Old and Simple: A $200 F150.

[dorkpunch]

Long story short- We had just moved and I needed a second set of wheels. Auction was almost over, I had told myself I wouldnt go any more than $150 on this truck but the bidding bug got the better of me. Took it home, tinkered, replaced the floors (can I say "replace" if the floors werent there in the first place?!), and drove it all winter.

The floor:








After a winter of driving it every day:












Fast forward to now. I *love* this truck. Its a beast- Inline 6 300, no power steering, absolute base model real mans tough truck. 4 mismatched tires, a bed that looks like it got ran over by a bulldozer, no radio, the list goes on. I'd like to fix it up, but I have no money (school teacher). I need a summer job. I'm good at fixing things. Hmmm... Hows about I fix things, locally, and use the truck to do it? Tax return!

[Manuel Garcia O'Kely]

That seat is just crying out for a roll of Duct Tape, you know that right? You'd double the value of the truck too!

Good find. I looked at a 300/6 last year but passed on it and ended up with a $5K toyota 4X4 instead, but old beaters are the way to go.

[dorkpunch]

At this point, I was into it about $600, including the purchase of the truck. We had picked up another vehicle or two, bought a house, and started to settle in. It ended up sitting all summer and all winter, until now.

I've been admiring MZcountryboy's '56 Chevy Panel rat build. This isnt going to be anywhere as in depth or nice as that, but it should be fun. I'm going to teach myself some new things- automobile engines being one and auto painting the other. The end goal is something that looks like this:







Yeah. Long ways to go.

The whole point of this excersize is to assist me in my "summer job"- mobile small engine repair and general handyman services. Hoping the truck will be my mobile bill board. If you get a chance, I'd also LOVE feedback about my website- www.mobilemrt.com

[dorkpunch]

Got her (her name's Milly) all situated a couple of days ago for the first part of the process.



While the engine runs like a top, its got some issues. It leaks oil worse than the Exxon Valdez. The oil pan gasket litterally has chunks missing where you can see into the crankcase. Rear main is leaking oil onto the clutch, making it shudder like Japan's last earthquake, front seals/gaskets all leaking, and where the dipstick goes into the oil pan is leaking too. It also never warms up- bad t-stat? And it could a little more "juice". So- Step 1.



Motors out. Holy cow that was easy- 6 bolts and like 6 wires / hoses. Now that I know how to do it if you were hustlin you could get the engine out in a half an hour! Going to install a new clutch, ALL gaskets, and fix the t-stat at a bare minimum. Thinking about a cam OR the SBC rocker conversion and a header. I'd REALLY LIKE to convert the 1bbl intake to my R1 idea- the lower half of a fuel injected manifold cut off, with SIX Yamaha R1 carbs. That or a 6.5 Chev Diesle turbo... *Sigh* So many things to try, so little time and money.

[RLK]

best. truck. evar.

Make it shiny.

[NDEBT]

[
.[/QUOTE]
I know of one of these old engines that God only knows when it came out of a truck. It has been on a sawmill for 25 years that I know of. I put rings in it and cut the ridge about 20 years ago and we just did it because we got some new rings from a guy in trade and she burned a little oil . Still runs damn near every day to this day .

[East Coast Rider]

Love the 300 I6!! My dad had a '68 F250 Camper Special when I was little. I remember standing between him and my mom while puttering down the backroads up home when I was about 4. Standing in that seat I felt like I was 10' tall.

I still want one, even after all these years...

[GoGoGavin41]

Originally Posted by RLK

best. truck. evar.

Make it shiny.

Don't do that. I much prefer the rust accents.

[ddavidv]

Subscribing, because beater Ford trucks are da bomb.
There's a magazine True Blue Fords that is ALL Ford content I subscribed to a year ago. They are doing a project six cylinder truck. If you want my back issues, send me a PM and I'll forward them on. I have too many stacks of old magazines around here.

[East Coast Rider]

LMCtruck.com for hard to find parts....

[MapBoy]

A $200 truck, plus somebody left a perfectly good kid under the seat.


"Man, now that's a real shame when folks be throwin' away a perfectly good white boy like that."

[cagiva549]

I just pulled a good 300 motor of a pump , I installed it new 10 or 12 years ago , its got around 1500 hours of run time and ready for a new home . If the bed is beyond repair and you dont find a good junk yard bed at a decent price build a flat bed . Some angle iron and 2x12 can make a really nice truck bed and somebody thats really creative can trim it nicely with side racks . SEYA

[zuk16l]

I'm sure you have heard of Clifford Performance right? They specialize in I6 performance parts and have a great website. You can buy some easy upgrades for the 300 from them.

[PecosBill]

[larryboy]

I wonder if the fuel injection off the last models fit the early engine? I've got a 1994 F150 with the EFI straight six, the truck is ugly, but the engine makes up for it. I've got a service body on mine, that's what you should get to replace your bed.