av8
10-02-2003, 01:02 AM
I'm finally getting to spend some time with my new F-1 after a bout of stomach flu stole a few days from me, and I'm loving this old puppy more and more!
The 8BA is a sweet runner, and dead smooth -- just as it should be for 21K miles. It's surprising how eagerly the little 239-incher accelerates the 3200-pound pickup up to highway speed. The rear axle ratio is 3.92:1 but the rear tires are a tallish 29.5-inch light truck radial installed by the previous owner. Compare that to about 27-inch diameter for the original 6.00 x 16 and it works out to an effective increase of final-drive ratio to something in the mid 3's -- an all-around nice compromise of acceleration and cruise. It gets to Interstate speed quickly and runs there without breaking a sweat. Vern Tardel uncovered some good info on the truck's life; it was purchased new and remained for most of its life in the hands of a fellow who ran a small automotive service and repair business in west county. It served as personal transport, shuttle bus, and parts chaser, which explains how it survived in our largely ag area. The source Tardel talked to said the guy was a meticulous mechanic with a reputation for doing excellent work -- and maintaining his truck in top shape.
The optional "granny-low" four-speed transmission is a big surprise. With nary a synchro in sight, this old stump puller upshifts from second to third, and third to fourth just as slick as can be, just so long as I take the time to let it calm down with a three-count between shifts. In return for my patience the trans provides ratio spacing that's as least as good as that of a Lincoln-Zephyr three-speed gearset!
One of my first thoughts upon learning that the truck had a HD four-speed was that it would have to be replaced early on with a more suitable transmission, perhaps a TREMEC overdrive four-speed. After living with the old cog-box for even a time that's much too short for me to develop any real skills having to do with it's operation, it's already shown me that its attributes far outweigh its shortcomings. And it's convinced me that it's well worth my time to learn to become proficient in its operation. Who'd have thought . . . ?
The paint rubout has gone well, especially so after I switched from good old '50s quick-cleaner Turtlewax to a jug of 3M One Step I was given a couple of years ago when I was doing a story on 3M's latest system of finishing chems. The One Step was put together and packaged with an eye to moving 3M paint-finishing products into the hobbyist market, but this was the first time I had occasion to give it a try. I gotta tell ya that this stuff is the absolute cats-ass for taking care of light and medium oxidation! The kicker is that it leaves a non-oily finish that's reminiscent of 3M Imperial Hand Glaze -- my all-time favorite quick tidy-up paint cleaner. Meguiar's and Mother's haven't a clue . . .
The beauty part of starting with a bitchin' old truck like this one is that I don't have to sweat and fret making it a viable driver. It's already that, and then some. Particularly nice for graybeards like myself is remembering that this is what a typical SoCal '48 F-1 pickup was like in the mid and late '50s. My imagination is free to focus on enhancements to make it special and unique -- features and details to make it my own special hot-rod truck.
My sweet old/new F-1 is scheduled for some neat upgrades in the months ahead, and I plan to share them here, magazine fashion. Unlike the print mags, which flourish in a perfect world where hot rods don't break and all changes and modifications turn out perfectly, I'll share the aw-shits and what-the-fuks that are inevitable components of hot rodding.
For now, here are a couple of pics of the results of several hours of paint cleaning with the good 3M stuff . . .
The 8BA is a sweet runner, and dead smooth -- just as it should be for 21K miles. It's surprising how eagerly the little 239-incher accelerates the 3200-pound pickup up to highway speed. The rear axle ratio is 3.92:1 but the rear tires are a tallish 29.5-inch light truck radial installed by the previous owner. Compare that to about 27-inch diameter for the original 6.00 x 16 and it works out to an effective increase of final-drive ratio to something in the mid 3's -- an all-around nice compromise of acceleration and cruise. It gets to Interstate speed quickly and runs there without breaking a sweat. Vern Tardel uncovered some good info on the truck's life; it was purchased new and remained for most of its life in the hands of a fellow who ran a small automotive service and repair business in west county. It served as personal transport, shuttle bus, and parts chaser, which explains how it survived in our largely ag area. The source Tardel talked to said the guy was a meticulous mechanic with a reputation for doing excellent work -- and maintaining his truck in top shape.
The optional "granny-low" four-speed transmission is a big surprise. With nary a synchro in sight, this old stump puller upshifts from second to third, and third to fourth just as slick as can be, just so long as I take the time to let it calm down with a three-count between shifts. In return for my patience the trans provides ratio spacing that's as least as good as that of a Lincoln-Zephyr three-speed gearset!
One of my first thoughts upon learning that the truck had a HD four-speed was that it would have to be replaced early on with a more suitable transmission, perhaps a TREMEC overdrive four-speed. After living with the old cog-box for even a time that's much too short for me to develop any real skills having to do with it's operation, it's already shown me that its attributes far outweigh its shortcomings. And it's convinced me that it's well worth my time to learn to become proficient in its operation. Who'd have thought . . . ?
The paint rubout has gone well, especially so after I switched from good old '50s quick-cleaner Turtlewax to a jug of 3M One Step I was given a couple of years ago when I was doing a story on 3M's latest system of finishing chems. The One Step was put together and packaged with an eye to moving 3M paint-finishing products into the hobbyist market, but this was the first time I had occasion to give it a try. I gotta tell ya that this stuff is the absolute cats-ass for taking care of light and medium oxidation! The kicker is that it leaves a non-oily finish that's reminiscent of 3M Imperial Hand Glaze -- my all-time favorite quick tidy-up paint cleaner. Meguiar's and Mother's haven't a clue . . .
The beauty part of starting with a bitchin' old truck like this one is that I don't have to sweat and fret making it a viable driver. It's already that, and then some. Particularly nice for graybeards like myself is remembering that this is what a typical SoCal '48 F-1 pickup was like in the mid and late '50s. My imagination is free to focus on enhancements to make it special and unique -- features and details to make it my own special hot-rod truck.
My sweet old/new F-1 is scheduled for some neat upgrades in the months ahead, and I plan to share them here, magazine fashion. Unlike the print mags, which flourish in a perfect world where hot rods don't break and all changes and modifications turn out perfectly, I'll share the aw-shits and what-the-fuks that are inevitable components of hot rodding.
For now, here are a couple of pics of the results of several hours of paint cleaning with the good 3M stuff . . .