Projects 1965 F100 father and sons project

Front tires are 26-1/4" not 27.4" as advertised but, rears are 3/4" less than calculated as well. Top of wheel arch is 28-1/4". Once everything is bolted on maybe we get another 1" of drop. I'll run this setup for a while as there are a couple of options to get the front lower with either a lowered coil or spacers. If it looks like a jack rabbit with the front lowered further to get rid of the tire gap, I'll likely drop the overload leaf from the back to tune final ride height. What do you guys measure out top of arch to the ground stock vs modified? My original twin I beam had cut coils so I don't know the true starting point but, the top of frame rail was 21-5/8 and is now 20-1/8" exactly both sides, making it look like about 3 -1/2" lower than stock? Right now it's 3" lower than I started out back but, I expect another 1" once the box goes on with the fuel tank in the bed. I need to roll it outside to assess but, it's been pounding rain all day. Call it a grin day not quite a full toothy smile day. Photo with front white walls was the day of reckoning before I started cutting it all apart.

 

And...have to admit this has been bugging me pretty much the whole damn day. How much do fenders weigh, battery, rad support, steering wheel, doors, seat and carpet. I climbed on the front bumper and asked my wife to read the measurement at the wheel well. Dropped an inch with me standing on it. Feeling better!

 

If anyone has a lead on an aluminum intake manifold please let me know. Speedway is listing the C series and Dual port as shipping end Feb. I keep slapping my hand to lay off the engine and keep going on the metal work but, it's such a greasy mess I want to do something to it while I have access. Intake and EFI exhaust manifolds for now would make me happy. Easy to redline the cash register on this thing.

 

Rolled out to the driveway for a stand back. Gotta lose 2 more inches up front. Wally the Sheepdog looks away in disapproval.

 

Big cleanup day. Clementine 's coming along but, can't let the homestead take the hit. We pulled out the gear and either blew out swept or vacuumed everything as it was looking tough and it's hard to work on something that's surrounded by a bomb zone. Back at the driver's side A pillar. Will weld everything up tomorrow then grind and prime. Next up is the passenger side rear cab corner. My young guy worked at helping me clean up including using one shop vac to clean the other shop vac. He worked the die grinder to open up the holes for the rear U bolt perches so we could replace old with new.

 

There has been no availability on Offy intakes for quite some time. The delivery date keeps getting pushed further out and the price keeps rising. I understand Clifford only has the twin two barrel intakes. One option for yo might be Aussie Speed. They have a really nice intake manifold and the last I checked, they had stock. With shipping, it's still a bit over $500.

 

I've been watching intakes for a while. Factoring in CDN $ it's more painful for us. Think upwards of $7-800 for Aussie Speed landed here. Theirs is the nicest looking stuff to my eye. Clifford intakes don't fit with EFI exhaust manifolds - asked them several months ago when it looked like supply was drying up.

 

The supply problem and cost were primary factors withe the decision I made for my own deal. Unfortunately, it can't be discussed here. All I can say is that it bolts to the stock intake and Holley makes it.
Best of luck in your search!

 

Both kids were off working today so thought I would put in a shift. Didn't quite get the driver's A pillar done as it is curvy, tight and frustrating. Did the passenger side complete in a day, this one not so much, I think this one will look better - Ebb and flow. Started to change out leaf spring bushings yesterday. Got OEM rubber versions but, they came in too big. Rather than replace them I went with poly versions. Putting the kids on this task.
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I have this as my screen saver and while eating lunch I see the front wheels are quite a bit inboard of the originals. I know F100's had different track widths front and back with the rears narrower. I purposely went with old refinished wheels to keep some of this stuff out of the landfill but, think I might have to do something to widen the track width on both front and back.

 

I like the look, thinking of going with a narrower tire and rim on my 63..

 

Kind of with you on the narrower tire but, the Chev wheels although similar to the stock Ford wheels out back have deeper back spacing so when added to the narrower front end, and a 225 tire, they look a bit sunken into the wheel well. Just one more thing to consider. Is your '63 the wrong box?

