Project American Cruiser

[Thed]

A bittersweet discovery on the F-100.

Just a quick WIndsor history lesson. The Windsor line of Ford V8's were made to have a compact, light V8. The most popular V8's were the 289, the 302, and the 351. The 289 and 302 shared the same block. The 351 was very similar, but had a 1.3" taller deck, noticed by the amount of space between the water inlet and the deck. The 351 also used more webbing and was a considerably stronger block.

Well back on Monday I was under the hood of Leah when I saw something different. I raced to the 302 in the garage to confirm what I saw.

Yep, Leah doesn't have the 302 that I was told it had, she has a 351. I had a gut feeling that it didn't sound like a early 302 (they have different firing orders). Bitter because of my love for the 302, and because I have a garage full of spare damn parts. Sweet because there's no replacement for displacement.

Saddest part... Leah will probably be quicker than DeLone.

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[Thed]

Well everything just came to a screeching halt. The engine just blew on my mom's Mazda because they never care to check the damn dipstick between oil changes. And since I just happened to be driving it, I'll have to pay part of it.

I'm pissed, and this puts the project truck in jeopardy. I'm praying that there'll be a way to cover the cost of all of this and keep the truck. PRAYING.

 

[Twin Turbo]

That sucks, Thed. Hope things get back on track, soon :(

 

[Thed]

That sucks, Thed. Hope things get back on track, soon :(

One can hope...

 

[Thed]

As if I needed another problem.

Leah has an extremely bad case of cancer on the driver's side floor pan. I thought that it was just the driver's side cab mount, but I was under her a little bit more today while I was working on the brakes. Yet again a problem that I really don't have the resources to fix.

Oh and I hate drum brakes so much it isn't even funny.

 

[Thed]

My parents and I worked out a deal that works out great for me, so I get to keep Leah in all her rusty glory!!!

 

[All-Or-Nothing]

Glad you're keeping the truck.

 

[Thed]

UOENO

 

[Thed]

 

[Thed]

As if I needed another road block in the street of life... I got temporarily let go from Hertz until January 6th. What the **** I should do now is beyond me. Looks like I'll be looking for a job at a meaningless place or a whole new job altogether.

 

[Thed]

Well then... it's been a while since I've updated this thread, and A LOT has happened since.

Let's start on Halloween, the day of the last post. That very day after being told I had two take a two-month leave, I went to get an inspection for the Ranger. I saw a sign there saying "Now hiring part-time afternoons" and applied. Got the job and started the following week. It was just a mom-and-pop oil change and inspection station, but I had a lot of fun there. Here is the real kicker: my grandpa suffered another stroke in Hawaii. My mom and step dad flew down there to help him out for a week. I saw a Mazda3 in the garage and the opportunity to save twenty bucks that week on gas. That back-fired BIG TIME. The engine blew while I was driving it while they were gone. It was two and a half quarts low on oil. Nice maintenance guys. This is when I really considered selling the F-100, because I did not have nearly enough to cover what they were asking. But eventually emotions calmed and they realized that they were really the ones to blame. But because I was driving it without them asking (Typical teenager thing, right? I'm 20 now so I can say that. ), I payed for a portion of the bill and put it behind me. After all of that mess I ended up working there for fun during the weekends even after I resumed working at Hertz. I liked the guys and the little bit of extra work house paid for a tank of gas every week, why not? But I'm getting ahead of myself...

