Dont be a previous owner

[fordman]

One guy took an axe and chopped a circle in each kick panel so he could install speakers. That got wet and ruined from being put in the cowl drain area. Lol. What a previous owner this guy was.

Anotjer guy cut off the turn signal switch wiring. He drove around like that i guess. No signals no brake lights. Another previous owner rig.

Anotjer guy also took an axe an put a hole in the low hump for a shifter to go thru. Then stuffed foam aroynd the shards of piece of the axed up hump. Then used expanding foam to hold it all together. This was one of the worse rigups ive ever seen.

Another gut took part of a wiring harness from a non gauge truck and used it with his guage main wiring harness. He had all kinds if electrical problems.

Dont be a previous owner. Be responsible
Do it right.

[jg09]

Our Ranger still has a hole in the hood left by a hatchet

[Mancar1]

Someone come buy the 68 and I will B previous. They can B responsible.

[sargentrs]

Any time I've ever sold a vehicle, I've always done my best to tell the new owner exactly what I've done to it and why. At least they can't say they weren't warned.

[shortstack]

If you're going to install an aftermarket radio, just bend the mounting tabs out of the way. No need to cut them off. Three bumps in my "parts department" have some serious hack jobs from lazy previous owners.

[AZf100]

I Have a 78 With a hasp and a padlock on the hood, Previous owner told me the hood kept flying up on him.

[radioactivelarry]

Solved some electrical gremlins the other day. The PO installed a Kenwood stereo after hacking the dash but the worst part was the rear of the radio was jammed into and resting on the wiring connector for the wipers creating a short. Loose grounds behind the cluster and live wires left over from previously installed goodies like a CB radio and that old kind of vintage stuff from back then. Some wires were jammed under a fuse in the fuse box also. Wow, fixed that and no more shorts! Most things now work except for the steering column wiring for turn signals etc. I changed and shortened the column after adding power steering. I did that the right way, no Mickey Mouse, with mostly genuine FoMoCo parts.

So, after solving all the previous PO's nightmares and getting it all straightened out does this mean my truck will be fresh and if I sell it this PO will have done it right for the new owner so there won't be any PO issues?

Does that make any sense?

[6Delta]

So, after solving all the previous PO's nightmares and getting it all straightened out does this mean my truck will be fresh and if I sell it this PO will have done it right for the new owner so there won't be any PO issues?

Does that make any sense?

Yes it makes sense. But no. You will always be a PO who gets blamed for everything you did not find and fix. My advice is NEVER sell.
Unless you do a complete frame off, rotisserie restoration and replace/rebuild absolutely all components. There will be something you may miss. Therefore keep your bump and just upgrade things that break (or you want to). Face it, bumps rule but they can always be improved if done properly and within your skill set. (Why is it most PO's could not manage to make any electrical change without screwing up more than what they were working on?" I just discovered that alligator clips must have been the inspiration for most of the work done by my PO. Not just additional trailer wiring but a set of driving lights, long gone, as well. Just strip, connect and add lots of black tape. Lots and lots of black tape. Just in case someone wanted to do it right, might as well make it hard I suppose. Once again do not sell, EVER. Buy another if you have to but do not sell. (Of course that is why I may need an intervention regarding Rancheros.)

This could be a new category actually. "What screwed up thing(s) did the PO do?"

[urchinhead]

The electrical problems of every old vehicle I have owned have been the direct result of an aftermarket stereo install - including my F100. Why, why, why!!!???

[duaneo]

The funny thing is, installing an aftermarket stereo in these trucks isn't THAT hard. 4 wires + speakers.

Then again, I have friends I wouldn't trust to plug in a lamp into the wall properly.

Cheers,
Duane

[1 Crummyshooter]

Don't ever buy from an electrician. We can get really creative when it comes to wiring.

[Dave Severson]

Funny stuff here guys!!! Some of the stuff you find and maintenance methods used on the old stuff is hilarious!!! Got to laugh about it when you find what some PO did on your own future pride and joy or you'll wind up mad enough at the PO to hunt him down and adjust his thought process with a Louisville Slugger!!!

I was very fortunate when I bought my bump, I got it from the 2nd owner who was a retired farmer. The truck had received excellent care throughout it's lifetime. The first owner, also a farmer is a very fussy type of guy who maintains everything he owns to a very high level! Over the years on other projects I've seen some really scary stuff, though! I've got one of them Brand X cars that a young Hot Rodder had here locally, must have had some issues with the front brakes so his solution was to remove the calipers and cap the brake lines!!!! I believe the young fella was going to try to drag race the car as a lot of the extra weight was removed including the heater and air conditioning system---he then covered the whole in the firewall with a piece of 1/8" masonite---which he had painted rattle can flat black to match the rest of the decor under the hood!!!

Maybe somebody needs to record these and all the other PO stories and write a book about "How NOT to restore a Bump".... Sure would be full of funny stories and not-so-good fixes!!!!

[elgemcdlf]

Never underestimate the human animal when it comes to ingenuity. It scares me knowing these jewels are out there on the road along with these folks giving advice.

[69Ford]

My Dad loved his drill. My bodyman filled in thirty six holes and I'm still finding more. Dashboard, innerfender well's, camper mounts, etc, etc. He loved gadgets. JC whittney catalog was his bible. It took me months to get rid of all the gadgets and restore the truck to stock. He had a fifth wheel put in by a hack that welded the mounts to the frame and torched though a rust free box. Some of the worst welding I've seen. Oh well I still have the truck I grew up in and the memory's will live on because my dad was the PO. I will always miss him.

[hillcountryflt]

Might be kind of the wrong thing to do, but on my 1969, I started looking for aftermarket wires under the hood and the dash and along the frame. The usual ones for poorly rigged trailer lights (this truck has a 240, light duty trans and it had rear air shocks, not your most likely tow candidate). In any event, I found this one red wire that ran from the rear tail lights to the plug near the master cylinder. Pulled it and my rear running lights quit working. Started troubleshooting. To this day, the only thing I could find was that the plug needed reseating.