I finally have my "new" truck (explorers tow well)

Well gang,

She has a new home after 50 years. I finally have what I have wanted since I was 14. Now the work begns (tomorrow).

This needs work, but it is a running 56 f-100. Its very straight and very much original. Nothing special (just stock) 272 "Y" block V8 w/3 speed on the column.

Dad and I left here at 1:38 am Friday and arrived at Jim's house approximately 2 PM. We loaded up the 56 and dad drove straight home. We arrived at dads house at 5 AM this morning and promptly went to sleep. This was a 620 mile journey from its old home to mine. Explorers tow this much weight very well.

Here we are loading it (Jim [previous owner] is in the picture).

Here is us finally home (after daylight this morning).

Rick said it was ok to post this in here. I hope to turn it into a work log as I slowly (very slowly) return this truck to what it once was.

 

[RangerX]

I love old trucks.

Who is Jim? Someone on the board?

 

[Brian_B]

No, sorry. Thats the previous owner. Guess I should have just said PO. Its fixed now.

 

[BigDakota]

Thats Fantastic... Brian...Glad you made it back with your new family member

Sooooo...how much time have you spent sitting inside of it dreaming of the possibilities with it???

Thats a nice looking F-150 project

 

[JDraper]

Nice truck. Whaddya have planned for it....restoration? Street rod?

 

[BigDave!!!]

well whatever you have planned for it that looks like an awesome truck!

 

[SVO]

BADASS! that's awsome that you went and picked up that truck!

Please keep us updated with pics and such of how your project is going.






Jeff - :navajo:

 

[frickea86]

yeah, plz keep us updated on your project....looks like an awesome one...

 

[Brian_B]

Thanks everyone. I am sooo excited. This will certainly be a long term deal. It will not be a frame off restoration or custom. Just a driver. The body is straight and solid to start with, which was the major thing for me. I do not have the expertise or experience that certain people have (SVO).

Its pretty close to street legal right now. I just drove it around in the yard a few minutes ago. I have not driven a clutch in a while though.

 

[bmxking5]

I'm also curious if it'll be a restoration or built to your liking(mods, etc). Congrats on picking up your new (to you) truck.

 

[rookieshooter]

If that truck was a woman, she would be voluptuous with all those curves. Might want to get some mags. like Rod & Custom and check out all the neat after market stuff that you can get. Like custom dash kits that fit in with gauges. Just a thought.

 

[Brian_B]

Your not the first to make a comment like that. My brother told me it has a round front and a square butt (while laughing pretty hard).

I have a few magazines for aftermarket stuff (tons of it online). I have a lot of them from OEM suppliers though (midfifty-sacramento vintage-dennis carpenter-etc.). Thats the first order to get it all legal and safe.

The problem now will be cash and time with the colder weather hitting. It will go slow this winter.

 

[rookieshooter]

Yes I know how that is. But this winter would be a good time to start taking things apart to really see the condition of things. Like taking seats, body emblems, headlinght rims out and any thing else that can be taken out/off without too much truoble. I'd be looking at places that rust might be lingering and start getting a handle on it before spring. More labor then $

 

[Brian_B]

Very true. Most of the truck has been apart already. The frame and headlight buckets were cleaned and sprayed with a red rust inhibitor (I can't visually find any rust yet). They need to be painted black though. The fenders have all been off and are painted on the bottom side. The cab floor is painted underneath. He replaced the front two cab corners with new metal (patch panels).

The interior is redone except for the door panel areas.

The odd paint you see on the outside is where he sanded all the edges of everything and painted it (red and 2 colors of primer). He removed all emblems and sanded behind them as well. Every place something is bolted on the outside has been sanded and painted (you can even see it inside where the door handles are). He did not want water starting rust anywhere. I need to sand the primered areas and spray it with some real paint though.

The paint on this is soooo thick it will take a lot of sanding to smooth it all up for new paint, but thats a whole lot better than rust.

This winter will mostly be small mechanical things and a set of used tires. Until I really start driving it a lot, I can't see a high $$$ set of tires and wheels.

 

[Ford_Racing_Guy]

wow thats a sweetass truck!
that'll look great restored!

 

[j602]

Are those mud tires on the back?

Awesome truck, great project. Good luck with it.

 

[rookieshooter]

Damn that thing is in better shape then I imagined. I'm working on my friends 40 ford that you commented on. It had really thick paint and I asked him how he was going to paint over it. He said I'll sand and then use some kind of special primer or somthing that smooths it out. I have'nt seen it since he painted it. But he said it came out real good. I'll ask him for you about exactly what he did. He's great when it comes to this stuff

 

[Brian_B]

Yes, those are "mud gripper tires" Sorry, I had to quote a dumb song. They are severely weather cracked though. All the tires are.

For a basically stock 50 year old truck its in very good shape. There are a lot of pics in my gallery that he sent me. The outside needs a tailgate swap (wrong one on it, f-200 maybe?), and minor repairs. There is no real rust problems that I can find. The glass will be ok for now, but needs to be replaced someday (rear is new).

If you find out about the primer let me know. That could save me a ton of time, since there are only a few bad spots in the paint. I was thinking a lot of sanding (air long board and a DA) and either an activated primer or a sandable epoxy. I have most of the needed equipment (220 v MIG, 60 gallon compressor, and a devilbliss JGA paint gun), but the $$$ and time are the problem.

 

[rookieshooter]

Considered it done!

 

[Brian_B]

I just came back online to edit the last post. If you find out, that would be wonderful. Anything to save time and get a better quality paint job.

I was actually laying down and falling asleep. Then----lightbulb!!! What I was going to add was that I recall a guy when I was little talking about the shop he worked in using some kind of primer like that. They restored old cars. He said they sand blasted whatever panel it was and primed it with this special primer (can't remember name-ugh!) that filled in pits and all. Then a gentle sanding before paint. Sounds like the same stuff to me. I am glad you brought it up.