My whole life dad and i have been messing around with a 427 ford we've sold it once, bought it back blown up and decided we were going to put it in a drag car. I've always wanted it in a falcon, torino or a mustang but dad always liked trucks... Now that he's passed away and we never got a chance to build it i think i'm going to build a truck in his honor. I i know he liked the mid 50s f100s and the 60s ones too but i can't really decide which ones i like best.. LOL i kinda thought about doing a 71 ranchero cause it's like a Torino truck but i know dad hated rancheros so that would just piss him off.


Anyway i'm stuck between



and



i like the '49s too but i have a friend who has one and i'm not big on copying someone

I like the '36s too and i know dad did too but i don't know if there is room under the hood for a big block.


OK,

After that, our 427 is a dual 4 barrel medium riser engine which is a pretty rare engine but it's still in mostly blown state, with a cracked head and a chunk missing off the crank where the flywheel somehow broke the thing off. So that being said should i build it back to what it was? or should i go crazy and convert it to a tunnel port efi engine with possible forced induction down the road?
So i have to get a new crank and a new set of heads and if i plan on driving it on the street a new set of pistons too as 14.4:1 won't fly on pump gas... should i keep it a 427 or should i put a 428 crank in it and make it a 448 ??

That being said i know how to tune a boosted motor pretty well (well i'm no pro but i understand the theory and the practice) on EFI, i know DICK about tuning carbs, and as for tuning n/a EFI i could probably figure it out i'm assuming on a drag car you just tune everything for 12.8:1 for max hp and on a street car you tune low load for 14.7:1 and everything else to 12.8:1 and then you just advance timing till you get some knock and back it off a couple degrees.

1/6/2012 9:00:18 AM

'56 truck

good rebuild, convert to efi, add a nice OD trans and drive the fuck out of it

1/6/2012 9:14:12 AM

.... ohh i have the tranny for it...

its not over drive but it is setup for a 2.70 rear...

1/6/2012 9:22:53 AM

insufficient information on your budget

1/6/2012 9:24:18 AM

Consider budget unlimited, it will get what it needs to get as time goes on...

its going to be sort of a rat rod build and i'm starting with the engine not the chassis.

I'm going to get the engine back running and i haven't decided if i want it to be a weekend bracket racer or just a cruiser... i really don't need another street car. so what i think i'm going to do is get some blue-thunder heads, get a 428 crank (way easier to come by, just as strong and easy cubes) and decide from there since both of those will work with the parts i have now.


I think dad has 4 sets of rods and pistons for the motor laying around i need to dig through and see what's what and what needs to be tossed.

Like i said this project isn't on a real timeline and can always be a work in progress. It just needs to be done.

say 12k/year for budget.

[Edited on January 6, 2012 at 9:32 AM. Reason : .]

1/6/2012 9:31:20 AM

driver or show piece? The early trucks have a nicer look, the later trucks are easier to put power steering and power brakes on. Then there is always issues like effective windshield wipers and defrosters, again much better on the later model trucks but you lose asthetics. Might go with the mid 50s as a happy medium between the two.

1/6/2012 9:37:48 AM

not daily driver... but driver... she probably won't see rain unless by accident... and even then i rain x the piss out of everything so i rarely use wipers.

1/6/2012 9:45:22 AM

I'm not an expert on such matters, but couldn't you just get an EFI big block Ford out of a later truck or something?

1/6/2012 9:50:17 AM

could... but didn't originally build some efi big block with my dad.

last time i saw this engine run it made 700+ hp on c16 on an engine dyno... i was 15 we sold it, told the guy race gas only... he put it in a cobra kit, ran 93 with octane boost... and blew it.

Its the history/tribute more than anything and what i'm trying to figure out is if i want this truck to be my drag car as dad intended for him... or if i want it to be dad's truck and i'll build my own drag car later...which would be a much cheaper much easier 460 based engine that would certainly have EFI and probably one or more turbos so i could get nhra licenses deep into the single digits.

