Appreciate all the feedback from my previous post, thanks! Found a few of F100s & C10s on craigslist and marketplace, tracking I can pull the engine and transmission, but would I be able to use their front & rear suspension and driveshaft? Knowing I'd have to cut to size, but some of trucks available are long beds and I noticed the rear leaf springs seem longer, what would be the fix for this, if any or required? More simply, what all can I use from a donor truck? Heard mention of steering column & box, pedals, master cylinder...?
Steering column and gear, brakes are about the only things off of an F-1 I'd use. Everything else you're considering would look over sized and goofy on a Model A
The c10 has that 5" bolt circle which is a bit of an odd duck. Why not find something you don't have to narrow?
Some 49-52 F-1 and 53-56 F-100 stuff might by useful (brakes, steering) but not much else. After 57 you would find a 9" rear, but it would need narrowing. Not much else useful from a donor truck after 56 except engine/trans. Stay away from Chevys as donors except for the engine/trans. Sounds like you need to do a lot of reading on what style of truck you want to build. Most of the threads show all the parts the builder uses, and you can see how they fit. Or ask them if you don't understand the details.
You seem to be stuck on using a donor car or truck and using all of its bits on the Model A. While this is a great concept the reality is that a Model A and even a truck from a few years later are very different. Parallel vs transverse leaf springs are completely different animals. While you could cut down a later axle to use in the A it is a lot of work and often does not look right. Pick up a dropped axle and steering arms (or have yours dropped), pull a few springs, reverse the main eye...done. Lots of options for brake upgrades (including F1/F100 parts). If you go to a different rear axle you have lots of options but almost none come out of a full-sized truck. You likely need an axle around 55-56" wide flange to flange. Early Bronco / car 9" or even 8", Explorer / Mustang / Ranger 8.8, Chevy S10 stuff. Lots of options. $1-500 on Craigslist or at a junkyard. Keep in mind you will need to do radius arms or 4 link or similar to locate the axle if you ditch the torque tube. If you can find an engine and transmission combo that are in a running and driving vehicle watch how much you are spending. You could likely buy an engine and transmission and have them gone through for what you could spend on a donor vehicle. Again Craigslist and junkyards and see what is available. car-part.com is another great resource but usually for newer stuff. Once you figure your transmission and axle out you will need a driveshaft built. Keep both driveshafts and work with a local shop to have the correct one built when the time comes. Not a big deal and not horribly expensive. Having the correct yokes in hand could save lots of grief. You can research steering boxes, pedal assemblies, etc but a lot depends on other decisions you make elsewhere in the build. Going to cross steer or keeping stock style steering changes all of this as well. Hopefully something in there is of some help. Maybe you could start by working with what's there and making improvements such as wheels and tires, stance, etc as you do more research. You may decide you want to keep this one closer to stock and build a different one that you can go wild on.
Perfect! Thank you! this is exactly what I’m looking for I am hung up on using a donor car or truck haha thought maybe I could get all from one, already matched from the factory w/ history known but realizing this may not be feasible. Really appreciate the resource recommendations! Already finding a great amount of parts nearby, thanks I’d like to use a 283 or 289 with manual trans, keeping all parts pre-69 if able and stock front suspension for now. Found these as possible options, both running…what’s a reasonable price to purchase a vehicle for if pulling the engine and trans, and maybe getting the column and gears as well?? I did find an early mustang 9” rear on craigslist so thanks!
I'd think you could find a used 283 with manual trans attached for about $500. Shop around, you may find some cheaper. There's probably nothing else on that flatbed or fordor that would be any use on the Model A truck. Anything that old is gonna need a rebuild anyway, so maybe buying a rebuilt engine bare from a trusted source might be a better option. You just have to know your limitations and pocketbook.
At the risk of offending the 1965 cut off, you could source engine, transmission, rear axle, and brake components from a 1979 to 1986 GM intermediate such as a Cutlass,Malibu,Monte Carlo,Lemans,or Regal. Sent from my SM-T350 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I'm guessing you would have to pay thousands for either donor vehicle. All of the 283's I have stumbled across were for $100 or so (or even free). Does $3-500 at a junkyard still get a person a running small block of some sort? What part of the world are you from? Might help us point you towards more resources.
Perfect! Thanks, already finding more great options. I'm in the Pacific North West and appreciate ANY resource recommendations
As far as steering columns/gears...any issues pulling out of 50s/60s sedans? Specifically Bel Air’s or Impalas
None of those are commonly used, but only you can say if it fits your application. None of us are building your car. Any engine and trans combo you use will be placed in the chassis at a slightly different location than every other car ever built. Nobody has "instructions" for these hot rods. So every part might be a bit too close for comfort. That's the fun of gathering parts. Sometimes you win, sometimes you have extra parts. It's very common for old hot rodders to use F-1 or F-100 box/columns in Model A's. Then guys used early Mustang for a while. Nowadays guys like Vegas, but they aren't really traditional.
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