I have been reading along this forum for quite some time. In August, I plan on taking some time off of work, and spending some quality time with my 55 F-100 (and my kids, as they are just as excited about working on it as I am).

Where do you all recommend I start? This truck is a decent California truck with a blown original 6 popper. My thought is I better strip the body off and start cleaning and painting a frame, along with a rebuild of the front and rear end.

My end goal is a mild restoration using the stock suspension and an original, or straight 6.

All advice is appreciated.

 

Two other questions. How much time are you taking off and what do you want to accomplish during that time? How soon would you like to be able to drive the truck again? 1 month, 1 year, 10 years? My own experience has been that things take a lot longer to do and cost more money than I planned on. I call it the two thirds rule. It will cost me twice as much and take three times longer than I planned on. Having said that, as an example, if you have a couple of weeks to work on it full time, you could get a lot disasembled and begin the rebuild on selected components. That also means that it may take quite sometime before the truck is drivable again. Others here are probably better than me at estimating how long it takes to get stuff done. I have worked on my truck in stages over the last 4-5 years without taking it all apart. I have done that so that when one thing is rebuilt or upgraded, I can drive the truck for a while until I tackle something else. Unfortunately, I'm at the point where I need to really put it in the garage and tear it apart to do body work and prep so it can eventually be painted. Good luck and what a great project with the kids.

Del

 

Steve,

Del made a bunch of good points. For every hour you spend now thinking about what you really want to do with your truck when you're done, you'll save 10 hours of fooling around during the project. Sounds like you've given the truck some thought, but a review of what's possible and imagining what you'll enjoy doing with the truck never hurts.

Another thing is that different folks work at different speeds. For an example of the 10-year plan, check out the link to Earl's World in my signature block below. There are guys and gals on this forum that could have completed what I've done with Earl in one-tenth the time or less.

Third, what skills/tools/budget do you have at your disposal? If you really want to do a thorough restoration or custom, plan on spending at least $10,000, and probably more like $20,000. A good running truck can be done for a lot less, depending on what you need to have as far as features (A/C, PS, PB, etc.).
As Del said, one school of thought is to do things one at a time. There comes a time, however, where it gets really hard to keep it on the road while still making progress in the project. If you are sure you can stick with it, take the plunge and rebuild from the ground up. Start with the frame, then the axles and suspension, then the brakes, then the engine and transmission, then the cab and electrical system, and finally the rest of the sheet metal.

Have fun, sounds like having some help from the kids will make it a family project.

 

I too am just starting my project. Also a 55' F100 that has been in my family for 35 years. However I dont have the luxury of time off to work on the 55'. (just bought a house too) I am doing a mixture of work to it right now. I am doing body work here and there and trying to get the 292 V-8 back to a runnable cruiser. Eventually hopefully at the end of the year I am going to get a 351c crate motor and new transmission installed. Then the following year I plan on getting a new chassis with IFS suspention, and power brakes. From there I hope to dissasemble the whole thing for final body and paint. Going to go with a "candy root beer brown" I have kind of put a 2 year time limit on the "project" but I'm sure thats what everybody plans on, and then 5-10 years later I'll probablt still be at it. Ha Ha Ha ! Anyways good luck and get back to Me I'm in So. Cal. maybe we're close and could swap and trade tips and tech stuff.

 

Steve...

here's a quick formula for calculating time needed to restore a truck (regardless of the level of restoration) this is extremely accurate independent of the task whether you're rebuilding an engine or washing the wheels...

#1. Carefully research the project and list all steps involved.
#2. Estimate the amount of time each step will take
#3. Add these estimates together for a total.
#4. Double... no wait... Triple this amount.
#5. Multiply this number by 2.753.

The answer to this will be approximately 1/2 the amount of time you will need.
'course I've only been in this project for 10 years and my factors might be off a little...

The same formula will work just as accurately for money... just substitute dollars for hours (or minutes) and there you go.

One caveat... on calculating money... if you subscribe to or read truck magazines and are drawn to the ad pages with shiny stuff ??? use 10.753 as the function in #5.

Seriously.... your 'starting point' and sequence as mentioned by the others will depend on your end goal and if you want to use the truck as you work on it.. I drug mine home in 1995 and it's accumulated probably 100 miles... rolling 25 feet in and out of the garage at a time...... it's not a pretty picture right now

later
john

you might get some insight from this article I wrote a long time ago... when I thought I knew something

http://jniolon.clubfte.com/Trialsofa...mebuilder.html

 

John, that is TOO funny! (and too true!) I printed out a copy to post by my bill figuring spot (also known as my crying corner) I've had my 54 about 6 months now and have managed to open and close the tail gate. I chose that as a starting point due to the low cost involved.