[Edited on January 6, 2012 at 10:03 AM. Reason : .]

i think i may have decided on a '54 so 12 volt conversion etc will be required.. honestly i probably won't even have wipers on it.

[Edited on January 6, 2012 at 10:16 AM. Reason : .]

1/6/2012 10:02:05 AM

to clarify, have you personally put ANYTHING on track? keeping a single vehicle track worthy isn't cheap or easy and you've mentioned heavily modifying at least 4 different cars in recent memory.

I would suggest you focus on ONE thing to completion or you'll end up with a pile of broken shit you'll sell and lose a lot of money on. pick it out now, plan it stages based on what you can afford and know how to do, and stick to the plan. you'll find yourself much happier and much more likely to have a completed and FUNCTIONING project.

do what you will..

[Edited on January 6, 2012 at 10:17 AM. Reason : and by personally I mean on your personal funds/time]

1/6/2012 10:17:34 AM

Personally no.

I know i've talked a lot about a lot of cars my turbo subie is my driver... it's an intercooler and injectors away from being done and just driven on a mild tune. This will be my first attempt at building a car for the track, i know it's going to cost money but clearly you haven't read the thread as i have outlined a budget of 12k per year for construction and rebuilds as required.

don't think i'm planning on joining some circuit or anything, its merely a toy.

[Edited on January 6, 2012 at 10:30 AM. Reason : .]

1/6/2012 10:25:28 AM

Quote :

" I would suggest you focus on ONE thing to completion or you'll end up with a pile of broken shit you'll sell and lose a lot of money on. pick it out now, plan it stages based on what you can afford and know how to do, and stick to the plan. you'll find yourself much happier and much more likely to have a completed and FUNCTIONING project. do what you will.. "

HAHHAA GODDAMN, IT'S ME TALKING TO ADAM8778 ALL OVER AGAIN


and big turbo... i know it's all relative, but still.


a street car with an 80mm compressor inducer.. that's a 'big turbo'

[Edited on January 6, 2012 at 10:27 AM. Reason : -]

1/6/2012 10:27:01 AM

lol.. yeah i wouldn't say that either really 20g subie..... then...

1/6/2012 10:30:16 AM

Quote :

"I would suggest you focus on ONE thing to completion or you'll end up with a pile of broken shit you'll sell and lose a lot of money on. pick it out now, plan it stages based on what you can afford and know how to do, and stick to the plan. you'll find yourself much happier and much more likely to have a completed and FUNCTIONING project. "

this.


and I like the flared fenders on the 2nd and third pics

I'm biased.

1/6/2012 10:36:25 AM

.... ok... lesson learned project A wrapping up... looking to start project B after project A... in planning phase now.


(essentially... i already want a bigger turbo on the subaru and i just got one... so i need an ACTUAL project car so i stop fucking with my driver)



[Edited on January 6, 2012 at 10:41 AM. Reason : .]

1/6/2012 10:39:48 AM

we love you [no homo]

we just want you to succeed.

1/6/2012 10:47:08 AM

I prefer the later trucks, like the first one you pictured. Sure the '53-'56 is a classic, but I almost think it's been done to death. I love the sweep of the character line on the '61-'62 models, though for a rat rod look that probably won't be two tone it's not as big a deal. Do bear in mind also that the '61-'63 trucks were unibody, with no separate bed.

1/6/2012 10:55:28 AM

^ yeah i know... the unibody is my fave part.

