I had been told that the early Y Block distributors were problematic. Not long after that I was walking the Turlock swap meet and spotted an unidentified early Mallory for $20 that looked familiar but I wasn’t sure. I took the gamble and when I got home discovered the application was small block Ford. Well the part that went in the block worked fine, the shaft was just too short and the gear was wrong. So cheap ass me cut some shaft off the original distributor, welded, sleeved and pinned it in place and then installed the Y block gear in the right place. Works great. Got lucky and friend hooked me up with this vintage Hildebrandt oil filter block off to relocate the filter for steering box clearance. This is the gas tank I used. I have no idea what it came out of. I’d been tripping over it for a few years. It got rotated and filler relocated, mounts added etc. like everything else not much money invested but way too much time. Dash got painted Wimbledon white and installed along with a couple more Berry/Chung items. Starting to look like something.
I like your approach to a problem. As the saying goes " necessity or being frugal, is the mother of invention". I'm more of the frugal.
The bottom of the bed was wire wheeled and painted and then the bed was bolted in place. Here you can see some of the dents that needed fixing and the condition of the bed stake pockets. I had to replace 3 of them. The bottom of the doors needed replacing and the cowl needed lower patch panels. Bodywork began, one panel at a time followed by my favorite, Rustoleum rusty metal primer. I can do bodywork good enough to make something look clean in primer but the time and money involved in a real paint job is off putting to me, at least on this truck. Had the headers bead blasted then VHT primer and VHT header paint, following instructions.
Here is the 3:75 Posi third member going in. With some wiring and help from my friend Perry we got the engine fired up and now it was time for a test drive. After all the hours spent getting this far I didn’t want it to get impounded on my first drive so off I went to the DMV. In California there are no weight fees for trucks pre 1936 but even with the page in my hand from their own manual they just couldn’t figure it out so if I wanted title, plates etc I had to weigh the truck. So I flat towed it to the scales and back to the DMV. Later that day I was ready for the first drive. It happened with no doors because I paid a friend to strip the paint off them for me.
Test drive went well. Carbs and linkage needed dialing in. I continued with the bodywork and eventually I was done. Was happy to get my plates. Installed my SCROUNGERS club plaque (NZ) and a pair of repo A taillights. Tailgate is a 36 bought at a swap meet years ago for $10. It was far from straight but I worked on it until it was acceptable. Finally my vision for this truck was coming into focus.
Great project. I love it's Ford in a Ford. I've got a soft spot for the Y block. A 292 was my first solo engine rebuild when I was 15. My parents gave me their old 59 Ford Station Wagon and it needed a motor. My dad had taught me to pour babbitt and rebuild an engine on a 59 Ford Anglia I got real cheap from a neighbor to flip.
Here are a couple of photos by Take Hayashi who shoots for Japanese magazines. He did a story for Daytona magazine that included some pics of the truck. In the second pic you can see the Berry/Chung dagger dip stick handle. They were very popular in NZ in the 60s and 70s. Also I had to make an adapter for the upper radiator hose to get it hooked up to the radiator. Looks like the dip stick handle was a copy of a USA one made in the 50s.
A couple more pics from my back yard. In the first one you can see the trunk I mounted in the bed so I can carry some tools, fire ext’, gas can etc.
Thanks for alerting me to this one @Ryan i have no idea how I’ve missed it. Time to click page one and get caught up!
Thanks again guys for all the kind words. When I started putting some miles on it I was pretty happy, the ride was great, the 3sp OD trans was perfect, didn’t run hot. Carbs were a bit of a pain in the ass. I could’t get the idle to stay the same, it seemed every time I pulled up at a light it had increased or decreased. For some reason the butterfly or shaft had a sticky spot at closed position. I rebuilt another base for the center carb and that problem was cured. My good friend and fellow SCROUNGER Chris Piaggi was visiting with a couple of other members and while here straightened out my progressive linkage. Next problem was it ran super rich at idle and I felt horrible every time I was sitting at a light in traffic stinking up the joint. I figured out that I don’t need 3 carbs set up to idle, just one. I adjusted things but could never get the rear carb to stop pulling air at idle , I figured than was just a massive vacuum leak so I put some plates under the front and rear carbs and will revisit the issue later. I have a bad habit, Once I get a car driving I tend to just drive it and stop working on it. There are several little jobs still to do on this truck. After a while the 4.50 16 front tires were getting worn so I bolted on some 15” Firestone ribbed front runners until I can get another pair of 16s. I will get 5.00 16 Firestones.
Hey Kev, This is another great vehicle that you have gotten back on the road. I really like it. What's the story on the coupe? Have you been doing anything on it?
I have made a little progress on the coupe. I have the engine mounted and a lot of floor and firewall structure fabricated. Next comes a lot of patch panels and body repair. I built the roadster to sell to help pay for a great trip Mary and I took to New Zealand last March. Before that during the covid years I rebuilt one side of my garage so that took a lot of my time. With that and the roadster project done I will have more time for the coupe. I wanted the pickup to be a driver before I focused on the coupe also. So working full time, doing side jobs and the above projects it has been hard to find time for the coupe and that is fine with me, I am in absolutely no hurry. I like having it there to look at. it will be a record breaker before it hits the road, worlds longest mock up.
Wow! That pickup is so cool, the workshop is looking great, hope your recovery is going well @Kiwi Kev I have been known to say it's easier to build a shed extension than to clean up!
Ok caught up! Man that turned out great. The rake, chop, headers, it all just plays so well together. Perfect man. any shots of your radiator hose cross over?
Cool build going on there Kev,I had your old boss seth at my swap space in turlock then hes was back up to Modesto here last week picking up chevy parts ,small world!!
The Jalopy Journal
