Thanks for info Stu. I'm sure all the angles have already been worked by the more experienced crowd and I am forcing you to repeat yourself. I do greatly appreciate you and everyone taking the time. On another note, I have noticed, as I get older I repeat myself a lot more - the nice thing being I am always amazed at what I have to say. On another note, I have noticed, as I get older I repeat myself a lot more - the nice thing being I am always amazed at what I have to say.

 

Say what?

 

Stu, I was complimenting you on taking the time to answer questions you have likely answered many many times before.

the rest of it was a joke....obviously not the best quality.

 

No, I understood. I was just playing along. Stu

 

Ok, latest update:

Got the truck last week - part of negotiation was to have it delivered from Oklahoma - half the wood bed was gone (the truck driver said they removed part of it before putting on trailer but I have a feeling there may be some dry rotted oak strewn from OK to Tx along hiway 69 - just a warning if you're traveling that direction.)

First order of business - rather than take pics as planned to document the process of all work done to the truck, as soon as it was unloaded I grabbed the crowbar and started in on removing the rest of the bed - the crowbar ended up replaced with a chainsaw and boltcutters. The rest of the truck got a complete wd-40 of every bolt as well as all the wasp nests, crumbling mats and interior rat droppings removed.

Good news:

The cab/fenders/hood is as good as I was expecting upon further inspection.
The frame has minimal rust/separation on the 2 part section and everything looks straight.
All the grease fittings took grease willingly
The tires have continued to hold air
The doors fit very well and after liberal application of wd-40 into the doors, the latches work great.
The drivers window works great.
The cowl vent works great.
The hood was having problems closing but after some minor adjustment got it to close and latch decently.
The gas tank appears fairly clean
The oil looked reasonably fresh
Clutch feels good - trans will at least move to all gears - of course, never know until you get them under power.
With the wood bed off, the dump components look in good shape....but also untested.
The truck as a whole looks very complete and not butchered or messed with. I like vehicles that are WYSIWYG.

The not-so-good:

#1 - while the outter rear rims are goodyears, the rear inners and fronts are WM's. grrrrr. I need to develop a game plan.
No brakes - haven't investigated to see how far I will need to go to get them functional. The parking brake works fine.
Need WS and back glass and all seals. The passengers window is a bit "notchy"
Although I adjusted the hood, the rear hinges seem to have a bit of play in them.
Both exhaust manifolds appear to be cracked.
No heater which doesn't seem like a big deal given it's summer in Tx.


Other:

While I don't have the extra plumbing, the vacuum booster, the "info plate" on the dash or a switch for the 2 speed rear, the rear does have the lever on it and has a spring attached going to the diff. ?
Under the now-gone bed, is a tail/stoplight that appears "old" - about 5" dia and has "stop" in the lens. Don't believe original but kind of neat.
The original color was blue.
I am expecting to find a few more wasp nests and rat turds.
Ok, now you know it doesn't take a whole lot for me to find things interesting.


Next step:

See if I can get her to fire off - need battery. Not sure condition of motor although everything is there and appears to have recent (?) plugs, carb is clean, wires look good.
Question - what is the procedure for starting? lol. turn the key on then use the button on the left of the dash? (red faced).

 

TG~
Sounds good, look forward to some pics of your project. And assuming no one has revised the wiring or ignition switch, the starting procedure you mentioned is correct. And you might add in trying to cross your fingers while pushing the button.

 

thanks rb - much appreciated. yes, I'll add pics - worth a thousand words.

the crossed fingers are always a given......however, I need to ensure they do not interfere with quick access to the fire extinguisher.

ok, now that I have been reading up on wheels, everywhere I look I have to see what various trucks/rvs are running. I even checked out a baby carriage yesterday during a walmart drive-thru. I saw a couple of mid 60's ford trucks over the weekend with the 5 bolt pattern. I stopped and inquired about a 65 ford winch truck in the weeds of a pasture - 5 bolt, sure looked like WM's. Did WM's go into the 60's?

 

The manufacturers, under threat of a recall, agreed to stop selling them in 1972. Budd did stop. At least that's the last catalog that I have that lists them. K-H was still selling replacement side rings (the part that can blow off and kill you) in 1976 per my catalogs. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety they were still selling them in 1977. So much for keeping your word. When you look at the 60s/70s era trucks you'll also have to watch for them being hub piloted. They won't work on your truck. Stu