Joe its obvious some of these guy's will never understand....

 

As a new guy to this forum I thought that I would add a few coments. I'm trying to keep my Merc as stock as possible but I check out most of the posts and after a quick review opt to read on or go to the next one.
I'm amazed at the work that some of you are putting into your modified trucks ( Wish I had some of your talent !! )
Part of my fun is going to swapmeets and searching for that hard to find part and the great people ( And not so great ) that I can swap stories with.
I've tried to uncover paint under grease to find original colours although it didn't help with my engine paint colour unless Oldsmobile gold with copper coloured heads were factory !?!?
All I can say is I've got originallity questions and glad to see there are some original guys out there that may have some answers.
Thank you all, Greg M-47

 

My thoughts exactly.
Threads like this have no positive contribution for anyone, restorers or custom builders

 

I am new here and I admit, I might be a darksider. But don't open the garage. Or you'll see the 65 mustang with every thing original. Even the 6 cyl. How many guys do you know that kept the 6 cyl in the stang. Ummm, go check out that discussion on allfordmustangs. When we decided on a truck, we already knew it was going to be a custom. But who doesn't customize their new trucks nowadays. And for a street-rodder, the 60-70's trucks just don't do it for me. I like the flattys.

I see these types of comments on every single board I have visited. Someone feeling left out.

 

I haven't been around much because I have been hanging out in the Ford Tractor forum restoring a 1946 2N tractor, 100% stock by the way. I have to say that doing things 100% stock is harder, the parts are harder to come by but it give you a true sense of satisfaction. My 60 effie is mostly stock, with just a few upgrades for safety. I scan the posts when I have time and I agree that most topics lately have been from the darker side, but it seems to move back and forth depending on who is contributing and who is working on what at the time.

Cheer up WmJoe, it like the weather will change again. I understand you stock frustration, but enjoy the mods also.

 

When I was invited to join the site I wasn't told that I must keep my truck in stock condition, and I don't recall anyone critizing me for doing what I'm doing to my panel, other than it should have a Ford powerplant but they didn't mean stock. I belive in all the posts that you have started needing advice you got good input from darksiders and stockers alike and probably got praise from both sides as well and accepted it too. Just go out and kick the dog and cool down. There's room for all of us here and not all of us are fortunate enough to find a complete original, besides the town I live in don't have parades.
John

 

Be careful Joe.....
Others have been kicked off of FTE for starting a thread like this.

My advice, Read what you want and move quickly past the threads you don't care for.

This site has a great deal of useful information. It is a shame to neglect anyone the opportunity to enjoy it.

 

What many of us old timers liked most about this forum during the early years was the respect for other's peoples feelings and view points that was paramount in everyone's posts. The few that couldn't seem to grasp that usually moved on.

Lightsiders or darksiders - we respected each others views and rights.

 

I too have noticed the fewer stock related questions. I haven't written as much as I used to, but read the forum almost daily. I usually don;t open the posts that are about mods and rods. I guess I am pressed for time and only read the ones that interest me and that is OK.

There is nothing we stockers can do about it except for us stockers to post more threads.

I think we can all get along. This thread is much more civil than the one several months ago titled (I think) "Dark side Roll call". That got a little hot and I am sure most of us didn't like the tone.

About Vintage Truck Magazine: I just got my issue in the mail today. It is a cure for more stock stuff. And I hope they keep it that way. That is why about a year ago I wrote to the mag that they should keep it more or less stock.

 

This forum is a great think-tank,and fair with each of our ideas and conceptions of how our trucks could be.
I personally will stay a stock type guy,but have painted many custom jobs in the past and flames and flip-flop and pearls,etc......and I respect the guys that wanted that.

We have to think of each other as the guy next to us at a car show and give the respect each of us want.
I like to buy as many trucks as possible. I like to pull them out of a ole barn or field and collect the stories told to me by the folks that owned them.
To make show trucks out of most of these would be ridiculous,and expensive. I bolt on and paint these trucks up as cheap as possible,and most look fairly decent......if I say so,myself.
Hopefully the stock info and the stock trucks remain pleniful enough for me to find,and I have more fun doing that ,than anything else.
Searching an old field,and vavoom.......a 56 F600 and no-one cut her up.....awesome.

It sucks when you search all over and you find a truck that someone butchered her up and ran out of money or talent to finish,and then think you should hand them top dollar.
I personally also like to meet fellow FTErs and that is a thrill also. I cannot tell you how cool most of you people are,and glad I met you.
Bill

 

OK, now this is getting real boring...

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.......

