Take a trip in the way back machine with me to the year 1986. The epic year I finally got my driver's license. My dad bought this 1973 F-100 new and daily drove it for many years. I loved that truck and was beside myself with excitement that it was going to me mine. It was a dog. 2bbl 302/C4, PS and manual brakes. I drove it for a few years and decided it would be a good idea to get a Ranger to drive while in college. We sold it to my next door neighbor and he drove it for several years. He eventually sold it and the last time I saw it, it was in sad shape.
At Amarillo Dragway - ran solid 19's. lol
Fast forward to 2013!!
I have been wanting a pickup ever since I traded the Mazdog (99 4x4 B4000) in on Julie's Mountaineer. I really wanted an older one that I could easily work on, so I decided I wanted an old Ford or a Dodge. I decided I really wanted a 3/4 ton truck with a decent sized engine and automatic trans so I could use it to pull my big trailer and Mustang. I have been watching Craigslist, etc for several years now just waiting for the right deal to come my way.
Yesterday I ran across a 1973 2wd F-250 LWB. 460, C6 transmission and a Dana 60.... best part was the price.... $500. An added bonus is that it is at least partially the same color as my first truck. Man I would have loved to have had a 460 truck in high school!
This truck was last registered in 1994 and has been parked in a barn ever since. Although the big mirrors and emblems are gone, it is a "Camper Special", which really does not mean a whole lot as far as running gear goes.
Well it made it 7 miles to my house. It definitely needs work. Doors rattle, steering wheel is thrashed motor misses pretty bad, but does not smoke. There is a leak in the fuel lines (dual tanks) so we drove it using a 2 gallon gas can bungee'd to the inner fender. lol Motor ran cool in spite of stop and go traffic and the oil pressure looked great. Power steering works GREAT, brakes are awesome, trans shifts nice but the old bias ply tires are square as a rubik's cube. Interior is pretty dirty, speedo does not work, no keys (you start it with a screwdriver) but has a new battery.
There is one rust hole in the passenger fender and the spot above the driver's rear fender is just barely starting to rust. It looks pretty clean underneath so far. It had a camper on it for years so I am hoping the bed is in decent shape. It came with 4 chrome wagon wheels and 2 white wagon wheels and a bed load of crap that was in the camper. I rubbed a spot on the yellow and it shined right up so maybe there is hope for the paint.
The plan is to clean clean clean and get it running good and reliable. Then buff up the paint and replace some of the missing trim, etc. Then I can start diving into the engine for more power and efficiency (lol). If I spend anywhere near $5000 on this thing, I will probably have a heart attack. I am thinking the wagon wheels with some sort of A/T tire, buffed up paint, refurbished trim, aluminum diamond plate tool box and a decent hitch on the back.
I can't wait to get started!
At Amarillo Dragway - ran solid 19's. lol
Fast forward to 2013!!
I have been wanting a pickup ever since I traded the Mazdog (99 4x4 B4000) in on Julie's Mountaineer. I really wanted an older one that I could easily work on, so I decided I wanted an old Ford or a Dodge. I decided I really wanted a 3/4 ton truck with a decent sized engine and automatic trans so I could use it to pull my big trailer and Mustang. I have been watching Craigslist, etc for several years now just waiting for the right deal to come my way.
Yesterday I ran across a 1973 2wd F-250 LWB. 460, C6 transmission and a Dana 60.... best part was the price.... $500. An added bonus is that it is at least partially the same color as my first truck. Man I would have loved to have had a 460 truck in high school!
This truck was last registered in 1994 and has been parked in a barn ever since. Although the big mirrors and emblems are gone, it is a "Camper Special", which really does not mean a whole lot as far as running gear goes.
Well it made it 7 miles to my house. It definitely needs work. Doors rattle, steering wheel is thrashed motor misses pretty bad, but does not smoke. There is a leak in the fuel lines (dual tanks) so we drove it using a 2 gallon gas can bungee'd to the inner fender. lol Motor ran cool in spite of stop and go traffic and the oil pressure looked great. Power steering works GREAT, brakes are awesome, trans shifts nice but the old bias ply tires are square as a rubik's cube. Interior is pretty dirty, speedo does not work, no keys (you start it with a screwdriver) but has a new battery.
There is one rust hole in the passenger fender and the spot above the driver's rear fender is just barely starting to rust. It looks pretty clean underneath so far. It had a camper on it for years so I am hoping the bed is in decent shape. It came with 4 chrome wagon wheels and 2 white wagon wheels and a bed load of crap that was in the camper. I rubbed a spot on the yellow and it shined right up so maybe there is hope for the paint.
The plan is to clean clean clean and get it running good and reliable. Then buff up the paint and replace some of the missing trim, etc. Then I can start diving into the engine for more power and efficiency (lol). If I spend anywhere near $5000 on this thing, I will probably have a heart attack. I am thinking the wagon wheels with some sort of A/T tire, buffed up paint, refurbished trim, aluminum diamond plate tool box and a decent hitch on the back.
I can't wait to get started!
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