WHYDTYTT: What Have You Done To Your Truck Today?

[Gary Lewis]

Well, it was a trailering day today. Elsewhere, in Rembrandt's stucco Bronco post I detailed the recovery of an old bullnose from a Saskatchewan farm. Thanks for the heads up Rembrandt!

Part of my morning routine while I'm having my coffee and waiting for Mrs. Rembrant and the hound dogs to wake up is to scan Kijiji coast to coast for interesting stuff. I'm thankful to be semi-addicted to junk...lol. I have friends that dream and drool over vehicles they cannot afford. When you're happy with cheap old stuff, one can feel fulfilled very easily...lol.

I'm very happy you dragged that old truck home. I see old trucks and other misc junk in the prairies that I would buy on the spot, but being so far away the transport and/or shipping negates any kind of initial good deal. It's frustrating, but I live with it...lol.

Like this Bullnose for sale below. I'd be on that like white on rice if it wasn't 3500 miles away;(.

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-details.html?adId=1346746567&requestSource=b

I, too, like a quiet morning. But I don't need any more projects, so I use the time to catch up here, Facebook, and in world news.

And I agree that working on things you can afford has a huge advantage. My son (who is a member here, so...) lusts after high-end stuff, most of which costs more for a routine service than our trucks do outright.

As for the working space in the trucks, the 460's make things a bit tight, but even they don't hold a candle to later vehicles. I remember working on my uncle's Ford Probe, and a lift was necessary as everything came out the bottom as you said. And to get the serpentine belt on it had to be turned sideways to get between the crank pulley and the frame.

And now, on the a 1981 300 six with a cam and 4bbl. It doesn't read like it is running or driving, and if that's true it won't bring $3000, although that's really $2250ish US. My rules of thumb are that at best you'll get half of what you have in a build, and if it isn't running/driving you'll get half that. But that's an interesting project. However, I don't think I'd put a single large carb on an inline engine. Instead I'd run 2 or 3 carbs. In any event, that thing has lots of goodies on it. Hmmmm!

[Rembrant]

And now, on the a 1981 300 six with a cam and 4bbl. It doesn't read like it is running or driving, and if that's true it won't bring $3000, although that's really $2250ish US. My rules of thumb are that at best you'll get half of what you have in a build, and if it isn't running/driving you'll get half that. But that's an interesting project.

The problems with the 300/6 in that truck would be of little interest to me as I would spend exactly as much time on it as it took to hoist it out of there to drop a SBF in...lol.

The fact that it is a Flareside 4x4 that presumably spent the majority of it's life out in the prairies (and should therefore be much less rusty than what we have out here) makes it worth it to me. Two wheel drive Flaresides don't seem to be hard to find, but the 4x4 ones are.

Problem in my case is the distance and the fact that it isn't currently running. It would cost $2000 to ship out here, and that's ONLY if it could be loaded and offloaded under it's own power. Not running is a problem, and adds extra cost.

If it was 100 miles away I'd probably already own it by now. 3500 miles away? No dice.

 

[Ford F834]

Two wheel drive Flaresides don't seem to be hard to find, but the 4x4 ones are.

Have you considered just doing a 4x4 swap on one? Is it fun... no. It it difficult... also no. 100% bolt over if you have a donor. I did it to my ‘81. Mine probably wasn’t a special enough truck to be worth it, but a good flareside would definitely be worth the effort.

[Rembrant]

Have you considered just doing a 4x4 swap on one? Is it fun... no. It it difficult... also no. 100% bolt over if you have a donor. I did it to my ‘81. Mine probably wasn’t a special enough truck to be worth it, but a good flareside would definitely be worth the effort.

Oh yes, I've considered that, and I just bought an almost complete 2nd Flareside box, which could be used on another truck at some point if required. I know where there are two junked Flareside 4x4 trucks that might be OK for running gear donors, so we'll see. I'm just kinda screwin' around with my plans at the moment.

I have an excavator sitting in my yard right now starting some work tomorrow, so that will likely eliminate any immediate plans for another Flareside project...lol.

 

[85lebaront2]

I, too, like a quiet morning. But I don't need any more projects, so I use the time to catch up here, Facebook, and in world news.

And I agree that working on things you can afford has a huge advantage. My son (who is a member here, so...) lusts after high-end stuff, most of which costs more for a routine service than our trucks do outright.

