I decided to build a thread as a new guy, primarily for the next new guy, and also for everyone else. This is going to be a long build, not because of time or money, but because this is my first one and my knowledge is only so much. I will post pictures as I make updates and progress. I purchased a 35 Ford flat bed about 2 years ago, and almost let it go when I took it to an old school body shop and got an estimate for what it would take to do the chassis, cab, and front fenders (cause I had no rear bed or fenders at the time). Are you sitting down? I wasn't and almost fell over - $40,000. Yes, $40,000 and that was no engine, glass, interior, plumbing, or electrical. That price tag may be day in day out info for older guys, but I really had no clue. Well I kept it and decided to forge forward. I joined this forum and my first question was a general "what doner car/truck could I use to get the most out of it for a swap?". I was thinking a fox body mustang or late model ranger. I was quickly put in the corner and told that this kind of behavior was not condoned on the site. I may have posted in the wrong area...... Gratefully I was told to contact someone who had built a 35. You may know him: Roothawg. Come to find out he lives 10 minutes from me and has been a huge help so far! So here we go. 1935 Ford Flat bed, last tagged in New Mexico in 1951. I had to find the serial number on the frame and then take my bill of sale and my pictures down to the county courthouse for an appointment with a judge to try and convince him that this thing was real, not stolen, and that Henry Ford didn't do VIN numbers in 1935. He believed me and $120 later in court costs I had a piece of paper that allowed me to get a green title for this truck. My build list: Boxed frame 4" drop front axle 8.8 with disc differential Split bones 302 SBF w/ T5 or AOD Wood slat bed Front disc brakes No A/C or heater Bucket seats Other stuff as it presents itself Heres some pics so far. This is when I picked it up and brought it home.
Some frame damage that had to be addressed. I replaced the rear cross member and welded in new pieces (small), and welded up the cracks I found. The replacement metal was from a local metal dealer, the rear cross member was almost a perfect replacement. Don't zoom in, my welding is nothing to brag about! I did have the frame media blasted with aluminum oxide to help me see what I couldn't under 80 years of stuff.
Here is the front leafs from a 50's chevy that I used to build my rear suspension after reading the post from mj40's. I reused both the mounting brackets - if you go this route, don't forget to take the smaller bracket from inside the 50's chevy inner front frame (it becomes your rear leaf mount), I overlooked this and had to track down another frame and get those brackets.
Great job so far sir. I like that you're using and fixing the problems with the original frame. As far as your engine/ transmission combo, the 302 is great idea ( I have one in my '56 F-100) my advice for the transmission would be to use the AOD. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I picked up a complete front axle from a 40 Ford Sedan and proceeded to pull it apart. I cut the wishbones apart at the rear weld and opened up the hole with a step down to accept the weld in bung kit I ordered from speedway. This kit also has the tie rod ends that thread into the bungs. I stripped down the front of the bones and it took a lot of fire (oxy/ace) to get those king pins out and a BFH too. After those were out, it took more heat to bend the perches out so that they would be 90 degrees to the axle. The perches had bushings in them, they came out pretty easy, I just used a jewelers hacksaw to cut reliefs in them, then a chisel to fold in the tip and then a punch to drive it out - not very hard to do. I had a kit from posies where I got my reverse spring that came with new rubber bushings, however limeworksspeedshop.com carries a oilite bushing kit I may switch too later.
Here is the x member without the original support in place. I went with a blank trans plate from chassis engineering because I intended to use a T5, and I couldn't find a T5 mount plate, so this one allows me to drill my own mounting holes once I figure out where they go. And Mr. Henry Ford, if your reading this - Thank You for all the rivets, no really, my grinder loves you, me not so much.................
I pulled a 8.8 limited slip 3.73 disc brake rear end out of the local salvage yard from a 99 Mercury Mountaineer 5.0. The measurements are so far, pretty good. I like that it did have shock mounts already, still don't know if I can use them or not at this point. I pulled it apart which made it lighter to move around for now and mounted it on the leafs at a positive 3 degree placement just for now. Its only tacked in place. I picked up new U bolts at Oreilly auto, they were not specific to a 1999 rear end, they just measured them and had one on the shelf, the other 3 came about 4 hours later.
The doner engine and one trans came out of a 90's thunderbird. Its a EFI 302 with AOD. I do not intend to stay EFI, if anything maybe an edelbrock kit that looks carb, but is EFI, but for now carb is the first route. I did grab a T5 out of a 93 mustang, however after reading another post about this same thing in a 37, the shifter may be really far back, and that wont work - so well see during mock up.
This is currently where I am at. I still have to do a sway bar in the front and rear, shocks in the rear, and then mess with the front spindles and get some wheels on it to just roll it around. The cab is on it and I am working on where to place the engine. It has a 1980's bronco oil pan I picked up from rockauto, chassis engineering motor mounts, and after that's done a chassis engineering steering adapter plate. I do have some gripes with chassis engineering. I ordered the engine mount kit and it specifically stated that the steering adapter plate would be required. So I ordered that too. I got the stuff and went to mock it up and guess what - the stuff doesn't sit right. Their directions say that the mounts should be 22" back from the front of the frame tip, and the steering adapter 11 3/4 back from the center of the cross member - well they are so close that if I was to put both motor mount and steering adapter on at the same time, they would overlap by 1 3/4 inches. I called and sent pics to the chassis engineering techs, I'm still awaiting a reply. On a side note, I found a original 1935 Oklahoma license plate, so I bought it and found a license plate restoration service in Arkansas. See the before and after, this is a legal plate that I can use on this truck once its road ready.
Great progress and great looking work. You need the rest of the brace pieces for the X center. It really adds stiffness to the chassis. And the bottom plate goes underneath the X-rails, not inside. Look at the "T-5" threads here. The S-10 tailshaft housing swap is probably what you need. Can't comment on the motor mounts, but swapping a SBF into a 35-37 usually means cutting the firewall. Their caveat seems to be that the mounts work with the independent front crossmember. You could put in the steering mount as instructed, then cut the bushing plate off of the frame bracket, shift the frame bracket forward till it clears, then re-weld.
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