Lets see some some Slick 60s F100s!

Im not dissin the work! its well done.

Yeah those graphics on that parts truck are a viynl ( im guessing) graphic...I thought they were paint with pin stripe. However, when I put the bed on my 65 and started runing a sander over it...shavings went flying into little balls of whatever...smell wasnt so good either. Got it all off...now I have to cut the floor out and weld in a new bed frame to lay a wood floor in...planning on doing some form of distressed wood coated in a dark warm tone stain.

 

Again, not mine......Shot em at Nashville Goodguys.

 

Hey nice rides, I like the apollo truck alot...The red stylesied truck not the uni...I am following a thread about on another site. very well done.

 

i have a 65 shorty at my shop my cousin is itching to get rid of. hes down to $500 for it, i have posted it in the classifieds a few times or i could send some pics if anybody is interested

matt

 

where is he located?...and post some pics! bed in good shape?

 

Lol.......

 

Actually picked these up from the ad for selling this truck.
I thought it looked cool.

6narow

 

Nice truck... somebody took care of that one.

 

Well, honestly it doesn't run comfortably on the highway... I mean, I can take it on the highway, and get up to 70-75mph, but that's really pushing the RPMs. At 70mph, you're turning roughly 3000rpm or a little more.

However, around town and to work, it runs best right at 40mph which is a few hundred under 2000rpm. All the torque (approx. 280ft/lb) is right in there too, around 1700-1800rpm.

You get on the highway with the stock setup and you really have to wind the snot out of the engine just to keep up.

Redline isn't even 4000rpm. These motors were built for torque, not horsepower.

Although the above is sad but true, you can easily (and cheaply) get these f100's to bomb down the highway at around 75mph/2000rpm.

I bought a minty 3spd/OD transmission out of an '86 F150 for $200 and a Ford 9" third member w/ 3.00 gears for $75. The ratios of the transmission are: 1st-3.25, 2nd-1.92, 3rd-1.00, 4th-0.78, R-3.25. This means that 1st gear will feel roughly the same but as you go through the gears it'll be a bigger stretch. However, final overdrive effect compared to the stock setup is like .60 over!

However, you need to fabricate a few pieces to make the new transmission fit. But if your handy or know someone who is, it shouldn't be an issue.

I have more information about any of this or these trucks' setup in general if you have questions...

--Matt

 

Matt,

I take it the truck in question is the one seen in your avatar?
Nice. I like the colour.

If you had 29" tall tires on that truck, you were probably running 3.90 grears in the rear end.
Here's how I surmised that.
About 20 years ago I had a '65 GMC with the big V-6 and the "granny first" 4-speed.
My truck was shod with 7.00-15 bias ply's ("stilts", as a friend once called them).
I measured those tires and they were 29" tall (also calculates out to that height, using a 100% aspect ratio).
My truck also LOVED to run at around 40-45 mph.
Once you got past that speed, the engine started making that "whirring" noise (kinda like an airplane) and you could hear every-mechanical-piece-in-that-engine-working.
I always thought of it as a "built-in rev limiter" because it always made me wanna pull my foot out of the gas.
I found a site that dealt with those trucks and found that the standard axle ratio was 3.92:1.
At 40mph, I calculated the engine speed at <1817 RPM (45 = <2044 RPM).
Since the 55 mph speed limit was still enacted at that time, I found that upping the axle ratio to 3.08 gears, with the same tire height, improved my road speed to < 1963 RPM @ 55 MPH.
You mentioned that 3-spd you picked up features a 22% OD in high gear.
Calculating in the effective final drive ratio (rear axle raio x OD ratio, which in your case is 3.042:1), I found 60 MPH with 29" tall tires = an engine speed of <2115 RPM.
Thus the other axle you got was probably unneccessary, since your truck probably would've loved running at around 55-60 MPH on the highway with the original rear end in place.
BTW, if you factor in the 3.00:1 gears you also picked up, 60MPH now equates to < 1627 RPM, or "60 @ high idle", as I like to call it.
I think sticking with the 3.90 gears would've allowed you a little better "pull" off the line (or hauling a load), and you still would've done ok on the highway.

...just my two pennies.

Let me know if you're interested in how to figure calculated tire height and engine speed @ road speed.




6narow

 

Hey, thanks!
Yeah, the colour shades and patterning really caught my eye.
I love the "down and dirty" look of a flat black satin paint job (uh yeah, that's not primer ).
The white and red accents really set it off nicely, too.
Great taste, whoever painted that truck.
The ad said it had a 300-6 with 3 on the tree....just my style!



6narow

 

Going to look at this 60 Panel tomorrow

 

100&#37; Matt,

A friend of my dad's had a '59 p/u, years ago.
Either he, or someone before him, shoe horned a 270 GMC six into it.
All KINDS of low end, but didn't like running the highway much.
That panel looks like it could tell some stories from "The Summer of Love".