 

I guess maybe, I could of been more clear with my rant. One, I have nothing against custom trucks. My semi is not even close to stock. My next project will be even farther from stock. My biggest complaint about the current trend, is that whenever newcomers show up for advice, or to ask questions, yeah the first and most important post is always thrown out..."welcome to FTE". The next most important post is most often ignored. As the largest collective archive of older Ford truck information, we have doomed the younger, or newer members to FTE to a selection of custom only choices. The first post most often seen from the veterans, and some supposed experts, is disk brakes and ifs, or go straight to 12 volt, or yard that piece of $#&$ Y block. The most recent activity from most of the 48-60 FTE forum is kind of discouraging, becasue there is no love for these old trucks in stock trim. A member once made a very good comment to me. I can't recall who off the top of my head, or the exact words, but it was something like the future generations will never know the way these things were originally if all that is available is custom information and parts. When a new person jumps on, I always respond first by saying welcome, and then make a simple declaration.....You need to first decide what you want to do with the truck before making decisions based on someone elses opinion. I encourage them to braowse the galleries. Get ideas. See the trucks in stock form, and search for the many beautiful customs that this group of Ford truck enthusiasts have created. I guess it's a little disturbing that right out the gate, it's all about hack, and wack, and get rid of this, or get rid of that. From what I can gather about FTE, that's what this site was intended for. To provide information and insight into all aspects of the Ford truck. To locate all the information we can into one massive organization. It's strayed from that, and has become a site dedicated to one side of the hobby. Again, I have no problems with custom rides...none at all. I guess I just get a little bugged by all the quick to cut it up posting, leaving the custom route the only visible option on FTE. A member shouldn't really have to search outdated archives of posts to find information about what their truck was like when new. BTW, finding stock restoration parts is alot easier than you might think, at least for the half tons.

 

Im usualy not in here but figured id throw my two cents in.

Y blocks and flatties are durable reliable engines that for there time were excelent engines. There was a guy here in my hometown that still hauled cordwood over the cab in a 51 F-2 till about four years ago. He got rid of it why? The heater wasent up to par for a 50 yearold man. Not that it didint have enough performance. He was cold.
The Y is what I have in my 64 F100 and it will drag a frikin 302 around the lot without breaking a sweat. Its like the 300 in my 85. I dont need to have a big engine to outwork you. 300 hp aint squat to 300 ftlbs when your tugin a trailer or starting a load.
Six volt dont have as much punch as 12 volt. If it did why would ford spend the money to re-engineer a simple thing like a starter. Someone here said somthing about a 2N tractor with 6V. Great I would love an 8N, and 6V would work great in it. How do I know? grampas is still 6V and starts fine at -20.
Brake upgrades are wounderful. Anything to improve safety is great. You want to run the risk of sliding through an intersection and tearing your 40+ year old pickup to shreds go for it. Hey, my 64 has lapbelts. I want shoulder harnesses too. I got kids. Think man.

You want an IFS. Go buy a freakin car. its a truck from the 50s. They ride like a lumber wagon. Face it. I do. I want a softer ride? They made lighter rate springs. I swap my 1300 pounders in the front for the 1100 pounders, throw a set of "caddie" shocks in and repeat in the back. Holy moly the ride just got soft.

You know what, I'm going to shutup and take the branches in the bed to the tree yard. Then I will spin the tires and wrap her up to 55 and cruise.

 

This thread has generated much discussion. I've been hanging around at FTE for more than 10 years. My 54 F250 was the first Ford I started working on. When I got it in '95 it would run but that was about all. The engine was shot and was not original to the truck. If it had been a decent original or had been "grandpa's" old truck I would have probably restored it. Given it's condition, I modded it to suit my needs.

Early '50's trucks were designed to work and drive on unimproved roads at 40-50 mph. On today's roads and speeds they really need some changes to be able to keep up with traffic if you drive distances and often.

I would keep a decent "survivor" as it is and avoid changes. My truck was just not a good candidate for that. I have a 64 Tbird that is in decent shape and have no plans to mod it. I like the mix of views and everything from stock to wild that we see in this forum.

 

I've tried to stay away from this post but I can not any longer.

Lets think back to the "old days" of FTE. We used to make fun of "girly" 302's, cheap a$$ grant steering wheels, Dewayne (fenders) as he was always repainting his truck every week it seemed like! Oh yes and 4speed was 12yrs old and knew more about trucks, then most of us will EVER know! Life on FTE was great then and its still good just a little different these days

someone stated "you seen one stocker youve seen them all"

They are not "all the same" I love to see one with a stock radio, or see clear windshield washer setup, or the cattle guard, then theres the different transmissions like overdrive or a fordo, BIGWINDOW OPTIONS sure made a difference and they had quite a bit of dress up trim. then theres the dealer installed accessories like tow hooks, or different heaters

I guess I go a little deeper into the stocker side than most and have brain washed 4speed along the way.

We get excited to find a original truck with the factory crayon markings on the firewall, look to see how wires were run, color of clips, types of fasteners used, the way they wired the hood hinge bolts, color of engine components.

Sometimes the only thing we have to go on is a color factory picture.

I do as I please, so I wish everyone to do as they please. This is what makes the world go round.

The only good to come of the heavy customizing is pretty soon I'll have the only stocker left! LOL

I'm not much help to the darksiders, but if there is ever anyway I can ever help, I'm just an email away.

Kevin Bigwin