After 6 long years cooped up in the garage, the '59 has reemerged covered in a thick layer of dust, but happy to be free of its wooden confinement. We pulled it out last Friday after I got home from work. It wasn't too difficult to do. The tires held air long enough for us to pull it out, but not much longer after that. I steered it successfully keeping it from hitting anything while Jodi eased it backwards pulling it with the '74.
I started pulling it apart on Saturday. It was pretty rough. I was blowing up my face with a pretty steady stream of sneezes like I was powerfully beat boxing. Everyone in the neighborhood was mowing. I even did myself right before I got too work on the truck. I'm not sure if it was the mowing or pollen or the dust off the truck, but my face didn't like it whatever it was.
I sheared off about every third bolt that I removed. I guess the ratio of the strength of 55 years of corrosion versus the strength of the bolts used tend to lean in the bolt's favor, but only slightly.
I got the headlight bezels removed and then took out the headlight assemblies. I also managed to get the bumper off, though I'm not so sure that it was necessary. I don't know that I will be keeping it. It's bent back on the passenger side and kind of gnarly shaped from damage.
After work on Monday, I went back at it and got the bed removed. A neighbor helped me carry it into the garage. Then, again, after work on Tuesday, I made the most visual impact by removing the doors, hood, and front clip. Removing the front clip turned out to be pretty easy. I had made it very difficult on myself trying to remove the grill from the quarter panels. I read a forum that Ford enthusiasts suggested foregoing the removal of the grill separately and instead removing the entire front clip as if it were one piece. That advice proved invaluable. It had very few connections, all of which came undone fairly easy.
So, with the body stacked neatly in the garage, I only have the cab left to wrangle with. I'll disconnect the steering column from the steering box, all the wiring from the engine to the cab and the heater hoses and I should be ready to unbolt the cab mounts. I'll have to get some help for the cab removal. I imagine I'll need three guys besides myself to lift the cab. I don't know how much it weighs but I suspect it to be around 400 lbs according to forums.
Once done with the cab, I'll pull the rest to the scrap yard. Then, we wait. When I have the cash together I'll buy a truck similar to the one advertised here. I'm looking for a running carbureted 302 with a 3-speed in a 73-79 Ford F100 or F150 with a decent body. I have found three or four in the last few months come and go on Craigslist so I should be able to find one when I'm ready to buy one within a month or so, I figure. I hope that's the case, anyway.
I'll pull the body off just like I'm doing now with the '59 then I'll put the '59 body on it. I'll have to do some customizations to make everything work, but it shouldn't be too difficult. Once the body swap is done and the '59 is drivable I'll make it my daily driver again. Then, I'll use the body panels I pulled off to upgrade the '74. The '74 is pretty rusty and could use a better bed, tailgate, and cab floor pans. I'm hoping to get all or most of that with the truck I buy.
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