Hi Guys, After posting pics of a F3a buddy wanted to trade me for my F1 and after seeing the post about my truck and how much money it was going to take to fix it up.. Got me really thinking so much I dont know what I want to do.. Yes the truck has a running flathead.. But I still am a long ways away from driving it on the road.. So I'm been thinking A) find a ford ranger and or a truck that I could do a safe body and cab change on.. And or Sell my truck out rigth... And just go and use the money for other things.. its not that I want to sell it.. But I do know there are better trucks out therein better shape then my F1.. The upside is I only payed $200 for it and got a clean title in my name.. But I was thinking to myself do I want to spend a ton of money fixing it up.. When indeed I could find a better F1 for less and better shape.. And if I dark sided it.. I could buy a beat up ford ranger for a few bills, and just take my time and do the cab change rigth the first time.. I know safey first when doing something like this is key... I just wonder what you guys think.. A)Sell it. Or 2) keep it and sell the flathead and frame and darkside it... any help or input would be great...
Cody

 

I'll give you my 2c, you can decide if it's worth it.

If you think you're in over your head now, get the notion of a frame swap out of your head immediately. It doesn't work like you think it would, and if you're not experienced in custom fabrication, I'll guarantee you'll end up with a big ol' pile of scrap, because 99% of those projects end up that way. It's extremely rare to see one done, and especially one done to any level of professionalism and safety. You can about throw any notion of resalability out the window, because no one wants to buy a hacked up pile of crap.

So let's look at what you have and where you are. First, you have a truck with a running engine and most importantly, a matching title in your name. That's huge. It's an F1, which is the most desirable model. So from all these standpoints, there's no reason why you couldn't start by working on brakes and chassis stuff to make it a safe and dependable driver. While you're doing that, you can keep you eyes open for good body parts and pick them up either a little at a time, or perhaps find a nice, complete parts truck with good sheetmetal and no engine, etc.

Used beds are almost always junk, so just plan on picking up a new aftermarket replacement. That'll finish half your truck easy and inexpensively. Fiberglass fenders are also an option if you're not adept to doing a lot of rust repair and bodywork. Now all you need is a good cab, doors and hood, and those shouldn't be too tough to find, but being in Michigan, be prepared to travel a bit. Was the F3 guy willing to sell his truck outright, and did it have a better cab, doors and hood? Except for a few mechanical pieces and structural braces, that's about all you could use off of it, anyway.

It really is going to boil down to whether you have the desire to actually do this. You're at the turning point. Do you jump in with both feet and have all the fun the rest of have been having for years? Or do you give up and sell out? This one I can't answer for you. But if you've always dreamed about doing something like this, you do have the basis for a good foundation. No one ever said it would be easy or cheap. You can do it yourself a little at a time, or you can spend a bunch of money up front and buy one already done. Either way, there's no rush to sell what you have. Keep it and play a bit, and see what turns up. That's half the fun with this hobby.

 

1951 Ford Pick Up Flathead V-8

IMO you need to think more globally. A rusty truck in your backyard for "cheap" is not as big a "bargain" as something like this. You could pay $1,000 to have it shipped and STILL be time and money ahead.

 

^^^^What they said!

 

I'd keep the frame you have and work of it. You mentioned going darkside so I presume you are thinking of lowering the stance, all which could be done with the stock suspension or you can purchase engineered aftermarket parts. I'm sure there is a lot of frame swops that are not successful but not for the reason some believe to be true. There are a lot of projects that don't get finished that were going to remain stock that don't get finished either, mostly because they start a project not realizing how much it really costs. Building one of these trucks will cost as much as going to a dealership and buying a brand new truck and in alot of cases more, something you need to realize before you begin. Building it stock would likely be the cheaper route to go because the darksiders have spare parts they don't need so you can score parts on the cheap or possibly free plus shipping.There is also the time factor when starting a project like this from the frame up. Be prepared of cluttering your garage or yard, whichever the case may be, for years and maybe into the second decade because of time and money and life in general.
This is a hobby that once you start you have to be committed and know there is going to be lots of time being discouraged and lots of time being so proud of what you have accomplished which is why you need to take lots of pictures so you can look back and see and share.
Good luck in your decision and know we are here to help and encourage whether it's an up day or down.

John

 

Cody, it would help a lot if we had an idea of your budget for a truck? Are you wanting to spend $3k, $8k, $15k??

 

I think in the end you have to look at your skills, and what you really want out of the finished product.

Are you the kinda guy that half starts a project then fizzles off? if yes, then dont do a frame swap, or frame work, hell ya might wanna sell the truck and buy something a little more finished.

Do you like figuring tough stuff out and always complete a project? Then frame swap, install a ifs or irs, or whatever ya want.

