Short, Ugly, Old, Fat, My girl Vanette

I soooo want an old box truck now. Would have to be a camper rig though, cuz most likely my wife would kick me out if I came home with one

Gasoline wrote:

This. With modern drivetrain and brakes.

http://appleton.craigslist.org/cto/2999434977.html

RossD wrote: http://appleton.craigslist.org/cto/2999434977.html

Curmudgeon wrote:

Gasoline wrote:

This. With modern drivetrain and brakes.

Gasoline wrote: Keep your eyes out for a couple of old seats that would look 1957 period correct. Maybe bus seats?

Audi TT baseball glove seats look great in everything.

Or... real bomber seats.

When I was a kid, there was an old Divco Twin on the property line next to my cousin's house. The tires had sunk into the ground and it was filled with crap. The neighbor was not a friendly guy. My cousin's story was that the truck had rolled down the hill and was abandoned there. The reality is that back when these things were no longer useful, they were sold to guys who drove or dragged them home to use as sheds.

I would love to get my hands on one now.

Gasoline wrote: Thanks, you are right about the width of a 460. I need to rethink some inline motor? I will look for a EFI 300 and a 5 speed. The granny 4 speed is on the floor already, looked factory when I glanced at it.

Due to the mass and shape of the vehicle, I have a feeling it is never going to get good(modern 3/4 ton truck) gas mileage, so the biggest strike against a big block is out of the way, if the 460 fits, and the tire budget allows, I would go that route. Both swaps will require fabricating mounts anyways.

At a glance, that wiring bundle looks like a column shift linkage.

Kenny_McCormic wrote: I don't think there will be any complaints in the power department with a 460. You might want to measure the doghouse and make sure it's wide enough. For the shifter I believe you can just tie shifter cables to the column shifter linkage and run them to a very shortened stock shifter on the trans, pretty basic junkyard hot rodding. Some quick googling indicates that is a ZF5 S5-42, pretty much perfect for your van, stump puller first, fairly deep overdrive on 5th.

Ok, I took your sound advice and cooler heads prevailed Last night I bought from Gray GA. a sweet 1988 Ford F150 that had been rolled for $600. It has 87,000 original miles and runs and drives great (except for busted glass and every panel dented).

The truck is EFI inline 6 cly 300 and a ZF 5 speed transmission, new clutch, A/C, hydraulic clutch, serpentine belt, etc. I will swap everything to the Vanette and then junk the F150. I should recover $350 to $400? It should have enough spunk to be fun to drive?

Now, Help me with disc brakes! I want disc brakes and would like them on the front (if not all 4 wheels). I want to try and retain the front straight axle. I don't mind going away from the 8X6.5" wheels. I wish I could go to a 5X5" pattern.........I have nice wheels and a Lincoln Versailles 9 inch rearend that is 5X5" and disc brakes. Any ideas for the front? I do like these wheels, they look kinda Van'ish.

Modern commercial vehicles still use drums, I don't get why people are so afraid of them. I would be more concerned about the single circuit hydraulic system than the brakes themselves.

Kenny_McCormic wrote: Modern commercial vehicles still use drums, I don't get why people are so afraid of them. I would be more concerned about the single circuit hydraulic system than the brakes themselves.

Oh, I will first change out the single unit, that goes without saying.

I guess when I think of modernizing and updating I automatically think of disc brakes. Lighter, easier to maintain, simple, no adjusting etc. I suppose that could be argued, but that is just me.

Kenny_McCormic wrote: Modern commercial vehicles still use drums, I don't get why people are so afraid of them. I would be more concerned about the single circuit hydraulic system than the brakes themselves.

Oh, I will first change out the single unit, that goes without saying.

I guess when I think of modernizing and updating I automatically think of disc brakes. Lighter, easier to maintain, simple, no adjusting etc. I suppose that could be argued, but that is just me.

You'll need to check track widths but 1999 and later two wheel drive F350 Chassis Cabs and all 2x4 F450s use a straight front axle with big honkin' 8 lug discs. For even more whoa you could combine that with an F250 or F350 rear axle of similar vintage which also have big discs.

Good score on the EFI 300 six---best engine Ford ever built.

