My Daughters 1968 Ranchero

Discussion in 'General Ranchero Help' started by RichOahu, Feb 2, 2011.

  1. RichOahu

    RichOahu In Second Gear

    Messages:
    57
    Location:
    Pearl City
    drove it to work yesterday... damn it is sweet:


    [​IMG]
     
  2. NorCalSaint

    NorCalSaint In Second Gear

    Messages:
    55
    Location:
    Sacramento, Ca
    That is a good looking ride... So is there no way to update the car to meet her needs?

    My daughter is 12 and is currently in love with my 1970 so I am wondering if I will be in a similar situation one day??

    _________________________________________________________
     
  3. rancheromeister

    rancheromeister In Overdrive

    Messages:
    742
    Location:
    Winston-Salem, NC
    So Rich, what is your daily driver? Are you attached to it? If not, sell it! Then you buy the Ranchero from your daughter! Or trade? When you have to pick up your sons, borrow your daughter's car, lol! And, have you encouraged your wife to drive the Ranchero? When they nail that gas pedal to the floor, many women become sympathetic to the project car cause. I'm just sayin'.
    How old are your boys? Maybe they'd like to have the Ranchero someday.

    You could put a split bench seat from a Taurus, Lincoln Continental, etc. in the Ranchero. That floor shifter is nice; but remember, it's cable-operated, and you can put it virtually anywhere. Or get a Ididit tilt column, with the integral column shifter.

    Ditto on what Hillbilly said; I've lived that one. I'm a firm believer in the back-up car system, and don't miss having car payments.

    Hang in there, bud!
    :cool:JD
     
  4. RichOahu

    RichOahu In Second Gear

    Messages:
    57
    Location:
    Pearl City
    lol

    my car is exactly the kind of car my daughter needs. it is the little white car on the other side of the bad ass chero in my avatar!

    i would love to trade her, mine cost more... but hers is way better to me. but my wife will not go for it.

    well.... it isn't listed yet, so i am not "rushing" to get rid of it....
     
  5. Tim70ranchero

    Tim70ranchero In Overdrive

    Messages:
    862
    Location:
    Ohio
    I'd say keep it for yourself as well. heck alot of the hard work is done, you get a cool ride. Im sure you can find a parking spot for it somewhere. yeah I think I'd drag my feet selling it too..lol. or price it so high it dont sell. ( not that i ever did that )
     
  6. RichOahu

    RichOahu In Second Gear

    Messages:
    57
    Location:
    Pearl City
    still not listed ;-P

    and she is driving it....

    on that note, i ran a search on our local craigs list trying to see if anything for sale or parts.

    well this one guy has 3 1965 mustangs - did they have power steering as an option, and if they did, would it fit a 68 ranchero? i am sure if i call this guy he will assure me it all fits LOL, think i been there before ;-P

    so i figured best bet to ask you guys, then call him ;-P
     
  7. 5.0 Chero

    5.0 Chero Bahumbug Staff Member

    Messages:
    14,289
    Location:
    Prunetucky California
    Yes 65 mustangs did
    No it will not fit
     
  8. RichOahu

    RichOahu In Second Gear

    Messages:
    57
    Location:
    Pearl City
    he also has a 57 fairlain and a 64 ranchero, figured they wouldn't fit either?
     
  9. Stuntdummy

    Stuntdummy In Fourth Gear

    Messages:
    249
    Location:
    Pasadena, CA
    Your daughter's gonna regret it real bad in a few years if she gives up on it and sells the 68. Not once have I ever met someone who sold their classic car because of "practicalities" that did not deeply regret it later on. In these hard times, I've been tempted to sell mine off and get a more practical LA vehicle (it's my only car), but then I just have to step back and look at her and realize, "Damn. That is a bad-ass ride you got there!" That, and when it comes to practicalness, my ranchero is just as much a half-ton pickup as the next, which is very handy. I for one, do NOT want to tell my future kids "Yeah, I had a 72 Ranchero, but I sold it for 2K when I couldn't find a job." and watch their faces sink because I didn't keep it for them to enjoy.

    As others have said, this is a huge opportunity to learn the valuable lesson of finishing what you start. For that reason alone, I think you should mandate that the car gets completely finished before any decision is made. That's something your daughter will certainly not regret, and something she can take with her no matter what she decides to do with the Ranchero afterwards.

    Speaking as a 22 yr. old guy, she's pretty high up on the turbo-babe chart in my book right now for doing a project like this (looks cute in the pics too;)). I would be terribly disappointed if she gives up.
     
  10. Hillbilly

    Hillbilly In Maximum Overdrive

    Messages:
    6,505
    Location:
    Winchester, TN.
    Power Steering ?

    Rich, ya know there are some things about a car that you just don't scrimp on even when money is tight, you wait untill you can do the job as good or better than the factory did. I don't care how fast a car is or sexy, if you can't steer or stop it it's useless. Got a book store near you ? Look up
    ( http://www.hemmings.com ) then get in the Ford parts and services section. You will find numerous places who can sell you complete power steering systems for your Ranchero already refurbished or you can opt for all new parts. Take a look in "Hemmings Motor News", ok ? I have used a good custom builder ( http://www.ndgearheadscruiserproducts.com ) for adding integral power steering ( all in the gearbox ) to my 50 and 59 Mercurys and am highly pleased with the quality of their work. Used their custom engine mounts, tubular "A" arms, tranny crossmembers, etc. also. You might ask them if they'd consider building a steering box for your Ranchero. Look up Vintage Air or Old Air Products while you are prowling, somebody can fix you up with a nice climate control system.
    Grab that third car first so you can take the time needed working on the Ranchero. HEY ! After raising a cool daughter don't you think it's time ol' Dad had a nice toy ?
     
