Since I can't remember my username or password I just created a new account.
Working on a 68 F100 Ranger that I can trace back to new. This truck was purchased new in 1968 in Pennsylvania by a very good friend of my father. The original owner installed under dash air conditioning, a custom topper and add-ons such as the 23 channel CB radio, lighted mudflaps, fog lights, OOGAH horn, musical horn, siren type alarm, air horns, etc., some of which I have paperwork for. The truck was also undercoated. This truck spent winters garaged.
After years of conversations about the truck, in 1981 my father finally convinced his friend to part with the truck and purchased it with 43,000 miles as a Sunday driver and playtoy (I drove the truck occasionally through high school, but a kid bagging groceries at the corner market couldn’t afford to keep up with gas for the thirsty big block). My father had a series of heart attacks and became completely disabled in 1987. The truck sat in his garage in Pennsylvania until 1996 when he moved back to Florida. The truck was brought south on an auto transport. At that time there were receipts from every PA state vehicle inspection from 1981 to 1996, so the Florida DMV was able to list actual mileage on the title of 47,000 miles. Dad defied all the odds and lived until 2009 but never did much with the truck. Fast forward to 2012…Mom is up in years and due to a series of unfortunate events now lives in an assisted living facility. Selling of her house has left Dad’s truck homeless, so it made its way to my garage, much to the dismay of the wife since her minivan is now sitting in the driveway!
CONDITION: Right now the truck has 47,580 miles. I have been driving it a little every day to work out the little bugs. I had the truck detailed recently, and even though the detail job wasn’t the greatest, it did brighten the truck up from years of sitting.
INTERIOR: The interior in this truck is nearly perfect. It has the original correct Ranger interior with full instrumentation. Truck has the original AM radio and a 1970’s AM/FM converter has been added. All gauges are in working order. There are no cracks in the dash or steering wheel, no wear or damage on the seat and the carpet looks great for 45 years old. The only flaw with the interior is that the arm rest on the driver’s door is splitting.
EXTERIOR: Keep in mind this is a 45 year old truck that has never been repainted, so there are minor scratches, chips and flaws. The exterior of this truck has mostly original paint. I say mostly original because the inside of the bed has been touched up as well as the inside bottom of the door frames. The paint has a good shine and depth. This truck has a dealer installed FOMOCO spot light on the driver’s side that is in working condition, along with all the correct brightwork that is part of the Ranger package. The West Coast Mirrors are also a dealer installed item and have the FOMOCO insignia on them. Truck is equipped with the Cargo Light option as well as cab clearance lights.
MECHANICAL: To get the truck running I had to replace the fuel pump and added a filter coming out of the tank to catch any sediment from the bottom of the tank. The battery is about 2 years old and just required a good charge to get it going. The truck runs strong, does not smoke and the transmission shifts very well. I drove the truck 50 miles to get it here to Titusville, FL and it ran perfectly. I have been driving it a little to find out what it may need. The power booster for the brakes makes a hissing sound when the brakes are applied. I am assuming the seals in the booster have dry rotted and the booster will need replacing—I have ordered a new booster and master cylinder for the truck, just waiting for it to arrive. The heater core is bypassed and there is a rusty stain on the heater box, so safe to say heater core is bad. Air conditioner compressor cycles properly but air does not blow cold (this is a R-12 system). The wheels and tires are not original but I do have the original hubcaps. Exhaust is in good condition, however there is a tick under the hood from either a manifold gasket or donut leak. The plastic reservoir for the windshield washer fluid has yellowed and cracked-- I have ordered the part, just waiting for its arrival.
DOCUMENTATION: I have the original owners manual and found the factory build sheet stuffed in the cab corner on the passenger side. I had it laminated because it is tissue paper thin.
So, since I am back into bumpsides in a big way this is the place I needed to be. Over the years I have had a few bumps and this forum has been an incredible source for information and help. Also met some great people at a meet & greet a couple of years ago here in Florida.
Enough for now. More pics coming soon!
Jeff
