If you could do anything in the world to your truck, what would it be? Would you make it a drag racer, would you do a 100% factory restoration, what?

I know if I had the money I would take the 302 roller block I have sitting on my workbench and have it worked over for a 347 stroker. I'd put me a set of CNC ported and polished heads on it, probably trick flow, aiming for around 9:1 compression. Id' throw a cam in it that took advantage of the heads and has a mild lopey idle but nothing like a top fuel dragster. I'd top it off with a weiand 177 supercharger and a holley 750 CFM carb. I'd let it breath through a set of 1 3/4" headers which fed into an x-pipe and set of edelbrock mufflers for a stock looking exhaust exit behind the rear tires on both sides.

I'd leave the column shift 3 speed just because I like driving it. I'd install a eaton limited slip and leave the 3.50 gears. I'd install a load leveling air suspension with an onboard compressor and air tank under the bed. I'd like to do the frame up thing so I could coat everything with rhino-liner or the like so it wouldn't rust.

In the cab I'd rip everything out, patch it up properly, and install a new rubber floor pad. I actually use my truck from time to time and get dirty so I don't need carpet. I'd have the bench seat and seat belts completely re-done to showroom shine. I'd replace all the gauges with one of Autometer's classic looking sets, but I would have to decide which exact set at the time. I would replace the radio with one of the MP3 playing units that still fits in the factory location and install good speakers in the doors. The door panels would be completely refurbished and stock looking.

I'd have the whole truck re-painted in it's original candy apple red and have the bed done with rhino liner. I'd have all new chrome everywhere the truck had factory chrome.

My goal would be to have a truck that LOOKS totally stock from the outside and have everything on the inside be fully functional. I would want it to sound like a v8 truck at idle but not give away too many of it's secrets. When you hit the gas, however, I want it to go like a bat out of hell and leave everybody wondering what the hell just happened. I know better than to think I could beat everything on the road, I just want something that will leave some of these turbo diesel guys scratching their heads.

What would you do, if you had the money to do anything?

 

A dream dent (or bump).....

Jon Kaase-built "Boss 429". Looks like a Boss 429 but poked and stroked to a 557.
FAST XFI fuel injection
MSD Ignition System
T-56 six speed
Crew cab on boxed shortbed frame. Yeah, I'd have to wheel well the two back doors.
Tubbed bed so it can run 335/30-20 tires.
Ford 9-inch with 4.56 gears
Triangulated 4-link and Air Ride Technology bags
Fat Man Fabrications IFS
20-inch wheels and tires.
Air conditioning
LED lighting
Power everything

... gee, can anyone spare $25K for my engine ?

 

If I had the money..... I'd quit my job and just stay home and work on it all day!

 

I would first of all build me a really nice shop with tall doors so I can jack my truck up my truck more. Put a gear vendor OD unit in it with a D60 front. I'd upgrade my cam, rockers and lifters. Than I'd find a crew cab 4x4 and start a new project.

 

If I had the money have enough money in the bank to live off & pay everything off & build a bigger garage with everything in it an start a couple more projects an just use the truck as play.

 

well if I had the money I would drop in a ford racing 514 cu in crate motor and have my c6
tranny rebuild to handle the 600hp motor, change out the gears in the rear axle and turn the truck into a hot street truck or muscle truck. that's what I would do if I had the money

 

514 crate engine
6" lift
1-tons
100% restoration on the body and interior
Everything in the drivetrain rebuilt.
Tanker loaded with 93 octane to follow me


Basically it will be exactly what I am going through right now!
(minus the tanker)

 

I would just rebuild the 400 (Granted, a little hotter than stock), Shift kit in the C6, I dont wheel real hard, so the d44 could stay up front. I would put an air locker up front, and a detroit locker in the rear. It would go into the body shop to make sure the bodywork/paint job is perfect. I would build a front winch bumper and a regular heavy duty rear bumper, and find a lightbar for the bed with some KC daylighters on it. The interior would be completely redone. I would probably keep the dash and gauges, but i would put a newer stereo in it, that headliner with the speakers in it, maybe a sub between the seats (custom buckets with 5 point harnesses), a new steering wheel, prolly a tilt column, twin stick the t-case (I think it looks cool) A 4 inch lift, with either 33's or 35's, not sure yet. All told, my whole truck would cost as much as HIO Silver's engine. LOL!!!!

 

..............I'd find one of these delivery type trucks with a Pre computer type 5.9 cummins mated too a 4 speed Allison , and rebuild both , then drop the combo into 2Wdr. F350(70-79) ! Then I'd convert both axles over too disc brakes , put a locker in the rear axle , and mount a big , fat cabover camper on the truck and just travel around the country ! , rb

 

When I dream, I dream big.... REAL BIG.

