Old sleeper Ford truck???

My current bad idea is an older F150 with a well used exterior sleeper look, with lots of go fast parts underneath.  Sorta like the lightning before the lightning was a thing.  Model years say 73-91 but could do the 92-04 body styles, regular cab, 2wd. I think the first lighting came out in that 92-96 bodystyle. Then put a engine in that can not only make power, but set the rest of the truck up so the power is usable.  Add in some stock style, or ugly aftermarket wheels, and drive.  

I clarified "old" in the title because Ford is currently advertising their new F150 as being able to turn into a sleeper for long road trips.  

I know it's been done before, but I've never done anything like it.  I also have a 2.0 that is getting into cars, and it would be a cool project for us to work on. Buy in on a older used 2wd regular cab around here is anywhere from $600+.  

Why Ford?  I like Ford's, I've had two F150s and two Mustangs.  I don't want to LS1 it like everyone else.  I do like the Coyote engine.  However, I don't know much about the older F150s.  For instance I don't know if they used the same rear differentials or gear ratios in the various 6cyl and 8cyl models.  I do not know what parts could cross over from generation to generation.  Etc.

Thoughts?  Good or bad, I'll listen to both.

I've also never had a turbo or supercharged vehicle, so both options would be interesting. 

I've never had a Ford pickup but I know the earlier gen you mentioned above had big blocks available from the factory.  My two cents are do a BIG cube 385 series BBF with AL heads and a stout bottom end and a 9:1 CR or so.  Finish as NA with 550-600 HP and add a turbo or two when that gets boring.  I think finding traction with a truck will take some work.  

Crown vic body swap?  Or at least the front suspension.

The problem with all the F150, up until 1997, and in regards for handling is that the Twin I-Beam setup is craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap.  It is possibly the most rugged suspension on the surface of the earth, but by all that is holy it does not handle.  Also gets a little sketchy at high speeds.

With the older trucks QA1 is offering full suspension kits and I believe several other companies are too. Trucks are popular right now for the pro-touring market.

I built this basic one years back '76 F-100 Project - YouTube

It was a good 20 footer and a ton of fun to drive. Could have used better suspension, brakes, tires but that wasn't what I intended it to be. Ended up selling it back to the previous owner when he returned from Iraq and ended up stationed on an hour or two away. Came over to check it out and go for a ride then called me back a few months later wanting to buy it. Some days I wish I would have kept it, it was just such a fun driver.

Asphalt- I like that.

I was curious if any Crown Vic or Mustang parts would easily swap over. 

460EFI stuffed into a '90s F-150.

They even make a kit.

octavious said:

I was curious if any Crown Vic or Mustang parts would easily swap over. 

https://www.nloc.net/vbforum/showthread.php/196221-Massive-project-underway-IRS-IFS-install

77 f150 on vic chassis. Stroker 460 Ford. Paxton. Efi. Aod. 

Avocado green. Slot mags. Raised white letters and chrome side pipes for the 70s custom truck look.

Kinda like this?

In reply to Datsun310Guy :

Did he really go down the track with his dog in the front seat?

Cause if so, man.  berkeley him.

I did a lot of looking into the crown vic swap before I sold the '76. The pros came down to cheap donor cars, readily available parts, and very easy swap if you can operate a tape measure and welder. Cons are worn out donor cars, the track width is different and makes a PITA for wheels, plenty of cutting if you sub frame swap vic to truck frame or lots of fabrication if you body swap truck to vic frame. If stock is good enough this is a viable option and IMO the vic sub frame to truck is much better/easier. However it only takes a little shopping for aftermarket vic (Panther chassis) parts to notice they're pricey. Pricey to the point that if it were me and I wanted performance, I'd look at full aftermarket for the truck options.

There really isn't much cutting or welding if you swap the aluminum Panther crossmember and suspension under a Twin I Beam truck.    Aside from cutting off brackets.     The width isn't really a big issue, unless you are swapping it under an earlier truck.   

