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I am thinking about buying a truck.
I am a master mechanic with machining and welding back ground
What should I be inspecting?
I am a master mechanic with machining and welding back ground
What should I be inspecting?
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Well...
Begin with your bank account and then move on to your patience, your desire, and your time. After that, your motivation or objective. What do you want when you are done? Daily driver? Show piece? Modern truck with an old look? All of these will help guide you to the first step of what you need to have included with the initial purchase.
For the rest, as I am just a newbie, I will leave to the experts on these wonderful beasts.
Best of luck and welcome to what is a great forum with many helpful members
Scott -
Knowing what you want to do with it is important. Outside that I would say to inspect the cab floors in the cab, the frame where it doubles up and especially the crossmember at the front of the rear springs.
Outside of that you want it as complete as possible. A rotted windshield frame, or missing or rusted out headlight buckets can be replaced, but are not cheap, or common.Comment
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I second Scott.
If I can ad my personal experience:
1. Subscribe to the forum. There's a ton of content and reference links that will help you on this journey. It's worth every dollar. The seasoned restorers here are a wealth of info which will help with #2.
2. Keep an open budget. Unless you're incredibly wealthy, be prepared to fabricate many things and drive the back roads looking for donor trucks and parts. It's amazing the things you learn as you start tearing in to the old beast.
3. Be realistic with your time frame. It will take longer then you think, even with your skill sets. They come apart a lot quicker then they go back together.
4. If you have neighbours that don't like skeleton truck parts all over the yard, your best to make friends with them now:)
5. Tell your partner you'll take her out for dinner more often. You'll be spending long days in evening in the shop planning your next move and you may be missed.
6. The truck are getting rare to find, however if you're given the option of two grab the one with a solid frame. Look above the rear leave springs on the frame as they are often cracked and this goes unnoticed. The cross-members can look solid at a first glance but are often rotten from the inside out. A moisture trap. (this was my issue with my truck)
7. Have fun! Your friends will think you've lost it, however it's really rewarding when they stop in to see how you're doing and you've made some headway from their last visit.
Best of luck!Comment
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Lots of good advice so far...
Learn the differences between the various models/years, to determine what your preferences might be. For example, winch/non-winch, 230 vs. 251 engine, bed styles, swivel frame, etc.
I purchased a 55 FFPW that had some rust damage as well as a liberal dusting of rust. Finding a rust free truck will save you many hours cleaning, de-rusting, patching, etc. :)
Good luck, let us see what you get...Comment
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You didn't mention where you live. I live in Maryland.
I restored an eastern truck ('52 PW from NY State) THe body work alone took me about two years due to the rust.
The truck turned out nice IMHO. Took 8 years to finish, but I own a business and so could not work on it as much as some guys can with their projects.
I have now acquired another (future) project truck, a '60 W500 Power Giant from Pennsylvania which is quite rusty. Deciding that I did not want to do extensive sheet metal repair on it, I found a donor cab/fenders/hood etc. in Colorado with almost no rust and bought it and paid to have it shipped east.
In my opinion, it is worth the shipping costs to buy a western truck, because you will many times over pay for that with less labor/time and expense with fixing rust.
The fenders especially are problematic even for an experienced welder due to the wire that is crimped into the outside radius. I bought new fenders, but they are getting harder to find.
I mig welded a lot of metal into the cab floor and wheel wells, primarily.Comment
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I have been reading the articles and there is lots of good advice.
One which I have been looking at has a front winch, windows have been open I think the floor boards will be severally rusted as well as the lower door panels. I am not sure of the engine most likely a 230 owner said valves are burnt, due to lose carb mount.
Wife is very negative about me getting a project truck.Comment
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If the price is on the lower side, you could get it for a parts truck. Then buy a runner when you can.
As it is even a runner will take your skills to keep it working well and looking good.
A project truck is a big commitment, and with the wife not being keen on it?....Comment
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Your wife is right.Originally posted by dirty tools View Post
Don't buy a junker truck, especially one with any significant rust. They are not worth the time, money and effort you will have to put into them.Comment
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I looked for over 3-years to find my truck and it was right under my nose. All the previous posts state don' buy an Eastern truck, go West.Originally posted by gmharris View Post
Have you checked out the posts in Power Wagon Advertiser or Dodge Power Wagon classifieds? there are some nice trucks for sale.
www.dodgepowerwagon.comComment
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looking
I'm sure Gordon has sent you an email asking you to put a free ad in the Power Wagon Adv. my advice is do it, I did once and found a rust free nice 1954 ffpw 75 miles from me and I live in Indiana, the truck had came from Calf. and the old guy did not do computers and he kept the truck in a garage all the time it was in the midwest, so there are rust free truck's in every part of the country. When I bought it the old timer and his hired hand even delivered it to me for free! Fleabag!!Comment
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