Hello again. This is the new project, (on the back burner). Got to finish my 26 t coupe and try to finish the body and paint on my son 56 chevy first. This is a 48 ford f1 I have been looking at for awhile now. My son had a van dropped off he wanted the motor and tranny out of it, when he was done we took the body and a junk explorer and traded for this f1. We got it home cleaned out and cleaned up the inside of the cab and cleaned out the bed. . Plans are to change out the chassis for a newer one. Mainly for disc brakes, suspension and lowering. Also thinking on a 8.8 posi rearend , tilt column. The bucket seats in the pics. I'm thinking on reupholstering for my 26 coupe. So gonna look for a bench seat for the f1. The last pic. Is after we got done cleaning it up, my son lowered it down a put a spare set of tires and wheels under it for a mock up look . We cleaned the windows even though their cracked. But the wife likes the body the way it is for now, so we left it alone . Wd40ed all the door hinges and moving parts. Drivers door wouldn't latch, but it works great now. Gonna play around with it and see where it leads. It been sitting for a long time. Sat where we picked it up for almost five years. Would like to see it back on the road. It has a flathead 6 with a three speed. My son is going to take it out and learn more about them. I also have a ford big block mildly built and a trans ready to go into something. So this may get it. The wife loves these old trucks so this might just be one for her to cruise around. Any suggestions are welcome. Hope you like it, can never have to many projects.
Please listen to Mitch 36's advice. I also suggest that you do NOT do a frame swap. I suggest that you keep the frame, notch the rear rails and swap the rear. Either update the front suspension with a drop axle, or MII it. I put my 49 F1 (yes, it has 51 front sheet metal) on a 78 Mercury Marquis frame, and I totally regret it. Should have used a S10 frame. It was way more work than if I had done as I suggest that you do. Or if you want to save yourself all that work, just buy my truck and Ill give the money to my daughter for college.
That is a nice truck you have! I am also about to finish up my 26 t coupe. So this truck will hopefully be a nice low budget build. I've already got a good motor and tranny set back and a few odds and ends got about 300. In it so far minus time. The wife likes these old ford trucks as do I but this will hopefully be a safe old looking survivor when finished that she can run in.
If you are set on frame swapping it. Use a Chevy S10. Think you have to use the Extended Cab version. Don't use a full size sedan like I did. The front suspension is too wide and I spent a lot of extra time that I didn't need to widening my front fenders.
Reminds me of my first truck I picked up in Dexter Mo when I was 14 (1980) I put a 300hp 327 and powerglide in it and proceeded to terrorize the neighborhood with about a foot of straight pipe off the rams horns, shooting flames as I went ha ha ha
Keep it simple. Frame swaps...... Sorry, when I hear this, I hear banjos. I’ve seen so many poorly done and abandoned. Craigslist Specials, it was beyond the builder. That Idea is usually economy driven and it’s false economy. Straight axle.... Plenty of potential here. Kingpins, shackles and maybe new springs it’ll tighten up. Think of gassers. It’s kind of ironic that IFS cars get straight axles and straight axles trucks get IFS. Steering...... F1 box all the parts are available to renew it and it’s the steering box of 10,000 hot rods. Tie rods, all that stuff, renew it. The Toyota 4x4 box can be used for power steering with the stock column. Really though with reasonably width tires on the front the manual steering can be pleasurable. Engine.... The FE is tight. Exhaust will be close to the gear but that problem can be solved. It can be offset to the passenger side and then there is a good selection of manifolds and headers. SBC is a no brainer and it can easily be adapted to the original 3 speed. Transmission.... C6 for the FE. The C6 will require notching or dropping the center section of the original transmission crossmember. This way, you keep the master cylinder mounts. The C4 can fit with no mods but finding a C4 to FE bell is the problem. Then there’s manuals.... plenty of options here. Rear axle.... Is there really anything better than a Ford 9”? The F100 rear to’72 is basically a direct replacement. The Dana 41/44 that’s in there is fair and can work well if driven sanely. Brakes..... 5x5.5 Disc brakes are available for the front axle. The rears drums are fine but disc kits are available for the 9”. I run 1950 drums on mine. Power brake dual cylinders are available for the stock under floor location. This uses the original pedal. Interior.... I like the stock seat and frame. There’s really no advantage of relocating the tank. Definitely no room is gained. With 3 point belts and disc brakes, it’s as safe as any early 90s pickup. Lowering.... Springs or dropped axle on the front. The rear, maybe springs. You can notch it if you must but just a little with just springs can provide a nice rake. Fill up those rear fenders with good wheels and tires... it’s a good look. These are some ideas.... You do not have to reinvent the wheel on these trucks. The original design is sound especially for a traditional build.
Alot of good information here. And much appreciated I have yet to start on it besides getting it home and some light hamer and dolly work on some small dents. And clean up. But good info. Before it begins.
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