Join Our Ford Truck Forum Today

Document your Ford truck project here and inspire others! Login/Register to view the site with fewer ads.

finally decided what to do to my truck

ok so after being told by everyone to take the time and figure out what I wanted the truck to look like in the end before really tearing into it, I finally did it.
since ill still use it as a hauler I want to keep the body stock no chop top or anything extreme, with a flat black paint or that dp90 primer. red rims with fat white walls.
interior i want to be clean but simple no trick show stuff since this is more of a budget build than anything else
for the heart of the beast im keeping the I6 for awhile and will start a 347 stroker build a little later on backed by a c6 auto
as for the suspension i want independent front and rear. this i have a feeling will be the most expensive part of the process other than the motor.

ok gentlemen what do you think? any suggestions of change? also does anyone know what older cars that i can find have the rear independant that fits the truck, i can just take it off that instead of buying one of those new expensive kits?
 

bobf100

Moderator
I like it!!! That sounds like a very cool project. Love the flat black paint with red rims and wide white walls. Have you ever watched "Trucks" on the Spike channel? They built one almost identical to what you described and it was very cool.

I've got a Mustang II independent front suspension and for the rear I've got a 9 inch with a 4 bar - coil over on mine. The ride is good and handles very well. If you want to go independent in the rear you might consider Corvette suspension front and rear. I believe they make a kit that adapts them to fit the F100 frame.
 
IRS No not them (LOL)

I like it!!! That sounds like a very cool project. Love the flat black paint with red rims and wide white walls. Have you ever watched "Trucks" on the Spike channel? They built one almost identical to what you described and it was very cool.

I've got a Mustang II independent front suspension and for the rear I've got a 9 inch with a 4 bar - coil over on mine. The ride is good and handles very well. If you want to go independent in the rear you might consider Corvette suspension front and rear. I believe they make a kit that adapts them to fit the F100 frame.
How about the rear from a '95 T-Bird? My Bird is Independantly minded.
Spike
 
Last edited:
^^ That or one from an '03/ '04 cobra... IF you can find one that still has the IRS, most have gone over to a live axle. There good up to about 450 rwhp.
 
Just go get a jaguar xj-6. They rust out so they can be bought cheap (seen them bought for as low as $350). The front and rear independent suspension can be used on the 53-56 fairly easily.

Here is the front end done on one:

http://www.geocities.com/hotrodder1938/chopper.html

This requires fabrication. Parts are more expensive, but the rotors and calipers are larger.

Also...as mentioned about the T-bird rear is being done. If I recall correctly, you can buy a kit with all the brackets and stuff needed for it.

http://team321.com/truckirs/truckirs.html

http://www.team321.com/InstallIRS/TEAM321TruckIRSInstall.html

Give me an idea of what you want and I can usually find you some links or information on it.

The Mustang II type front suspension is the most popular (as far as I know). There are even bolt in kits for that. Not sure I trust bolt in, but....
 
dam brian how do you find stuff like that? that just made me want to go out and do it tonight, its every step with pics to show you, what else do you need. thanks a lot that will definatly be my guide during this whole project. as for the mustang II front end im a newbie so excuse my ignorance but why wouldnt a bolt on kit be trustworthy? thanks to all you guys i really appreciate you input and help
 
ok makes sense ill do some more research for the fron end i think im going to go with that kit from 321 and head out to the pick n pull this week end for the parts ill post up some picks when i really start tearing into it thanks again brian
 
ok quick update was originally gonna build a 347 stroker motor but came across a deal i couldnt pass up so i went with it now its gonna be a 390 bb. i found a guy who traded me 2 390 bb, a new crank, cam, oil pump, lifter assembly, all gaskets and 3 trannies he also gave me an original intake off a 390 from a 64 T-bird, which weighs no joke close to 100lbs. i originally thought they were c4s but after looking them over and doing some research they are cruise-o-matics, does anyone know much about these trannies im not to familiar with them. so now i have one of the motors on my stand and have started tearing it down to the short block and im going to give everything a once over atleast. a buddy of mine told me theres a local shop that will take your short block tear it down, boil the block clean and inspect everytihng and reassemble for about 700 im thinking i might do that.
 
