free truck

[garbear]

My wife has been given her grandfathers truck. He used it on his farm. The truck is a 1969 ford f250 camper special Ranger. It was sitting behind her grandparents house. The house was sold. Her grandparents are both gone. We went and loaded it onto a trailer and brought to our house today. All the glass has been broke out by her cousins kids. I have not had a chance to do much with it. My experiance is with chevy trucks. We own a suburban and a light half ton.

I am wondering if anyone can point me to the specs of this truck. The truck has a automatic transmission. The engine is a v8 but I have no clue as to size. I'll be changing the oil plugs wires and air filter before attempting to start it. The old girl has been sitting for a long time now.

Garbear

[FrankG]

Try ebay and amazon for a haynes manual. There should be a tag in engine compartment with engine size and specs .
I'd venture a guess of 352 CID . But could be 390 or 429 that year.

[Superfly]

it could be a 360 or 390 with a c 6 tranny. good super strong drive line andthe truck is a collector

[canyon-ghost]

Search engine (Bing): http://www.mclellansautomotive.com/lit/bymake/ford/index-14.shtml

Fourth entry down is trucks.

[JesterGrin_1]

Yep it is either a 360Ci or a 390. But I would almost be willing to bet it is a 390 and I also agree a C6 Auto. If you are used to Chevy the C6 is the Ford equivalent to the Turbo 400. Strong Transmissions.

It is an Old Ford so it will use some fuel. Probably in the 11-13 MPG range maybe a tad higher if you are lucky and light foot it lol. But they are one heck of a good strong truck.

[geargnasher]

Very collectable truck. I'm guessing yours has the the factory compartment doors on the bed skin? The beds on those are worth a fortune to someone trying to restore a rusted-out one. As was said, probably a 390 engine, look for the exhaust manifold crossover pipe across the top front of the engine, that's your clue. Ford used very high-nickel iron in those engine blocks, so there's some hope that the rings aren't seized beyond hope to the cylinder walls, although it's likely the valve seats on the open valves have rusted badly, if it misses and won't clear up a compression test is in order. I'd funnel a tablespoon of marvel mystery oil into each cylinder and let it sit overnight, then spin it with the coil disconnected before trying to start it, might help free the rings from the piston grooves.

Good luck!

Gear

[Bret4207]

Good old trucks, good engines. Do as gear suggests and get some Marvel or ATF into the cylinders for a few days.

We had a 71 with the 390. It was a bear! Rust finally killed it.

[6bg6ga]

If the hood was closed and the air cleaner was on its probably not stuck. Had a 74 with a 360 in it. Used oil from day one so I sold it and 6 months after it was gone I received a letter from Ford telling me to take it to the dealor to obtain a free overhall. The only thing I was responsible for were the fluids.

Truck is not a collector truck by any means unless you can produce the line setting ticket which shows items not commonly ordered for that model. Here in the heartland these trucks are a dime a dozen.

The 352 and 429 were NOT engine options in this year.

http://www.fordification.com/tech/VIN69.htm

This will take the mystery out of it. Will show you how to figure out what is in that old truck.

[lonewolf5347]

found off road dead?
love the oldies here my 55 ford I finished in 1999 was a old farm truck out of N.J.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a380/lonewolf5347/1955%20ford%20truck/MondayJuly1020065.jpg

[6bg6ga]

Not sure your 55 belongs in this thread but its a nice one. It brings back childhood memories when I used to go to my uncles farm and drive his 55 in the pasture. The old "Y" block didn't have any guts but when your young it provided the necessary thrill to make an afternoon fun.

Sorry about going off topic here

[garbear]

Nice truck. They don't build trucks like they used to.

According to our vin# the truck has the 360 engine in it. The hood was closed and my air cleaner is on. The plugs look good. Wires look akay but going to replace anyway. I am going to get a new battery next week. Wife's Uncle couldn't find the key so I am going to replace that as well. I'll be pricing glass for the windshield, rear and passanger side windows.

The bed has the tool box compartment on the passenger side. I cn't get it open though.

Garbear

[koehn,jim]

You might also pull the dist and turn the oil pump with an electric drill to oil the bearings and everything else. You need an old dist shaft or an extension eith a 5-32 or 1-4 inch socket to do it. The more care you take to prepare the engine for starting the better the chance to save it. Oil down the spark plug holes is a good idea.

[autofix4u]

Where I am that truck is far from a collectiable, most are still on the road and working like they have since new. Parts are easy to find and cheap. The 390cid FE block is a solid workhorse, but a gas hog at the same time. Very prone to oil leaks. My dad and I have a matching pair of green 1969 F350s. I also have a 1966matching F150, a 1977 F250 highboy, 1985 F250 diesel. Let me know if you have trouble finding parts in your area I have a couple of good suppliers here in Missouri.
As it was. Grandpas truck, if rust has not destroyed it I feel it should be fixed.