One hour before the new year I was violently rear-ended in the Ranger thanks to an oblivious (but super duper hot) bimbo. Seriously, she was dumber than the pavement she was standing on. Long story short, I had a concussion and a neck sprain. I was talking like a dyslexic idiot for nearly a month. This pushed back the F-100 significantly, because I had to devote all of my time and resources to fixing my DD. Couple that with having school and the two jobs, I had almost no time to work on it. Also, I threw the smashed old bed and tailgate in the back of the F-100, which made it an eyesore to the apartment complex. Can you see where I'm going with this? Eventually it was towed away without my knowledge. It was gone for TWO WEEKS before I found out (yes, that's just how busy I was). So, a $125 towing fee and a $25/day storage fee brought the bill to roughly $675 when I was able to find out who towed it and where it was. I got there about to raise hell to the towing company until I realized that it was the apartment complex that made the call, so I gave them hell instead. The guy who owned the one-truck towing operation was actually a really nice guy. We were able to work out something that worked out great in my favor. I told him he could have the old Ranger bed in the back of the F-100 as well as the tailgate and bumper for scrap metal if he'd tow it to a shop for me. Not only was I able to swing that, I was able to get him to knock off a couple storage days. So I left paying $625, with him towing it to a different shop and taking my junk! I made the best of a bad (read: TERRIBLE) situation, in my opinion. My dad ended up leaving that place at the end of the lease.

So with the truck at the new shop I wanted to know how much it'd be for them to do all of the work if I got them all of the parts they needed. It ended up staying there for a couple weeks before they admitted that they couldn't fit a project that big into their schedule, and that they thought it would cost too much for me to handle. I was a little hurt by that, but it was the absolute truth. But then they recommended a "shop" across the street that had the time to work on it. Really, it was one man with a hobby and only worked when it came to him. It was a run-down shack that was halfway tipped-over that had tools in it. Shop enough for me! So I put-putted across the street in the middle of the night when there was no traffic. Keep in mind that it only went into first and reverse, and the only way to stop it was the E-brake. Got it there and it ran out of gas right as I pulled it into the grass, perfect timing. Called him the next day and he said $500 to instal all new brake lines, slave cylinders, master cylinder, and shoes. I got him all of the parts he needed except the brake lines, he hand made all of them. Really, I couldn't be any more pleased by that deal. I happily paid the cash up front and he did a fabulous job. But there was a problem with that too. Right before I was going to get him the money I had to move because I got offered a new job in a new city an hour away. So it sat there for two months after I had the cash again. Then I happily paid the guy and took it on a little test-ride. That little test-ride consisted of getting a quarter-mile up the road before running out of gas, again. Again I tried to move it in the middle of the night while there was no traffic, this time I was trying to get home in it. Yeah that wasn't too successful. I put some more gas in it and got it back to the shop, saying fuggit. The following weekend I had it towed to a new shop using the same towing business that towed the F-100 in the first place. Can you tell I support small businesses?

This new shop is a welding shop that has a sterling reputation, and it is VERY busy with high-end exhaust work. Leah's there to get a floor pan and body mount welded in. It also helps that there is a used tire shop within eye shot of it. Thirty bucks a tire means that it's the next stop. A month later I called them to ask what was up with it, naturally getting the "we haven't gotten to it yet" treatment. I blame this one on me, actually. I told them flat-out that it was a project truck and that I had no time limits on it. To a shop that just means push the big-ticket items through the door before this. Oh well.

It is finally going to have the stuff welded in this week.

 

[Thed]

Well it took months but that welding shop finally got to my floor pan. Had it towed back to my place and it sat for a little while (again).

Welp, here's what's going on with it now:

Home stretch... got the steering column out on Saturday so I could take it to Durham to see Rick at Carolina Classics. She definitely needs a rebuid, both upper and lower bearings are shot and the steering shaft needs to be repaired. $265 out the door with parts to have it done. One problem though, he doesn't have a shift tube. Nobody does. He caught a lead and may have found one in West Virginia, for a not-so-cool $125. I told him to just get it so I can get my truck on the road!

Personally, this whole deal seems like it has been entirely hands-off. I friggin hate it. Had to have someone do my brakes for me, weld a floor pan and body mount in for me, and now have to have someone rebuild the steering column for me. Half of me wishes the engine or tranny would go so I can rebuild it! But that would just be a bunch of wasted money. Seriously, wrenching is my job. I do it every day for a living, but there's just something about the old damn thing that makes it fun to do at home instead of feeling like more work. The goal now is early June for it to be on the road.

For now, I'll leave you guys with pictures.

 

[Erik427]

Nice....now get a paint job.

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