/2 in for a 360 and 3.74 in for a 390. please correct me if i am wrong engine gods. ratsmoker in the fe forum can tell you for sure

 

If you like this old truck then it is well worth it. Have fun with it, it is a neat old truck that is really one of the nicest looking trucks out there. I have a 69 F100 that is my summer driver that I really enjoy working on and driving.

 

...means it's a 360.

Some rambling....
In 69, Ford offered 3 V8's - the 390 (engine code H) the 360 (engine code Y) and mid-year, they offered the 302 (engine code G). The 360 and 390 are both in the FE family of engines and use identical blocks. They have the same cylinder bore (4.05 inches) and therefore, you can change a 360 into a 390 by swapping the crankshaft, rods and pistons. If you look at the front of the head on the driver side, you will most likely see the number 352. This is common for almost all FE engines (352, 360, 390, 406, 410, 428, not sure if the 427 has it or not though). The dead giveaway for an FE is that the valve covers bolt not only to the head, but to the intake manifold as well. The pushrods pass through the intake manifold, unlike most engines.

The stroke for a 360 is 3.5 inches and the 390 stroke is 3.78

 

Woodflesh, you have yourself a "flare side" model, probably F100. That means 1/2 ton truck. You can request a build sheet from Ford. www.customersaskford.com is where you need to go. Just put in the VIN and submit. It took about a month for mine to come back. It gave me a lot of the original factory equipment descriptions. The flare sides are not as popular, I think, because there aren't many out there. Many of them were used as some sort of fleet or service vehicle, from what I understand. Good luck with it, take your time, and enjoy!

Oh yeah, I have pictures of my flare side in my gallery. It's under construction.

Bryan

 

Woodflesh, Because your truck is a flareside / stepside it is very rare. 1 of 3827 made in 69. If your truck has 8 bolt wheels it is an F250. My stepside is the only 67-72 stepside F250 I've ever seen in person. Keep it, fix it up and watch all those new truck owners drool over it.