Drove truck to work today...a milestone?

SO got the truck last Wednesday 3/17/2021.   Runs great, but steering seemed to be all over, brake pedal was an unpredictable adventure.  Not a lot of confidence in it.   Been piddling with it, run around block, piddle some more in the evenings.   Cleaned on it some as well.   Ordered parts.  

After consulting here, seemed like it needed a brake booster - ordered one, drove to town to pick it up Saturday.   After some stop & go, when I got up to about 45, truck acted like it was shaking itself to death.   Stopped in a safe place, checked tires - nothing.   Started out again and ran fine.   I think the brakes had stuck on a little.  

After picking up booster, wife needed to move(donate) a china cabinet to Hospice store before they closed.  So we loaded it up and came back to town.  Truck did fine, other than the unpredictable brakes.  

Came home, replaced booster.   Easy peasy.   Test drive - EXCELLENT!  Predictable, smooth brakes.   Drove around block a few more times.  Didn't really have anywhere to go.  Just wanted to drive it, listen to it, see what it told me.   Cleaned a little more.  I'm not sure this truck has been cleaned in a long long time, if ever.   Been concentrating on the interior, since that's where we are when using truck.  Even bought a little tree air freshener.  LOL

Sunday was repeat of clean, drive around block.  

While cleaning, I discovered a NEW brake line in front.   Encouraging that maybe the brakes have been done and will be better than I was dreading.   Still haven't had wheels off.   Maybe this week.   Had to buy a new trolley jack and small 4 way lug wrench that can be easily stowed at some point.  

So I decided to drive it to work this morning.   Absolutely NO ADVENTURE.   Other than one little BMW that edged out and then decided the bullnose looked too big to pull out in front of.  

Trucks runs great.   Been up to 60 ish so far.   Shifts great.   I've got used to the steering and it's really not bad for 41 years.   It will hold a mostly straight line, pulls slightly to the right.  I can let go and it will track straight enough for a 1/4 mile or so before needing correction.  I can live with that, but still plan an alignment and tires soon.  

visually, it's llikely going to be a dog for a long time.  the trim is just worn out.  The PO painted without masking a lot so I'm cleaning overspray off the trim.  Wife is worried I'll drown it if I pressure was h it with the cracked distributor cap, so holding off til it gets here.  But co workers are loving it just as it is.  And I'm getting the interior shaped up as good as I can for what it is.   Have told wife I won;t spend any more on it til I get all the parts ordered installed.

Thanks for all the help in the first week.  

Yes!  That's a milestone!  And a significant one.  You are making progress peeling the onion.  Keep at it!  

Ah, the first drive to work. Always a good day.

I drive mine to work all the time (like today!)... actually hauled some stuff for the company in it (pallets of tooling from an hour away).  Like you, I bought mine with a bad booster (and master cylinder)... was the first real repair I did on it. Made for an "interesting" drive home and 1st drive to work (to hit the BMV after, I was being impatient!) Ended up redoing the rest of the brake system later (blew a wheel cylinder and had warped rotors and drums, was money well spent!).

Give it some TLC, and it will return the favor. Enjoy!

It's been a long time since I've had a "project" vehicle (before this wife).  My wife doesn't get that part at all.  She likes it because we don't have to arrange to borrow a truck from relatives now, but it's just an old work truck to her.   I told her no one would use this old truck for work anymore.  I'm working on her, trying to get her to see the value/fun in getting it looking nicer - "cruise in" nice.  

I have that gearhead vision of what it could be.  I find myself looking for thing I can do for free for a week or two while I wait for parts.  What can be cleaned or reconditioned or checked?  

IF all goes well, it could become my daily driver when my lease is up on my little car in 2 years.  I can see using it that much.  Have to see how much gas it uses as well.  Hard to tell so far.  

Sounds like you're in a different ballgame then... My wife gets it, but also, I'm not eying that high of a restoration level. Fixing things that are broke as time and funds allow (and as necessity dictates)... but a show truck my bullnose ain't (and likely never will be, at least in the foreseable future).

If you want some cheap and easy restoration items... let me think... a good one is needle painting on the cluster gauges: http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/painting-gauge-needles.html

I did mine in testor's fluorescent orange, painted with a q-tip as a makeshift tiny paint roller. I bought mine on Amazon (yay prime shipping) but if you have a local hobby shop you might be able to get it locally. The end result turned out pretty nice. I waited until I had a new (to me) cluster with a tachometer and trip odometer though. If you already have such (in good condition), no better time than the present. Quite the visual difference if you ask me... a lot more "pop" vs the usual faded white one usually finds them in.

