I am looking at building a 53 - 56 F100 Rod. I am in the early stages of design and would like to know the following info:
- Can someone supply me with some accurate wheelbase and track dimension. Or let me know where to find them?

- Who is a good contact for getting Fibre glass bodies for this model range.

Cheers

 

Dan; Wheelbase is 110"stock (should read 110 on your ID tag).however at 110" the front wheels always look like they are too far back in the wheel wells,I made mine 111 &1/2".it brings the wheel to the center of the well. As far as fiberglass parts,SPEEDWAY,FAIRLANE,and others have them.I am sure other members have more info than I gave you.you will have a lot of sugestions given in this foram, weigh them all then figure out if you want to continue with your proposed project. either way you go rod or stock it is not cheap! or a short time project.

 

Dan

Only source for glass cabs is Bebops 56 cab. (Under $6000 I think) Fairlane is regarded as making the best front clips (About $1000???) Bedsides and tailgate not available in glass to my knowledge. Rear fenders are. Gibbons also regarded as a quality glass manufacturer.

I am not big fan of glass. If you use glass, IMO it is best to replace the entire front clip with a one piece flip clip. Installing individual fenders/panels with a metal hood is difficult if you insist on a good fit. The glass panels are just not consistent thickness and it couses more grief than you can imagine. I have new glass front fenders on my truck. I am hoping to get rid of them this summer and reinstall steel.

Hope this helped.

 

Best place to get all the info you'd want is the shop manual. Available at the FTE on-line store, MotorHaven. Best money you'll spend on your project.

 

Dan,
I think Sacramento Vintage Ford (1-888-FORD-100) has fiberglass fenders and tilt front hoods.
www.vintage-ford.com

Daryl

 

Pro's-Pick, a relatively well known Canadian supplier of steel beds and bed wood kits for the 53 -56s also offer a fiberglass (I believe) bodied complete kit - that is, frame, suspension, body, etc. Their add refers to it as a 60 kit, in that with their kit you can be on the road in 60 days. (yah, right). Anyway, check out their website - Pro's-Pick (I think they're in Fergus, Ontario - lovely town).

They may offer the cab as a seperate piece. Bear in mind with their prices - $1.00 CDN = approx. $0.60 US.

Later,

 

RMF

Are you saying you think Pro's-Pick manufactures a complete 53-56 glass cab for 53-56? I had thought Bebop's intro of a complete glass cab was big news at '01 PF.

I did not know that Pro's Pick was a Canadian Co. They certainly have a good rep for steel beds. Seems to be what all those with big bucks are running.

On the road in 60 days

 

'fenders et all,

It wouldn't surprise me if the cab that Pro's Pick uses is a Bebop unit. Given Pro's Pick existing line of steel bed componants/kits , I can't say if their kit combines a steel bed with glass cab and front panels or what combination. Given that I am not in the income bracket that would enable use of an all new body, etc , I did not pay that much attention. However, my mind - being the steel trap that it is, filed away the 60 day kit thing for occasions just such as this.

Pro's Pick - Cdn? Of course! Lot of good things come from CDA - Pro's Pick, me, maple syrup, me, Shania Twain, me, Michael J. Fox and of course - me!

Later,

 

C'mon Fergie, don't be modest. Besides all those other good things from Canada you forgot to mention yourself.

 

RMF

Shania the man-hater is from up your way. Good! I'd pay more to see RMF than Shania. (Be quiet Niolon, we don't need you bashing my country favorities anymore.) She's sorry....... really!

Pros Pick has a website with US prices. The glass cab description is suspiciously similar to Bebops except the price is 15% higher US. (Another Canadian discount??? ) I am not jealous of you guys when it comes time to buy F100 parts.

That's what you get for ripping us off on fishing tackle when we come up there on vacation. You need to float a big bank note and do a road trip parts run to the promised land at the beginning of your projects. I suppose you have to pay at the border anyway though?

 

The cab that Pro's pick has in their brochure, is indeed the BeBop cab. They have a display at the Canadian Ford truck nationals in Arthur at the end of August and freely declare that they are distributing for BeBop. I believe they distribute someone else's wiring kit as well. I've seen their kit displayed at the show and although it is missing an engine/trans and wiring, the rest of it is there but its big bucks. BTW, Arthur is another pretty little town just minutes away from Fergus. As well, we don't have to pay at the border if we smuggle or if we been away for 48 hours, its $300 Cdn, 7 days and its $600 Cdn. I hope to take advantage of that when I'm down at PF this year.

You can add me to the list of great things from Canada (almost)