Non car people should just walk away

[Bonehead]

Spent the afternoon working on a truck I bought for my son to start driving with. I have never seen such "interesting" way of making repairs throughout the years. More bailing wire than my Grandpa's farm, and in the strangest places. Electric wire holding stuff together, and the wire was still hot. The weirdest was the faucet screwed into the intake because they couldn't find a plug that size. The list goes on, and I am still making a pile of parts in the floor. (79 ford stepside w/ straight 6) ( I know, no pictures, didn't happen)

 

[Gastrick]

Can I have all that stuff for my next project?

 

[Sam_Fear]

( I know, no pictures, didn't happen)

HOW DARE YOU!!!!

My 87 is slowly headed that way....

 

[cycledog]

Sorry, I don't know how to read without pictures.

 

[Tripper]

Hummmmm!!!

Note to self: Faucet fits in intake manifold!

 

[Bonehead]

My son took pictures;
wires:

the brass faucet can be seen under the fuel filter

But it has lots of potential

 

[Sam_Fear]

For around here, that would be a gem - looks real solid. Might wanna get some electrical tape on those wire connections.... and the accelerator pedal....

Motor looks fairly decent - meaning you can still see the paint on it. Gonna put a turbo on it?

That is the reason I could not sell my 87 F150 to anyone - I'd have to fix all the embarrassing stupid stuff I've done to it (just to keep it going on the cheap) because the next guy would be saying WTF?

Any coat hangers used? They're my favorite!

 

[Willowbilly3]

Nice little stepper. 300-6 is a great truck for a kid too. Do you check out Fordsix? Lots of good stuff there. Cheap improvements like chevy six rocker arms. Just bumping the valve timing to 4 degrees advance, chevy rockers and efi spark plugs will make a noticeable difference in performance.
Looks like a NP435/205 Drivetrain too. excellent.

Oh, just had a random thought. Check those track arm bushings.

 

[Arkansawer]

Oh i can see this thing getting a good size lift and tires. Im gonna say a 4 inch and 35s or a 6 and 38s. But i wouldnt go more than 38s with that D44. Very nice truck though.

 

[Bonehead]

Nice little stepper. 300-6 is a great truck for a kid too.
Check those track arm bushings.

I'll check the site.
The engine will probably stay the way it is, straight 6 and 4 speed with dents already in place should be a great kids truck. It is a real beater, but pretty solid. Going to go through the brakes, and replace the rubber up front with poly. Probably a little lift too. The front springs are colapsed for the first two turns. We already got rid of the running boards and the bug shield. (He said it looks like an old mans truck, which it was). May have to replace the wood in the bed too. He wants to leave the paint like it is for now, can't imagine where he got the affection for rust and fadded paint.

 

[Bonehead]

Oh i can see this thing getting a good size lift and tires. Im gonna say a 4 inch and 35s or a 6 and 38s. But i wouldnt go more than 38s with that D44. Very nice truck though.

I have an old set of 38.5s (and a spare dana 44) so that is probably where we are headed.

 

[51Cards]

Yup the previous owner was a plumber and Not an electrician, so says Watson

 

[Willowbilly3]

Personally I wouldn't torture that old front end with anything bigger that 31x 10.50s, 32x12.50s at the most. Even those big tires with any wear in the front end will make it wander and change lanes on it's own and it will probably need a steering shock for the 32s. 2 inch chassis lift is about it without spending some money. Anything more than that and you really need to lower the track bar and radius arm mounts and get a dropped pitman arm or it will be a bump steering death trap.

 

[Sniper]

Spent the afternoon working on a truck I bought for my son to start driving with. I have never seen such "interesting" way of making repairs throughout the years. More bailing wire than my Grandpa's farm, and in the strangest places. Electric wire holding stuff together, and the wire was still hot. The weirdest was the faucet screwed into the intake because they couldn't find a plug that size. The list goes on, and I am still making a pile of parts in the floor. (79 ford stepside w/ straight 6) ( I know, no pictures, didn't happen)

You Ford guy's have the weirdest speed secrets. Just a guess, but maybe the faucet was 'decompression' for starting. Sniper

 

[rockb1]

Its a cool looking truck. Man what a mess though.

 

[Sam_Fear]

You Ford guy's have the weirdest speed secrets. Just a guess, but maybe the faucet was 'decompression' for starting. Sniper

Shhhhhh!!!! Don't let the Chevy and Mopar guys hear!

Maybe you should ditch the box and build a flat bed! Old Fords look hilbilly cool with homemade flat beds - real chick magnets. (No offense to you hillbilly's out there)

 

[440shorty]

Agreed

First - nice truck Bonehead! And I applaud you for having your son learn to really drive a stick!

I agree - Over the course of my mechanic career, I've seen quite a few interesting "solutions" to problems. This one might take the cake - when your transmission leaks, what should you do?

At least the owner eventually brought it to a transmission shop.

440shorty

 

[Bonehead]

First - nice truck Bonehead! And I applaud you for having your son learn to really drive a stick!

I agree - Over the course of my mechanic career, I've seen quite a few interesting "solutions" to problems. This one might take the cake - when your transmission leaks, what should you do?

At least the owner eventually brought it to a transmission shop.

440shorty

And when you are done with you can cook a turkey... or maybe while you are using it.

 

[Sam_Fear]

WoW! Just wow.

 

[Bonehead]

Personally I wouldn't torture that old front end with anything bigger that 31x 10.50s, 32x12.50s at the most. Even those big tires with any wear in the front end will make it wander and change lanes on it's own and it will probably need a steering shock for the 32s. 2 inch chassis lift is about it without spending some money. Anything more than that and you really need to lower the track bar and radius arm mounts and get a dropped pitman arm or it will be a bump steering death trap.

Thanks for the heads up.
I have never been one to leave well enough alone, besides, look how boring it would be to leave it stock.
I know about the C bushing kit, the pitman arm, and the drop brackets for the radius arms. There is also a track arm bracket, and another tie rod. It will be done right if my kid is going to drive it. I actually own two of these as well as an old Bronco now, and have had another 2 broncos and 4 trucks in the past.
But I agree, I plan on torturing that front end