 

I'm not knowledgeable yet to know what specifics I'd like to put into Patience, but I know what I'd like to do:

New(er) interior: sound deadeners, paint, carpet padding, carpet, all new window seals, new door seals, new(er) rear window, new gauges, new radio/speakers

Engine: maximize for power AND economy, well tuned carb

Transmission: pull out the NP435 and install a ZF 5-speed

Repair bad spots in bed, paint job for the whole beast, drive daily!

Fish

 

I just wish I had a dent side. Sold my 79 to help my wife buy a new car. I just want a nice clean Ranger XLT with nice rims and dual exhaust,V-8 of course. I help my son with his 79 Bronco,but not the same as having your own. My kids have all left,maybe it's time to sell the Excursion.

 

Honestly, I don' think I'd want it all at once, to just drop the cash and be done with it.I'd get in a hurry, fast choices, and all at once would be a shorter project... its not the destination, its how you get there.


But, to answer the question, based on my current big project, my drag/street rod truck;
built on a 250, short box frame; All new sheet metal/panels short of the cab. 73 front grill, bobbed grill shell, bump side hood, ram air induction under the hood front opening into blower on dual quad eddelbrocks(maybe demons...);

On top of a brand new aluminum block FE, stroked to around 455 CI (I've heard of 482 on the FE, but that might be pushing an aluminum block), Alum heads, etc ;And all the trimmings for a mid. torque/high horse drag race motor. as I recall 650 to 700 horse was the build I read about...

(I think I win on cost... the block alone runs $10K or more.... I've seen $75K into a motor built like this!)

I have also considered an side oiler aluminum block 385, built to a 510 CI... but I like FEs.

T56 Magnum, 9" rear, 4.10, aussie locker(or maybe air...) 8 lug, disk brakes, dual piston calipers. 4 link or ladder bars etc for no axle wrap. 33x12.5R15 street/drag rears, and something along the lines of a few inches smaller than stock overall size on 16 or 17 rims front(regular rim/high sidewall rear, and low profiles on the front is a look I think would be nice) About a 3.5" front drop, and around 2" lift rear. Chrome smoothie rims/baby moon caps.

Short bed, step side, fender exit headers into side pipes that wrap to the back of the cab/bedside and into stacks up the cab... No mufflers, straight pipe all the way!

Bumpside dash, stock look radio,controlling an all digital music center(something with a HD big enough for my entire music collection) 2 10"s behind seat, 2 4"s in stock dash space, kick panels, and the tweeters in the headliner/roof corners. One of those fancy windshields with the built in antenna. Power windows/locks. Saddle blanket bench seat, tucked and rolled. dual push up sun roofs. cab/moon visor seamlessly contoured into roof cab

Interior copper brown to compliment the copper highlight on the outside, and pin stripped accents in the exterior orange;

Auto Air Mango Sparklesence body paint, with a copper metal flake mist over the top(flashier and a tad darker than the average burnt orange) Ghosted realistic flames.(I am learning to airbrush these now!)

Maybe suicide the doors... not sure on that idea yet.


Honestly, this is the build list for what I am doing, just over a longer time frame, the only difference in reality and "if money was no object builds" is the motor; I am currently going with a 521 stroker rebuild of my 460... And i am working with mix matched and scrounged body panels, and chopping a LWB to a SWB and building the stepside box from scratch...The rest is the same.

If at all possible, I'd love to do this in a 4x4; custom t-case, front end, and driveline that can be tucked into the low stance and dropped suspension. But thats really dreaming...

G.

 

Daily Driver - 1979 F-150 Extended cab long box. The engine would be a diesel, not sure exactly which is best but like the idea of an old powerstroke, 6 speed automatic tranny, bulletproof transfer case going to 2 1/2 ton rockwells front and rear. 44" Super swampers on 20 x 12 rims. Two tone brown with lots of factory chrome.

Show Truck - 1979 F-150 regular cab long box, cab chopped 2" in front 1 1/2" in back, filled seams, shaved body, box shortened 1' behind cab and 6" after wheelwells, Painted black with a mile of clear coat. Engine would be a John Kaase boss 429 with multiport fuel injection, 6 speed auto, independent suspensions front and rear, fully chromed, custom built round tube bridged tube frame painted neon green. Interior would be all sheetmetal, black leather bucket seats, green digital gauges. Wheels would be 18 x8 on front and 20 x 10 on back, not sure which wheel. This truck would be the smoothest dent out there as every body panel would be smoothed, and painted high gloss. I would like to build this as a Ridler contender but like most oyhers, no time, no money. I have been modifying this truck in my head for 20 years now and still a work in progress.

 

If I had the money I would stretch my 75 tilt/slide into a limo, install a PSD and hire a driver to cart me around hauling junk cars to the scrapyard..... although I doubt I would ever fix those worn out controls on the body as I dont think I could ever get used to not having to look for that #$%^&** flathead screwdriver needed to wedge into the lever to take up the slop in those handles...