  11. hawk

    hawk In Fourth Gear

    Messages:
    314
    Location:
    Blountville,TN
    Curiosity makes me want to keep this thread goimg. Any updates Rich?
     
  12. 1979 RANCHERO GT

    1979 RANCHERO GT In Maximum Overdrive

    Messages:
    1,108
    Hope you Hawaii guys are ok after spending Thurs night up on the high ground. Friends on the North Shore didn't get to go home til Fri 8 am
     
  13. havensole

    havensole In Overdrive

    Messages:
    723
    Location:
    Rialto, CA
    I am kind of in the same boat as your daughter, although I am coming from a different shore. I have a newer/modern car and I hate the thing. I've had it for five years and almost any time it breaks down I HAVE to go to a mechanic. I replaced the starter last night. Two bolts and a few wires. Took me 4+ hours. Taking out a 4-5 inch bolt one wrench click at a time is annoying. Turn signals wont work for some unknown (dealer's exact words) reason. Driver's headlight is the same deal. My 78, even though it has been sitting in this place or another for the last 6 or so years, all I need to do is charge the battery, throw some fuel in it, and turn the key and it works.

    It is funny that in our house when we talk about "reliable cars" we are generally talking about classics. I love the idea that if something isn't working I can generally figure it out, and not need a diagnostic machine or a computer science degree (although I am working on the latter). Unfortunetly the 78 will be leaving this weekend for the salvage yard (too much to work on, and too much to register in CA), but will hopefully be bringing a 62 or 66 home to fill its driveway spot sunday or early next week.

    The point is that all cars are trouble, no matter the year. The older ones just are easier to keep running (as long as one can find parts) as they are simpler machines, and so will cost less money down the road. I hope she reconsiders everything.
     
  14. RichOahu

    RichOahu In Second Gear

    Messages:
    57
    Location:
    Pearl City
    still have the car

    still running fine

    she don't drive it much as she says it costs too much. i took it to a hot rod show last night and had a bit of an adventure getting there.... my oldest boy and i took the ranchero... halfway up the H3 highway to kaneohe all of a sudden it looked like we were in a james bond car and let out a smoke screen! the side of the road was too narrow to pull over.. temp gauge was ok, oli gauge ok.... so decided to wait till i could get someplace safe. meanwhile continued to lay a smoke screen......

    got it over the the hill and went into a neighborhood to pull over. open the hood and oil is EVERYWHERE! i contemplated trying to drive it back home and saying heck with the auto-show.... but decided i didn't think it would make it home so drove it to the show.. drove past the show.. smoke screen behind me.... pull over in another part of the mall then the show and try to figure it out... it is now dark and i can't see... now here comes the aloha spirit of hawaii.... this lady and guy come and ask if they can help, she uses her phones camera light to shine in while i start it back up.... he goes TURN IT OFF!!!!! the problem was the oil gauge line had touched the block and melted through the line, spraying oil all over! so i then run across the street, buy sockets and wrenches, flashlight, pull the thing out, take it back, buy a bolt to put in instead.

    these people were great, they ended up giving me some break clean so i could clean it up and water bottles! so we made the auto-show about an hour late :)

    there was only one other ranchero there, a 1974 cobra.... was nice!

    4-5 elcaminos, but my daughters ranchero drew A LOT of looks. we had washed it polished it then used "back to black" all over the body then polished it again.

    she still wants to sell it, but i know she is only doing so because of the price of gas.

    here are some pics... to do the back to black, we had to wait for evening, i then forgot to take more pics.. but it blended the primer to all one color and got rid of all water marks, the car was lookin sweet!

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  15. LUCKYJACKASS

    LUCKYJACKASS SITE SUPPORTER- SILVER

    Messages:
    136
    Location:
    Cary, NC
    Nice ride. Tell her to keep it. She'll regret it really soon if not. I still think of the '65 Mustang that I sold for a newer car with air. :mad:
     
  16. havensole

    havensole In Overdrive

    Messages:
    723
    Location:
    Rialto, CA
    Rancheros almost always turn heads. The day I bought my 67 we drove it back from San Diego to our area (~3 hour drive) and stopped at the local O'Riely to grab a few things. When we came back out there were 3 people checking out the car and one wanted to buy it from me right there. Happens almost every time we take it for a spin. Even with the 78 I would get a lot of turned heads. People are use to seeing El Caminos, but Rancheros don't come out too often. At least not around here.
     
  17. RichOahu

    RichOahu In Second Gear

    Messages:
    57
    Location:
    Pearl City
    well we sold it :-(

    she got her own apartment (turns 21 in august) and that was like the deadline... had to get a car she could afford before she was moved in....

    last weekend a dealer called us saying they had saw the add on craigslist... said they would like to buy it. i ignored it... the week went past and the date she was going to move was almost here... so i called them back.

    we went down and they were real nice. traded us straight across for a car that was listed for 5995. they dropped the price to 4500 and then gave us 4500 for the ranchero. a very sad day.... but she got a car that is loaded, power steering, a/c, power windows, alloy wheels, kick ass stereo, tinted windows, and everything else she needed. she is happy and thats what matters...

    i thank you all for the support we got as we tried to fix it up, but it just didn't work out. i was very sad to see that car go.

    turns out, th owner of the lot was a collector and he wanted the car. they are not selling it, they are going to restore it. so that was good news at least.

    thank you again all!
     
  18. LUCKYJACKASS

    LUCKYJACKASS SITE SUPPORTER- SILVER

    Messages:
    136
    Location:
    Cary, NC
    Sorry to hear that, but at least it is going to someone who will bring her back to glory and enjoy it. Maybe you will find one for yourself one day. :D
     

Share This Page