 

No, it's a uni. I have 15x8 wheel on the front with a 235/75 tire and they scrub just a bit when deep turning.
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Love those Uni's - nice truck. I had 235/75's on the front to start with. The I beam was wide and it looked like if I dropped it hard they would rub. Looking at your truck confirms I have to get rid of my dent side mirrors. More work!

 

Kids and I are supposed to get this project done (insert sound of calendar flipping) and instead we went to a Cars and Coffee this morning then went mountain biking. Nothing left in the tank - so we puttered in the sunshine and knocked in some bushings. My press was seized, shaft rusted, break out the Seafoam - see ya tomorrow!

 

Sometime you just have to "refresh" yourself. You'll get it done; you've got a plan.

 

Agreed. It's like Greek mythology, you push the boulder up the mountain, then your bushings arrive and you watch it roll back to the bottom. So instead of rolling it to the top again you go ride your bike. And that, in the rainy day and rainy night part of the country where we live, is called a shortage of Vitamin D.

 

Hot Rodding is easy - he says sarcastically, even fun sometimes - Not today!! After a torturous session removing 2 leaf spring bushings, I got the sharp end of the horn. Received the stock rubber bushings a few months ago. Too big. Ordered ES full rear poly bushing kit to replace them which is 3 complete bushings per leaf plus I got one per side in the DJM lowering kit - I'm covered right. Two of the poly bushings fit. Four are too big and coincidentally the same size as the O.E.M. style rubber bushings - which don't fit. So can you turn down Poly bushings? I've got metric calipers so to avoid confusing everyone I probably need to turn down a 1/16"+. Damn. Left to right. a). Original b). the one that fits, c). too big d). too big. The shackle you see is done. The bolts that came with the rubber bushings fit the poly versions. The rubber versions were pricey beasts. Looks like I have to modify the two poly bushings d) and install them in the front of each leaf spring.

 

If you visit the fordsix.com website you will notice there are low cost options for an intake manifold you can make.
One is a tri-power from three stock 1V intakes. Another is a multi carb intake made using the lower half of an EFI intake. While the EFI lower half may be O/T it is no less appropriate than a T5 transmission.

 

Clank - that's the sound of my jaw hitting the floor. Sending you a PM later today. Hopefully I can get something done today while my imagination runs wild!!

 

Spending a bit too much time researching intake manifolds. Danger. Now have visions of building one.

 

So it's settled, I'm building an intake manifold given none are available. With some helpful photos from FTF and research on fordsix.com I'll build something along the lines of the following. I chatted with a fellow who can weld aluminum so just need to pull it together, fab it and hand it off for welding at some point. Not exactly on a cocktail napkin but, not far off. Will make it look like something early industrial era to mix in with the theme.

 

Tracked down a portion of the parts needed for the manifold build...
We knocked off the driver's A pillar today. My kid said to me a couple of times, shouldn't we try to get this thing flush - the wisdom of babes. He is going to turn down 2 of the oversized poly bushings for the rear leaf springs this week in wood shop. Once that's done we can install then turn the truck around and get the passenger rear cab corner done.

 

2-1/2 hrs of messing this morning and I got 2 more bushings out - I hate leafspring bushings. I looked at Caltrack traction bars and I see they would use a solid bushing installed in the front - not sure I want to go through this again. Will see as this thing has displayed some epic wheel hop.

 

Trying to keep my opinion out of it but, my oldest kid is doing research on a 63 Econoline Van. I've told both guys of my adventures in a Volkswagen Van in my 20's. Who knows, maybe his 1st vehicle will be Hamb friendly - maybe.

 

Cool pic of your son welding!!! And, BTW, Econoline vans rule!!

 

I agree on both points but, as a side note I'm not sure what I should be more impressed by, the fact he can weld or that he can crouch like a back catcher and weld - rock steady with no pain.

 

Fighting to keep my/our focus specifically on the body and specific tasks to get Clementine back up and running then will allow distractions to run amuck. Need to convert this mess into a carbed intake. Kind of raring to get going on this thing to see what we come up with

 

Great thread. I like what you’re on to here.

 

Thanks very much. Just like a little kid - I couldn't stop myself. Hard to imagine this not being an improvement. The injector ports are not threaded. Need to come up with an idea to plug them.