Hot Rods one piece front end

Hello guy and gals. Has any one ever welded up a complete front end making a one piece. Thinking of tilting my 53 f100 front end. Will not have fibergl*** has to be steel, so I need to reinforce and remove all non essential parts. Need ideas. Remove bumper and remake front fascia . Mogg

 

Plenty of guys have bolted the hood to the fenders and tilted away, remove inner fenders and workout your radiator support to attach to the frame.

 

Why?
Just curious.
I have worked on tilt front trucks and getting to stuff is still a pain in the ****.

Personally I think the work, risk, and expense versus reward ratio is too far off for such a modification.
In other words, too much work for too little gain and the potential for on going problems.
I would put my time and effort elsewhere.

 

If you decide to bolt it together, you can use washers for spacers to maintain gaps between hood and fenders. You will never have the hood blow up on you, but don't forget to latch it... the damn thing will flip forward if you get on the brakes hard enough.

 

I don't regret it at all. I can't work over those fenders. Much easier to work on.

 

Amen! I only took out two sets of headlights on an OT car before that got hardwired in the memory bank.

 

I am using Jeep CJ style hood latches to keep it down, trunk as well. Back in the day, I had a 67 XKE Jag that had a flip front end, always wanted another one. That thing was a ***** to work on, but I wish I still had it.

 

Works for me..

 

I have seen the Effy done welded up (worked with a guy gas welding one a long time ago) and seen them with the tilt front and functioning hood. I did not look close that that one but I don't doubt that it too considerable engineering.

I did a one piece front end on my '55 Ford Vic, it was originally a lift off with 4 hood pins that later I built hinges and made it tilt. That was before it occurred to me that you could make one slide forward and then tilt. The fenders were springy enough on the bottom that I could latch then into place on the bottom (I used seat belt latches) and you unlatched them then pulled the pins at the firewall and tilted it.

Nothing fancy done with the core support just welded metal up from the ch***is to bolt the radiator to. The light wiring was just run along the frame horns and up up the lights.

 

Kind of 70's tech unless you are racing it or it is set up as a jacked up g***er. I can't remember What my buddy used for hinges on his 48. The way he has the fenders trimmed at the bottom takes away somewhat from the ease of working on it though.

 

I've been a 53-56 F-100 guy since forever (1961). I've built and owned many and still do. I've done tilt nose's for several customers in several different ways. No matter how ya do it they are a P.I.T.A. If you build the Truck so it sets where they should, working over the Fenders isn't that big a deal. Good luck and I won't say I told ya so. Today and for me this is the better way to go and No it's not one of those G.D. Kits.

 

My back doesn't like leaning over at all and a tilt front makes an otherwise completely miserable job something I highly enjoy. I have two with tilt fronts and the roadster with no front, oddly enough I haven't put rear latches on my truck yet (over 2 yrs) and have never had the front lift.
I'm not recommending it by no means but I'll get to it eventually and no it's not incredibly heavy to tilt either.

 

I considered it, but nixed it...

 

I just retired and have the tools and time, been a fabricator for many years and have not had time to play with my own toys, the work is not a problem. Just gathering ideas.

 

Dad made a removable one piece front clip for the g***er and he used a lightweight conduit to build a skeleton. Something like that would work.

 

My plan is to use 1" 14 gauge square tubing.

 

Wish I still had photos from the 70's to share for ya. First off the Rad needs to stay mounted to the fixed frame and the Grill section goes with the fenders. That means moving wireing to the frame rails and a longer harness. The lower corners of the fenders need something done being they curl under the front Cab corners. No matter what you do there think how your going to protect the Paint on the Cab. I used to have a pattern for the mount arms I built for the actual tilt but don't seem to have it anymore. Start thinking how you want to latch it down now while your in the Fab stage. Making a check stop is important so things always go back to the same spot when it comes back to closed position. There is actually a lot to do for what little shows. What are you going to do about inner fender panels? I'm sure there's more, I'll be around.

 

Where are you going to put that stuff?

 

I have a 54 f100 in my Hobby Shop that has a tilt nose. I did not fabricate it but did a lot of repairs. I will take photos of it next year and post them for you. Some of the truck is not Hamb friendly, but will do my best to not photo that stuff.

 

The Yellow 53 you see in my avatar at left had a beautiful, all steel 1 piece tilt front end. Unfortunately I wrecked it 18 mos. ago with some serious injuries for me and a total for the front end as well as a bunch of other damage. I just had a new 1 piece fibergl*** shipped in from US Body in Florida. I need to design and build new hinges that slide forward then tilt. My front frame clip and suspension is from a 70 Nova. I need ideas from anyone that has built that type of hinge. Don't know the lifts I will use as yet, need to do the hinges first. Help, Help, send me your ideas. Thx.

 

A lot depends on the aerodynamics of the front end. I have forgotten to latch the front end on a couple of my semi trucks before and when I got up to highway speed, they would start to raise up! Really gets your attention when the hood starts blocking part of the windshield! Slow down, and they would go back down.

I've seen a couple that had those power actuators on them, pretty cool to push a ****on and the hood raise by itself. Wouldn't need latches with them, the actuator would keep it down.

 

frame the inside of hood and around grill area. will attach linear actuator to that and to frame at radiator support.

 

I plan to use a piece of 2" pipe about 3" long welded to frame. A piece of 1.5 " pipe attached to hood support slid in side 2" pipe.

 

like that idea

 

wiring no problem going to make new harness 6 to 12 volt and moving running and turn signal lights.
latch is going to be an electric trunk release from a crown vic. I am going to cut the fenders at an angle
in front of running boards. Going to try and keep inner fender well

 

Wish I could type with more than 2 fingers. I see guys build sheet metal projects on here often like they are building a Freight Train. I'll just say this. Your Hood will support itself if mounted to the fenders properly, no need for an overkill with tubing. Beyond that I don't know what your vision is so just carry on. Having the inner fenders is nice if you live where it rains a lot, not so nice to dodge when your sitting on the Tire working on things. Ya might want to invest in a Hard Hat. You will need some kind of small ledge on the Firewall for them to rest on when in closed position. Most often I leave the Rad bolted to the Stock core support and that bolted to the Frame as stock. Then take the support rods that mount to the front ledge of the fenders and move the bracket to the side of the Core support and remount the rods to them, this will hold the Rad in place. Also put two adjuster's on the outer lower edge of core support to stabilize it. Look close at the photo I posted and you will see one Yellow rod that has been moved to that location.
I don't see the need for the Slide Forward stuff, It's impossible to move it far enough forward to clear everything but you guys carry on and show us what you end up with. I have mounted the hinge at the stock large hole on the Frame rail inside the stock Bumper and the hinge arm stopped lifting when it made contact on the Bumper back edge. No need for a check strap being it physically can not keep moving forward. There's a hundred ways to Skin this Cat so I'll be watching.

 

Moog, here are some pics. Nose is not o truck. I built the new radiator support. I did not put the nose together except for front bumper brackets.

 

In my non HAMB life, I am a BMW guy, and I have supplied a couple of the hood hinges off BMWs to two guys that were making a flip front for Ford F100s.
Most of the hinges, depending on the model, move forward before tilting. I am sure there are other suitable hinges, but this is one that I know of that works for certain.
Bob

 

Thanks for pictures good ideas. Looks like it must be opened by hand, what do you guess is total weight of unit?

 

No, It has two electric actuators with up and down switched relays. Nose is heavy, it has a lot of filler in it and some unnecessary metal.