That's a great little truck. I had a 56 long bed in Texas that I should have turned into a short bed and kept but someone else wanted it more than I did.
Look at that, he said reliable and Ford in the same breath. The Chevy was the best bet as they always have all the power you could ever need. P.S...…… I do like your F100, I had a 55 F100 for years, it did have a 350/350 in it though.
Not really. When I went looking; chevy only had a 9500Lb GVW available without a diesel, dodge was 9000Lb and my Super Duty is 10,000Lb with a gas engine.
That is sooooooooo bad ass! How do you keep finding this shit? I've wanted a nice little HAMB era pickup for a long time. My last 53 came to me with a siezed 350 Olds. I built a 301 SBC for it with a 350 turbo and I used a 66 Lincoln 9&3/8ths....2.80 ratio. It fit great on top of the springs but needed wide fenders to run fat tires....C'd the rear rails. I sold it back to the guy I bought it from for way too cheap. Wish I had it back. I love the chrome accys you have squirreled away. I'd use all of 'em but might think twice about the chrome running boards....but I'd bolt 'em up and see how I likes it.
I'm a Ford guy but for a newer truck I simply don't care what brand it is and I chose the LS engine option. But lets keep this on track as there are plenty of non traditional hotrod forums for nit picking new trucks.
That's a good looking truck. I am thinking less is more with this truck though. Some stance, dual exhaust, wheels/tires and some speed equipment. The other truck I have is screaming for the kustom treatment
Spent the weekend racking up miles and working on the truck. The doors didn’t shut very good at all, I pulled the latches out and lubed them and now they click shut. I also installed a seat belt for the kiddo and some under dash gauges. I didn’t have to drill a single hole for any...the truck must have had gauges as the panel lined up with holes, and for the seat belt I popped out some factory plugs in the floor. When I was reaching up to put the gauge panel it, I felt this hide a key up under the dash. Key fits it. The engine has great oil pressure which kind of surprised me. All in all...I’m in love with this thing. I also tried out the jack that was behind the seat. It works like a dream
And so it begins.... I nabbed this Edmunds intake off of eBay, everything else I already had. Aside from headers and exhaust (because it needs it), my plan is to right now just drive and enjoy the truck brings it’s the beginning of summer. The engine runs great but has some blow by. So eventually I will build a Merc engine (I have most of the stuff) and pull this engine and leave it as-is. The new merc will get the duals, mallory and some other period pieces
Last night I hung up this killer Texaco sign my wife for me for my birthday...now the truck just needs a star on the door!
Chris you sure know how to make some of us envious! I have never seen a person who can match you in the "look at the Ford I just found" department! Your addicted, but at least you try to keep it at one brand!
That's the plan- lower it all around, rebuild the steering box and front end, eventually build a Merc flathead and drive it. Probably do rear end gears too as the 4.27's in it make it drive about 50-55 tops
that sign brings back memories of the Texaco that was at the top of our street .. same sign on the wall in back.. Station is long gone now.. but great times, My Dad moon lighted there in the evening and weekends while in the Air Force. Cool B-day gift...
[QUOTE="Chris, post: 12599807, Probably do rear end gears too as the 4.27's in it make it drive about 50-55 tops[/QUOTE] Chris; I'm sure you know that the 57-62 F-100 rear axle is a direct bolt in without even messing with the Brakes. Not as easy to find as they used to be but well worth it when you do. The Wizzard
Chris; I'm sure you know that the 57-62 F-100 rear axle is a direct bolt in without even messing with the Brakes. Not as easy to find as they used to be but well worth it when you do. The Wizzard[/QUOTE] That’s true and I have one laying here...so you know if the driveline would fit as well?
Yes it does. In the past when I've done the swap I remove the Axles from the 53 unit prior to dropping the housing and just hang the backing plates on a wire still totally connected without opening the system. Then drop out the 53 unit and install the 57 - 62 unit without it's Axles. Once bolted to the Springs re mount the backing plates and slide the newer axles back in place. I'm sure Chris knows this but for the info of others you must also use the 57- 62 lower housing and U-Bolt mount plate as well as the upper U-Bolt locater plate. The 53-56 shocks bolt right back in place as well. It really is a nutz and boltz deal. In years past I could do a drive in drive out swap in less than a hour. The Wizzard
Chris, I'm with you on your revised vision for the most part, but two things strike me as "just right" for the mini-mod styling. Put those Merc caps back on that were on it when you bought it, and those Merc tail lights from your chrome pile are a MUST!
Did you trash the overdrive idea? With 4.27 gears, I am guessing the B/W OD will bring your final drive ratio to around a 3.35 -3.5o range. If using a 3.50 gear, using over drive would result in a final drive range of 2.35 to 2.50, which would be tough to pull with a flathead!
Killer Truck! I laughed at the "SECRET MAGNETIC KEY COMPARTMENT" advertising all over the front of the key hider. Very subtle, and reminds me of my Grandpa using those exact same thing in his work trucks when I was kid, but spray painting them black to make them more inconspicuous. He would put them in his truck so his hod carrier could move the truck or fetch it if he was off site.
Not a huge report but I did get a new back glass seal in the truck. The old one was cracked and stiff as a board. I bought a new headliner for it and it tucks behind the seal...so figured I should start with the seal first. I also put a new fuel filler neck grommet in and a fuel neck that’s not too long and not painted green. The major accomplishment was figuring a small problem out. Pulling a steep hill it would occasionally start starving for fuel. Not a huge deal but it got worse and worse, then it died in my driveway ideling one day. I could see air in the sediment bowl so I knew it had “run out of gas”. Primed it with fuel and it fired right up and gas rushed jnto the sediment bowl. Truck has a new gas tank, fuel pump and rebuilt carb the previous owner just did prior to selling. So I figured maybe the fuel line was at fault. Changed the rubber line from firewall to fuel pump...same problem. Pulled the access door in the floor to fuel tank. Ah-ha! Some Micky Mouse pipe fittings and then rubber line. The rubber line was smashed between the fuel tank and the lip on the access panel in the floor, because the pipe fittings out the line up too high. I pulled it out and the lip in the floor had cut through the line, and the truck was pulling air into the fuel system. Easy fix. I put the correct fitting in the tank and put a one piece steel line from tank to firewall...although snaking that between the frame and floor was a bitch. But problem seems to be cured. Cohen went with me for a test drive to get bug juice and candy cigarettes. Mom was not super impressed lol
Love it! Old trucks are the most fun. I've been daydreaming a LOT. May have to start keeping my eye out for a new old Ford (50's - early 60's era).
Staring putting anew headliner in it last night. The original one was pretty toast. It’s been a real pain in the ass. I’m at my last corner and it’s not fitting very well. It’s cardboard and you have to carefull not to kink it
Finished up the headliner. Man, what a pain. It ain’t perfect but neither is the truck. Took a short drive, I really like driving this ol thing
The Jalopy Journal
