Road worthy or bust

[Kurt Combs]

My project is a recently purchased 1972 F-250. It has dealer installed A/C, power steering & brakes, and a bunch of miles, probably 180,000. I payed $400 for it because it had a straight body and was a running vehicle. I plan on using it around town and for hauling 1965 Buick Skylark bodies, parts and for hauling gravel etc. I am a sucker for a straight body on an old vehicle, all I see is potential.

I started to remove the leaking exhaust headers and found out how much work they are. Using all the techniques I heard about here and still broke some bolts off in the head. So the project has begun. I am tearing the heads off to take them to a machine shop to have the bolts removes so I don't ruin the heads. I have the driver's side head off and I don't see any cracks or burnt valves. The other head should come off tomorrow. While I am in there I will replaces hoses, thermostat, etc. I am also removing the dealer installed A/C as I had experience with that type of a system in a previous car and it was a pain in the rear. It will also give me more room to work on the electrical under the dash as I know that some wires have been overheated, most likely by a short circuit.

I am replacing part of the floor under the driver's feet, partly so I can practice my welding skills. I will be changing the whole steering column as someone messed with the turn signal switch and the tail lights are a mess. I bought a column off of Ebay and I will probably do that switch while I have the heads off, giving me more room to get to the steering column under the hood.

I plan on fixing gauges that don't work and installing a used seat that I picked-up for twenty bucks from the guy that sold me the steering column.

My goal is a reliable second vehicle that has a lot of sole. My wife wanted me to buy and later model truck, but I was not interested. When I finish fixing-up this vehicle I will have something that I saved and improved on with my own two hands, and it will go up in value, not down.

I love this forum, it is a great place to share with like-minded individuals who appreciate that happiness is created with our hands and that we cannot buy it at the local dealership.

by the way, my daily driver is a 1998 Ford Ranger. It is a good vehicle with 115,000 miles on it and all I ever do to it is change the oil and other routine maintenance.

I will report back here as soon as I get my F250 on the road. I will be cruizing with style!

Kurt

[xxxtina63]

Congrats on your investment! Yes, they do have sole. Nice to see that others have a taste for the classics also, not the mindless drones of tomorrow.

[trukcrazy]

Sounds great Kurt. Is this the beginning of the next "Snowball Restification" ala Sharkdance?

[binder56jd]

go for it!

[FoMoCo]

I wish I could find somthing like that around here. No trucks past late 80's in the yards or for sale. For 400 dolars, you have nothing to lose.

Nick

[Kurt Combs]

Update for today: Got the other head off and headed to the machine shop. The price for removing the broken studs and bolts wasn't too bad, then the machinist mentioned the sunken valves that I hadn't noticed. After an estimate of over $800 and two weeks turn around, I went looking for an alternative. I found a decent used pair of heads for $100 at a local wrecking yard. One head had a manifold on it and I might end-up with one broken stud, but the cost is going to be much less than $800. Tomorrow I will remove the manifold and and go shopping for the rest of my supplies so I can start to reassemble.

Kurt

[hutch1973]

400 bucks for a straight body. You people that don't have salt make me sick..

[trukcrazy]

After an estimate of over $800 and two weeks turn around, I went looking for an alternative.

Kurt

$800.00 for a valve job seems a little steep, but it has been a long time since I had any machine work done. Good luck with your repair.

[CJ,s 67 F100]

Kurt good job so far and keep us posted. Your machinist must have wanted to put new hardened seats in every hole with new cj valves and springs with a good port and polish job topped off by cc-ing it for you.

[Kurt Combs]

That was to burn out eight studs, resurface the head to cylinder to block surface and the exhaust surface that was eroded, change seats, guides and probably the valves. He was trying to warn me that it could get expensive to redo my particular heads. No porting, polishing or CCing. Shop time is expensive in northern California. I didn't ask, but I am certain it is at least $75 per hour. Porting, polishing and CC'ing, more to add to my wish list for the next motor.

[CJ,s 67 F100]

Heck Kurt just get him to throw in a flow test as well with all that machine work and port, polish and cc then that price would be a good deal. I think you did the right thing with finding other heads at a better price. My problem is This is my next engine Good luck

[Kurt Combs]

I am getting ready to start reassembly of my 360. Most parts are clean and I just dropped $400 at the parts store for hoses, new water pump and miscellaneous parts. I think I know how to make a Ford truck with an FE engine perform better, use an aluminum intake manifold and an aluminum water pump, probably increase acceleration and payload ability.

Kurt

[Kurt Combs]

Engine is back together and fluids are in the appropriate places. Things went together rather well. There were a few problems, but all in all it went well. I worked until dark this evening and then tried to fire it up. I currently have a post in the engines forum to request help with an issue that is keeping it from starting. I need on more day to fiberglass the break in my shroud and to finish a few little detail, plus install the seat. I will post some pictures as soon as I can find my wife's digital camera.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Kurt