Bullnose 2050

[Dorsai]

First, a little history: My 1980 F-150 was my grandfather's truck, and in fact was the last truck he ever purchased...he bought it new in 1980, and drove it until he broke his hip in 1996 and was no longer able to drive at all. Even though he passed away in 2000 my grandmother kept the (now undriven) truck until 2010 for sentimental reasons, but eventually came to understand that if she didn't do something with it, it would become a junker. After a complex series of negotiations among her, my mother, my brother, and myself, it was eventually agreed that I would become the keeper of the truck in exchange for $600 and a promise that I would (a) keep it roadworthy, and (b) never sell it during my grandmother's lifetime.

Fast forward to 2019. Grandma is now 93 and doing great; she moved from Oklahoma to Georgia to be closer to my mother, but she's living independently in her own house and shows no sign of slowing down. She likes seeing me roll up in Ol' Red as she calls it, even though she'll usually ask me laughingly where I got the "beat up old truck" in her driveway (she knows exactly where I got it, of course).

Regardless of the promises I made to her, the fact of the matter is that I really like having the truck and wouldn't get rid of it for any reason. I like seeing her smile when I visit her in it, I enjoy working on it, I appreciate the utility and versatility of having a truck, and I even like the sound of my friends' property values dropping when I park it in their driveways. The truck is a keeper.

Which brings me to the point of this post. I intend to keep this truck running (in its factory-original form) for a long time. Hopefully to pass to my son in the fullness of time if he's interested, or to keep for myself if he is not. So I've been thinking lately, what should I be doing now (aside from proper maintenance of course) if I want to keep the truck running through, say, 2050? The truck will be 70 years old then, and I'll be 80...hopefully I'll be willing and able to crawl around under a truck beyond that point, but let's be realistic.

Which parts are likely to become difficult or impossible to find over the coming years? My first thought is the ignition system, from the Duraspark module through to the coil. I also wonder about the long term availability of the carburetor and associated rebuild kits. What else should I be thinking about, and perhaps stockpiling in anticipation?

[Gary Lewis]

Good story! And extremely well written. Reminds me of a story I read a few years ago somewhere else.

As for Okiehoma, you didn't mention the name of the town where the truck, and your grandparents, lived. Nor it proximity to me.

Now on to the question: A couple of carb kits might be good to store up, and even a replacement carb as they do wear out. And the ignition module, coil, and pickup module in the distributor might be good. But what about a whole distributor, which would include the pickup?

Beyond that, I dunno. I would expect radiators, mufflers, wheel bearings, et al to be readily available so wouldn't see a need to stockpile them.

[Dorsai]

Good story! And extremely well written. Reminds me of a story I read a few years ago somewhere else.

As for Okiehoma, you didn't mention the name of the town where the truck, and your grandparents, lived. Nor it proximity to me.

Yeah, I might have shared the story before. But for those who haven't read it elsewhere, the truck spent its working life in Owasso OK, just down the road from Gary. It's been all over northeastern Oklahoma, and I'm sure it's been to Skiatook more than once over the years. Hopefully it'll make a final visit home later this year.

The distributor isn't a bad idea, maybe I should lay one of those in as well. I actually think the longest term threat to the truck is regulatory; I could see internal combustion vehicles banned from the roads by 2050, assuming battery technology continues to advance. Perhaps more likely than that, though, we might see non-autonomous vehicles prohibited as well. I could end up with a perfectly functional truck stuck in my driveway.

 

[Rembrant]

I like the idea of having things that will be really hard to find down the road, like a spare instrument cluster. Extra gauges, voltage reg, printed circuit, etc.

Some of the wear parts inside the steering column are hard to find now. Bearings and bushings, etc.

I think body, chassis and engine stuff should be pretty safe for many years to come. Not much worry there imho.

[Dorsai]

I like the idea of having things that will be really hard to find down the road, like a spare instrument cluster. Extra gauges, voltage reg, printed circuit, etc.

Some of the wear parts inside the steering column are hard to find now. Bearings and bushings, etc.

I think body, chassis and engine stuff should be pretty safe for many years to come. Not much worry there imho.

The instrument cluster is an excellent suggestion.

How long do the wear components in the steering column typically last? The truck hit 134K miles just last week, and I'm only putting about 2500 miles on it per year. At that rate I'll be at about 210K miles come 2050. Might almost be time then to think about an engine rebuild.

[1986F150Six]

How long do the wear components in the steering column typically last? The truck hit 134K miles just last week, and I'm only putting about 2500 miles on it per year. At that rate I'll be at about 210K miles come 2050. Might almost be time then to think about an engine rebuild.

My son's 1984 F150 has 245K miles and my 1986 F150 has 210K miles. The steering on both trucks is still good.