But even those can be made to work fairly easily.   This is my friend's '61 Unibody with a Vic swap-  



While the early Slicks and Bumpsides have quite a bit narrower rear end width than the Vic, the Bumpside and later are 65 1/4" wide, which is pretty close to the 67 1/2" WMS to WMS of the Vic.       Depending on what you are planning to do with the truck that could be inconsequential, if you are most driving it on the street, with some acceleration bursts here and there, or a bigger deal, if you are looking for every bit of handling.   But at that point, most any suspension will have plenty of aftermarket parts in it.   I am assuming since you are talking about a sleeper, you are are looking for the former.    A Vic IFS will be a huge upgrade from the TIB that the truck originally had.

Watching with interest, my dad has 4 70s Ford's trying to become one with the forest, 2 short beds, 2 long and one of them has a healthy 360 FE in it that could be fun.

Lower it, fat tires, and see if the engine is as health as I remember when I was 16. It lopes a lot, won't run well unless it's on premium plus an octane booster, was choked thru the stock air filter and gets about 7mpg.

We had a '67 F-100 that came with a 2 bbl 352.   That wore out so my dad got a 390 short block, 4 barrel manifold, Holley, and headers.

It had a 3.50 rear end, not posi-traction, 3 on the tree.  He added 30 inch tall mud grips.     It was pretty quick for a truck in the '70's. 

One night while showing off to my buddies how this truck could burn rubber  I twisted one of the axle shafts off right at the center section.   Dad was NOT amused.  

I like the looks of the 70s trucks better but they are more expensive. Early non running 90s models with no rust at less than $1k, double that if they are running with no rust, and somewhere in the middle if they are running but have rust.

I'd like the Ford version of the farm truck, only minus the camper shell and the dogs. Lol. 
 

The '61 is sweet but way nicer than where my thoughts are. Also the older you go the more $$$. 

In reply to Donebrokeit :

That definitely an old ford truck with a sleeper, and I do like the way it looks.

To OP: I would look at an ifs to replace the twin beam and most likely a 3 link/ torque arm in the rear to improve handling and traction. A complete crownvic chassis swap would make a comfortable daily driver with improved handling over stock. If you want a somewhat useable bed, you need to change the factory vic gas tank to a different tank behind the rear axle.

Antihero (Forum Supporter) said:

Watching with interest, my dad has 4 70s Ford's trying to become one with the forest, 2 short beds, 2 long and one of them has a healthy 360 FE in it that could be fun.

How bad are they?  I'm looking for a Challenge body to put on a Crown Vic frame.

If you go with the Gen 10 truck (97-03 and "heritage" 2004 model): 

• 4.2 pushrod V-6 and 4.6/5.4 mod motors were available. First two could be had with manual transmissions.
• Mod motors love boost. Other mods have poor hp/$ returns. Look for a truck with the later PI heads and cams.
• Could do a Supercoupe top end swap on the 4.2, but you'd still need to build it heavily to get good power out of it.
• There's a guy I know on f150forum.com putting a 351 stroker in one of these trucks, but it's a big project. Not a bolt-on kind of thing.
• 8.8 axles came on 4.2 and 4.6 trucks. At least some, if not all, 5.4 trucks got the 9.75 axle. Easy way to tell the difference is the 8.8 has  a symmetrical rear cover and the 9.75 doesn't. The 8.8 is plenty stout for car use, but in something this heavy with a lot of power, maybe not. Not sure.
• The suspension on these is waaay better than on the earlier trucks, as mentioned--at least in factory trim. Much easier to lower and have correct geometry.

If you want to spend some money, there are any number of early 1970s F-100s with custom chassis and Aluminator engines out there that you could use for inspiration.

Someone here was selling a good start to a fast f150 but I can't find the thread. Already lowered and I think had a cage too. 

Two F-250's on Detroit CL-1974 and a 1965 being brought in from California.  Patina on both already done.  Both less than 10k

Mr_Asa said:

Antihero (Forum Supporter) said:

Watching with interest, my dad has 4 70s Ford's trying to become one with the forest, 2 short beds, 2 long and one of them has a healthy 360 FE in it that could be fun.

How bad are they?  I'm looking for a Challenge body to put on a Crown Vic frame.

Eh.....if I put all 4 together I can get one good truck and maybe a beater. A tree fell on one, rust is destroying the cab of another.

His mom bought him one and he's had it forever. The current idea is to resurrect that one with cherry picked parts and it costs him almost nothing. Depending he could even challenge it depending how the rules work there

In reply to Antihero (Forum Supporter) :

Gotcha.  I'm nowhere near ready for one, anyways.