I had the EXACT same experience on my Opel -56 which had been parked for a very long time. (Longer then most guys on this forum have been alive, actually.) Do yourself a favor and drop the pan already now. I did an oil change first, got the new oil nice and hot to clean up the old stuff and then drained it again. Thought I was golden, but later ended up dropping the oil pan anyway (it needed new gaskets). There where easilly 15mm of gunky gelly oil goo left in the pan.

 

That's pretty kewl, but what about it rusting/rotting to the ground in a year or two? Or is that kinda the point: drive it into the ground?

 

Why would it do that? It's been like this for 60 years already, it isn't going to self-destruct like that. Old stuff like this is made out of thick steel. That's why they may get rusty, but don't really rust out. The rust actually makes an oxide layer that prevents further rusting. It's only if you disturb or remove the rust that it starts anew.

 

Well then I learned something new today lol


My only experience with rust, at all, were the few Datsun 240's that I looked at a year back or so. The ones with rust you could poke holes through body panels with your finger. They were all early 70s cars, so I guess not "old enough"

 

Installed new wheel cylinders and return springs. I have one front wheel that won't bleed. I think the line is blocked somehow. Standing on the brake and opening the bleeder and even the brake line yields no fluid at all.

Drove it anyway, maybe 20 miles, three wheels is enough to stop from it's max speed of 45. Came home and dropped the oil/ATF. It looked good so I'm good to go. The oil filter housing has no filter. I sucked everything out with my mightyvac. Most of it was pure water. Filled it up and I'm going to drive it. Oil changes once a year will be less than 1000 miles so filter is optional. Actually, the year prior motor didn't even have a filter.

I ordered master cylinder rebuild kit. It's leaking. Should have just done it when I bought the wheel cylinders but didn't. Will pick up some oil filters, too. Can't get them at NAPA.

Re-wired the headlights last night. The wires were completely rotted off. They work fine now. Horn, too. Tore into the heater. After cleaning the contacts on the switch I had power to the fan but no-go. Ordered new fan motor when I ordered the master cylinder rebuild kit.

New money pit. That is all.

 

lol it will nickle and dime the heck outa you

but you already knew that.

in for TURBO BUILD

 

Put a GM LQ9 6.0L with EFI in it, then sell it to me.

 

yeah, I know

 

winning

 

Rebuilt master cylinder. Still no fluid to LF wheel but I didn't anticipate that would change. Removed brake hose and can't blow through it-it's completely collapsed.

Going to see if Lincoln Clutch and Brake can make one. If not, another order. Master cylinder doesn't spit fluid out the top now, so that is good.

Installed new heater motor. Have heat and defrost now. Well, I have a lot of noise but not a lot of air but that seems par for the course. Fan itself looks pretty inefficient. Heater core was clear when I blew through it, so that is good. It's $260 for a rebuild.

 

Is it still a 6v system? We had an aftermarket 6v blower with some ducting to the vents. It was still crappy but sounds a little better than stock. Is your cowel vent operational? That brought more air in than anything.

 

Cowl vent still works, Still 6V. Just bought 6V blower motor. It's all good.

 

PHOTOSHOOT!

OK, not really, just some shots with my phone.

 

Normally, I am not a big fan of all the filters people use these days.

However, those are very appropriate. That second, black and white-ish shot looks like it could be original.

 

Gorgeous truck!

 

Added a bit of Miata to the truck tonight. All it had was a cherry bomb muffler and it was loud. I had a stock exhaust system with a Magnaflow muffler in it from a Miata laying around so I cut it up and welded it right to the end of the cherry bomb, so now that's a resonator, lol. The absolute minimum effort to make it fit was expended. Left the ricer exhaust tip on it as well. Can't see it anyway. Quick drive confirmed what I hoped. Significant reduction in exhaust note.

 

So the exhaust Mazda engineers spent forever on to get JUST right, is now welded by to a cherry bomb by a Nebraskan on a '52 Chevy. M.net would be ashamed.

 

Mr. Stein - Loaning your truck out for photo shoots? I approve.

 

I wish there was a forum thats just for build threads. Does that exist?

 

Uh, like here? There's one under the media section?