Mike's
Old Ford Pickup Truck Page
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Need Parts??? Check out the
places below (* denotes on-line store).
My Favorites are:
Sacramento Vintage Ford Parts*,
MotorHaven*,
Dennis Carpenter
Reproductions*, Mac's Antique Auto
Parts,
Auto
Krafters*, LMC
Truck, Obsolete Ford
Parts*,
and you can call Carolina Classics at 1-800-598-4211
Other
places to try are:
Midland
Automotive Products*, John's F-Fun
Hundreds*, Bob
Drake's*,
C. W. Moss,
Bob's F-100 Parts,
Vintage Parts of Arizona,
Concours Parts*,
C & G Early Ford Parts*,
Surplus Supply Company*,
or
Mc Donald's Obsolete Parts
Sometimes you'll find the parts you're looking for on
ebay or
Hemmings Motor
News.
If you know of another old Fort truck parts place to be considered
for the list, please email me at mike@swatek.com .
Need information about other
Ford Truck model years???
Check out Ford Truck Enthusiasts (all years),
Dane's Garage (1961-66)
or
www.oldtrucks.com (1925-59)
Need to know how to do
something to your old Ford truck?
get an official Ford shop manual from
Bob Johnson's Auto
Literature*.
Please rate this site at The Ford Truck Hot 100 - Top Sites Ranked by Users
This is Mike's project truck. It's a 1958 Ford F-100
Styleside Custom Cab bought February 1998 with only
52,400 original miles on it. There's a 223 straight 6 under the hood
with a 1 barrel carb, and not much else (no AC, power or anything new, and
acres of room to work). Inside is a standard 4 speed on the floor. This truck
is in 99.9% original condition. The only things added are a vacuum gauge in the
instrument panel, underdash AM radio, tire mounts and a small tool box in the
bed. This is going to be a relatively easy restoration to original showroom
condition.
Here is this truck's story. It
was first bought by Paul Davis of Milnesand, N.M. from Kinsey Motor Company in
Portales, N.M. on 26 May 1958. The original key is still on Paul's keychain
from Bruce Blackaby Ford in Portales. Paul was a grocer who lived on a farm,
was a marksman and loved hunting in Colorado. He had several trucks that he
used for specific purposes, and this was his hunting truck. Paul put all of the
miles on this truck before becoming ill in 1977, which is the year of the
inspection sticker on the windshield. The truck was parked in his barn until
Paul passed away in 1985, and remained there until October 1997.
Paul and his wife had no
children, so no one bothered his stuff in the barn for all those years.
Finally, in 1997 his nephew, Preston Radcliff of Poverty Motors in Alamogordo,
N.M., bought the truck from Paul's 94 year old widow. Being indoors in a
relatively dry climate helped preserve the truck in its original condition. The
seat had an after-market leather cover which protected the original upholstery.
The battery had frozen and burst sometime over the years, but there was no
significant damage from leaking fluid. After replacing the battery and a
deteriorated rubber fuel line, the truck actually started after all those
years!!! 
In January 1998, Preston sold the truck to Donald Ambabo of Corrales, N.M. A few weeks later my brother, Jim Swatek, also of Corrales, happened across the truck. He knew from my web site that I wanted a Ford pickup from my birth year, 1958. He called me immediately about it (thanks bro'). I was leaving the next day on a trip to China and couldn't go to see the truck myself. We discussed what to look for on the truck and what I would be willing to pay for it. He checked it out and negotiated the sale on 21 February 1998.
Rob Melton at
Melton Sales in Claremore helped find
a vehicle transport company and the truck was delivered on 28 February 1998.
The truck driver said there were several people who asked him about the truck
on the way here. I drove it a couple of miles, from the school where it was
unloaded, to our house, and it was great!!! It started easy, ran smooth and
everything felt really tight.
Here's a description of the truck as it arrived.
Under the hood is a 223 cubic
inch 139 horsepower straight 6 cylinder engine with the original paint. The
carburetor is a factory one barrel with a clear float cover and the air filter
cover with original paint and decals on top. The generator and vacuum
windshield wiper motors have not been upgraded. There's also a vacuum assisted
fuel pump and hydraulic clutch. Overall, aesthetically rough but containing
original parts and mechanically sound.
The paint appears to be all
original (even on the front bumper, wheels and gas cap) with no indication of
body work. The body is straight, except for a few minor dings and several minor
dents from the inside of the tailgate. Three of the four hub caps are pretty
rough and dented. A hole has been put in the top of the right fender for a
radio antennae.
The original chrome is intact and in good condition, except for a
missing "F-100" on the right side of the hood. The original side mirrors are
looking good. The front bumper is slightly bent back at the sides. There are a
couple of gravel pits in the windshield.
The bed's single wall sides are
incredibly straight. However, the tailgate has several minor dents from the
inside, producing a general outward bowing of the surface. The bed floor has a
large depression at the rear, like something heavy was dropped in it. Two tire
mounts and a small tool box have been added at the front of the bed. At the
four corners on the top of the side walls, eye bolts have been installed for
tie downs. The rear bumper has had a couple of extra tow ball or chain holes
added, using a flame cutter. One of the tailgate chain latches is
damaged.
