The Oily Shop Project

[john k]

This Ford could be pretty nice.   If its 2wd, will have front leaf springs solid axle and king pins.  I believe it was 1961 they went to the (Twin Eye Beam), split front axle.   If its a v8, will probably be a 292 Y-block.  NOt a bad engine, just kinda heavy and with some age they did drink and leak oil.  I just spotted the gun rack in the back window, can't imagine displaying hardware these days.  I see its 3-speed, when was it last plated?   Sure got possibilities.

[OilyRascal]

when was it last plated?

As I recall this truck was parked at the deer camp by a storage building during the early part of my life - just beside a red 1949 mercury coupe I drooled over as a teenager.  I've never seen either driven (born in '72).  I'm not sure at what point it was moved to the house place.  Yet to find the Mercury - suspect it is, in fact, gone......although hard to say for certain as I'm still finding things in grown up areas.

[Lump]

Oily,
You can quickly tell if it is a Y-block motor when you raise the hood. The Y-block is the only OHV Ford V8 engine of the 50's-70's with the distributor in the rear, like a Chevy. Also, the valve covers are held on by just two bolts in the top center of each valve cover.

If it turns out that this truck DOES have the 292 Y-block engine, good for you. That is a very desirable Y-block, and very popular with vintage Ford guys. The biggest Y-block was the 312, made famous by the two-seater T-Birds of the fifties. But the 312 is prone to cracking at the main saddle, at the threaded hole for the mains bolt. So many Y-block guys will use turned-down 312 cranks in 292 blocks, and bore them out to the correct size. That way they end up with a true 312 Y-block with a sturdier block (in the main-bearing saddle area, I mean).

Good luck, and I hope you will find that Merc!

[OilyRascal]

Oily,
You can quickly tell if it is a Y-block motor when you raise the hood. The Y-block is the only OHV Ford V8 engine of the 50's-70's with the distributor in the rear, like a Chevy. Also, the valve covers are held on by just two bolts in the top center of each valve cover.

If it turns out that this truck DOES have the 292 Y-block engine, good for you. That is a very desirable Y-block, and very popular with vintage Ford guys. The biggest Y-block was the 312, made famous by the two-seater T-Birds of the fifties. But the 312 is prone to cracking at the main saddle, at the threaded hole for the mains bolt. So many Y-block guys will use turned-down 312 cranks in 292 blocks, and bore them out to the correct size. That way they end up with a true 312 Y-block with a sturdier block (in the main-bearing saddle area, I mean).

Good luck, and I hope you will find that Merc!

Great stuff!  I appreciate all the information.  I'm afraid, despite my true desire, I must leave it alone for the time being and focus on a few things I've already started.  I AM proud to say the '65 F350 is now road worthy - awaiting title MESS to be sorted out.  It has just about beat me to death running old unkept oil field roads between the house and shop.

[Lump]

Title mess, eh?

Here in Ohio trying to get a title for an old abandoned vehicle is nearly impossible, and you must be very careful not to mention "junk yard" or "salvage" or similar words in the license bureau offices. Otherwise the bureaucrats there will flip out and demand that the vehicle be destroyed, because of laws that were created with the intent of stopping "chop shops" from resurrecting totaled-out wrecks and selling them as good used cars.

So here in Ohio (according to rumor...wink wink, chuckle) when a car collector finds an old abandoned vehicle with no title, it is common practice to sell that vehicle through the mail to someone in another state, where only a bill-of-sale is required for older vehicles. Then the party whom you have sold the vehicle to takes your bill-of-sale into his title bureau, and has a title made in his own name, in that state. Then he will sell your vehicle back to you, signing his new title over to you in the presence of a notary public, and sending it to you for you to sign as the new buyer. It's silly to have to do things that way, but some of these laws are like cheap padlocks... They don't even slow down the thieves, but they sure to create hassles and headaches for honest people trying to collect and restore vintage vehicles!

The practice is technically legal, because you really are selling your vehicle to another person, and they really are titling it in their own name, and then they really are selling it back to you. But you sure wouldn't want to tell your title bureaucrats how you did it. Or they might blow a blood vessel on the spot. Denying honest people the right to buy a title or license plates is the favorite pasttime of many 'crats I have been around. LOL.

[OilyRascal]

I just spotted the gun rack in the back window, can't imagine displaying hardware these days.

I can't tell you how many times I "caught" my papaw's pistol as it slid across the non-padded dash of an old truck. 

I was taught to display your hardware and there is no need for a government permit to "conceal" it.  Large in window - small on dash.  I keep my primary daily driver "configured" that way to this day - but again, I live in the sticks of redneck/hillbilly/roughneck USA (not NYC).

[Papaw]

No open carry of handguns in Texas, believe it or not. Loaded handguns must be concealed, thus a CHL is required.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry doesn't shy away from his love of guns -- he admitted he takes his gun along with him on jogs, last year shooting a coyote that threatened his dog. The governor said he would consider an open-carry bill if it landed on his desk.

"The governor believes our concealed-carry law works for Texas and that a person ought to be able to carry their weapon with them anywhere in the state if they are licensed and have gone through the training," Perry's spokeswoman Allison Castle said. "He would be open to looking at any proposals lawmakers bring to the table regarding open carry. I suppose we've got what you could call a Texas open carry since you can hang your rifle in the window of your pickup truck."

