Parked for 10 years, what next

[JoshT]

Ok so finally getting started on dad's old 68, the truck listed in my sig. Well at least started buying parts to get started on it. The truck was parked 10+ years ago when dad bought an F-250. Latest insurance card I could find in truck and still legible was from 2006, it may have been run since then, but it's still been several years if it has.

Plan to start with a squirting some MMO into each cylinder and making sure it spins over good by hand. Once I'm sure motor will spins well it'll be a fresh battery and an oil change.

Figure next up would be cleaning fuel system. Know the gas is bad, plan to pull the gas tank and hope it doesn't have any holes. If it's solid I'll clean it and add a fuel return fitting while it's clean. If it isn't solid I'll figure out an under bed tank arrangement. I definitely want to do EFI, so I think I'll skip cleaning the carburetor and go straight to bolt on EFI. Probably a Holley Sniper EFI and later a Holley Dual Sync distributor to go with it.

Brakes weren't good before it was parked and I know they will need attention now. Already gathering parts for a front disc brake swap which aught to help that situation a lot. I figure dad probably replaced the hoses previously in his quest for improved braking, but I don't know how long ago that was. Since I'll have the system open and replacing the front hoses, I figure it's a good time to replace the axle hoses as well. I'll take a chance on the hard lines since we don't usually have a problem with them rusting out around here and dad may have replaced them already.

Tires hold air, but will be replaced before it's back on the road. Unfortunately I'll be looking for a set of good used tires to stay in budget I've set, but I see decent used 32s and 33s for sale on Craigslist all the time.

It's running a Duraspark II ignition system and I'm going to try to keep all of the existing ignition components to get it running. I have a few spare Duraspark modules so it should get things running. If that doesn't work I'll replace them as needed.

Anything major I'm missing here?

[Bronco_77]

My dad has a really nice long bed he talked bout selling awhile back I can check on it if ur interested seen that ur in ga I’m in the hickory area N.C.

[JoshT]

Long bed, or long bed truck? The former I might be interested, but it will be a little while before I am ready for it or even able to get it.

At one point I was looking for a useable donor truck, but have decided to make this a working project instead. At the moment I'm just going to focus on getting it running and road worthy, rust mitigation can be tackled once it's a reliable driver.

I've done (still doing actually) a major torn down to frame and rebuild project on another truck. It got torn down then stalled, been that way for several years now. Not going to let this be the same. I'll bounce around and do little bits at a time, but it won't be parked long term again until I'm ready for paint.

[Ranchero50]

What's the intended use and duty? Without knowing the destination it's impossible to plan on how to get there.

[Bronco_77]

It’s just a bed that’s actually in great shape it came with a 72 truck he bought that some one had took it off and put a service bed on the only thing I know of wrong with it is it has 3 small holes on the side of it where somebody had something mounted. I wish my short bed was in as good of shape or that one was a short bed

[JoshT]

What's the intended use and duty? Without knowing the destination it's impossible to plan on how to get there.

Driving and occasionally using it as a truck...

Not daily driver, but definitely needs to be reliable which it always was in the past. Should have it road worthy and running reliable by October when hunting season starts, but sooner is almost always better. Mostly street driven with dirt roads in and round hunting club, and the occasional forest service road when camping and stuff. Will also be my primary truck for most truck tasks. IE: hauling firewood, dump runs, pulling the boat, towing other project vehicles, etc.

Won't be for playing in the mud, unless I need to play in the mud to get where I'm going. Won't be running huge tires, probably 33" max. Won't be used for rock crawling or other hardcore off-roading. Heck it probably won't even get off the dirt roads at the hunting club, I've got an ATV for that.

Not sure what any of that has to do with getting it back running and road worthy though. While I have got a destination in mind it'll be a long time before it gets there and that destination may change once I start driving it. After I start turning wrenches and have pictures to post I'll start a project thread with more on the intended destination.

It’s just a bed that’s actually in great shape it came with a 72 truck he bought that some one had took it off and put a service bed on the only thing I know of wrong with it is it has 3 small holes on the side of it where somebody had something mounted. I wish my short bed was in as good of shape or that one was a short bed

Sounds nice. Will definitely keep it in mind. Right now I'm focusing the money on making it road worth and reliable and safe.