I was wondering if there was a good technique to clean plug wires. My '60 has a good set on but has gotten dirty and dusty over the years. I would like to put a little shine to them, like even some ArmorAll, but don't want to find out later I've just ruined them. Any suggestions or ideas? I mean, I'll take the necessary precautions, like shutting off the engine before cleaning them with liquid... I'll even maybe take the keys out of the ignition so my wife doesn't drag me to town again like she did that one time. Oh wait, that was yesterday...those frost bumps we're getting now on our roads are pretty hard yet.

 

i just used a bit of acetone or naptha.

 

Thanks innecity,

I'll get them shined up and you'll have to come over and take a look at the powerhouse, the tire-smokin', tach-redlinin' 223.

 

i had a set of accels and a set of grey motorcrafts that i cleaned up like new. i think we used to use ppg dx330 or the 3m wax n grease adhesive remover in tech school which r a bit milder but whatever is handy. i pick up jugs of acetone at walmart for cheap and use it for all my prep work n cleaning n such. it dries with no residue. wouldnt mind seein it though, them 60s r pretty good looking if they r done up right. i cant wait for the day to tromp on my 55f100. being close to porkys drive in dont make it any easier. nor does not having any $$$$....lol

 

to make them shine, a bit of tire dressing might do to gloss them the best, or armoral if you r not doing any body work, that silicone gets everywhere. just thinking, it depends on the wire, some of the old black stockers might just be provoked to arc through the side, i had a motor with cheap wires that looked like frankenstein , when i opened the hood one night , ummm thats why it was backfiring n popping....lol. ,(this was due to cheap wires though) but i sprayed my motor once with dressing on all the rubber hoses n wires and dont recall any problems. i would still clean them up first before you apply the tire wet, or clear dressing.

 

Wow, a 55 effie. Nice. How far along are you?

Yeah, my plug wires are fairly new, they're orange and appear heavy duty quality. I'm not trying to get the engine compartment to show quality, just spiff it up a bit. I'm in the middle of a brake restoration now, all new parts, trying to stay as original as possible.

 

i am not sure if my gallery is still up, but i am basically just getting it in the black suede primer. i have a cleveland that needs a overhaul and a fresh c4 w a kit in it sitting in it. i installed a booster n pedals from a 79 f150, and a fuel cell and thats about it. i put a gm tilt in it out of a camaro but i am thinking of ripping out the front suspension and putting in a gibbons cordoba crossmember, i have to still do the shopping for the mopar parts and a good 79 wiring harness at the boneyards. i think it will be the most difficult part but figured after i did the brakes and such i would be just about there in the money dept. i was almost tempted though just to throw the body on a later frame or a 4x4, but i think it would take away from the original condition too much for my tastes. i want a driver that is kinda old school in black suede n wide whites. i have a 9in sitting there but might just run with the stock rear b/c all it needs is seals and the 9 in needs the pads removed and moved to fit the leafs. i have a really clean truck to start with a clean black frame, and have all the parts mostly sitting n ready to go. i had my 351 w in it n running, but decided to put that in the 93 when i got my hands on the cleveland and blew up the 302 in the 93. for any one interested, i have slews of small block parts yet to barter and will be posting something of what i got on here soon , heads, intakes, 2bbls, misc here n theres. i got rid of most of the 79 parts i had and have a 71 350 olds rocket that is good yet with fresh heads and a basket from 2 motors to get sold also. i am just trying to get the ol bessie driveable so it can be drivin like old henry ford intended. i think all i need yet is a pair of running boards.
billsco you ever make appearances at porkys or the capitol city cruise night? i have seen a few nice rattle can rebuilds if you did want to spiff it out...lol... i did one once that looked good for about a year. took me about 3-4 hours on my 79. i still like looking under the hoods with the orig muscle under them. nothing to be ashamed of i think, i love looking at the vehicles in all orig condition. .

 

No I've never done either. I'm trying to get Doug roadworthy. He sat in long grass for a number of years. Man, that's hard on a vehicle, I don't think they properly dry underneath, do you? I'm installing brakes now, I did the left rear today and felt I had just fought a wrestling match. The emergency brake cable was frozen in one piece and had to be cut. I really had problems getting the shoes to settle into place. I'm going to be stiff tomorrow, HA!

The previous owner had put **** carpeting throughout the cab. I ripped it all out a month ago and was disheartened to see the amount of rust damage exposed. The floor cannot be walked on, 6-8 inch gaps in places, risers shot, cab corners bondoed real amateurish. I'm having doubts...

Tomorrow's another day.

