First Truck - 59 F100
 

I have been restoring and driving old Mustangs for years. When my wife wrecked her Honda Hybrid, she told me she wanted an old truck. After 3 months searching, we found a 59 that she fell in love with. It has a Chevy 350 and tranny which luckily was a piece of junk so I will replace it with a Ford drive train. Working on a action plan now and open for suggestions on getting it ready to be a driver for my wife.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...4f9301fd53.jpg

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...96a6c6f39b.jpg

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...3bf1da6065.jpg

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...8d1ff22710.jpg

Nice looking truck. Someone has done a lot of work. By the way, your '59 has a '60 hood, but in my opinon improves the look.

What are you after for drive train. There is room for just about anything. There are guys here with the original setup, carburated 302's etc... and fuel injected stuff. Some folks that are quite unique and who do not live on the mainland, have even put Diesel power in them.

Very glad you do not want to run the C***y engine and tranny, that's just wrong.

Too funny I just commented on it on facebook, very nice truck. I have the same dolphin gauges in my 64F100. Thanks for Sharing.

D

Looking at a nice carburated 302 with a small block C6 right now, I would prefer a 351W for more torque but have not found a good one yet. Also want to have pwer steering and power disk breakes to make it more driveable for my wife.

I am lucky to have a wife that like old iron!

Thats a super nice looking truck. Be sure to disinfect it really well after removing the Cheevie motor. I hope your wife gets years of enjoyment out of it..

Nice!

Yes even if you are not safe at least be sanitary.LOL

Great looking truck, welcome to the forum!

Very nice truck welcome home.

Sounds like it will be a daily driver. I agree with the PS and PB. I would take it one step more to IFS. It will be a much more mannerly driver. You and she will like it a lot more. As long as we are saying things. Cruise and power locks and windows. All the comforts of home.

Not sure how much your budget is but if it were me I would probably do a new 5.0L with a t-56 transmission, Crown vic swap for great steering and brakes and then a IRS setup from a cougar or T-bird.

D

Got a good deal on a crate 5.0L but will use a carburetor with it. I think I have a line on a small block C6. Plans are to start Monday with the front end tear down.

Is there a market for the stock suspension parts I am removing or should they go into the scrap bin?

I need a front axle, where are you located? I also like your hubcaps...

North of Dallas in Allen.

Welcome to FTE

"Outie" hubcaps with red background are from a 1958 Ford Passenger Car/Ranchero.

A similar "outie" hubcap was used on 1957 & 1959 Ford Passenger Cars/Ranchero's, but it has a white background.

The original 15" wheels have been changed, as 1955/64 F100's and some 1965/66 F100's have "Innie" wheels/hubcaps.

Outie: So called because the hubcap snaps over tabs located on the outside of the wheels center section.

Innie: So called because the hubcap snaps over tabs located on the inside of the wheels center section.

The 15" trim rings with the red painted 'ribs' were originally installed on 1940/48 Merc Passenger Cars. There's also a 16" version installed on 1940/48 Ford Passenger Cars.

Both are repro'd, so it's possible to see them on trucks.

My question is, where did you find your wife? Mine won't go near my truck.

Looks like you cannot get PMs yet-but I am interested in front end parts if you are willing to ship (I would pay frt of course)

Joe

Damn. I wish I was closer. I'm in NJ and have a '57 that's my tinker toy as I finish my '66 Mustang. My daughter wants the truck.

New roller 302 has arrived https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...dba3ca95e7.jpg

Hood off, inner fender out, and battery tray removed. Hope to get the engine out this weekend but we will also have company.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...eb28bbc6ef.jpg

Will be a much better truck when that Shoverolet boat anchor is yanked!

You are lucky to have a wife that wants to drive such a thing. Is that her with the camera? Then you are double lucky. Yeah, some island guys have put a diesel in these things, but girls don't always like the loud, smokey stuff. More than anything else, just make it so she loves to drive it. As long as it isn't a GM drivetrain, that is....

Thanks, That is my wife, next month it will me 33 years of marriage.

Only think I got done this weekend for the truck was buy Ford Red engine paint.

I am wondering how do I keep the stock wheels with the Crown Vic front end?

Your biggest challenge maybe be width, I used a set of these to go the opposite way. They're a great product and worked well, my 64 is on a 75 f-150 frame so I swapped mine from 5X5.5 to 5X4.5 and installed a mustang rim from american muscle.

Wheel Adapters (Pair): 5 X 4.50 to 5 X 5.50


D

Getting ready the 302 Roller block, painted Ford Engine Red. The valve covers and intake are just setting on it. I going to bead blast the intake tonight.https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...c47ae6c1c8.jpg

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...3b5552b587.jpg

Chevy motor is out and the front suspension is off
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...d3bb8f474a.jpg

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...5e9bca5ada.jpg

Looking good, wish I was there to help. Love these old trucks.

