Need some ideas for my new Project

Here's my newest project, but can't decide what to do with the pickup. It has all the original drivetrain and runs, but can't decide whether to keep it original or street rod it. Any ideas????????? I'm open, would like some feedback, Thanks

 

Great looking truck. Good start for what ever you decide. If it was mine a slight chop. Lower it some. Some vintage V-8. Nailhead's my fave but there's lots out there.
Billet wheels (kidding)

 

Make sure you can fit it in with a chop. (Unless you are vertically challenged, it's likely already a tight fit) I'd hop-up the 'Banger and lower it then reassess.

 

I saw a closed cab like that at the Model A pancake breakfast...It was all stock except he'd slammed it on 16 inch wires..coolest truck I've ever seen...will locate a picture for you. here's a nice stocker a local guy has.

 

Don't butcher it. Leave the banger in it, maybe some hop-up parts. Leave the fenders, rubber rake it with big & little blackwall bias ply tires on some steelies or '32 wires. Maybe a drop axle or reverse eyed spring to get more rake. Juice brakes, decent paint. Clean and simple hot rod truck that can easily be put back to original condition.


There's some clean trucks in this thread...
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=536059

 

Streetrod it? I think you better give it to me instead.

Doc.

 

Listen to this man ^ He is wise.

 

Thanks for all the comments. I will put juice brakes on it for sure. It has 1936 Ford wheels on it, which has already lower it.Won't chop or channel her, not enough room for that.Ironfly28 those trucks looks good.Not sure about the drivetrain yet. Thanks Ralph

 

put a chromed gasser style straight axle under it with real spindel mounts put some big pie crust slicks on some et fueler wheels out back wedge a blown F/E between the fenders all stock body minus hood chrome the firewall paint it in an original two tone job and diamond tuck interrior put a moon tank between the front frame horns and fab some wild ladder bars under it attached to a 9 inch

 

My inspiration for the same thing you got: Jim Jacobs Model A p/u. But on 40 steelies.

 

Here's what I did with the last pickup that I built 3 years ago.

 

Today I bought some boxing plates to strenghten the frame.I will be looking for parts to put juice brakes next. A couple of swap meets coming up soon.

 

bump

 

bump

 

Those were my thoughts exactly. Not every little truck needs a Big V8 or needs to be fenderless or chopped. A bit of a rake, big and little's of your choice and a few hop up goodies for the banger and you have a truck you can have fun in but it keeps it's heritage and personality.

Even if you want to swap engines I think I would go with a later and more powerful four cylinder. Having ridden in a couple of those trucks with V8's wedged in them what little leg room they had stock is gone quickly when you start recessing the firewall and building a raised trans hump.

 

I would love to find one like that, but the garage is full and so is the driveway... sounds like you are getting some good advice already so I will just say, Nice Truck man!

 

Another fan for a banger !!
Cool looking truck. I like it.
If it were mine, I would also find some steel wheels for it.
Good luck,
Cheers...............

 

Thanks everyone, Good advice.I agree with you ,Mr48chev, when I built a 1929 Ford pickup 3 years ago, installing a 350 chev. there wasn't much room after recessing the firewall.Willy301 and hdonlybob thanks for the kind words. Ralph

 

Yep, let's make it #3 for the wise advice.
Looking at the small image you posted on your previous build, looks like you already got your head screwed on right.
Good luck .... keep us posted.

 

Anyone have any ideas on a more modern 4 banger with a carb. so I don't have to mess with computer related wiring.

 

I am glad to see that the majority of responses are to respect that old girl.

But, for reasons that I will never understand, there always seems to someone who says "Make a Gasser out of it", no matter if it's a 4 door Buick, a Rolls Royce, a fire truck or army half track. Gasser is the new flat black with red wheels.

Nice truck. m.ralph, join the Model A club. They have Secrets of Speed that will make you like your banger. Good luck.

 

Will do it. Any more ideas for this old truck......... Ralph

 

I know I'll catch hell for mentioning this but when I was a youngster I had a model A coupe and an S-10.............The model a coupe was motor less, the s-10 ran and I was mostly broke.so, I used the chevy 2.5 4 cylinder with the 5 speed, and a 46 ford open drive rear end I cut the spring perches off of the the model A axle bells and bolted them to the 46 rear This allowed me to use the stock spring.See Chris' "roadster is a roller" thread for a fine example. I then had the s-10 drive shaft cut to fit, I could cruise 80mph all day and since I already had the motor and trans the whole swap cost me about $200 and that was only about 12 years ago.

 

Hi Ironfly28, what is the last year s10 had a carb. before it went to fuel injection?

 

I'm not 100 percent sure but I found a manifold in an early 80s or late 70s jeep in a junkard cost $15.00......What's cool about the 2.5 is that they put them in boats so Mercruiser has some neat heads for them that If memory serves me correctly are cross flows with Webers or something like that.....I'm sure if you wikipedia the 2.5 it will tell you what cars/trucks they came in.... look up those mercruiser heads too. I loved it, good on gas and fit in the engine bay without any major modification.

 

Wow that thing is way cool. Just follow the few suggestions and keep it simple.

 

Shiny paint.

 

Thanks for all the help so far. Still trying to make some decisions on which way to go with the little truck. Richard D. it will have shiny paint for sure. Ralph

 

m.ralph,

I'm working on 2 different 4 cylinder engines for Model A Fords.

On of them is a Mercruiser 3.0 (Chevy) 140hp that I take out of junk boats.

I pay $300.00 to $500.00 for a complete boat, engine and trailer including the stearn drive unit.

The trailers I convert to car haulers of utility trailers, the stearn drive units and boat engine parts I sell and the hulls I junk.

The only problem with the 140hp 3.0 engines is the intake and exhaust manifold which Mercruiser uses is not suitable for a car.

I am making a conversion plate to make the 2.5 Chevy intake work on the 3.0 head.

I figure that the loss of hp due to the restriction of the missmatched manifold will be made up by the extra RPM available.

The 3.0 Mercruiser has a 4800 RPM maximum, limited by water resistance.

These engines are made to operate all day long at 4800 RPM.

They have esentially 2/3rds of a Chevy 6 crank and bearings making them strong on the bottom end.

In a car an ocassional run up to 5500 or 6000 RPM isn't going to hurt them.

The other engine that I am going to use is the 3.7 Mercruiser 470 engine that is esentially 1/2 of a Ford 460 V8 in a cast die aluminum Mercruiser block.

I also purchase these in a similar manner to the 3.0 engines out of junked boats.

These engines are actually easier to convert to car applications if the right pieces are used because the Mercruiser intake can be used and a stock ford exhaust manifold will work.

The 470 originally used a Mercruiser water cooled exhaust manifold but a cast iron 429/460 Ford exhaust manifold will work or a header system can be used.

I replace the cast Iron ford heads with a performance aluminum head and figure that I can bump the 190 hp up to about 225 hp.

Either of these engines will make your model A pickup more reliable and certainly more drivable.

I have a number of these engines and after I have installed some of them in my own projects I may make the converted engines available to those who want them ready to install. (not an add but just want to know if there is any interest out there)

It will be some time next year before I will be able to finish 1 each of these engines and and install them in projects.

Dick