If you think it is hard to diagnose when the problem is right in front of you, try doing it from 1000 miles away. I cannot see, nor hear nor feel the symptoms, and am able only to surmise from your reports. When they contradict or report confusing symptoms, it confuses me, too. We are only human.

You may now know why it was so cheap, no? Did you ever hear it run?
My brothers and I had a 1963 Thunderbird convertible with a 390. Leaked oil out the rear main whenever it was running. The guy at the SMOG check shop said "don't ever bring that thing back here.." after it left a puddle on his shop floor. It had a spun rear main bearing, but you would not have known it from the way it ran. Started fine, idled fine, and went down the road without problem. Pulled the rear main cap to fix the seal, and found the insert spun. It could have locked up at any time, I guess.
It is sometimes better to be far away as the facts sort of "filter through" all of the reports...
tom

 

The guy actually told me from the beginning that it wasn't running, and that he suspected the motor was toast. No big deal really though, like I said, I bought the whole truck for $450, versus the salvage yard which wanted $350 just for the fender, bumper, grill and blinker. I figure this way, I should atleast be able to get a couple hundred out of it.

I'm mainly just tinkering with this one while I am waiting to straighten the frame on my wife's truck. Sigh... that truck was the only nice truck I ever had... and I gave it to her. Oh-well, such is life.

Stan