Hi everyone. I'm new to the forum as of yesterday, and truthfully new to forums at all as of yesterday as well. Through reading a few posts, I figured I oughta be posting here.
I got my daughter, who just turned 16 last month, a 66 Short bed a few weeks ago, and she is thrilled. Suprising to me she loves that it has a manual transmission, I think because my 75 F100 is manual. I'm not sure of the original bed style on the truck. The previous owner admitted it didn't have a bed for a long time a slapped a 65 step side on it that he had off in a corner. The VIN plate didn't match the truck. It said it was a 65 long bed. Through measuring and research I deduced it's actually a 66 short bed. So, through a couple weeks of calls and messages I was able to get the proper VIN back on it. Stitch, as my daughter has already named it, has an inline 6 which I have no clue about. I'm a V block guy. So the powertrain will be a learning experience for both of us. The engine rotates and the inside of the trans looks immaculately well maintained. I haven't checked the rear end yet, because I'm not working on the truck unless my daughter is here with me. I'm only here to help her fix it up. So the whole project will involve both of us together, which thrills ME. It use to be a 3 on the tree. Someone converted it with a floor shift kit a long time back, judging by the age its showing. We had to remove, clean, grease and reassemble the kit. Now it shifts like new. I'm guess it still shifts like on the column, up left is reverse and down right is 3rd. It's the original Saginaw 3 speed. If my measurements and research are correct, I need to find a 56" x 3.5" driveshaft for it. I think the original tire size was 205/75R15, but I hope to find out for sure before we put tires on it. We had a few donor pieces come with the truck when I bought it; hood, grill housing, grill insert and right rear fender. We already replaced the hood and grill insert because they NEEDED it. But the rest will wait till she learns to drive it. There's also another part we need to replace that I haven't found yet. It looks like a radiator support, the forward edge of the inner wheel well bolts to it, and it bolts down to the front most body mount. My daughter noticed it was broke at the mount while she was in the wheel well.
Well that's my intro and the beginning of Stitch's story.
Any help and advice from y'all will be greatly welcomed.
Thank you in advance,
Shane