Good luck and don't forget to check the floorboads. I see some body cancer there.



6narow

 

Matt, thanks for the info...thats good stuff I need to know!

 

Nice lookin panel! let us know what you decided

 

According to the owner floors are solid. However looks like some fender panels are needed and apparently th kick wells need to be replaced. Its a bit of a project on all accounts. If it is what the current owner describes. I'll prolly take her home and mouth ball it for a bit. I got plenty of work to do on my 58 F100.....but i would dig having a panel I'll keep you all posted and I'll post some pix after I go take a look

Cheers
100% Matt

 

What was the original question? I'm pretty sure I just posted a response to BZNSRAT's query...

However, since we're talking about all this crap, you're right that without the 3.00 rear end the truck would be nice at 55mph in .78 overdrive. But realistically, what major freeway today moves along at anything under 65-70mph? With the overdrive combined with the 3.00 gears, I'll be able to cruise at 70mph at slightly under 2000rpm. I've already done all the math out, and based it on real-world tests I did. My tires are 28" tall, pretty much the same as 29".

And as I was trying to say before, even though I'm putting in the 3.00 rear end, I won't lose nearly any of the 1st towing grunt.

The original 3spd transmission ratios are:
1st - 2.59
2nd - 1.58
3rd - 1.00
R - 2.66

The original rear end gear ratio is 3.89:1.

The new 3spd/OD transmission ratios are:
1st - 3.25
2nd - 1.92
3rd - 1.00
4th - .78
R - 3.25

The new rear end gear ratio is 3.00:1.
_____

Therefore, the combined gear ratio of the original setup is 10.0751:1, while the combined gear ratio of the new setup is 9.75. That difference will be barely noticeable, if at all.

Granted, the engine will have to stretch out the RPMs more between gears, but overall I think the effect will be better.

 

Whoa!
Sorry, bud. Just tryin' to help.

Sheesh, some people!



6narow

 

My '68. 390 granny 4 speed.

 

LOL 6 narrow... I think we have a rocket scientist in the room dang... That made my head hurt matt!... too many numbers. But, Im glad you guys know what the heck your talkin about! I dont. When I get back home from vacation, I will have to go over my gear sets with you guys and see what Ive got. Thanks for the wealth of knowledge you bring to the forum!

 

Mike,

Nice truck.
What's going on underneath?
Looks like a control arm of some kind in front of the rear wheel.
Did you switch it to coil spring rear suspension?

...or is that just a shadow?





6narow

 

Hey 6narow, I didn't mean to be offensive. I was just trying to clear up any confusion we had...

Cheers!

 

Looks like ladder bars to me. pretty cool idea.
Does it ride any better?

 

Whilst pulling tree stumps etc., the Dana 60 wheel hops pretty bad when the tires spin. Ladder bars help. I know I could simply not spin the tires, but we all know that's not likley to happen.

 

Sounds like an excuse I would tell my wife...only I would leave out the last part. and throw in a few honeys ... something like .... Honey im gonna have to get me some ladder bars for my truck... **WHAT!!!*** well babe.. When pullin them stumps in the yard you want I cant get traction... if you want those stumps gone babe.. Im just gonna have to go by me some ladder bars...thinking to myself... while im at it Ill throw in some new gears, new tires, maybe wheels?, emm been needing a paint job... ooo yeah the windshield has a crack in it.... got a busted tail light.. seat needs coverin... yep that orta do it for a few stumps. ***she sighs.. while your thinking*** well ok... just get those stumps out of my yard. **sigh. maybe a few mumbled choice words under her breathe. lol.

 

BigMikeC,

Thanks. Interesting concept, but if it works, it works!

---------------------------------------------
65fordguy,

You might want to change that to traction bars.
Then your argument could be, "but honey, I can't get any traction when I'm pullin' those stumps you want me to get rid of. I NEED the traction bars to get 'em out. See?"






6narow

 

i like you truck BigMike looks like my daily driver which just decided to grenade the pinion bearing a couple weeks ago sorry for the ugly merc in the foreground but that was the only pic i had!

matt

 

Lol 6.. trying to keep it simple terms eh?

 

heres mine with the body mocked up before the body drop

 

def. not the slickest around, but i love her anyway...
when i got her she already had a 351 from a 70 mustang and auto tranny - i call it a frankenstein engine since the manifold is actually from a windsor, and the engine doesn't actually fit the dimensions, so the crossbeam and tranny pan are currently um... at one with each other. i had power steering put in when i first got her. (wimpy arms + LA driving/parking = i need pwr steering! hopefully one day i will be able to have the $ to fix her up, but with gas so high, i am happy to just keep keepin' her runnin'!


and this slick one was my top choice at the Prolong Cruise night this past Wed at the NHRA Museum. Steve Delgadillo's '56 will be makin' the "celebrity" winner's lap this winter before the races!