Gawd what a pain..... (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Oct 23, 2018
Threads
37
Messages
273
Location
Whispering Ranch Az and SoCal
I'm thinking there must be some type of insanity mixed in with my obsession with certain vehicles.
For decades clowns treat em' like garbage and I come along and buy em'.
A little before and sorta after of the '68 FST. I'm still only 20 percent to my goal.
Funny you think something looks O.K then the next day you look........"damn dat' don't look right".
The drivers side floor is pitted. I could have replaced it but there was no rust thru. What a pain just to get clean enough for primers, sanding and more primers then spray on texture. Then paint. Got the gas tank back in after clean and paint. Lucky it was rust free inside and no external pitting.
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Is this the start of a build thread? I hope so!
 
I can't stand working on dirty hobby cars so cleaning up was number one. Fuel tank is now hooked up, carb back from Marks but not yet installed. I'm still in la la land about what to do concerning the radiator. I thought I didn't want aluminum but thinking about it ad nauseam, I can't think of one new vehicle that doesn't sport an aluminum radiator. All those engineers world wide can't be wrong....or can they?
Heck, I just want to see if this 40 runs. Then I'll be on to the next phase of.....brakes, shocks and finding out why the stock shift lever is frozen to only allow two gears to be used. It did sit outside for several years and I wonder if the shifter has rust on the inside near the steering wheel stopping it from moving freely back and forth or is it up and down.
 
Never seen the need for a aluminum radiator in my 68. I live in AZ and never had a overheating problem on my 68 with a four core stock radiator. Prior to me buying it in 74 the stock fan must have come apart and damaged the radiator. I later had a claw hammer fall in, hit the fan and further damage the radiator. Radiator shop solder shut a few more passages. Not sure I ever put a shroud on it to this day. Did not have one when I bought. I finally located a shround but do not remember ever installing it. I do always run a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and distilled water.
 
New cars have aluminum because it's cheaper
 
New cars have aluminum because it's cheaper


Can't help think that is the same reason for the plastic end caps used on radiator. With 50/50 mix of antifreeze and distilled water never had a issue with corrosion. To little antifreeze and bad water is generally the reason I've seen the reason for holes in the end caps and rotted away inlet and outlet tubes.
 
You guys are spot on. After reading and doing different radiators for decades, copper/brass radiators won out. Several engineering tech articles thru out the years have been shown to back this.
And yes, aluminum is cheap compared to brass so I get why it is used in new cars and sadly my '18 4x4 Tundra.

The "call to upgrade to an aluminum radiator" is up-selling....nothing more.

I worked for a chemical engineer some time ago and he always made the point of using exactly what "living the past" mentioned as the "cocktail for cooling", 50/50 distilled water, anti freeze.

Thanks Bear, I snapped off two more bolts on the back end last night.......errrrr. Big ol' learning curve on these for me. I come from decades of owning Broncos (66-77).
 
A little update. Today it made it's first run down the road to the mail box and back. Still needs a new exhaust system but o.k for now. I will be placing the factory soft doors (steel frame) back on shortly.
I lucked out. After working on the column shift and new hydraulic clutch goodies it shifts crisp with no grinding. Still more to do as it has an open rear differential. I'll yank the rear and take it the shop and let the boys have at it and while it gets its new Posi I'll have them do the bearings. It amazes me that vehicles like old Broncos (as an example) were advertised as four wheel drive when in reality, many were only two wheel drive. I've owned many old Broncos and only one had a factory posi traction. I guess the $30.00 option at the time was to much. Now it runs about a grand to have the rear end gone thru

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My first Land Cruiser was a 68. Come to think of it I still have it. It's a hard top model. Probably worth a little more than I paid for it.

My guess why so few Broncos has the posi traction is because Ford only installed a few at the factory. Most people buy a vehicle already on the lot. May have only been a $30 option but seriously doubt a dealer would install one for $30 if a customer asked for one. In 1993 E-Lockers were a $500 option on the 80 series. Toyota could have only brought in 80 series with E-Lockers and doubt it would have cost them any sales on a vehicle that list for over $50K.
 
I think this rig would look good with a patina pewter bumper...
 
yep, pewter is in line to be done. Once the bumper is finished then I will re-install the old Ramsey PTO winch that was on it. It needs some good cleaning and new line. I'll wait till winter to fix the beltline rust out on the back. I just freed up the Warn hubs as they were locked up. So check one more thing off the list of to do's.
 

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