[44fanatic]

Dad had the 72 Ford Ranger CS. Had a 390 in it. Good strong engine that actually started and ran after sitting for about 3 years in N Idaho. After both my parents passed away, my sister sold the truck last year for $1200 to an autoshop in Spokane. The seals and gaskets had finally deteriorated to the point where all the oil leaked out.

My 15 yr old Granddaughter, 10 at the time was the last one to drive it.

[MT Gianni]

A close friends dad bought one new. He was told he could change the mileage in the 73 gas crunch by installing a larger fuel line. The quote was " You can change it by putting in a larger fuel line. It won't improve it, just suck more faster". I always remembered that line.

[bob208]

a good p.c. truck { precomputer} that will start and run with out the worry of a senser or some other electral *** throughing a hissie fit and leaving you set

[Dale in Louisiana]

Nice truck. They don't build trucks like they used to.

Garbear

My dear old dad used to bemoan the day when pickup trucks became popular for, as he put it, the 'drugstore cowboys' who'd never haul a thing besides their sorry poser butts up and down the boulevard. They drove the prices through the roof.

dale in Louisiana

[leadman]

Might want to pump any gas in the tank out and dispose of it. Also recommend replacing all of the rubber fuel lines and the mechanical fuel pump on the engine if this has not already been done.. The old lines won't last long with our new gas going thru them. Carb should be rebuilt also if not already done.
This engine probably does not have the hardened valve seats in the heads so if it starts missing could be the valves leaking.

[bearcove]

Yeah it is just a truck. My 72 had a 360. If you have one its heavy but easy to rebuild and will run a long time.

[WILCO]

Pics?

[Dark Helmet]

Won't run!? Tell that to the local yokel with a 383 Sport Fury that my Dad's '54 pickup wth a 312 (2v no less-my dad changed it) walked away from. I finally stopped to see what that fool behind me was flashing his lights for. :D

[Mk42gunner]

I like those side tool boxes, they will hold a case of 12 oz cans and a bag of ice.

That tool box latch gets stuck easily. I don't remember how I got mine to work, probably some not so gentle persuasion and oil.

Robert

[Bob Krack]

My first vehicle was a 1946 Oldsmobile six cylinder. It had been dad's work car and had been parked beside the barn after he bought his new 1954 Ford station wagon.

When I turned 14, dad gave me the Olds and he helped me git'er runnin' again. Engine was totally seized from sitting. dad was a WWII PT boat mechanic and had me put a couple teaspons of #2 diesel in each sparkplug hole and let it sit for about a week.

Afterwards, we added a new battery and it cranked (without sparkplugs in place). Cranked like a new one. Before the treatment, it would not turn over pushing it at 30 mph. Just locked the rear wheels.

That #2 diesel was a terrific penetrant/lubricant.

Your truck can be a real jewel if you have a mind to make it so.

Bob

[429421Cowboy]

I own a 1968 F250 Camper Special that my great-grandfather bought new at Bison Ford in Great Falls, Mt as well as the 20 gauge Ithica shotgun they gave with all Camper Specials back then, it has ran without a hitch ever since new. The original camper was destroyed when the pickup rolled on Monida pass going into Idaho in a blizzard, it has been rolled once more since then, with only one small dent where the headache rack hit the back of the cab in one corner, they surely knew how to build trucks back then. It has spent the last 9 years of it's life starting twice daily at the feedlot to feed steers until finally we are giving it some TLC that it deserves. We also have on the ranch a 1951 F350, '64 Galaxie 500 66' F600, '76 F350, '94 F350 (425K on it) '95 F350 '95 F250 '96 F250 and a '97 F250 in either 360, 390 or 460 that all see use daily. The old Fords will run!
You got a good truck there and will be happy to have it, they are a heck of a rig then and now.

[PatMarlin]

A close friends dad bought one new. He was told he could change the mileage in the 73 gas crunch by installing a larger fuel line. The quote was " You can change it by putting in a larger fuel line. It won't improve it, just suck more faster". I always remembered that line.

lol... :mrgreen:

[PatMarlin]

66 Galaxy 500... there's some memories.

I remember hitting the dash from a hard brake and gashing my eyebrow at 7 when grandpa was driving me home after a few beers.

Lordy he thought my Dad was going to kill him... :mrgreen:

[Beerd]

A close friends dad bought one new. He was told he could change the mileage in the 73 gas crunch by installing a larger fuel line. The quote was " You can change it by putting in a larger fuel line. It won't improve it, just suck more faster". I always remembered that line.

My 3/4 ton gets a combined EPA average of 18 miles/gallon,


8 in town and 10 on the highway, that's 18 right? :veryconfu
..