Restoration

Anyone here ever restore an older (70's-80's) truck?

I've been kind of shopping around for a project to keep me busy when I get out of the Corps here next year, mostly 282 or 352 Pete, or Needle nose Kennie, but have only found a couple. I did however find a mid 70's 359 I like with a 350 cummins in it for cheap.

So since this is seemingly turning into a real thing, I'm trying to get a ballpark estimate of what to expect (yeah, yeah I know LOL) for an amateur at home resto. wouldn't be anything to enter in an AHTS show, but something that looks half way decent for show and shines, parades, putting around in.

I would imagine every seal, hose, belt, tire, etc would need to be replaced, but
anything else that might surprise the unsuspecting hobbyist?

Unfortunately, there is nothing cheap about these trucks. However you can make small necessary repairs to make it "road legal." You must not forget no matter how you register the truck you are still lible to get stopped by the DOT. And in that case everything must be up to snuff.

Just to give you an idea, you're going to pay around $500 a piece for steer tires. Drives you can get away with a little cheaper by using recaps. But the casing is $100 and the cap is $150, so you're looking at $250 a tire. So for drives and steer tires you're looking at $3,000 in just tires.

Chances are, especially if it has been sitting for a while, you'll need to replace most of the air valves. They aren't cheap either. I paid $100 for a foot valve from Freightliner this summer. A leveling valve is around $100+.

You will most likely be replacing fuel lines, potentially a radiator, brakes, brake cylinders, brake hoses, wheel seals, might as well replace wheel bearings with the seals. The list goes on.

Not trying to discourage you, but there is a lot of little things with these trucks that will nickle and dime you. Some things you might be able to get by with, others not.

Good luck. They can be money pits a lot of work by they sure are fun to drive!

Thanks, I somehow didn't even think about the tires, but valves? they just go bad? due to what?

It would be a long term project, since for some reason I've decided free time sucks. Any input on older engines? I obviously don't intend to run the truck, aside from hauling the antique tractors to a pull or something, so power and mileage isn't really necessary.

If valves are not used and lubricated they always seem to stick or don't work properly from setting around. All it takes is a little bit of something in them to make them work improperly. A truck setting around could have little critters living in the lines. They could all work perfectly or one or two may not work, or none of them work. Its a total crap shoot.

As far as motor is completely up to you. Personally, I'd stay away from a Detroit. In my opinion they are just oil leaking noise makers. I have not desire to drive one let alone own one.

A Caterpillar 3406 A, B, or C or a Cummins 855 are fun motors. Chances are the 350hp Cummins in the 359 you are looking at is a Small Cam 855. Which there is nothing wrong with but they tend to have cam shaft issues and not much power capabilities. My 73 Kenworth had a small cam in it that had a failed cam shaft. In the end I think I spent about $750 putting a new cam in it. That was cam shaft, gaskets and fresh oil. It wasn't a terrible job, but I had also had the rocker boxes and Jakes off at least 10 times prior to that so, I had a routine, to say the least.

Any resto project is either a labor of love or it sours you so bad you vow to never do it again...
With that being said, it can be a great feeling of accomplishment when it all done and a lot of fun and satisfaction in the completed result.

This is my labor of love... Because it's the same make model and year of when I first sat down to make driving my career path.

Good luck and have a good time

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