Alright, my dad owns a 1956 f-100 in great shape, he bought it a few years back but want's a little more pop out of it! We are thinking of doing a complete overhaul as a project to turn it into a street/strip drag truck running around the 500 hp mark.

I'm just trying to figure out what we would need to do to accomplish something like this. I figure we need a new engine, tranny, driveshaft, springs all around, tires and a rear end. Would custom brackets be needed for a new engine and tranny or is there one that will bolt in? And I'm assuming that the frame would need to be reinforced to accommodate the increased torque.

Can this be done for a reasonable price??....reasonable being around $20,000... Or would he be getting himself in way over his head, what else am I missing that would be necessary on a build like this?

 

Well your 500 horse engine and a trans just cost you almost 10, another 3 or 4 grand to get it in the truck and running, engine accessories, fuel system, tank, fuel pump, radiator, wiring, ect. so your around 15 or so if you do it all yourself. Front suspension, 4 link rear setup, posi, new gear, better axles, driveshaft. Depending on rear tire size, possible narrow the rear of the frame and tub the bed to clear the tires. You can easily have another 20 in the rolling chassis, unless your doing it yourself. Even just the proper parts to install will run around 10. Depends on how crazy you get with the rearend.
Haven't even got into the interior yet.
Does it need body and paint?

 

They do make motor mounts that are both bolt in and weld in, check out midfifty.com, i actually ordered the ones for the stock suspension and i am going to the Mustang II so i have to order the weld in motor mounts. Have you decided what motor you want to go in? i bought a 351W for 350$ and am spending about $5500 to stroke it to a 408, should be good for around 500 hp.

 

No the body and paint are mint, some pics are in the post below


I have seen a bunch of video's on youtube of guys putting a 350 in this truck...but I wouldn't want a chevy engine in it unless it would somehow save a lot of money in the install. As for the 351 idea I have a mud truck with a 351M in it and have been looking into either an engine swap to a 460 or building up the M, I have settles on an engine swap because it would be easier...and cheaper... to get loads of power out of a 460 than the 351M. I know I can get it up to close to 450hp fairly cheaply but anything beyond that begins to get very pricey! Is that the same for the Windsor? or are they easier to get power out of? I haven't looked into the Windsors as much.

 

Here's the pics

 

You're gonna turn that into a drag truck!?!

 

LOL! I like it just the way it is, but my pops wants a toy that'll throw him in the seat a bit.

 

whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy???????????????????

 

Man,that is too nice,and to me would be criminal to alter much.You could just pump up that stock Yblock and a few other mods to brakes/suspension/transmission/differential and leave well enough alone.What a beautiful truck!

 

It's gonna be yours someday.Bring him to his senses.

 

Getting more than 1 hp/ci is a challenge. 500 out of 460/466 should be easy. 500 out of 350/356/408 is a steep hill.
I made 436hp out of 466 without really trying. About $1800 total

460ford.com has some great info.

Sam

 

The 460 would be the best idea for what you want street/strip wise and budget wise. the torque with the 460 would be insane. Although long drives to shows or where ever you want to go is going to be dimmed by the MPG you will have. Of course that is really with any motor that is setup for street/strip. A 302ci setup for street/strip can get terrible gas mileage. I don't know if you even care about gas mileage at all lol, I'm just saying its just one of those things that comes with the territory when you start "souping things up". 351 windsors have a huge aftermarket so getting parts would be easy. 351 windsor blocks are able to withstand big HP without breaking too, I'm talking 6-700 horsepower. You could build a stout 351w making 400 hp or so and have a 150 shot of nitrous on hand when your ready to race. Come to think of it, why not build a 400-450hp 460ci and have a 150 shot on it hehe....There are endless possibilities LOL.

Oh yeah, when you start making big HP even in the 4-500 range you have to start strengthening other components on the truck. For instance. Lets say you build a 460 with 450 hp and 550 pounds of torque and you have a beefy trans to back it up...your good right?...nope, you need a rear axle that will handle the power plus the frame will need modification if it is going to be drag raced a lot. I have read a lot about how people would blow up their rear axle or break/bend their frame due to big HP engines. Its a vicious cycle, one think leads to another when you start modifying LOL shoot ask any of these guys haha

What ever you choose, we will think it is awesome man. Sure you might rub the purists the wrong way by modifying a great stock truck, but its your/your dad's truck...do with it what YOU want.

PS: that is a nice looking truck!

 

I am a darksider by nature so swapping in motors and whatever is cool by me BUT that is one sweet truck just as it is. However we live by the same motto and that is: It is your truck build it your way.

I would reccomend that you take a step back and figure out exactly what you want to do. I am getting more of an opinon that it is going to be a hot street truck with an occasional trip to the track. If this is the case then it is a different build than a drag truck. These trucks can be fairly light weight and it doesn't take a lot to push them on down the road or to put you back into your seat. I have an all most stock small block and it moves my truck real nice and pretty quick around town to.

If that is your goal to have that kind of hot street truck then a worked 351W @ 400hp would probably be a good choice for you. It is smaller, lighter in weight and has a ton of new and used parts out there for it.

One final thought, have you ever ridden in a vehicle that has 400 real horsepower??? It can be quite a rush.

Just something to think about. Either way you go we will be here to support you. Of course that does mean you will need to continue to send pictures of your journey.
jim

 

do yourself a favor and sell that truck, take the money and add it to you $20,000 and you can build what ever you want. It would be more economical to do that and you would have a better race truck for a fraction of what your going to spend on gutting and putting that thing back together. A old truck in sitting in a yard that is half way taken apart would be a good bet since your going to replace most of that stuff anyway. half the work would already be done for you by not having to take it apart. My 2Cents on the motor, a 351w is a good way to go. Iv been on a lightning forum for a few years now and have seen those guys build some really strong motors that can push a 4500 pound truck into the high 9 second quarters and still have the a/c and power steering running. Not bad for a ol 1993 f150. The National Lightning Owners Club

 

I am a DARKSIDER myself. I alway lived by the motto "Stock Sucks!" but come on, you really gonna let him hack up that beauty? I am sure there is another mid-50 truck in your area available cheap enough (probably just a roller, at best) that you could get and build a street machine out of... FOR FORD'S SAKE LEAVE THAT TRUCK ALONE!