So here is the story. I get a call from my father about a neighbor's property. He tells me there are 4 cars buried in the woods of her land that her brother was given 25 years ago and they have just sat there. Her brother passed away about 18 months ago and she is trying to get her property cleaned up. She wants to sell them (or scrap them if they are worthless) but has no titles and needed info on titling them. I told her it is possible but make sure they are worth getting titles for. So I show up and there are 4 vehicles I am digging towards. I am told a late 60's oldsmobile, a 50's nash something or other, a late 40's ford truck, and a mid 80's econoline box truck.

I am immediately interested in the oldsmobile, as to the chance it might be a 442. I start to dig through the brush towards it and find that it is a 69 oldsmobile cutlass s. I cut away some brush to find that it is in pretty rough shape (I mean really, its been in the brush for 25 years). A tree has grown up along the passenger quarter, pushing it over on the driver side, and looks like it has broken the driver side spring. But is is almost complete, and has an engine in it (could not tell what engine as the hood latch was rusted solid).

Next to it was the Nash. It is what I believe to be either a 50 or a 51 Nash Airflyte. It is in similar shape to the olds, but the rear window was busted and the interior got the worst of the damage. It also had an engine in it, but again, I could not tell which one.

Last was the ford truck. Here is what the truck looked like from where I stood looking into the brush.





I got back to it and saw how rusted it was, and thought man what a pile. But I took note of the hood trim so I could identify what model it was (not really a ford guy myself) when I get home. I saw the V8 emblem on it, so I am thinking well at least it has a flathead V8 that is worth a little. So my dad and I go back home and eat lunch while I look up the info I could on it. I deduced that it is a 51 F4 truck, and that it may be worth something as there were a lot of rusty ones for sale for a bit, but not near this rusty. After lunch we go back over with a chainsaw and my camera so I can get some pics to post up here and maybe get an opinion if it is worth getting a title for or if we should just tow it to the scrap yard.

We start cleaning the brush around it and find some interesting growth.





The more we clear the more we see how rough of shape it is in. The windshield was busted and animals had made house of the bench seat, including a bathroom.






I found what I believe to be the VIN tag for it in the glove box.





Then I found what saddened me a little. There was a cylinder head on the driver floor board. Which meant either it came with an extra cylinder head, or that there was one missing from the engine that is in the car. Finally got the hood popped and shot some pics from inside the engine compartment and saw that one head was off.






So here are the rest of the pics. Just kinda wondering if this vehicle is worth anything more than pulling off the trim pieces and a few parts here and there, then off to scrap. Any advice would be very helpful on this thing.








Thanks

 

That's scrap. Things to grab off it:
-- hood trim (SS)
-- front bumper (if straight)
-- ashtray
-- radio delete plate or radio
-- door handles, inside and out
-- windshield wiper assembly (is it electric?)

 

Stay out of the way of the wheels, especially the outer rear wheels. Look up "widowmakers."

 

That looks like a complete ford script stake bed with all the sides and hardware? That could be worth saving too if its not in too bad of shape. Especially if its a 9' one. Do you have any pictures of it.

Grill or grill teeth if not rusted through.

 

I had the feeling this was the case. Is any of the other glass on the thing worth anything at all? The side and rear windows are all in decent shape, and I figure glass is harder to come by on these old trucks. Also the

It did have the wiper arms on it, did not look to see if it was electric or what have you as the driver door would not open. As for the radio it looked like it was missing, and not really sure about the ash tray.

Just did, good info to know, although I would bet that the two pieces are either rusted through or together, we will probably be pulling this thing out with a backhoe and put it right on a trailer.

It is a 9' stake bed, I do not know if the hardware and frame on it is any good. I know the under frame of the truck looked solid, but then again it is probably 1/4 inch steel we are talking about so how long would it take that to rust through. I can get some pics at a later date. The bed is however full of trash, like a toilet, a refrigerator, a bike, and more scrap metal.

The grill teeth I do not believe are rusted through.


Also are any of the engine parts worth keeping? I mean the heads could be cleaned up I am sure, but are they worth anything more than scrap metal?

 

There is always a market for engine parts, but pretty much everything except the block itself is still available (for a price). If it were me (and I had the time), I'd yank the engine, put it on blocks , fill it completely full of used oil, and forget about it until somebody came along needing it. Put a 7/8" socket on the crank pulley bolt and see if it's stuck.

One other thought is the brake drums (which are apparently not reproduced nowadays), BUT that gets you into the business of dealing with those widow maker wheels........ But no matter what you do with it, DO NOT try to re-inflate those tires, even if you're just wanting to get it up on a trailer or something.

 

Man, you are the optimist! Maybe it has a Merc crank too?!

The doors actually look solid and straight, too.

 

If it is a nine foot script bed, I know of at least one respected member on here needing it. Condition of the frame will depend on how much salt it has been exposed to and for how long. Examine the steel cross members nearest the wheels. Easily repairable unless very bad. The prize is the Ford script, centered in the rear cross member. Depending on what area of OH you're located, there will possibly be an interest by a couple folks who may want parts of the truck.

 

It depends on how much work you want to do. The doors are hard to get off, but they may be worth saving if the bottoms aren't rusted out. Even the glove box door, if it has a heater, ash tray, and maybe the gauges if they aren't rusty. The "script" bed is one that has FORD in Henry's cursive on the back edge - meaning it is the factory bed and makes it worth saving. They are hard to find so it would be good, and if it is save all the hardware on the bed sides when getting rid of rotten wood. Even the hood with some rust is worth saving if it is straight, and of course all the SS trim. The cab probably has rusted out corners and the running boards probably are too - if they aren't they would also be worth saving. Good luck with getting it out and apart!

 

I see, I think I will try to pull the engine and maybe acid bath it to get it to turn over. I figure the block being the only valued part I just need to get the pistons loose out of it. Hopefully the block has no cracks in it.

I do appreciate the input on the wheels. I would have tried to pump up the tires if they were flat. However it seems that they are just buried in mud. Either way I will keep aware of them.

I think the doors are pretty rusty, the passenger door does not latch, and I could not get the driver door open. But they both sounded solid.


I know for a fact it has not seen any salt since 1988. Since that is when it was parked in its current location. Before that, who knows. I did not get behind the truck to see if there was a script back there, but it was for sure a stake bed. I am sure it is 9 foot, because it looked just a hair longer than the 8 foot bed on my uncles 150. The crazy part was the side wood on the bed felt solid, which I was very confused by. I am located in Dayton, OH if anyone would be considering logistics.

I think it has a heater, because I found the heating ducts falling apart from under the dash. No clue on the gauges or ash tray, the gauges were there, but that doesn't mean anything. The step outside the doors were pretty rusted through, did not see any evidence in the truck though, will have to get it out first. I will stop by in the next week and find out about the script and frame of the bed.



Another note, we found what is left of a 17-19foot Chris-Craft wood boat. Apparently the engine for which is somewhere in the barn. Such a shame too, as the boat is nothing more than dry rotted boards and a steering shaft. Hopefully the engine is doing better in the barn, that could fetch a penny or two.

 

If it's nearby Northeastern MN, I'd be interested in the whole thing.

nevermind, I see you're in OH.

But I'll take the bare frame if you're ambitious!

 

LOL. I'm trying to have a more positive attitude about life nowadays.

 

A positive attitude about life is a great attribute for a doctor!

 

I wouldn't be too concerned about getting it titled. But it does appear that there's plenty of parts to salvage and sell. It would be worth pulling it out of the brush and parting it out.

 

Do you have snakes in OH?! cuz that has "snake pit" written all over it (in addition to "wasp heaven" and "brown recluse hotel"...)