A NEW YEAR

 When we planned for a drive to see more of the Four Corners, the road above The Valley of the Gods looked perfect. We entered on the Bluff side from US Highway 163, heading into Mexican Hat and Monument Valley.

Ten vertical drop-offs from the lower road to the top, switch back and forth to the summit, 1300 feet above the valley floor. There were three guys in a loaded Ford of firewood coming down at one of the steepest drop offs. I backed up along the edge to let them by.

The valley is a picture paradise. 

We spent more than an hour driving through and capturing pictures. The road is an easy drive if you take it that way. It was wet and icy coming off the highway but dry all the way through to the end where  the Valley of the Gods Road meets with Utah State Hwy 261.

My idea was to drive up the switch backs, make it to the top where Moki Dugway guarded the valley then drive back to Utah State Highway 95 into Blanding.

It was a little longer drive than I anticipated but well worth it. The difference in elevation from the valley to the Kane Gulch Ranger's Station is incredible. There's more than two feet of snow on top and dry as well as warm in the valley.

There was very little traffic. One family passed us after we came in. We saw five other vehicles before making it to the Valley of the Gods  Bed and Breakfast nearly at the end of the road.

We made it into Blanding before 4 PM and ate at A&W before heading home. Somebody in an SUV blew past me in town and made the mistake of tipping off a local cop. No idea what the cop did but if he was passing out speeding tickets he made a good stop with that one.

We have to go back to Blanding for my glasses this week. I'd like to go back through Comb Ridge on Highway 95 and begin my search for ruins in that part of the Four Corners.

Cleanup 2013

Yes a mess

I started before it really got hot last week.

It's getting somewhere

Still before

It did look foreboding but you know I like the challenge.

The little 302

Somewhere in this there's a 454 that was attached to that short tail 400

More of the mess with a turbo-400 and Samira

 Now I'm getting somewhere

Good enough!

And now it's hot, windy and all dried out. The driveway is reacquired.

Ford Truck

Who wants to hear the story behind this truck? Those who know me are more than aware of how long this has been around. When Dave Mossburg and I got to Shiprock to pick it up I was a little disappointed with the rust. But inbetween the Jeeps I'm working on now, I have found some time to clean the old Ford up some more.

First off, don't surprise yourself too much. This is a short wheel base styleside 1961 Ford unibody with the large wrap-around rear window. The tail gate has been rusting on the Navajo Rez behind my brother in law's old place for longer than the truck sat at Buck's in Shiprock. The 302 is from a 1970 full size Ford passenger car. I had it in a 1969 Ford Ranchwagon. That is another story.

About 25 years ago a friend gave me a bell housing from a 300 6 cylinder Ford used for his power plant for a lumber yard. It fits the frame and I already had motor mount stands for a 390 ( two in this truck) and a 352 my brother Bob put in it the very early 70's.

In 1988 I put a 223 six cylinder from a 59 Fairlane into it to replace the 262 I swapped for a 1968 Mercury 390 I had in my 65 ragtop and then in the truck. Then I traded some model 80 Scout parts to a fellow in Ouray for the running gear from a 1960 Ford F100 4 X 4.
It was really quite easy mainly because Bob helped with drive shafts.

Later on I found a 75 F250 4 X 4 and put the New Process 4 speed, a much better Dana 44 front and a 60 rear (4.10 and 4.11 respectively) and rebuilt my 302 and that's what you see now.




I planned to do this ten years ago. It was going to be my 50th birthday present to myself. Now, back in my possession is not just the truck but, a new reason to look forward to 70. Although I cannot certify the mileage on this old Ford but after 7 engines ( 3 sixes, 2 390's a 352 and the 302, I feel confident that the original 9 inch rear (3.70's) had more than half a million miles on it when I put the 1960 9 inch (3.89) and 3.92 front in it. Until Colorado started using salt in the sand, this truck had hardly any rust. I've been at this off and on for the past month and all I can say is my yard will have plenty of iron after I'm finished with this.
But this is not the whole Ford story. I have photos of many old Fords and Mercurys I've owned and restored. We restored 3 Mustangs from the 65-66 stash of my friend Scott in Denver. I also restored a 72 Maverick plain jane 302 three-speed but my kids (I helped, too) blew the top of the radiator off on the Navajo Rez before the turn of the last century.

Right now I am waiting for cash for a radiator. It was gone when I picked the truck up last month. The seat, from a 62 unibody,  needs some help. But I've cleaned and primed about half of it now and when I get the carb back in shape I'll fire it up so it can be moved.


So for all you Ford fans stay tuned. Somewhere in my collection of pictures I have another picture of this Ford before I removed that straight axle with the bad kingpins. It was parked between 2 Mercury station wagons (a 69 and a 70), my red 69 Ranchwagon, Fred's 73 Montego, Bobby's 62 Ranchero (later on a 4 X 4 itself on a 1968 Wagoneer chassis) and the dogs. We also made a 1960 Econoline into a 4-wheel drive and that was one of the coolest rides I've ever been in. We put a little 200 six-banger in it with leftovers from another Scout and a three speed ford transmission. Bobby also put a 1976 Chevy Vega camback wagon on a Scout frame with a 305 small block, turbo 400 with quadratrack transfer case and 4.88s front and rear. Top speed - 45 mph. But it would do it in a few feet. 


