Newbie from the Motor City

[nxne75]

Hello all,

I've actually been posting on here since early Sept. (which is when I bought my first vintage Ford truck: '71 F-250 Camper Special) looking for parts (thanks to everyone who's helped - it's been a great resource!), but I wanted to introduce myself and get some pics of the truck on here for everyone to look at.

Here's the stats on the truck per the Marti Report:

390-2V (yes, still has the original engine - even still had the ID tag under the ignition coil!)
Built at San Jose
131" wheelbase
Bright Medium Blue Paint (Bahama Blue)
Blue Sport Custom Interior (came with a bench seat from an '80s truck when I bought it, but I'm a stock fanatic, so I tracked down an original '71 bench seat and put it in immediately)
C6 transmission
3.54 Dana 60, non-locking
DSO 74 (Seattle - somewhere along the way it made it to Texas and then here to Michigan. I think its stay in Texas saved its sheet metal life. There is almost no rust or rot on this truck. Super, super solid everywhere.)
7.50x16 8 ply tires
Spare tire (long gone - anybody have an original spare tire rim?)
Front disc brakes
Body side moldings
A/C
25 gallon frame mounted fuel tank (the brake line to the rear wheels was blown out, so I had to take this tank out just recently to get to the old line. Tank still had the sheet metal cover around it, but looked like someone hit a bump or something so I had to straighten the cover and the tank a little bit. Tank has been sloshed and works great!)
Power steering
Heavy duty shocks
1250 lb. front springs
2450 lb. rear springs
Rear step bumper
Camper Special

Produced 4/29/70, five days ahead of schedule.

I ended up getting the truck for $900, which I think is a steal considering the condition. I needed a new windshield (cost me $150, no big deal) and the radius arm bushings were blown out (redid the whole front end in a weekend).

Current problems: Steering box leaks (minor), transmission is leaking at the manual arm link seal and at the tailshaft seal (quoted $200 to fix, which I think is fair but I'll probably due it myself), intake manifold seal is leaking at the back of the engine (dripping oil onto the bellhousing and the exhaust pipe, so it smokes a little bit when it heats up), wheel cylinders in the rear need rebuilding, the steering is sloppy (bushing at the manual link is destroyed) and the fan that's part of the in-cab air conditioning/heater unit squeals like a mother (I'm going to fix that this weekend - I have heat but to turn the blower on is driving me mental.)

I plan on restoring the truck top to bottom eventually, but for now, I just want to have fun driving it. I love driving the thing.

Let me know what you all think! Nice to meet everyone!

Keith

[1970FordTK]

Welcome from North Carolina, looks like you have a great solid truck to start with.

[fireguywtc]

from Texas! Good luck with your project. I think it will be an awsome truck when you are done.

[ford4x4fun]

From TN That is a good looking truck!! Now I know why you want an uncracked AC Cover. That will be nice when it is done!

[RedneckTexan]

Howdy from TEXAS!

[BZinAZ]

Welcome from AZ. Looks like you have a good solid truck. Not too many of those up there in MI. I grew up in Western MI and from what I remember, all of these old trucks have a lot of cancer.

[nxne75]

Thanks for the greetings from everybody! I'm glad I found this site

BZinAZ: You're right about the native trucks up here. I posted in the main forum about a week ago about taking a look at a '68 F-100 for sale in Pontiac, not too far from here. An original Detroit DSO truck, this thing had A LOT of structural rot on it, and in all the usual places, AND wanted more than I paid for the '71. I ended up passing on it and when I left I thought to myself, 'Wow, I guess I did get a good deal on that '71.'

I think I'd like to do eventually what I call an "economy concours" resto on it someday; I work for a big restoration shop in metro Detroit and while I don't want to detail the truck to the *insane* degree we do the cars at work, I'd like to keep it very stock looking, with particular attention to minute details (correct frame color and finish, body overspray on underside of bed, etc.). I'm sort of a nerdy purist about this stuff, but man oh man, I really love restoring old cars and (now!) trucks.

[Brett6269]

Welcome !!!

[td]

welcome welcome welcome!!!!!!!

[FormerMarine1981]

Nice looking ride you have there. Have fun with the restoration

[papabug71]

Welcome from Oklahoma! You will like it here. Lots of help to be had around here!

That truck looks like a hoss & you have a mighty fine shop as well!

[nxne75]

Thanks for the welcome, and I wish the shop was mine, but that's actually the restoration shop I work at. You can just barely see it in the one photo but the yellow car in front of my truck is a *beautiful* early '30s supercharged Cord (I forget the year, but it might be '33 or '35.) We get some interesting stuff there, but the boss' specialty is Duesenbergs and Packards, mainly.