 

if it was sitting for some time i would plan on putting in a master cylinder at least for safety, they go quite fast when they do. i bought a truck out of a field once and it needed a lot of tlc. the more i drove it the more i found. i wouldnt fret over the floorboards, they should be a easy fix. screw in some sheetmetal or tack weld it then cover it with tar or bedliner or undercoat, i did something once i thought was slick, i used fiberglass sheet and resin to cover my floors. never rotted through again though. lol. the patches should be easily obtainable for what you need. i would check out joes in vermillion, he might have something worth checking out,
i was sanding on ol bessie, i think i will be spitting red paint for a week...lol.. got the cab and 3 fenders both doors and the hood and valence sanded. need to get the boxsides and a fender done and thats about it for primering. the finish bodywork can be done after it is together and i can work on spots and such individually. thank god it dont have a speck of rust on it besides typical surface.

 

Yes, I agree about the master cylinder. I'll have an all new brake system with DOT 5. It looks like it has cost me about $125 per wheel. I thought the brakes were a good place to start but seeing I may need to do some torching in the cab that maybe I should hold up on running the brake lines. Is that a good idea or am I jumping from job to job and making excuses?

 

whatever works i guess...lol, i am kinda a putz myself, one day i am primering the next i am ripping out the rear or working on the other truck, i am kinda stuck though trying to get the $$$ for the front crossmember so i cant put the front end on or the motor in til i do. i would also while you r running the lines put in a new fuel line. i used the big stuff, think it was 5/8th brake line to run my fuel line, might be easier since you r already under there and the rusty stuff starts getting fragile as it gets moved n such. another thing i would do to a truck that has been sitting is drop the gas tank and clean it out n paint it but that was because my 71 i dragged out of a field had a lot of stuff in it that kept clogging my fuel filters til i did. i think brake lines are easy to do with a good parts store and a flaring tool. i had a rusty line break on my 79 once also, so i figure its stuff that is part of owning a old truck. 60's still had the straight axle right? i never had much to complain about 4 wheel drum brakes, as long as they get settled and adjusted straight, no fun hitting the brakes n switching lanes...lol. you running powerbrakes? i would hate to turn your brake job into a frame off restoration...lol..haha.. but hanging a pedal from a 79 f series worked for me. i just had to put in a steel plate i picked up at ambles steel to keep the firewall from flexing. but that was only on my truck. i got most parts from my 79s saved. from the radiators to the column to the brakes and pedals, to a mint seat out of a 84 f150. i think most of the lines are run far enough into the frame so they are out of the way, a sawzall could make quick work of it and be neat with out the fire or cutting too much hazard...just a thought. there should be a dozen suppliers for the patch panels,

 

The fuel line replacement is a good idea, hadn't thought of it. I blew it out after I took off the tank. I'm planning on getting the tank boiled out at the local radiator shop, but the owner wasn't too up on sealing the inside, he simply said it was expensive, and either keep the tank full or empty.

Ford used the straight axle until '65 I believe.

I kept to the original drum brakes. The only thing I didn't do is turn the drums. They appear fine -- smooth with only a slightly raised lip. I guess I didn't because I'm not sure if I can trust my local NAPA yet. Not that they've done anything wrong, it's just that trust is not automatically given. They turn brakes so I figure their opinion could be biased, and I don't feel like playing the sucker. Isn't the purpose of turning drums to get smoothness?

I looked at Bessie on your site. I can see why you're anxious to drive her.

 

i have been out working on it pretty vigorously, got the cab undercoated inside n out and i used spray on bedliner on my floors. i want to drive it so bad that i am half tempted to waste the money on the stock suspension for a set of shoes hardware and wheel cylinders. the rest of it actually is pretty tight, i am about to go mount my seat in it soon here. i would probaly just drop the cleveland in it and rebuid it later. i am going to hotwire the motor for now. i will use a 78f150 diagram for my lights and column, the old wiring was intact, but old. one really cool thing about this truck....it was built 3-4 miles from my house, at the st.paul ford plant. the vin code says st paul. god bless america. i might add some more pics later.

i never always thought it necessary to get them drums turned inless they were warped. a slight lip just means you will have to adjust the brakes in to get the drum off each time...lol. if you blew out the line you atleast got out the gunk, but i remember cutting into my old fuel and brake lines on the 55, they looked like clogged arteries. was just thinking they might be rusty also and it will give you a excuse to put a bigger line in it for a bit more flow. i have seen the stuff on sealing the insides of tanks at the parts store, but never heard much on whether people liked it or not. i would think it risky if it started peeling though. the in cab tanks are nice for easy removal, they are in and out. i wanted my tank behind the axle to move the weight from under me to behind the tires, i put in a poly job out of jegs. though they make some real nice aftermarket tanks and , i always could have used a tank out of a later model. it is sometimes possible with a bit of coaxing and fabrication.

 

I want to keep my tank behind the seat. I'm looking forward to hearing the sloshing for some strange reason. Hope there isn't a strong gas smell though. Can't imagine why there would.

 

my 71 had a tank behind the seat, it didnt bother me and was easy to remove to work on. the only thing i missed was the storage or a speaker location. and you r kinda stuck with the orig bench seat style in most cases, not that thats a bad thing.