Plans for the new truck...
OK...I bought a 67 M715...pics of it here:
http://www.m715zone.com/vb/showthrea...ught-a-67-M715!
First, Im trying to come up with a nickname for the truck...I loved the brute4c name for the first one but thought maybe a different one this time...thinking maybe a military theme or toughness theme or both...so far I have come up with:
Private Passion
Mud, Debt, & Gears
Major Grit (thinking of painting it the desert tan color so this might work on that count too)
Wheelin' Warrior
Any other ideas, post up...Im all ears!
My thoughts right now on plans are:
Get the brakes working...convert to dual line master, new wheel cylinders, change any lines that are suspect.
Take off the bed, seal the holes in it, sand blast and paint, I think, Desert Tan.
While the bed is off, remove gas tank and rear axle/springs/brake lines/electrical. Sandblast rear frame and paint. Sandblast tank and paint. Get springs cleaned up and painted with slip paint. Get axle cleaned up and painted. All this stuff to be painted black.
Put electric fuel pump on back there and move batteries to the bed into the box that I had in the old truck...good thing I kept it.
See if I can get the pintle to open and rotate...its frozen at present.
Oh, and under the rear, there are white lights, not sure if they are hooked up as reverse lights or just lights for seeing behind at night...those are gonna go...also there is a metal frame thing up under there that has to go...not sure what it was for but no use to me.
While this is going on, save up and acquire parts for the next phase...
New cab tub or fix this one...new one would probably be easier I think. Use stock seat bases but different seats that sit back farther...possibly a title column...definitely a smaller steering wheel...like a 14 1/2 or 14 3/4 inch size. New horn as well...air would be interesting but a standard hi/low setup would work too.
Convert electrical to 12 volt all around. Dash...would be nice to have speedo, tach, volts, fuel, temp, oil pressure and tcase temp gauge...LED lights.
Gotta see if the civvy 12 volt blower for the heater fits the mil housing...to get it to work in the 12 volt system...gotta do something.
Power steering for sure...tilt column if possible as well.
I want the drive train to end up with ratios near stock on the low end but with overdrive so that 60 mph is do able and even a bit more...65 or so as a max cruising speed...so need lockout hubs for the front axle. Both axles to keep stock ratios.
To get a low first to keep a good crawl ratio and an overdrive and a manual trans, basically, there are 2 choices...NV4500 or ZF 5 speed. I think that a 351W, single 4 barrel, rv cam, EI, with the ZF 5 speed will work...and is a factory combo. Add an NP205 and that should do fairly well I think. If possible, the 205 can be married to shorten the driveline a bit. Single exhaust but about 3.5 inch diameter after the Y pipe...equals what 2-2 1/2 inch pipes have for area so its big enough.
A new radiator...the aluminum one in the truck I doubt is enough...ok for the 230...
With Interco Super Swamper Tires, SSR Radial 35X10.50R16D, should be under 2600 rpms at 60 and 2800 at 65...plenty for me on top end. Overall crawl ratio about 65.7...close to stock, 73.8...I think its a good low range and a good high range...as good as I can figure to have fun on trails and be able to drive to and from them.
Gotta get a top for it!! At present I dont have a serviceable one. Long term I would like to have a soft and hard top again...though I would have to build the hardtop this time...
Troop seat would also be nice again!
Want to keep the vacuum wipers if possible. With an electric fuel pump, I will have the mount on the block for a mechanical pump...I posted a question as to whether its possible to use a mechanical fuel pump as a vacuum pump or maybe is there any Ford application that might have had something like our stock pump back in the day?
Put stock mirrors on the doors with the reinforcing backing plates.
Seal up all the weird/non stock holes.
I dont think the truck has any original markings...no evidence of stars on doors or hood or bumper numbers or hood numbers...I will keep looking but it doesnt look promising.
Front bumper was bobbed and has a hole in the middle where a receiver went...it is welded to the front crossmember but its going to be removed...new front bumper, full width.
Along with the desert tan, I want to see if I can put the 6 US Military service logos like we have on the top of the page on the tailgate...also on the tailgate top rail: M715ZONE.COM
Well...thats what I have for now...opinions...problems...suggestions...I'm looking for such input now before I get to far along!!
