...OK, this one will probably be l o n g so bear with me:
I just brought home my very first F-150 (my dream since I was a little girl) and have every intention of restoring it and making it my own. I am a bicycle mechanic by trade (funny, I know) and would very much like to get in to working on cars as well so I am going to do as much myself as possible.
The body and frame are good, no apparent mechanical problems.
My new favorite truck is an '84 2wd running an inline six, 179k, with a standard four speed transmission. All I really needed to get it rolling was a valve cover gasket, a tie rod end and some brake work (will be finished tomorrow.)
So, with all of that squared away, here are my (blatant) newbie questions, and trust me, there will be more where these come from...
1) The clutch on this truck works well, but I would like to have it replaced as a precautionary measure. Can you recommend a really good one that will last and deliver in the performance department?
2) Can anyone help in suggesting methods to combat Pennsylvania rust? Undercarriage treatments? Products? Habits?
3) Somebody suggested to me that synthetic oil would be bad for my engine. Another person went as far as to suggest diesel oil (!?) -- what oil should I use?
4) It seems to me that my truck should sit higher than it does, but I don't want it to look silly. I am thinking about putting new leaf springs in there. What else might I consider?
5) I am pretty sure my truck is more or less stock. What can I do to upgrade it and boost performance while keeping it close to original?
6) Any users from Pittsburgh? Is there a salvage yard in the area you can recommend?
Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for any help.
Cheers from Pittsburgh! - Anya
I just brought home my very first F-150 (my dream since I was a little girl) and have every intention of restoring it and making it my own. I am a bicycle mechanic by trade (funny, I know) and would very much like to get in to working on cars as well so I am going to do as much myself as possible.
The body and frame are good, no apparent mechanical problems.
My new favorite truck is an '84 2wd running an inline six, 179k, with a standard four speed transmission. All I really needed to get it rolling was a valve cover gasket, a tie rod end and some brake work (will be finished tomorrow.)
So, with all of that squared away, here are my (blatant) newbie questions, and trust me, there will be more where these come from...
1) The clutch on this truck works well, but I would like to have it replaced as a precautionary measure. Can you recommend a really good one that will last and deliver in the performance department?
2) Can anyone help in suggesting methods to combat Pennsylvania rust? Undercarriage treatments? Products? Habits?
3) Somebody suggested to me that synthetic oil would be bad for my engine. Another person went as far as to suggest diesel oil (!?) -- what oil should I use?
4) It seems to me that my truck should sit higher than it does, but I don't want it to look silly. I am thinking about putting new leaf springs in there. What else might I consider?
5) I am pretty sure my truck is more or less stock. What can I do to upgrade it and boost performance while keeping it close to original?
6) Any users from Pittsburgh? Is there a salvage yard in the area you can recommend?
Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for any help.
Cheers from Pittsburgh! - Anya