Projects Ford Pickup build. Please advise!

I just got off the phone with West Texas Speed and they are very helpful on the phone. I am strongly going to consider their parts and services. They are only about half a days drive from me too so I may go that route. Anybody else have any experience with them?

 

If you don't mind Independent1 I'll post the list here in the next day or so that any other guys who are doing this might jump in and maybe I can learn something as well.

 

I dont mind one bit, thank you!

I do know where some old grain trucks and fuel haulers are. I grew up on a farm just south of here and thats where I learned to drive. I bet I could get some of those old trucks for a song. Maybe just for hauling them off. I may just build another truck with one of those to do the hauling with. I really dont think I care to use the heavy frames for this particular build. The art work will most likely be used on this truck as someone else mentioned earlier. It will likely be the shop logo unless I start 2 builds and put the logo on the one I use to haul bikes with. That would be a nice project also.

 

I think the truck you have is near ideal for what you're after. We've built several bike haulers for clients here and the last one I built was for a full dress Goldwing which I think is about the biggest bike I've ever worked with. The slide out channel works nicely and if you doo it right it can almost work like a mini rolloff to take bikes on and off.

If you're going to be making some serious mileage trips on this go with the lightest truck that will do the job. Better on fuel, maintainence and nicer to drive on the interstates. Do try to run the 700R4. The overdrive is just the best on the open road and they are brutally durable. Just run a decent trans cooler and you're golden. If you can find the entire combo out of an early nineties pickup you get everything for one price and the converter should be a good match, (out of a C10 half tonner). You don't need high dollar trick **** to make this combo work. Millions of reliable miles are on these trouble free.

Grab the rear and driveshaft out of mid 1990's firebird or Trans Am, along with the driveshaft. Pull the slugs out of the driveshaft and make a new one with a piece of 2 5/8" .125 DOM., which is easy to get at any well stocked metals supply house. When you're ready I can tell you how to do this.

All of the above, at a reasonable salvage yard should come in at $1,000 or less, in good working condition. Don't shy away from a 305 as opposed to the 350 as it will have plenty of power and super reliability for what you're doing. The benefit of the 305 is they are dirt cheap in excellent condition and being roller cam motors for the years listed, can run straight oil and not have to add Zinc additive every time you change oil like a flat tappet motor. The additional 5-7 MPG will be much appreciated on that 500 mile run. If you grab a late TPI/TBI motor get the computer and harness that came with it. You wont use most of the harness but it is nice to have the connectors and stuff handy.

Just some thoughts.