 

If you have a digital camera, take lots of close up pictures of how things looked BEFORE you dismantle them. When you finally go to put them back together, those pictures will be a godsend. Especially things like the brake shoes, etc.

 

John and Ferggy are right on here. I would only add another couple of suggestions:

KEEP, bag and or label everything! Use a Sharpie so the writing is permanent. An example--I have spent countless hours fiddling with cage nuts. Had I marked everything I would know the threadcount on the cagenuts holding the gas tank in the stock location for new stainless fastners. Henry LOVED cagenuts--at least in "48. 57 years of dirt and grime, several coats of epoxy primer, color and clearcoat and any semblance of threads quickly becomes a guessing game.

Augment digital stills with video if possible. Kids could really help here.

Buy the shop manuals. When all else fails read the instructions!

Come back to this site often for questions and guidance. Collectively, this group is the best resource for restorations or modernization on the net. Price is right too!

Best of luck and welcome aboard.

Tim

 

I concur on the pictures thing. When I started on my truck I didn't have a digital camera, but I still took lots of 35mm photos and had them developed so later I could see how things went back together. Also, I is fun to document the disassembly and re-building of stuff. I still grin when I see the picture of me standing by the truck when I first got the motor in. Of course it still had to go in and out a couple of times to get brackets right and stuff hooked up. Also, I used a donor car for the engine and tranny. I also took lots of pictures of it during disassembly to show where stuff should go in the truck. Just keep at it.

Del

 

Had my 56 for a short while and after driving it for a afew months took it apart to do the cab mounts and floor which are done. Wish that I had driven it longer before taking it apart as it will be quite a while before it is back on the road again. Too many other things happening before I can get back to it. Poor planning on my part but I guess that it will get done sooner this way.

 

I was in the same position when I started. I wasn't sure where to begin. I started at the engine and took it apart making improvements such as cam, headwork and a gear drive. Once I got into the engine, I found the fuel, transmission lines needed replacing along with the wiring in the engine compartment and 3 inches of grease and grime. Figuring the engine and compartment was looking good, I decided to tackle the wiring and interior (which basically had none) Again, I found the heater needed repair and the previous owner really put things together with bailing wire, and the gas tank was in sad shape, etc. Then I went to the brakes and did a conversion to disc brakes. Getting into this task I really discovered major problems that needed addressing like trying to slide underneath my truck to clean and install new brake lines. Basically, I think if I were to do it again and I knew how much work I had to do on my truck, I would have removed the body and started with the frame. It's so much easier to do it this way and you can really do a better job. I would do the frame, suspension, brake lines. Then the engine. The put the body back and go from there. My problem is patience. I don't have any... I get real upset when the truck sits on jackstands and I can't go for a drive or it appears there's no end to repairs popping up. But I do love working on my truck and sitting back and seeing the final results. It pays off in the end. As I always say, the guys in here are the best and I go to them for advice on just about every project.

 

One thing I try to do. Whether I'm out in the garage for 8 hours or only 1. Set a goal for that time. Just something you would like to complete while yuo're out there. Usually doesn't work too bad for me. I hope to be on the raod in 2 months. Not done but at least on the road.


Later,Bill

 

Everyone told me it would taqke 2-5 years...I figured with my desire and will I'd be done in 2 years... It took me 8 years to be on the road this time last year and I don't mean with a finished interior or A/C!

But now, being able to drive it makes so much fun...for kids as well!!!

You really need to be realistic about how much time all your other commitments, like camping trips, dance recitals, littel league baseball, anniversaries etc... It was all the other family stuff that so important that stretched the time lines...that and waiting for parts, knowledge, or work arounds!

my 2cents: do a bit at a time until you get to that threshold where it has to come off in order to complete...it ALWAYS takes Longer & more $$$.

GW

 

THis is a great amount of information! The article was great, and reminds me of one from Classic Trucks a year or so back.

I figure I will pull off the front sheet metal and yank the bad motor out. Then I will start wire brushing the frame for painting and fix the front end. The plan is to pick an area and finish it, then move to the next area.

I have not set time limit, as the kids are young yet, and cannot do much to help. My goal is to have it done before the kids go to college (7 or so years from now) so we can enjoy it together. This is a learning tool, as well as a hobby project.

My dad and I once started in on a 55 Chevy that he inherited. We tore it down to the cab and frame, then it ended up in the barn for 20 years, only to be sold. The lesson there was: don't take it apart just to take it apart. That's what they have old lawn movers for, right?

THanks.

 

If you can find a shop to sandblast the frame it would be alot quicker as I found that wire brushing is very time consuming, a dirty mess and isn`t very thorough. I had my 56 frame sanblasted at a pro shop even though I have a small sandblaster as it was only $150 to have it done. I sandblasted my cab as it was easier to do it at home than to take it to the pro shop.