On my 12th Christmas, my grandfather gave me his 1969 Ford 100 pickup truck. It was redone twice over the course of 30 years and has never let him down. I've been wanting to work on this truck ever since I first got it, sadly, my dad didn't have the time (even though he always does) to drive me to where it was parked. After waiting for 2 and 1/2 years we finally started on it. This truck is real special to me because it had a significant mark on my family until one day when someone left and never came back. Now (with me getting a permit in Feb) I finally started working on it. I put a not-so-fresh battery in it just to see if I could start it. At the time this truck has been sitting for 13+ years and hasn't moved since. The truck was free and everything electrically pretty much worked which was good. Keep in mind I didn't do much this day and this was only the first day of this process. The second day of the process however was very good, much has been done. The plow, which was on the front, was removed and set off to the side. I cleaned 1 spark plug and the ignition points. After getting some gas in the solid tank and some starting fluid in the carb, the 390CUI sparked to life with knocking and pinging and hardly any smoke from the exhaust. I was so proud of myself and the truck continues to run only if jumper cables are hooked on the battery. My dad pulled it forward and we took the plow off. The garbage and old parts on the back were just tossed to the side. This truck ran, started, moved. It was great to experience a feeling. Surprisingly, the motor was actually healthy even though i had to run it without any coolant. I can't wait to see day 3 next week... It's also a real shame I can't upload videos here...
Day 3 came sooner than expected. I had to compile a list of necessities and what it really NEEDS just to pass a PA state inspection. 69 parts and needs Battery Front alignment Battery tray New belts Bed Brakes Carb gaskets Valve cover gaskets Windshield wiper fluid box Wiper fluid Battery cables Floor pans Roof Headlight assemblies both side Wires for steering column Wipers Carb adjustments Tires Rims Green paint to go with original door White paint for trim A seat Weather seals Bondo removal Various patches Doors (maybe) Air filter Oil filter • Oil change Weather strips Battery terminal hook-ups Radiator support (fixer) Antifreeze
Its nice, are you going to change/add anything or leave it stock? Anyway good luck! Always nice to see people restore trucks.
Well, it already has some aftermarket things such as the right fender and left door. However I do plan to make of look as original as possible with the green paint and white trim.
It does! If your car is 100% original, from factory, you will a receive a plate issued by the state. The plate is purple and it says in white text "PA. ANTIQUE HISTORIC CAR". The newer plates are white with purple text that say "CLASSIC CAR".
Day 4 has arrived! I have received an old battery from pap that died years ago and i didnt check to see if it worked or not. I have some bald tires that hold air very well. The radiator holds and does not leak at all. I found some carb gaskets and maybe some body mounts. The front two wheels are off and only one tire has been replaced so far. The plow frame is completely gone and the original white bumper is going to be put back on as soon as i can find the right size bolts for it.
Here are some more days.... I've nearly abandoned this but I did some work. My accelerator pump spews gas everywhere so for now there is a t-shirt stuck under it. The master cylinder was really bad so i ripped one off of an 80's style econoline and it fit perfectly. The truck runs without any knocking or pinging and it was stuck for the longest time and after 16 years it finally moved. I also found this sweet belt buckle in my glove box!
Man i wish i could upload videos on this site. I have gotten the truck to move once more with hardly any issue. If sitting for too long the carb gets some nasty things in it and takes a bit to start. I have a brand new parking spot and the bumper and rear lights have been taken off.
Great job so far, especially for being only on a permit. When I was 15, my cousin Kate had a 1959 Ford Thunderbird, black with white and black interior. The body was in okay shape with a little rust on it and the motor I'd say was around the condition yours was in when you got the truck. My uncle for some reason couldn't figure out that to get it running it just needed what you have given your truck so they sold it for $400 knowing I was going to be needing a car soon. Still angry about that but I have my Lexus now so can't complain. Good luck on the truck, my grandfather wishes you luck too (he has a mint 82 F100 and 64/5 F100).
Nice to see that you're still working on this. Have fun, you seem to be doing well, and that belt buckle is sweet. My '55 sat in a garage for probably close to 20 years and it still sometimes start weird, but once the gunk gets out of the tank it will start a whole lot better.
No sadly, winter has come and put a hault on the project. The only thing that was done was the bumper removal along with the lights and trim on the rear.
ITS NICE AND WARM. My birthday is coming on Monday and I'm thinking tomorrow or Sunday I can finally get the truck home. It sat all winter with one wheel off. I can't put it back on because my four-way and lugs were stolen (idk why they were junk). But a parking spot is being made behind my shed and the bed will soon be removed.