Well, let's see, I never had a truck until our scoutmaster tried to cut down a phone pole with his 1958 F100, grille was destroyed, but minimal frame damage (those trucks are tanks!). I had driven and worked on a 59 F100 that had a 1956 T-Bird carburetor and possibly the engine as it even had the correct Holley Load-a-matic distributor. I rebuilt the Holley 4000 on it. Because you had to be 21 to carry the boys, I would drive one of our wagons (both Mopars, a 62 Belvidere and a 59 DeSoto) and switch vehicles with Bob Addison, then scoutmaster and drive his truck with the equipment.
When Hansel Price, scoutmaster at the time, wrecked his truck, I told him I would see if I could fix it. Friend who owned a junk yard had an old Army Corps of Engineers 1957 with no title, since the numbers are on removable components (doors), I straightened out the grille as best I could, swapped doors (the 58 ones were in better shape). It was a 223 6 with a 3 speed. Neighbor had a 1957 Ranchero he was going to fix, until he found the metal eating termites had carried off half the frame. It had a 312 with a Borg-Warner T85 and overdrive. I refreshed the engine, stuck a Carter AFB from a Buick 300 V8 on it and Thunderbird exhaust manifolds. Truck had a 3.73 9" rear and it would lug down to around 45 mph in OD with that 312. Friend with 1957 T-bird needed an intake with a good choke stove and for some reason the right exhaust manifold had a choke stove in it, so for the price of two sets of intake gaskets we swapped intakes. Then I got playing with a non-feedback Motorcraft 2700 VV carb, 25 mpg with that 312 in a pickup truck.
We were given a 1972 Wolverine 11 1/2 foot slide-in camper, since the 58 was a 6' styleside, and the camper needed an 8' bed, it was see about stretching the truck or find a different one. I had planned out an upgrade for the 58, use a 390 I had and a custom made adapter for a dual coupling Hydramatic, change the rear to a 3.25, use a Saginaw power steering setup like the pre-1980 4WDs did, as that would put the box up front and still use the drag-link to the beam axle, brakes were a "what can I fit there" deal. Co-worker at NNS had a nice 1977 F150, with the 300 and C4 (not one of Ford's "better ideas", 300 has enough torque to burn up a C4 easily). I gave the 58 to my son-in-law.
Used the 1977 until 1994 when we bought a 30 ft 5th wheel trailer, I had installed a Camper Special 390 and C6 in with a custom dual exhaust system I designed and had a local shop build. The 77 pulled the 5th wheel, just wasn't happy stopping it. Late wife was camped next to a fellow who had a 1986 F350 crew cab dually for sale, at first I wasn't real keen on it, but for $4500 it was a steal. For you youngsters, this past April was 25 years I have owned Darth. I really have no plans on replacing him, don't really like the newer stuff, Darth has still got the original king pins and muffler, no ABS, no air bags, no catalytic converter and no taxes!
Bill AKA "LOBO"
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"Getting old is inevitable, growing up is optional"
Darth Vader 1986 F350 460 converted to MAF/SEFI, E4OD 12X3 1/2 rear brakes, traction loc 3:55 gear, 160 amp 3G alternator
Wife's 2011 Flex Limited
Daily Driver 2009 Flex Limited with factory tow package
Project car 1986 Chrysler LeBaron convertible 2.2L Turbo II, modified A413
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