Truck problem.

[Mater]

yeah there realy is nothing in michigan. there all over priced junk

last truck i bought i felt like i over paid and i only paid $500

[Huskinhano]

Diesel?

[Thumpin455]

Diesel has me intrigued but only in the sense of converting it to run ethanol. So it would have to be something with provisions for a distributor, or easy to set up a crank trigger, and some way to machine it for spark plugs. Get rid of the injector pump and run heated vapor injection and get really good mileage with very good power. Im a ways from that due to my knowledge of diesels, and of course money.

Dakota, no freakin way. Not bad trucks, but it just isnt happening. Mainly because I hate working on them. My dad has a whole herd of them since his first in 89, and he gets a new one every three years or so, and then lets them rest with 300k on them. He sells farm equipment so they get lots of miles in a short time. At least his latest isnt white. Just not happenin, too much experience with them and no offense to Mopar guys, but they arent my thing.

The absolute best tow rig I ever had was the 76 C10. Once it had enough power from the 400 Pontiac, it did great. Didnt pull enough with it to find out how good it did on gas, but it had no problem with hills or passing with a load on. Being lowered and the trailer is very low made it less of a problem in high winds, and it was always very stable. That is why I want a 2wd, because I can drop it in the weeds and they tow damn nice like that. Its stupid and useless to lower a 4x4, and I already know what its like pulling my trailer with a taller truck.

The 76 is sort of a matched set with my trailer, and the 88 1500 could be easy, because we built it to be very low to cut wind resistance. It is also damn nice for pushing a car on it by myself, even now with the bad joints. All my lowered cars go on and off without a problem, and the thing pulls incredibly nice. I am not switching trailers, not going to a higher one because of what I do with it, which is mainly hauling cars that dont run back to my shop. Its had one ton duallys on it and tractors that are pretty freakin heavy. Dad and I build good trailers.

[Thumpin455]

The Ford is probably going to my dad so he can push snow with it, since his Dakota is 2wd and a plow will make it worse. It doesnt have to be pretty, just have heat and run good for him.

What I am thinking is getting the 76 going, new 270 cam and lifters, swap a stock converter in it from the trans shop in town, and order up the suspension parts to lower it right and get the ride back. I can have it going by mid month so I can make a trip back home to get parts and a car in September or October. Eventually, replace the box, get another door, fix the rust on the cab, then drop an LS engine in it with a 4L80E when I find one, preferably a 6.0. Then it can be a hotrod truck that pulls my drag car and moves my old junk around.

Stuff the vortec headed 400 in the 2wd 1500, paint it, put nice wheels and tires on it, and the wife can drive it since it was her truck before I got it from her dad this spring. She digs trucks and then she can have a cool truck to haul her firefighter gear.

Maybe if I can find a 350 or bring back one of the 305s I have at the farm, do a quick rebuild on it and stuff it in the 4x4 1500, and drive it till it rusts in half in the winter. Once the snow is gone the plates come off, insurance goes on something else, and it waits for winter again. Winter vehicles are sacrificial...

[milner351]

Todd - how far is the nearest scrap yard - seriously - I took in some junk last week, got $74 for an old fox H pipe with cats, rotors, drums, a busted diff, a couple ring and pinions, leaf and coil springs, a couple old burned up electric motors.

Walked out with $200 total.

Scrap prices are up again - not at record levels - but they're up.

I realize you need a running truck to make scrap runs - but I think it's time you thin the heard and reduce the number of vehicles you have that require your time and effort.

I second the transfer tank - home brew idea - I have transfer tank for hauling waste oil - most of the L shaped tanks hold 105 gallons - even at 12 mpg - that's 1260 mile range on your home brewed fuel if you can make batches that big - and that doesn't include the vehicle tanks. Sure - that adds a bit over 600lb to the vehicle and takes up some bed space - but - you can always put a toolbox over the L tank to have more secure storage for your long trips.

Simplify brother - I realize a 4x4 isn't ideal for summer time towing - say it costs you 2mpg - compare that to the cost of registering and insuring another vehicle and maintaining it.... seems like 2mpg aint worth it.

IF - the 4x4 is a total sacrificial winter beater - that's a different story - just one step up from a plow truck. At that point - perhaps you should consider building a power train that you can move from one vehicle to another - so you're not putting good money after bad, heck - build up the most solid chassis you have - and put a home made flat bed on the back and just keep patching the cab together - rhino line the whole damned thing!

I could not agree more with buying a southern truck - I've done that with my last two powerstrokes - a 97 from Southern Georgia, and you know the story of the '01 from Florida.

I've heard shipping qoutes around $750 for cross country vehicle moves - check out uship.com --- how much rust repair money and time would that $750 buy you - plus the lower cost of the vehicle up front.

[Mater]

that is what my uncle is doing with my old 1990 ford F150 heavy half (it is on the verge of being classified as a 3.4 ton)

ripped the rusted bofy off removed the blown 351 put in a 300 I6 put a carb on it and put in the heavy duty ZF 5 speed. and the last bit was put on a 1951 cab

the bed is almost done and it should be running and driving by next year

here is a pic when we test fit the cab

[HillbillySailor2]

I was thinking of a junkyard, but for a different reason. Take the list of stuff you need and go junkyard shopping....and that includes looking for a cab for that Ford. And if the junkyards up there are like the ones around here, you may find a running truck for sale there that just needs a little work. Once you get two trucks running, I'd sell or scrap the rest.

[Thumpin455]

Todd - how far is the nearest scrap yard - seriously - I took in some junk last week, got $74 for an old fox H pipe with cats, rotors, drums, a busted diff, a couple ring and pinions, leaf and coil springs, a couple old burned up electric motors.

