ACME Garage

You Gentlemen may both be right, but remember, Ford stamped this car “So. Vietnam” from the factory and their records and documents support that fact. (Maybe I’m wrong, but) I don’t think T5s shipped to Germany were stamped “Germany”, so this tells me it was a special order for Vietnam from the beginning and the Ford documents I have makes me think Ford exported it to Vietnam, not the owner. That logic tells me that if it were ordered from a dealer in Deutschland, it would have gone through the normal T5 supply chain and received a normal T5 data plate without a country name stamped into it. Kevin Marti’s special letter indicates Ford knows the car and the VIN and Ford stamped it So Vietnam. I know one thing, it’s fun to drive. Thanks Guys Mike

I'm in the process of buying a 1956 Chevrolet Panel. I need help decoding the VIN on this old truck and specifically the VIN Tag that only contains 4 digits. The VIN Tag appears to be the authentic and never removed stainless steel tag on the upper driver's door pillar, but it only has the first 4 digits stamped into the tag (3B56) which tells me nothing. The VIN is 3B56K0020xx Questions: 1.) Does this VIN number decode to be a Panel Truck or is it just a Chevy Truck? Any other details ? 2.) Is it normal for the last digits to be missing from the tag ? Any help is greatly appreciated. Mike

Good Hunch Greg, You nailed it. I had a nice conversation with the 2nd owner who knew the first and actually saw the car several times in Vietnam (Saigon and other places) and ended up buying the car and brought it back. He had several very interesting stories about the car and might possibly have some very old photos. He's a great guy and knows Mustangs very well. Ends up that we (Me and the 2nd owner) are both former US Army Paratroopers. This great man served 2 tours as a Paratrooper during the height of the war. The original owner was a contractor for RMK-BRJ and was based out of Phan Rang Air Base. He told me one story about seeing the car roll up to Phu Long Bridge North of Saigon along with the 1st Infantry Division in 1968. Anyway, a very cool story and a very special car. Thanks Again Mike

Very good information. I'm researching... Thank You. Mike

This will be a long shot I know, but I'm looking for any Mustang photos from 67-69 in South Vietnam. I just acquired a 1967 T5 Fastback Mustang. T5 was the name given to Mustangs specifically built for export. Ford could not use the term Mustang due to Copyright issues on the name in other countries, so they called them T5s. Anyway, the previous owner told me this card was built special order fo Vietnam and was shipped back a few years later (Gov Contractor). I now own the car and it is in survivor condition, unrestored and garage kept and unregistered since 1980. It was missing the drivetrain but I just put a 302 / 4-speed and got it running / driving. Kevin Marti (Marti Report) validates the car as a real T5 built specifically for Vietnam and actually shipped there from Ford (Not exported by an individual, but by Ford). The report states that out of the 5 Mustangs built for export to Vietnam, they all 5 had So Vietnam stamped on the Buck Plate and all 5 were actually shipped to Vietnam, but only one was a Fastback and that is this VIN, so it's a pretty special car to me. My question for this post is if anyone has seen photos from Vietnam 67-69 with old Mustangs in the background. Again, long shot I know, but it's worth a shot. I've only been able to find photos of the 1969 Boss 429 "Lawman" tour which was of a supercharged Boss 429 taken to Vietnam for the troops to see. They are online. I'm getting close to finding the original owner but until then, I thought I would check here. Thanks for any help, Mike

Good to know. I was just looking up the VIN decoder and that confirms it. It appears to still have the original (4 speed) trans with a huge 2-speed diff, I'm surprised the old Lincoln engine bolted up to the transmission bellhousing. Maybe the Lincoln y-Block will mate up to all ford transmissions. Interesting... Thanks Again

Ask and ye shall receive ! Thanks for the info and here is the tag:

Follow up questions that I'm having a hard time figuring out: 1.) Brakes Are the F600 brakes, rubber lines, wheel cylinders compatible with other ford trucks ? I'm assuming the old F100 brakes are way too small. 2.) Clutch (This clutch works - but I would not trust it) What other clutches would be compatible ? 3.) If this truck originally came with a Lincoln motor, would it have a matching vin ? Did ford do that back in 53 ? Thanks for any info

Thanks for the feedback, that makes sense. I got it to kick off and run after the basics: Plug Wires Plugs Coil Dist cap New wiring from ignition switch New distributor wiring (Wire going through dist was shorting out) New oil and filter New battery and battery cables Ran good and was pretty smooth after playing with the dist timing. Now I have to figure fix the brakes / hoses / etc..

I just acquired a farm truck in relatively good condition. 1953 F600 Pickup / Flatbed. Very cool truck and very original. All metal is in great condition and very low rust. Has the nice grille with the teeth ! Upon opening the hood, it seems to have a Lincoln Y-Block with a 2-bbl carb. Although dirty on the top side, the engine is free and turns by hand. The oil (dip stick) is very clean, smells good, no dirt or water. The carburetor is clean and oily looking (not dirty or dusty). When I removed the radiator cap, the radiator is wet and still smells of antifreeze. I wouldn't think these old trucks originally came with a Lincoln motor and assume it was replaced at some point. The only details I can find from searching on the internet, is that Lincoln made a y-block (368 ci) but I don't know much about them or what years they were made. 1.) Can anyone identify the engine from the photos below ? 2.) Are the plugs / wires / points / condenser compatible with anything else that I might be able to find at my local parts store ? 3.) Are these old engines known to be pretty good ? 4.) Can anyone identify that carburetor ? I'll need to know what rebuild kit to buy. I'm optimistic that I can get it going, but need to know a few details before I start ordering parts, plugs, points, wires, carburetor kit, etc.. Thanks in advance, Mike Nelson Denison, Tx ACME Garage

My 57 Caddy has been running good lately. I just finished the restoration a few months ago and (in summary) it included a fresh rebuild on the engine and transmission back to stock specs. Got it all broke in and it has been starting and running great - no mechanical issues. During the restore, I also took my starter to a local (starter / generator / alternator) rebuild shop who is known to have very good quality service. Again, no known issues until know. I did notice that occasionally, my battery would drain and I would have to jump it off. The last time I charged the battery, I disconnected the (- battery cable) and when I did, it sparked like there was an obvious load...even with the key removed and the ignition in the off position. Tonight, I went out to my shop and when I connected the negative battery cable, it sparked again and the starter engaged and tried to start. After 2-3 additional attempts, the finally stopped and all is ok. Any ideas what's going on here ? Thanks for any advice. Mike

I'm liking it more and more every day and it's just a cool car that is not giving me many problems putting back on the road (in a barn since 79). Seems like it wants things to go right so I don't give up on her (haha). --> I'll be starting to work on something that (from experience) makes me cringe...thinking that I'm about to open a can of worms and then with just a little cleaning...a new bulb or reconnect something that came loose....it WORKS ! I've been very surprised in several cases. I've restored a lot of cars and believe me, most project just do not go this easy and require a lot of brand new replacement parts. Anyway, Thanks for the post ! Mike

I've seen a few comments about that and need to repaint them this weekend. Thank You Mike

I'm thinking about cutting out the rust with high speed cut-off wheel (carefully trying to avoid too much heat or sparks). I've done this before by outlining the area about 50-60% deep with a cut-off wheel then finishing it off with a pair of metal snips. Once the rust it gone, make a template with a piece of cardboard then a fresh piece of metal that is about 1/8" overlap. Then use panel bond to secure the new metal in place.

Yes - Looking and saving up