slight change even though i have the 2 390s and was planning on building one of them my coworker said he would give me a running 460 so i think i might go with that any opinions or anything i should consider before comiting to that thanks guys
 
i know im going independent, not sure on which kit or wut set up yet tho. i know im not going with a mustang II had to many people tell me they dont handle the truck weight to well especially for the money. i was told that there is a c6 that bolts to the 385 family which the 460 is the big dog in that family so im pretty sure it bolts to it
 
I had no clue what would bolt up. I am not too familiar with the V8 engines. I have rebuild about all the older automatics, but never paid any attention to what they were bolted to. :wasntme:

Looks like with the 460 being a later model than the old FE it would be a lot easier to find a transmission.

I never ridden in anything with the M II front end. I have always wondered about the weight issue myself. Those were tiny cars back in the day (74-78). I know the Cobra II had a small V8. I think it was the 289, but I am not sure. Still pretty light duty it seems.

The M II kits are just made after the design of the old M IIs, but....I still wonder about them.
 
ya i havent seen any of those kits under an actual big block i only seem them under 302 347 and such so with that extra 300 lbs or so of a big block i want to make sure its going to be somethin that can handle the weight and still preform the way its intended to. i found a 95 thunderbird its the supercharged one so im goin to take the IRS and rear end off it so the rear is set. it will be an 8.8 and not a 9" but i dont think that will be a problem i hope not anyway i could be wrong
 
The 8.8 is pretty stout (at least the explorer solid ones are). I have no experience with the IRS 8.8s.

Do you know what the gears are in it? From a sports car...they should be pretty high (numerically low). That will hurt your take off grunt (might not make a lot of difference with a 460), but you will have a heck of a top end.
 
ya im not sure wut gearing the supercharged thunderbirds have in them i might need to lower it i think 373 or 353s would be ok. i would rather have more low end then top end i dont know how the 460 would handle 6k rpm on an average haha
 
****UPDATE****
so i have the whole IRS cradle out of the sc thunderbird sitting in my garage. it came out pretty easy heavy as hell tho. now all i have to do is order the instal adapter kit from 321 and take out the old leaf spring set up. i want to clean up and paint the parts so it looks good under there. as for the 460 its a no go the guy who originally said he would give it too me tried to charge me 400 so i said forget it im sticking with the 390 i found a lot of different stroker kits i might go with online. only thing im concerned about is how the cv joints and axels will handle the 390 torque since its not a solid rear axel? i will post up pics tonight when i get home from work
 
I have a thought, How about a (shudder) Camaro or Nova front clip. I DO know that a Volare front Torsion bar setup works well in a 53 F100. They have a kit that cuts out the lower part of the original Ford, rather than cut the front off and splice in the Volare.
I think? the 8.8 center section will hold up just fine, the u-joints on the axles may act up? if too much torque is run through them but if they are new they may surprise you at how well they hold up. I know there is a ET limit on the 'Vette IRS after which they must convert to a solid axle. Look up the specs. at NHRA rule book and that may give a representative HP limit that you can extrapolate (?) to the Ford. I ran a 427 Medium riser engine with a 406 tri-power, $-speed 4:10 posi rear in a 62 fairlane w/"police package" suspension way back when. I can say it was an X-CITING car on the street. Of course the skinny 7.60 or 8:20 (bad memory) wide ovals were a little slippery. I have run 460's & they are fun as well. Altho full throttle gets expensive, (gas & tickets) In other words use the 390. A 4-bbl, cam, compression and it wont really matter what rear gear you use (unless you plan on towing heavy trailers or hit the track. This is all my opinion, & you know what that's worth. Spike
 

Ford Truck Articles

Top