I'd just like to say Hi to everyone on this fourm, I hope to make friends here as I will probably refer to you guys for years to come. I am a 19 yr old college student that has a passion for old ford trucks. I am currently in an Automotive technician program at a local college and recently, picked up a 1958 Ford F100 longbed. What Id like to do is basically restore the truck except for a few modifications like the '79 351windsor engine with a C-6 tranny that i just put a shift kit in. My question that I hope you guys cand help with is, where exactly should I/ do I start??....Seeing as I am in college money is a lil tight right now, but I plan on spreading this work out over the years to come. Please post any hints or tips on how to get this truck off to a good start....Here are two pics that will give you a hint for what I am in for lol.

 

Welcome to the forum. I'm building a house, so I know how tight money can be, too. I would suggest getting it runable. Take it for a ride to the end of the driveway, and that'll get ya all giddy. You'll need it when you have it in a zillion pieces and see no end in sight. Secondly, the first thing to do is get proper storage ready,. as you'll have the whole body sitting for awhile, and you don't want to leave it outside, and you don't want to keep moving it all around. Take 100's of pics, document every part, and get a shop manual. Once it's down to the frame, you can take yer time going thru each piece. I expect mine to be in a dedicated garage stall for atleast a couple years. There's more to it, but this forum will get ya by. Good luck.

 

Welcome to this forum and congrats on your project.
That is some excellent advice from havi, I`m sure you get lots more soon.

 

Welcome to the forum.

If it runs, I would recommend not doing anything that would disable your project until you're ready to swap your new engine in and get it back running right away.

If it runs, I would do things like repaint the bumper and grill black and polish off the worst of the rust. By the way, if that has a 292, it probably has the most desirable of the 292 blocks and heads. You might be able to sell them for some of the money you need for the rest of the truck. There are plenty of guys (like me) who are hoarding those 292 parts.

 

Welcome to the board!! I remember the starving college years. I went to college late in life. I started college at 28 with 2 kids and a mortgage adnmanaged to cram my 4 year degree into 7 years. I understand how tight money can be. I worked three jobs and still we lived on beans and rice....lol

First of all, great looking truck. I tlooks like a nice starting point. Are you going to be relying on the truck for your full time transportation? If so then I would do the small things tomake sure its safe and reliable; brakes, ignition components, etc. Drive the thing and let it tell you what it wants to be.
Even if you're not relying on it for daily transport I would get it running and drive it for a bit, as havi mentioned, those few glorious moments of driving it around the block will sure carry you through the rough times when there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

If you are going to be doing a major dissassembly amke sure you bag and tag all the pieces, take lots of pics of everything. You'd be suprised at how much you will forget when you go to put it back together (and it doesn't help if you indulge in the occasional post test beer bash and wipe out all the brain cells......but I wouldn't know anything about that....lol)

Most of all.....enjoy it!
Bobby

 

Welcome to the site well what to do maybe wait a while save some money and drive it then decide what you want to do like just original restoration or do you want to mod it make it a hot rod dragster? daily driver or just cruiser thats what i would just wait and think about it and what not good luck

 

I tend to agree with the above, I have a '56 F350 that I got when I was about 15, started into it and then college came and it sat for 5 years in pieces. Unfortunately it still is and I have moved on to other projects for the time being for a couple of reasons. I'd say if you do anything keep it simple, like small body work or rust protection. Stuff that won't deteriorate over the next 3,4,5 years and won't put you behind financially.

 

The advice is awsome! thanks!

Right now I have it sitting on my cousins farm for the time being. According to the Glove box that engine is the origional 290 (292?) that still runs! Only problem is that the hydraulic tranny does not work. I could start it in gear, but I havnt tested the brakes just yet....

A lil history so far and future plans= The previous owner took out the rotted bench seat and put in two nice Crystler? seats. He also replaced the rear brakes with a drum brake system out of a 1980 F150. He was gona put the '80's disc brakes on too but that truck need em to drive to junk yard. I plan on dropping in my '79 Windsor (rebuilt, bored .060 over with holley 4 barrel 600cfm carb) hooked up to my C-6 w/shift kit. I kno a local place that will make me a custom aluminum drive shaft to bold up to the origional Ford 9'' rear end for cheab so i basically got the drive line planned out. My problem im working on now is how I should go about the tear down.... Id like to eventually keep the truck semi-stock. Only plans are to install a wood bed if i can find someone that makes a kit for a fullsize and not step-side box. and to maybe update the interior slightly....BTW I am willing to sell the 290/tranny thats in it if your in/near my local area....drop me a message at exodus9thil@hotmail.com if your interested. Other than that, keep giving me advice lol I really wanna know what im doing before i do it lol. Thanks again!

 

Must be a 292 well my advice why tear it down if your going to keep it stock unless you have the money ready to redo the body chassis and all that i would maybe just wait and maybe do it all at once why put in the driveline when you can do it all but thats my way of thinking you DONT have to do what i say