Inside the cab are the original
door panels, driver door arm rest, visors, rear view mirror, head liner, seat
covers and owner's manual, all in good condition!!! The steering wheel, shifter
know and foot pedals show no significant wear. The foam under the seat covers
is deteriorated, along with nearly every other exposed rubber component on the
truck (windshield and door seals, hoses, belts, tires, wire insulation and
tailgate chain covers). A tool container has been added inside the passenger
door step. A tachometer has been added with two screw holes just above the
steering column. An AM radio has been bolted on under the dash. In the
instrument panel, a vacuum gauge has been added. An after market floor mat has
been added over the original, very deteriorated floor mats. Holes have been put
above and below the rear window for a gun rack. Two screw holes are in the dash
over the glove box, and another over the instrument panel.
If you like this this 1958 F-100 Styleside Custom Cab, click on the ranking you think it's Ford Truck Enthusiasts Gallery deserves, with a 10 being best: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1. Thanks.
Below are some more pictures from other
angles:
Restoration progress will be posted... when it finally begins.
Please rate this site at The Ford Truck Hot 100 - Top Sites Ranked by Users
This is Mike's everyday driving truck. It's a 1965 Ford
F-100 Styleside Custom Cab bought May 2001 with 252,115 miles on it (assuming
the odometer had been rolled over only once in 1988 when it was documented to
have 66,098 miles). There's a 352 V-8 under the hood converted to a 4 barrel
Holley carburetor, and not much else (no AC, power or smog pump, and lots of
room to work). Inside is a standard 3 speed on the column. Nothing fancy,
simply low cost, easy to maintain, fun to drive and handy for hauling. I drive
it everywhere.
This one was bought from a guy at work for $1600, after seeing it
advertised on the company bulletin board. I liked it because the body was
almost perfect, it ran decent, and the front end had hardly any freeplay in the
steering. The front seat had also been recently upholstered in red and white
vinyl.
The first thing done to it was
removing an after-market AC unit that hadn't worked in years and was taking up
space under the hood and dash. Next priority was swapping out all of the better
interchangeable parts from a 67 F-100 that was going to be salvaged,
including:
Column Shifter Handle and Linkages, Tool box, Valve Covers,
Heater Core with Diverter Valve and Control Cables/Knobs, Battery with Bracket,
Air Breather, Pedal Covers, Tow Ball, Dip Stick, Wheels with Tires, Brake
Adjuster Slot Plugs, Fuel Pump and Radiator Overflow.
Since then I've been piddling
with it in my spare time, including: carrier bearing; lubrication; filters;
tune ups; plug wires; coil; thermostat; hoses and clamps; belts; engine
ventilation; carburetor kit plus heavier secondary spring, smaller jets,
longer/larger accelerator pump cam and 2 stage power valve; rebuilt heads with
new valve guides, upgraded intake oil seals and all new bolts in the top end;
right rocker arm shaft; new lifters; vacuum advance lines; mufflers; sterio;
rebuilt steering column including shifter, turn signal, horn and a better
steering wheel; gas cap, neck grommet and fill hose; door window regulators and
handles; door window anti-rattle strips; vent wing seals; door upholstery
backing; headliner; dome light; windshield and seal; motor and transmission
mounts; defroster ducts; door latches and handles; accelerator pedal; shocks;
oil pressure sender; hood bumpers; clutch linkage; exhaust manifold milled with
new studs and seals; water pump gaskets; all u-joints; brake line from master
cylinder to valve; front brake bleed valves; repacked front wheel bearings;
floor covering and mats; floor vent door seals; tachometer; radius arm
bushings; door arm rests; emergency brake; distributor; clutch; pressure plate;
throwout bearing; pilot bushing; flywheel gear; original style side view
mirrors; kingpins; spindle bushings; tie rod ends; drag link; alignment; and
the list keeps growing...
Didn't originally plan to do a
full restoration on this old truck, just enough for a decent everyday driving
truck. However, as things progressed I've changed my mind and want to make it
almost like new. Don't know if it'll be show quality, but it's fun and good
practice before starting on the '58, which I do plan to show. Maybe I'll use
the '65 to pull the '58 to shows on a trailer. That'll look good going down the
road.
Items still to be done are cab to frame mounts; cab floor pan; paint
and body; undercoating; engine paint and detailing; door seals; left door
spring; vent wing window frames and handles; inside door handles; exterior
chrome; fender side emblem inserts; instrument cluster bezel; right front shock
bracket; dome light lens; wiper arms and blades; steering wheel; horn
button/ring; original antenna; original hub caps; hub grease/dust caps; brake
hoses; etc... Then I'll be finished practicing for the next project, the 1958
F-100 above. Oh boy!!
If you like this this 1965 F-100 Styleside Custom Cab, click on the ranking you think it's Ford Truck Enthusiasts Gallery deserves, with a 10 being best: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1. Thanks.
Below are some more pictures
from other angles:
Please rate this site at The Ford Truck Hot 100 - Top Sites Ranked by Users
Then, check out the links to FTE and Web Ring below to see other Ford Classic Trucks.
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