PRE-INTRODUCTION
It’s been a long week. I got the funds for this project because my ‘09 Tacoma got totaled by a careless driver and I got an insurance check. The plan was to buy a beater truck for a daily driver, and use the rest to buy a classic. A friend had a 2001 Ford Ranger with 200k miles for basically free, so I couldn’t turn that down. The truck was well taken care of but had been sitting for 2 years and would not start. We tried to jump it with my wife’s car and it (her car) threw a rod… so we wound up using most of the repair budget on buying her a “new” 2008 RAV4. Boo. The good news is, I threw a new fuel pump in the Ranger and it roared to life. It was well maintained, and looks like it’s going to be good for quite a while. Boy was the insurance company confused that I bought three cars this week.
INTRODUCTION
This will be our first restoration. A 1958 Chevy Apache 3104. Half Ton, Stepside with a 235 Thriftmaster. Borg-Warner 4 Speed Transmission. The engine and transmission are rebuilt. It runs and drives. There is a lot of rust...but there are only a few places that this appears to be more than superficial, have a look below the driver side door.
Additional goodies:
2 more 235 engines, one assembled, another disassembled
2 3 speed transmissions
Service Manuals
New Back Glass
Another set of doors
Obtained the lot for $5100. Perhaps you can tell me if this was a good deal or not. I do not know. It was the best option I’d seen in a while.
VISION
I want an attractive car that is reliable and as safe as it can be. This project is about fun and making memories, not about original condition or show quality.
THE TEST DRIVE
The test drive went well. He lives near the meeting place and drove it over, so I didn’t get to see it start cold. But, we talked for 35 minutes or so before we parted ways, and it did not complain to start again. The engine sounds good, idles nicely, but does lug when it is floored. All gears are smooth, I have driven a manual my entire life, but this one was more difficult. I brought a friend along who assured me the difficulty was my fault, not the tranny’s. I about had it figured out about 5 miles in. The brakes work surprisingly well for a truck this old. I could not get them to lock and they stopped well. He’d put in all new brake lines and done a good job, and the master cylinder was stock. It’s unbearably loud in the cab as there is no muffler, just manifolds. The steering is very loose, it gets pretty uncomfortable faster than 45 MPH after which it starts to feel more like a wagon ride downhill than driving. The brake is really high, I can’t get my foot on it without knee-ing the steering wheel. There is no parking brake.
PREPPING TO BRING IT HOME
I live about 60 miles away. I remember the tires being old but I don’t remember them being just horrible. I’m pretty sure I’ve hauled cattle on worse, but he refuses to let me drive it home without bringing a set of tires. After 4 stores refusing to sell me garbage tires I found this classy little joint called Macuil’s and got some 15’s out of their dumpster for free. The best I could get were a set of 205 65R15s’, Lord I hope I can get them on the rim by hand.
So the plan is to run up there Saturday morning, see if I can pull in the stock steering to something tolerable, check fluids, swap out a tire or two and head to the gas station. Then we’ll take the back roads home at a comfortable speed depending on how I feel about tires and the mechanics.
What I plan to bring:
Ear Plugs
CB Radio
Tire Spoons
Jack
Jackstands
Soapy Water
Rags
Screwdrivers
Hand Mall
Box Wrenches
Socket Set
Nut Drivers
Pitcher
Funnel
Vise Grips
Gas Can
Needlenose
Channel-locks
Utility Knife
Wonderbar x2
Multimeter
Alligator Jumpers
Wire
Crimp Connectors
Crimper
Jumper Cables
Tow chains
Tow lights
Cardboard box
Blowtorch
Penetrating Oil / WD / 3n1
Couple quarts 10W30
Brake fluid
Wheel Chocks
Yellow rope
Piece of pipe
Bicycle Pump
2x4
Allen wrenches
Gloves
Crescent Wrench
Flare tool
Pipe Cutter
Zip Ties
Stiff Wire
Flashlight
Fire extinguisher
Water
Infrared thermometer
CURRENT QUESTIONS
*Am I forgetting anything? Fluids?
*Other than checking fluid levels, making sure there is no air in the lines, and making sure pedal travel is correct, what else should I do to prevent surprises with the brakes?
UPCOMING REPAIR QUESTIONS
Muffler - Thriftmaster makes 145 horsepower. This multiplied by 2.2 CFM is 319… which according to some charts means I need a 2” to 2 ¼” exhaust. Any reason I can’t just grab a clean junkyard muffler with a 2 ¼” bore and weld up an assembly to the manifold?
Steering Box - I plan to drive this to Louisville next year. I don’t want to be exhausted when I get there from an 8 hour game of PONG. I also want my wife to be able to control the truck when she drives. It doesn’t have to drive like a minivan. If it drove like a VW Bus that’d be ok. What do you think, is it worth rebuilding the stock steering or should I upgrade?
Last edited by Peggy M; 10/17/2023 12:56 AM.