Jeff

Gasoline wrote:

Kenny_McCormic wrote: I don't think there will be any complaints in the power department with a 460. You might want to measure the doghouse and make sure it's wide enough. For the shifter I believe you can just tie shifter cables to the column shifter linkage and run them to a very shortened stock shifter on the trans, pretty basic junkyard hot rodding. Some quick googling indicates that is a ZF5 S5-42, pretty much perfect for your van, stump puller first, fairly deep overdrive on 5th.

Ok, I took your sound advice and cooler heads prevailed Last night I bought from Gray GA. a sweet 1988 Ford F150 that had been rolled for $600. It has 87,000 original miles and runs and drives great (except for busted glass and every panel dented). The truck is EFI inline 6 cly 300 and a ZF 5 speed transmission, new clutch, A/C, hydraulic clutch, serpentine belt, etc. I will swap everything to the Vanette and then junk the F150. I should recover $350 to $400? It should have enough spunk to be fun to drive? Now, Help me with disc brakes! I want disc brakes and would like them on the front (if not all 4 wheels). I want to try and retain the front straight axle. I don't mind going away from the 8X6.5" wheels. I wish I could go to a 5X5" pattern.........I have nice wheels and a Lincoln Versailles 9 inch rearend that is 5X5" and disc brakes. Any ideas for the front? I do like these wheels, they look kinda Van'ish.

Those wheels look like Toronado/Eldorado wheels from the earlier cars, not the late '70's downsized ones.

Are you sure that Versailles rear is a 5" bolt pattern? I'm pretty sure the Versailles was the gussied up Granada and shared the common 4.5" Ford bolt pattern.

If they are 5x5", the front crossmember and suspension from my B1500 Ram Van looks like it wouldn't be hard to adapt to a different chassis. Dodge went to the 5x5" bolt pattern in '85 (might have been '84, I'm getting rusty) so there would be plenty of junkyard pickins.

I believe some of the GM B-wagons used a 5" bolt circle for the wheels, so that would be another junkyard option for a disk front suspension.

Organ Donor

Not pretty, but runs great, 87k, and complete.

It was a helluva rough 87k, I'd say.

I am going 4X4 with the Vanette (current plan). Little camper, parts chaser, tow pig. etc.

I located a 1979 single wheel F350 Dana 60 kingpin front axle from a sno-fighter, A rare (2 year 78/79) and highly sought after axle. The gear housing is centered more than the '80 up axles and the 32 inch spring perch width fits the old Vanette. The '80 up width is 36. Drivers side drop. It should come close to bolting in.

I will still use the 2wd ZF 5 speed, and am running down a lead on a $100 divorced NP205 Ford transfer case.

Need to find a single wheel 3.54 geared Dana 60, 70.... for the rear. There is one in Ky, I know of, if I can't find one locally.

Curmudgeon wrote: It was a helluva rough 87k, I'd say.

Oh yea she's rough! Story was the owners wife rolled it and they used it on the farm for a year or two. You have to look hard for the inner beauty. In the end it is a running compete donor, nearly free, after I scrap it. I drove it around the block a couple of times and the wind in my face, shifting gears, gets me excited.

But! Not too excited about cleaning it up. I pulled the motor and transmission yesterday, and sprayed it with Gunk. Pressure wash it this week and hope she looks like a new penny. Wish me luck! she is dirty

Good god what are all those hoses for? It took me about two minutes to figure out that was a 300.

Gasoline wrote: Need to find a single wheel 3.54 geared Dana 60, 70.... for the rear. There is one in Ky, I know of, if I can't find one locally.

What about under 3/4 & 1-ton vans? I'm pretty sure a D60 is what's under an 8-lug Dodge B250 & B350. I'd guess similar for the Econoline.

Rob_Mopar wrote:

Gasoline wrote: Need to find a single wheel 3.54 geared Dana 60, 70.... for the rear. There is one in Ky, I know of, if I can't find one locally.

What about under 3/4 & 1-ton vans? I'm pretty sure a D60 is what's under an 8-lug Dodge B250 & B350. I'd guess similar for the Econoline.

That is an idea. Just have to get a tape and measure. Looking for a 69.5" width. I hear that 3:54 are common in the Dodge Dana's but not as common in the Ford's. Ford's common gear was 4:10. Could be BS, I fall victim more than I should.

Just start hunting older 78/79'ish F250's. Something should turn up, if I am patient.

Waaaayyyyy back when Cragar, American Racing etc used to make 8 lug 15 inch rims, they were those 'wagon wheel' design. They were available in white, black and chrome. Those might be right up your alley, if they are still made.