It has been awhile and there was not any progress with the shop at installing the CV Front. I told them to keep the stock suspension and lets get the engine and transmission installed. The 302 was installed last night, now we need to get everything hooked up.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...488fb06fd9.jpg


I will do the CV install later, I just want to be able to drive the truck now.

The undercarriage - 302 with a small block C6 are in
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...e3c5aa0b65.jpg
Transmission cooler installed
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...1e69fb30c8.jpg

Electric fan installedhttps://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...8d7939288b.jpg

Well it is home now. Starting a list of how to make it more wife friendly. The brakes are way to hard the the steering is hard to turn.


I just noticed that there are not any defroster vents. How do y'all keep the windshield clear in cold/freezing weather?

A properly serviced manual steering isn't bad, except when parallel parking. One of the first things to get to go along with an old truck is a grease gun - lube the king pins, tie rods, drag link, etc. Make sure the steering box is topped off with lube, and keep the tires inflated up. Three or four pounds short makes a BIG difference in steering effort. When making a turn, the wheel should return to center without effort.

It's a good idea to jack up the front safely and check for wheel bearing play, excessive slop in the linkage, binding in the steering box, etc. Can move wheels lock to lock smoothly, etc.

Brakes are kind of the same deal. They work just fine if they get a little (sometimes a lot) attention, if not, not. Ford had good brakes in their trucks.

I have an IDIDIT tilt column in the truck now. What adapter do I need to get the original steering wheel mounted. I think the larger diameter wheel will help with the steering.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...dc43340359.jpg

Are you talking about the under dash pieces that the hoses connect to and direct the air through the dash openings? If so, they were made from some kind of cardboard/fiber type material and most are missing more partially destroyed. We have a member here who started reproducing them but I can't remember who it was, some one will or try the search function.

Here ya go https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...st-vents.html#
Not sure how to adapt original wheel to your steering column. Do you still have the original steering gearbox, and how is the Ididit connected to it.
I know you had planned on a CV front end but may be very surprised at how nice the front end works and steers by just replacing the spring end bushings, drag-link and tie-rod ends and king pins! Disk brake kits for these solid axles are easily done also.:-blah:-blah

Great Looking Styleside!!!!!
Vermillion, is always a great looking colour for our Orphan Years Trucks
You can Never go Wrong w/ going back to the Original Set-Up engine wise, especially if it happens to be a 223 I6 & a Ford-O-Matic. They get Excellent Petrol Mileage, I have gotten up 32 MPG & if you wish a tick more Umph, you can always attache a Supercharger to it.
The 223's are easy to find & parts are inexpensive comparatively to modern zombie build v-8s.

Cheers
Colonel Flashman

Julie drove the truck for an extended drive today (first time). Says the steering needs to be fixed first.

I need to figure out a way to to put the stock 18" wheel or another of the same size on the IDIDIT column. The column is the 30" universal column.

The oil pressure is around 50 to 60 psi when driving, but goes down to 20 when idling at a stop. Need to see if that is normal for the 302.

She also said it pulls to the right.

Overall she was a real happy driver today.

Took the 59 on it's first road trip last weekend, 130 miles to the farm. It starting having a hard downshift from 2nd to 1st (C6 auto). It got worst on the way back home. Less that 100' from my driveway, it stopped working in Drive. Was able to coax it in to the driveway in low. It is now back at the transmission shop. Glad it is under warranty.

LOVE the 1957-59 car hubcaps on it, but not the gauges. Sorry but I'm just a total purist when it comes to the dash. And the Custom cab steering wheels are awesome!! The former owner committed total blasphemy stuffing a Chevy 350 in it (the reason I get disgusted with the hobby these days) so so glad you undid the damage. Hey how about a set of wider whitewalls some day?

Thanks,

I like the original steering wheel also. I need to find a way to mount the steering wheel onto the IDIDIT tilt column but have not found a way yet. There is not an adapter for this that I have found.

I would also like big white walls but the tires were close to new and for now, I will put the money on more important things.

Life has keep me from the truck. Had to get the drive shaft lengthened. Last night I got the turn signals wired in to the IDIDIT column.

Hope to replace the door locks this week also.

We did this on a Nash, by drilling the steel hub in the stock wheel, then machining down a steel hub from a junk GM (early design) steering wheel to tightly fit inside that drilled hole.

Hot/cold fitment worked for us, with some 'persuading' but I have heard others made a mechanical 'lock' with set screws right in the junction of old/new hubs. The horn setup can get interesting, but is solvable.

BTW, that huge wheel IS power steering!
:-drink