Walked out with $200 total.

Scrap prices are up again - not at record levels - but they're up.

I realize you need a running truck to make scrap runs - but I think it's time you thin the heard and reduce the number of vehicles you have that require your time and effort.

I second the transfer tank - home brew idea - I have transfer tank for hauling waste oil - most of the L shaped tanks hold 105 gallons - even at 12 mpg - that's 1260 mile range on your home brewed fuel if you can make batches that big - and that doesn't include the vehicle tanks. Sure - that adds a bit over 600lb to the vehicle and takes up some bed space - but - you can always put a toolbox over the L tank to have more secure storage for your long trips.

Simplify brother - I realize a 4x4 isn't ideal for summer time towing - say it costs you 2mpg - compare that to the cost of registering and insuring another vehicle and maintaining it.... seems like 2mpg aint worth it.

IF - the 4x4 is a total sacrificial winter beater - that's a different story - just one step up from a plow truck. At that point - perhaps you should consider building a power train that you can move from one vehicle to another - so you're not putting good money after bad, heck - build up the most solid chassis you have - and put a home made flat bed on the back and just keep patching the cab together - rhino line the whole damned thing!

I could not agree more with buying a southern truck - I've done that with my last two powerstrokes - a 97 from Southern Georgia, and you know the story of the '01 from Florida.

I've heard shipping qoutes around $750 for cross country vehicle moves - check out uship.com --- how much rust repair money and time would that $750 buy you - plus the lower cost of the vehicle up front.

Believe me, stuff is going to get scrapped. Just not the two short box trucks. The 4x4 will go to the chipper eventually unless I get a wild hare and rebuild it to sell it. Part of why I need a truck running is for the fuel project. I need barrels and tanks, and a way to haul cattails and other stuff around. September/October is when I do most of that stuff, so this is my month to get a truck going. The time issue isnt that big of a thing despite having the GTO, that is why I have been going so hard and fast on the Goat.

Its not just the mileage of a 4x4, its also upkeep, tires, and more complexity. The insurance difference for 4x4 vs 4x2 here is HUGE. The most expensive vhicles I have to insure are the 4x4s, even more than the 98 Formula, so it saves me money only driving them from November/December to April. Besides, I dont need 4x4 for what I am doing, so why haul all that stuff around? Since I have seasonal vehicles already that go in storage for winter or summer, and plates I swap around between them, that isnt really a problem. Its not like I keep everything plated and insured, no way we could afford that. Its just how I do things, and actually its cheaper for me the way I do it. I just need a summer truck for long hauling missions. The rat is in good shape, it just needs some tweaks. Its the suspension of the 76 that stops me, but that is going to get fixed here shortly.

[Thumpin455]

I was thinking of a junkyard, but for a different reason. Take the list of stuff you need and go junkyard shopping....and that includes looking for a cab for that Ford. And if the junkyards up there are like the ones around here, you may find a running truck for sale there that just needs a little work. Once you get two trucks running, I'd sell or scrap the rest.

I have a cab for it from an 87, the problem with junk yards here is they think everything is worth its weight in platinum. One of them has a 72 LeMans in just a little better shape than the GTO was, at least is has glass and an engine. They want $1500 for it and its maybe a $300 car. Trucks are worse, people here are stupid when it comes to vehicle prices.

Its not like living in Nebraska, this stuff was easy back home.

[HillbillySailor2]

Well, the cab should fit with no problem. Are the junkyards like that with all car parts, or just body parts/whole cars? I can pick up a whole truck cab down here for $170 before my military discount.

[SuperBuickGuy]

you already brew your own fuel, why not add a diesel fuel to the mix? That's even easier (from what I understand).

[BBR]

http://www.searchtempest.com/results.php?location=49841&maxDist=50000&region_us=1&search_string=f150&keytype=adv&Region=na&cityselect=zip&page=0&showeb=1&category=8&subcat=sss&minAsk=min&maxAsk=max

http://www.searchtempest.com/results.php?search_string=f250&category=8&Region=na&cityselect=zip&location=49841&maxDist=50000&region_us=1&srchType=&showeb=1&keytype=adv&minAsk=&maxAsk=&subcat=sss

There's a 1996 460 2wd Ford in that last link that would be great.

[Thumpin455]

you already brew your own fuel, why not add a diesel fuel to the mix? That's even easier (from what I understand).

Yeah its easier but I have to get the actual oil somewhere. I cant grow rapeseed or soybeans, and there is nothing growing around here I can use to make veggie oil. The restaraunts dont want to mess with people coming to get it anymore, they have been too unreliable. The big difference is with ethanol I am not waiting on anyone else nor dependent on supplies to make it, it just grows in my yard and I dont have to travel around to get fuel, everything is right here.

Getting the truck to run on ethanol is in the works, as is a big tank so I dont have to worry about filling up again. It looks like the 76 is going to get the attention this time, it has always been a great truck. It used to be black and a stepside, but I painted it back in 06 and dropped the 454 in it. If I wanted a 3/4 I already have one, its the Camper Special the 454 came from. Decent truck, drove great, only 80k on it, and the rust isnt terrible but the paint is. The problem with it is that it got about 4mpg on its best day.

Next year I will probably sell the 454 and drop an LS in the thing. Right now I just need a truck to move stuff, and if I am going to spend $1000 its going to be on someting I already have.

[SuperBuickGuy]

you know, it's interesting that while restaurants don't want to deal with individuals; the same companies that serviced them before and now sell what they get from restaurants for (in my area) 10 cents a gallon.... so final cost is somewhere in the 2.00/gallon range for diesel... and you get better fuel economy