So many vehicles have come and gone over the past few years that somehow I missed posting this one. The good news is that nearly a year after it's purchase some headway is being made.
The truck is a 1966 Ford F100. It's a 2wd, long bed powered by a supposedly stroked 352 combined with a 4 speed manual transmission. It has manual 4 wheel drum brakes, no power steering, and no a/C.
I acquired it about 10 months back, the result of my inability to pass "neat things" when they pop up on Facebook Marketplace.
The previous owner had it in MA for about 7 years. Prior to that it lived in North Carolina. This is a great thing as New England winters aren't kind to anything made of metal.
I bought it as a "running driver" and it in fact drove onto my trailer. While it runs, my assessment is that it both needed some ignition love and a new carb or rebuild.
Because of work/kid activities/camping/my 08 Mustang GT etc this truck has tended to be on the back burner. About 6 weeks back I finally decided we are either going to get it back on the road or cut it loose. I choose the former.
I ordered a set of plug wires from Ebay from Block Performance down in NJ. The truck has a Davis Unified Ignition setup essentially adding HEI to the old motor. The old wires were falling apart. I installed new Motorcraft plugs plus these new wires (8.5mm) and it has made a marked improvement. On the subject of the wires, they are some of the best wires I've ever handled and at under $60 I consider them a bargain.
The truck runs better but not well. It currently had an Edelbrock 1407 carb (750 manual choke) which makes sense for the story that the engine has been bored and stroked and has a hotter cam (it has quite a lope, though it's hard to tell if that's intentional or a running issue).
Anyway, I ordered a new carb from Jegs as I don't know the first thing about rebuilding carbs and by the time I pay somebody to do it I'm the same money as a new one.
The truck has a minor coolant leak from the radiator so I ordered a replacement, also from Ebay, plus new Gates hoses and new clamps.
The rear springs are so shot that they are now "s" shaped, so I waited for a sale and ordered new replacement Dorman springs. I also ordered Monroe shocks.
The newest picture is with the black hood and the later-model wheels on the front. The hood swap is because the original hood apparently flew up while the previous owner was driving and folded it pretty significantly. The win here is that our "yard display" truck is a rotted out 64 F100, that had a perfect hood to donate (and surprisingly not rusty!).
As for the wheels and the stance, two tires had gone flat so I grabbed these 90s Ford wheels to move it around for now. If I can get it on the road for a reasonable investment I'm interested in dropped beams and a rear flip, but unlike most of my projects I decided to delay ordering "fun" items until its a reliable driver.
I intend to order new upholstery for the seat and to try my hand(s) at installing some new foam and recovering it. Heaven help me.
More to come for sure. Hoping to have an update in the next 30 days.