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Page 05 - More Parts Trucks |
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Too bad I
don't need a longbox...this one is in great shape!
The green
hood was just tossed on in a futile attempt at protecting the engine.
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I
didn't notice it at the time, but after reviewing these pics,
the dashpad almost looks usable. |
Thursday, August 21, 2003 - Yes, it's been a month since any
updates...I've had a classified ad running in the local paper for the
past three weeks looking for a useable cab, since I decided the green
'70 cab was not worth messing with. I've checked out dozens of
trucks parked in people's fields but none were useable. Spent last
Saturday scrounging through a half-dozen salvage yards around the area
and just couldn't find a decent donor cab. Everything I looked at had rusted rear corners, front mounts and rusted-out floorpans, and were just too
far gone. Then FINALLY!....last week I found this blue '68 sitting in
a small private salvage lot nearby which can be saved. There ARE rusty
areas in the normal spots, but don't appear bad enough to actually
require the full-size repair panels. From the checking I've done I
think I can just cut out the rusty spots and weld in new
patches....and I was able to get this for a measly $75! I checked out
several more this evening after work, but they all had terminal
cancer, so I stopped by this guy's place, took a few pics, and told
him I'd take it and would be out in about a week to get started
removing it. He offered to do it, but I decided I'd like to do it myself,
to keep track of all the small parts. |
According
to the VIN, this truck was/is a '68 F100 with a 360 and a 4-speed. The
360 is still under the hood, but is completely covered with hay, mice
nests and mud. (Wish I'd gotten a picture of that!) Considering the
cheap price I'm getting it for, I'm thinking about also asking him
about the 4-speed (with the granny first gear), just to put back in a
corner of the shop in case my tastes change one day and I wanna shift.
Each of the three normal problem areas have minor cancer, but between
my MIG and I, I think we can administer some effective therapy!
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The Parts Trucks - Pt
3: Another '70 F100 |
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I found this
truck about a week ago from my classified ad in the local paper,
advertising for a decent cab. My classified read "...no rust-buckets!"
This guy called and said he had one and "didn't think it was a
rust-bucket", so I drove a half hour to check it out. I opened the
driver's door and lifted the mat, and noticed the floorpan was virtually
gone. "Oh" he said. "I guess it's a little rustier than I thought." I
was getting ready to pass on this one, till I noticed the 360/C6 combo
under the hood and the factory-installed AC. I asked him how much he
wanted for the whole truck for parts and he told me $200. I decided I
couldn't pass on this deal after all! I'll be loading this one up on a
trailer this coming Sunday. I had to pass by it again today while making
some last-minute cab inspections from more callers on my classified ad,
so I stopped for a few minutes and snapped these pictures. What I
thought was a '72 is actually a '70 Ranger. The factory underdash AC
unit has a couple fins broken on the lower grille area, but I think they
can be fixed. The grille shell is bent but the plastic inserts are in
great shape. The front hood chrome will be saved, as will the bumper
guards.
Had to
add this one...this is my beautiful bride Mary and our son Trevor.
Any time he gets in or out of the truck he as to take a couple
minutes to 'drive'. |
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So here's where I stand as of today: I'm taking my wife to an
outdoor rock concert on Saturday, and Sunday I'll be going to get
the '70 Ranger and bringing it back. Then once it's unloaded, I'll
be loading up the red cab from my '67 and the green cab from the
other '70 Ranger that WAS going to be my cab donor and hauling them
away to the scrap dealer. (Actually, the guy I'm getting the blue
cab from volunteered to take them off my hands)...and the shop will
actually have some room to work!
Then over the course of next week, I hope to get out to
get started unbolting the blue '68 cab and have it ready to be
picked up by the weekend. Also, just prior to the concert on
Saturday I'm going to be stopping by the local Harbor Freight Tools
outlet and picking up a new engine hoist and some
miscellaneous small tools. Sometime over the next week I'll be
ordering new cab mounts (front and rear) and some POR-15 to coat the
lower interior and exterior of the cab and the frame...and then
it'll be time to start rust repair! Stay tuned! |
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