As for the working space in the trucks, the 460's make things a bit tight, but even they don't hold a candle to later vehicles. I remember working on my uncle's Ford Probe, and a lift was necessary as everything came out the bottom as you said. And to get the serpentine belt on it had to be turned sideways to get between the crank pulley and the frame.

And now, on the a 1981 300 six with a cam and 4bbl. It doesn't read like it is running or driving, and if that's true it won't bring $3000, although that's really $2250ish US. My rules of thumb are that at best you'll get half of what you have in a build, and if it isn't running/driving you'll get half that. But that's an interesting project. However, I don't think I'd put a single large carb on an inline engine. Instead I'd run 2 or 3 carbs. In any event, that thing has lots of goodies on it. Hmmmm!

One swap that I have seen on a lot of 4WD in-lines is the old Ford/Holley 4000, the one with the float bowl over the main body. It is a small carburetor that will damn near run on it's side as all the fuel metering elements are in the center of the bowl and the dual pontoon float is almost circular. We put 2 Stromberg 4A carbs on a 250 cid Chevy years ago. That was the early Buick Nailhead carb and was similar in design to the WCFB except for a power valve instead of metering rods.

[Gary Lewis]

One swap that I have seen on a lot of 4WD in-lines is the old Ford/Holley 4000, the one with the float bowl over the main body. It is a small carburetor that will damn near run on it's side as all the fuel metering elements are in the center of the bowl and the dual pontoon float is almost circular. We put 2 Stromberg 4A carbs on a 250 cid Chevy years ago. That was the early Buick Nailhead carb and was similar in design to the WCFB except for a power valve instead of metering rods.

Will Carter Four Barrel!? Cut my teeth on one of those on my '58 348.

[NotEnoughTrucks]

Well, it was a trailering day today. Elsewhere, in Rembrandt's stucco Bronco post I detailed the recovery of an old bullnose from a Saskatchewan farm. Thanks for the heads up Rembrandt!

Part of my morning routine while I'm having my coffee and waiting for Mrs. Rembrant and the hound dogs to wake up is to scan Kijiji coast to coast for interesting stuff. I'm thankful to be semi-addicted to junk...lol. I have friends that dream and drool over vehicles they cannot afford. When you're happy with cheap old stuff, one can feel fulfilled very easily...lol.

I'm very happy you dragged that old truck home. I see old trucks and other misc junk in the prairies that I would buy on the spot, but being so far away the transport and/or shipping negates any kind of initial good deal. It's frustrating, but I live with it...lol.

Like this Bullnose for sale below. I'd be on that like white on rice if it wasn't 3500 miles away;(.

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-details.html?adId=1346746567&requestSource=b

900 km to that stepside. Hmmmm.

NoNoNoNo! I don't need any more projects!

[Gary Lewis]

900 km to that stepside. Hmmmm.

NoNoNoNo! I don't need any more projects!

That's only 580 miles. No hill for a stepper. And think of how cheaply it is going to go. And all the goodies already on it.

[Rembrant]

900 km to that stepside. Hmmmm.

NoNoNoNo! I don't need any more projects!

I know, but it doesn't hurt to look right?...lol. I recently drove that far to pick up my spare Flareside box (in pieces). A whole vehicle that isn't running though? That's a problem for me.

There is an '80 Flareside 4x4 locally (well, by "local" I mean 500 kms away) that I have had my eye on. The truck isn't for sale, not yet at least, but it is in need of an engine. I have communicated with the owner and let him know that I'd be interested in it, running or not, if he decides to sell it.

[Gary Lewis]

900 km to that stepside. Hmmmm.

NoNoNoNo! I don't need any more projects!

I know, but it doesn't hurt to look right?...lol. I recently drove that far to pick up my spare Flareside box (in pieces). A whole vehicle that isn't running though? That's a problem for me.

There is an '80 Flareside 4x4 locally (well, by "local" I mean 500 kms away) that I have had my eye on. The truck isn't for sale, not yet at least, but it is in need of an engine. I have communicated with the owner and let him know that I'd be interested in it, running or not, if he decides to sell it.

What did I do to my truck today? Got its A/C fixed. They pulled a vacuum on it, found no leaks, so charged it up.

Now I can take it to the Fordification show in June over in MO. And, I'll take it next week when I go down to see what my neighbor has in the way of surplus pallet racks. I'll take the trailer as well, but Big Blue's getting used to it.