LOL, I have no idea what color the needles are.  They are there and all of move once the truck is started.  I do wish I had the factory tach in the cluster.   Or maybe a column mounted tach some day so I'll know if I'm wringing it out too far.   (Doubtful other than first gear).  I did see a set of white replacement faces on the net... hmmm

I'm not going all the way with it, but want it to look good inside, where we sit.   The crappy paintjob is pretty ridiculous, so may try to smooth it out and get it to look like a survivor.

And a nice set of dog dishes with rings on painted steelies.  

Needs to look good enough to take the wife to the DQ without being embarassed.  

Good idea.  But while in there at least take the blue filters off the bulbs.  And perhaps put LEDs in there to replace the incandescent bulbs.  And my favorite LEDs are the HiPo units, as described in Instrument Lighting & Paint Testing.  HUGE difference.

I went out first night to see if the instrument lights were working - they are, and looked reasonably good.   Next night I was driving as the sundown and they were horrible before it was really dark.   This is mostly a day driver for now, but I do have some inside dash work in my mind as time goes by.   Trying to get the mechanical all done where I have confidence in the truck.  Then keep digging deeper as money allows.  I will be looking for LED lighting at some point.  

One of my receipts from PO says that lights were repaired.  And parts list for 13 #194s so I'm guessing they replaced EVERY 194 in the truck?

I have all these things on my mind, but am trying to limit my questions and posts to what I'm working on right now (whenever that may be) to keep my posts to a reasonable limit.   BUt I have plenty of things on my mind for this old truck.   i have enough experience and knowledge to be a danger to myself and truck.  

And I'm still searching so I don't ask the same thing too many times.  Next big this will be the turn signal harness and ignition lock on column.  

Or seat belt extensions.  My wife & I are fairly "voluptuous" and a couple more inches would help.  

Thanks for the advice though.   I'll get there.  Eventually.

rcarlisle wrote

Or seat belt extensions.  My wife & I are fairly "voluptuous" and a couple more inches would help.  

Thanks for the advice though.   I'll get there.  Eventually.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-F-MULTIPLE-Seat-Belt-Extension-Extender-1975-1996-NOS-FORD-E3FZ-61611C22-B/133313471788?epid=1411187795&hash=item1f0a1a252c:g:9qgAAOSw9PZcfBon

I already ordered some bolt-in extensions, but I also went ahead and ordered the ones in the link.  Thanks.   Those may be easier than getting the anchors unbolted.

Congrats! Glad to hear it was uneventful (in a good way).

Just worried about my stick shifting skillz.  LOL  Last stick I had was traded in 2003?

If you can't find 'em, grind 'em!

Ah, you have the bug :)

Sounds like you are starting from a similar position I was, all the desire to get the truck in good shape but not knowing where to start.

I have basically done all I can with a set of wrenches, a set of sockets and some elbow grease.

On my Bronco I had to do a lot of interior work.  Here is a link to my project thread, maybe that will help give you some ideas of what to look at.

http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/#nabble-td14634i160|a92199

I highly recommend reading others projects and make notes on things you want to tackle, lots of inspiration out there!

Finally, we need some pics please!

Yes it's been a long time since I had a project and I am hooked.   To my wife's dismay.  Lol

Check any thread started by me and you will find some photos.  I always get caught up and forget to snap photos when I'm working.  

There is also a project thread in the projects section.  

I've spent$400 in the last week.  Told wife I'd ease up till I got all the parts ordered installed before starting more.  I'm almost sticking to that.  

I'm reading a lot of posts on here and searching things out.  

Thanks for posting up.  I'm having a ball with this old truck.  And it drives, so that makes it even better.  

Ah-ha!

Splendid all around.

My wife used to ask me, when we lived in a city, “how do people end up with so many old cars on their property?”

A few year later, we live on 5 acres with 3 project trucks, a project boat and a friends project truck! 🤣

Gsmblue wrote

Ah-ha!

Splendid all around.

My wife used to ask me, when we lived in a city, “how do people end up with so many old cars on their property?”

A few year later, we live on 5 acres with 3 project trucks, a project boat and a friends project truck! 🤣

Here in Alabama, a person is known to be well off when they have two cars on cinder blocks in the back yard!  

Our next door neighbor dude in a millionaire by those standards.   Ugh.   Doesn't bother me as bad as it does my wife.  But the dude next door is a deadbeat by any standards, so he has lots of "projects" that are going nowhere.   And the county has to come remind him to clean up occasionally.  

I can live with that, but aggravates the wife to the point where she wants to move.   Which means more house pmt and less "mad money" to spend on fun stuff.   House pmt is not fun stuff.  And we LOVE our house, just hate the neighbors.

Free or cheap things to do - Brake inspection, pack front wheel bearings, steering/suspension inspection...
Safety items first, then make 'er pretty!