I've been looking at newer fords, but may have found an 59 and, lets face it, the older, the better looking. However, I live in the frigid north. What advice do you have?

-s

 

Move to Arizona?

 

Make sure she is mechanically sound, buy a new battery, a block heater in the lower radiator hose? (how cold is it there?) Clean carb and good working choke. In my experience (I drive a 56 every day) unless it is mechancally rebuilt and updated to a large degree, one should expect some mechanical problems now and then, factors like rain, snow, exrteme sun, stress things more. For me its part of the experience of driving old vehicles daily.

 

No defroster, right?

 

My stock 56 has a fine defroster, a 59 should have one. (anyone have a 59' folks?) I did convert to an electric fan, having a fan blowing on a cold engine in the AM made engine warm-up very slow, and heat and defrost only happens with a warm engine!

 

My 56 has a defroster. No clue if yours would or not. My haeter was all taken apart and cleaned up. It has a 2 speed fan and everything works. There is a pic in one of my galleries of the interior where the heater is.

 

Brian_b, after you rebuilt the heater, is it very loud? Mine works great, but its so loud I cant hear the engine!! (sounds like old bushings, I have not got to it yet..)

 

I did not do it. It was done when I bought the truck. It looks very nice and everything works smoothly. So far, everything on the truck is like that (other than the carb-which I was told before the purchase).

As far as heater noise....unfortunately your asking the wrong guy. The heater seems really quiet and smooth to me.

I am actually deaf. I have a cochlear implant and can hear ok in a quiet environment (like the classroom), but the old truck is very noisy (to me). It is all just noise to me when I am driving it. Everything blends in together.

I hate loud exhausts, rattles, squeaks, bangs, etc.

I doubt you (or anyone) notices, but it does not have an antenna or a radio of any kind.

 

Also, give some thought to the brakes. Your 59 (I have one) is drum, with no self-adjusters. If you drive on ice and the brakes are not adjusted correctly one wheel can lock up before the others.

These trucks performed well in their day under harsh conditions - but the drivers were used to them. They are not as "user friendly" as the new ones, and need to be driven with care.

 

I have a '60, and the defroster works great. I drive my truck every day, year 'round, with stock equipment.

 

I have a 58 and the defroster works good for all the PA weather we get.

 

Its fairly easy to upgrade the brake sto hae the self adjusters. I just did it on my 9" that came out of a 1960 F-100. Just by the self adjuster kit and spring kit for a 1966 and later 9".

As with any older vehicle, they take a little more driver involvement to drive, thats the charm. The newer vehicles have taken all the thought out of everything.

Good luck with it,
Bobby

 

I live in the frigid north too and I would not think of putting my 48 in the ice, snow, and salt. I have too much work in it to see it eaten up with salt or have it slide off into a ditch on the ice. My advice is either move south or plan on using your truck only during the fair weather portion of the year like I will do (from about May 1st to about Nov 15th here)...

Vern

 

Has anyone insulated the floor or headliner area of your truck? My daily driver is not, but I did my 65, can't seem to tell the difference, will be building a 59 this spring for daily use, also we don't really have a tough winter in my neck of the woods; to tell the difference.

Mitch

 

I used my 60 as a daily driver for two years in high school (its now under reconstruction 15 years later) the only things I would recommend would be a disk brake conversion, and a pertronix ignition. Mine was hell to start in rain. Winter driving in wisconsin was fine, and defrost worked good once the truck warmed up.