I like my Fords and Mercurys and one in particular which I should not have traded but I had to have a 57 Chevy. I traded a 54 Merc Monterey with a 390 and a 3-speed for it. There is no comparison to the two.

















I found a picture of Bob's first 58 SW with the 332. He raised a lot of hell on the streets of Denver with it.Then he bought Becky Lynn, his wife, a used low miled 68 Torino GT with a 302 C-4 automatic and that last about a month so he put a 410 Merc with a hot Crane cam in it with the big Ford top load 4-speed. I turned a 13.18 with a blown right rear tire in it one afternoon east of Denver. So many stories from years past.


We stuck that cam into a 65 Merc 390 I gave my buddy Ed for his 59 Fairlane. The 292 he had was used up so we changed out the whole deal That car was dangerous. Keeping tires on it was one thing but the first time we started the headliner shook loose and my teeth fell out one at a time until I stopped racing everyone with it. Last I saw of the car was in Dick Wyatt's storage lot on South Raritan under an old cottonwood tree. Had to have been when my boys were little. No hang on. Thomas was a baby. Mike came along the next year (1977).




So from the pictures here I assume we can all tell that there are some very usable parts on this old Ford. This had an engine heater on it when my dad got it in 1968 or 69. My grandpa bought my dad a 69 F-100 240 six banger and automatic so we put a 302 with a C-6 in it.


Hard to believe if you look at the box of wiring that all the switches, wiring, lights, cigarette lighter and all fit into a small box. The tail lights are the only thing still left on the truck.


But it's all fun for me. I am in my element again. Two years ago I swapped out a 1981 Thunderbird and my my 1981 Ford Fairmont a custom ride. It now has a 302 and AOD with split bench cloth interior, tilt wheel and Pink Floyd album cover on both sides.


I should like the truck to be my patriotic ride. And there are still tow more Fords I haven't mentioned. I have a 96 Mercury Tracer I drive around in and a 1989 F-250 4 X 4 with an efi 351 Windsor. It has less than 55,000 original miles on it. The interior has been well taken care of.




So I believe I should rest a little this Memorial weekend and then make the Ford go again this next week. Enjoy the photos. More are ready for copy when I get some time.

The Unibody Will Live Again

I know Dave thinks it a waste of time and I know he wouldn't give $50 for this. But he also thinks they film all of Google Earth in a Hollywood studio. I was a little disheartened when I walked past it at Buck's and didn't even recognize it. The last 13 years were not nice to it. But, I see all that is missing is the radiator, one split rim and tire, the headlight (headlight window is in the front seat), the ignition key, an old radio and the primer I put on it 16 years ago. Dave drove from our traffic stop just north of the casino. A Montezuma County Sheriff's Deputy, who was going to give me a speeding ticket in Towaoc until he discovered my two year expired driver's license has been suspended since 2010, just made Dave drive and gave me all my papers back with no ticket. I was just happy that the engine, transmission, transfer case, Dana 44 front and Dana 60 4:11 rear is still in it. Dave doesn't believe anybody would offer what some have for this one. It really needs help though. I will have to strip it down to the frame and completely redo the cab/box. But, first things first. We have a Jeep that needs an engine. I will attempt to get the 302 in the truck to run or tear it apart and clean it - whichever is needed. It will run again. We stopped at the truck in Cortez so Dave could eat a burrito. I had a coke and off we went. 

Phoenix Trip

Nine hours down and ten hours back. First stop was Dolores. Too bad it won't stay like that much longer. But we always say if you don't like the weather in Colorado stick around a few minutes. I just rode up to Grand Junction with Dave Mossburg to get his mutt. It's snowing on Pinon Mesa and the West Elks. It was very wet coming back into Delta but we pulled back in before it got too soggy in Olathe.

This is the back yard at Roger and Carol Finnell's (David's daughter and son-in-law). I didn't get pictures of them or their daughters Amber and Laura but they got plenty of Dave and me. The new temple will be less than half a mile in the direction this picture was taken. This is the corner of West 55th and Saguaro. 

We went to the Mesa Temple on Saturday afternoon. As was suggested I didn't take pictures before doing a session so it was dark by the time we got out. For me this was a dream come true. The first time I saw the Mesa Temple I thought how nice it would be to go there. Took almost 50 years!

Final rest stop coming home. The top of Lizardhead Pass. This is 10,222 feet above sea level plus the short drop off to the highway if you really want to kick start a diesel.

Sometimes the photographer just won't cooperate!

That was yesterday at 3 PM. I'm willing to gamble there's more snow on there now and I reckon with the sun down none of it will melt tonight.


So I had a wonderful time with Dave and his family and would take off again right now and do it all over. Next stop for me will be game units 57 and 58. I'll have more stories and more pictures.