[OilyRascal]

In Arkansas as it relates ONLY to automobile carry  "Firearms may be openly carried in automobiles only with a permit OR while traveling."

NOTE: "Traveling" is a highly subjective term and is NOT clearly defined in Arkansas state law.

[dimwittedmoose51]

When I was like 20, some hippies had an old VW bus(1960 Kombi to be exact) they were driving up to Iowa from Texas with a load of head shop stuff and gawd knows how many drugs.  They burned a hole in one of the pistons near Clarinda Iowa(sw part of the state).  They were at the VW dealer in Ames wanting a price on a new engine for it and after getting the bad news, offered to sell it to me for the $3.61 compression test bill at the International Harvester Dealer in Clarinda, the only place in town that would even talk to them.  All I had to do was deliver the "goods" to a head shop on the ISU campus and the bus was mine.  Borrowed the roommate's car and rented a U haul hitch and away I went.  I let them clean out the van and I put a used piston in it and drove it all summer.

Getting a title back then was pretty easy.  Law stated that an abandoned vehicle with no known owner should be publicly offered for sale in 3 public places(I got to name my price BTW).  If it didn't sell in 2 weeks, I could sign papers at the courthouse and get a new title for it.  Traded the Bus to my roommate in exchange for him co-signing a loan so I could buy this really cool 1963 356B Porsche Coupe that was in town.    Wish I still had both vehicles now.

BTW, I still have the TX  license plate from that Kombi.  It was unique in that the double doors were on the driver's side and not on the passenger side.  That's enough memory lane for one night!!!

DM&FS

[Lump]

Wow, great story, Moose!

[OilyRascal]

I bet yall thought I was out of steam and discoveries.  This morning it was time to dig in storage #1

I'd say this probably had something to do with removing corn off the cob.







I believe I found the stash of spare parts to the pipe tools







Williams clamp



Millers Falls stamps





punch



Rockwell circular




McCullough Mini Mue (I will put this guy to work)





Unknown #1 to me, and I'd appreciate any comment




depth gauge




single tree



unknown #2 to me - again, I appreciate comment



wet rock in a wooden box (I suspect this is my OTHER grandfathers)


just a box



the pamphlet inside the box





unknown maker hand saw



bolt cutter replacement dies



Craftsman scroll saw










unknown maker wood lathe - I suspect Craftsman






and if you're working with tools you need to stay cool somehow

[kxxr]

Craftsman must be correct for the wood lathe. I'm trying to think of a comment on your wonderful finds, but I'm just speechless, I guess. Here are some shiny 21620 pictures for comparison though.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=craftsman+21620+wood+lathe&_sacat=42282&_odkw=craftsman+wood+lathe&_osacat=42282

[Dakota Woodworker]

You don't even have to try hard to find some great stuff! I wonder what brand those replacement adjustable wrench jays fit,they could be handy. The unknown #1 is a froe.  The Craftsman saw is actually their three wheeled bandsaw, my dad had one just like it.  Oh and #2 is a harness hames, a pair of these where fastened to the horses collar and the tug chaines where then attached to the hames.

[john k]

I bet you could hit ten hardware stores today and not find that many replacement jaws!  As said, the first unknown is a froe, for splitting shingles, look carefully it may be blacksmith made.   The second one is a hame, used as a pair, one on either side of a horse collar.  Some had fancy brass or nickel balls on top.  I hesitate to even think what corner you drug all this out of!

[OilyRascal]

Craftsman must be correct for the wood lathe. I'm trying to think of a comment on your wonderful finds, but I'm just speechless, I guess. Here are some shiny 21620 pictures for comparison though.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=craftsman+21620+wood+lathe&_sacat=42282&_odkw=craftsman+wood+lathe&_osacat=42282

Thanks for the lead!

You don't even have to try hard to find some great stuff! I wonder what brand those replacement adjustable wrench jays fit,they could be handy. The unknown #1 is a froe.  The Craftsman saw is actually their three wheeled bandsaw, my dad had one just like it.  Oh and #2 is a harness hames, a pair of these where fastened to the horses collar and the tug chaines where then attached to the hames.

Oh, but you have no idea how much blood, sweat, and tears have been involved with this project :-) 
I would like to know myself on the wrench jaws and what they fit, and I will given time.  I suspect Williams, as that was the bulk of adjustables found in the shop.  Are you able to elaborate on "three wheeled" bandsaw?  I'm not familiar with the term and don't want to assume only what it suggest.   #2 harness hame - basically hitching the horse to what is being drawn?

I bet you could hit ten hardware stores today and not find that many replacement jaws!  As said, the first unknown is a froe, for splitting shingles, look carefully it may be blacksmith made.   The second one is a hame, used as a pair, one on either side of a horse collar.  Some had fancy brass or nickel balls on top.  I hesitate to even think what corner you drug all this out of!

Need a jaw?  :-)
I was told it was a shingle splitter, but was reluctant given the source.  I should have given him more credit.  I'm still struggling with the "tell tell" signs of blacksmith made.  I will get better pictures and post them.  Maybe you could help me inspect and make a determination...give me feedback on what you're seeing that clues you in?  I'd really like to be able to ID better blacksmith made tools.  I suspect I'm running into them more often that I realize.

Today's finds were in a storage building, outside the shop, that is on the property.  I had not so much as opened the door before today.  I was myself astounded at the finds.....completely unexpected and very welcome.