I don't mean a rat rod in flat black since i mean in the since that once i get the engine running and i own the vehicle it will be driven... modded... driven... modded.... driven until it's EXACTLY what i want...then it will be driven... broken... driven... broken... etc. lol

I appreciate it.

the thing is really i'm 6 months or more out from starting on this but i don't even know which way i want to go. I guess i know the never ending project and unlimited funding made it sound like i was just going to fuck around whenever i want to on it. But the plan is

Step 1: get engine running... depending on EFI/Carbs & degree of modifications 3k-10k
Step 2: procure truck... depending on shape of body & amount of body work required 10-14k
Step 3: combine parts- drive truck 6k for misc shit fuel pumps tank seats etc.
Step 4: modify axle/ suspension- drive truck 10k
Step 5: learn how to make a proper cage... or pay someone to do it right $??? - race truck?
Step 6: modify weakest link - race truck

[Edited on January 6, 2012 at 11:07 AM. Reason : .]

1/6/2012 11:04:03 AM

huge budget, why not just buy one complete?

1/6/2012 11:10:46 AM

oivey...

the whole thing is more a tribute to dad then anything. this is the project we always wanted to do together, he died a little earlier then expected at 65 and we never really got around to it.

1/6/2012 11:14:38 AM

sorry was distracted by the pictures in the OP

1/6/2012 11:25:12 AM

ALSO so you're not double-fucked-and-brokenhearted later, get the cage/rollbar designed/installed before you do any body-work or interior mods.

1/6/2012 11:35:52 AM

^
This

1/6/2012 11:37:28 AM

^ good point... thanks...

i'm half thinking of having a chassis built and just using the cab/ hood fenders/ and bed from the original truck if i truly turn this thing into a full on weekend warrior... truthfully none of these trucks have much for a sturdy frame under them and if i'm going to tie in a cage anyway... might as well save some weight in the frame too.

I'm discussing with family how crazy they think dad would have wanted me to go with his weekend warrior and how much work i should do to the somewhat rare 427 side oiler engine.

1/6/2012 11:41:44 AM

67 F100 with Mark VIII IRS... food for thought

1/6/2012 11:51:12 AM

more like 63 f100 with a 4 link.... lol

IIRC most of the ford IRS setups were half baked and didn't work well for anything but improving ride quality.

But i do like your thinking.

and since his old airforce squadron was a big part of his life (he went to anual reunions) i think their logo should be on the truck somewhere.



[Edited on January 6, 2012 at 11:59 AM. Reason : .]

1/6/2012 11:55:11 AM

yeahhhh bo'



and yes, a narrowed 9 with some fat shafts will be the shit ticket

[Edited on January 6, 2012 at 1:34 PM. Reason : 40 SPLINES, BITCHES]

1/6/2012 1:34:12 PM

eeeehhhhh i'm kicking around a cobra kit too....

but there are so many of them... but i'd be the only one with the right engine in mine..


(there were like 15 at cars and coffee this weekend 13 had small blocks in them 1 had an FE motor but it was a 428 and the other was a 385 series engine (429/460 i didn't ask which but even it had DOVE heads on it) i don't get why people would spend 50k on sheet metal then shit out on the engine... I will give 2 of the small block guys mad props for the hillborn fuel injection that was pretty bitchen but the shape of your car still said big block. That and i think an actually big block cobra may be more dangerous then a motorcycle lol.

i love the 54 ford f100s the only thing i don't like is the seating position isn't really setup for any sort of performance driving and i don't think without extending the cab some, that it can be.

1/9/2012 8:31:58 AM

Small block is enough for a cobra. It's enough for my RX-7. I brought my car to that too.

1/9/2012 11:49:01 AM

yeah they are... and they probably handle better then having a 700lb big block in them too... but if you're going to build a small block car build the 289 style body... not the 427s/c.. that's just be being picky though.

I'm back on the '54 ford... i <3 the fangs and dad wanted a truck.


technically in this day and age when you can get 400-800hp out of a n/a small block... there really isn't a car that neeeeeds a big block.

But that doesn't mean i don't want one. (+ i already own one and its the center piece of this whole build thanks to the history of it with my dad)


[Edited on January 9, 2012 at 1:29 PM. Reason : .]

1/9/2012 1:25:20 PM

was also mentioned in one of his stacks of shit to do with it...

1/16/2012 3:02:52 PM