In the end its really pretty simple to figure out, ya just have to look at the kind of guy ya are, your skills, and what you want for a finished product.

 

Buy the best truck you can find in your price range.....it will put you way ahead on money and time in the long run.

use your old truck as a parts truck

Bobby

 

First ive been thinking bout this all day, I think ill keep the truck the way it is any fix her up rigth, Hell I do have a running motor and have drove the old girl around, She may not be pretty but shes mine, Also workn on her I can keep my hands busy, id like to spend around 3k, $200 in my truck {what I payed for it} $8•00 to get it running, And $15 for a clean title in my name, thanks for the help guys

 

Cody, I forgot how old you are....17? I can't remember...sorry if I'm wrong. Do you have a job? if you are 17 obviously school is the priority. Do you have any good helpers? Dad or uncle or buddy's? I know you are young, and $200 is nothing more than a weekend's worth of vacation costs. Yes it's alot of work,money,time,frustration, and whatever else I didn't think of.
All of us start out young not knowing how to do crap on cars/trucks...We all start somewhere and if you don't learn about the basics about auto work you won't learn anymore than my wife....She MIGHT be able to check the oil.
These old things give you a great starting point for education. They are a no-BS basic vehicle. Not much more than a tractor with a cab and heat. So you have learned how to walk, question is, do you want to learn how to run? I agree with everyone here in all directions, but you are the one that needs to make the decision. Which one is right? Only you will know that. Heck I am 46 still learning, still making bad decisions, but I am still learning! I think that is very important.
If you are that person who can just take it to the dealership, call when it's done, then it's not worth messing with. What you learn on that or any other vehicle is going to apply to all automotive work...
I know, at times, that you want to give up. I go through that and probably a lot of people do..
It is overwhelming for sure. Someone here said to me,"take it in small steps"
If you just stand back and look at the whole picture? Yeah.."What was I thinking"....but if you tale one wheel off and repair one brake? Well that wasn't too bad! And pretty soon a year goes by, and you notice change!

Sounds to me like you are dealing with too many options...keep? sell? frame swap? Like a menu at a restaurant...too many options is hard to choose. but if that menu has either a burger or a burger with cheese? a littler easier to choose...Don't think too hard, it will drive you nuts...take a break and write down your goal. Nobody here will judge you if you decide to get rid of it. Nobody will judge you if you keep it and continue to keep plugging away on it.
Just pick one item and stick with that until it's done.
hang in there bud!
Just some rambling for ya...

 

Hey Cody,
You are kind of all over the place on this one. Let's cross off a few
that look to be impractical at this point...

o Later model Ford Ranger frame swap - Ask for a show of hands
who has successfully completed this one? Not many successes out there. Let's keep it simple & use the frame your F1 was built on.

o Dump your F1 & go for an F3 - Once again we are headed into the more difficult part of the woods. Parts are hard to find & most folks end going the other way & turn their F3's into F1's.

Now the real question - Do you want to fix the one you have or
go find a later model truck with less challenges? Why don't you tell us what needs to be fixed to get your F1 more dependable & running & the answer should become apparent.

We are looking for what it would take to get past the state inspection -
the bare minimum - Nice to haves will come later when you graduate.
Tires
Brakes
Glass
Headlights/turn signals
Battery
Heat/Defrost
Drivetrain - Carb, Gas Tank, Engine, Trans, differential..
Suspension

Good luck over there.

Ben in Austin

 

the guys gave you good advice cody . and i'm glad your keeping it . it's not always as easy as you think to find a "better" truck too start with . you might get lucky like i did and fall into a pile and come out smelling like a rose but highly unlikely . i gave up on several big trucks and started converting one to a half ton due to a real lack of availibility of parts especially if you want to modernize some aspects without a lot of money or fabrication , so i wouldn't trade for the f3 . the only things i would suggest and yes it falls into the darkside realm , and what i am doing to my 53 is , disc brakes up front , and get a later model 9 inch ford or 8.8 out of something with a numerically lower gear ratio . mine has a 3.92 stock and won't run over 50-55 and not for long as she is screaming at that speed ! a nine inch from a 67-72 ford 1/2 ton is a direct bolt in nofab work , and comes in a wide array of ratios in them . i have dug up some factory goodies for my flatty such as a merc 8cm camshaft , merc 4 bolt intake , and buying some other stuff and she had headers and duals now . it's apart for what 2 years now due to schedules in life so beware taking yours down as it will become a long term project and you may lose interest . enjoy her and have fun ! oh one last suggestion , electronic ignition i feel is reall a must in the flatheads as those pesky points always " slip" and mess things up when you least want them too !!!!!!! disc brake kits are available from speedway for less than 300 bye the way so order a street rod catalog or go online and scope it out .

 

Hi Jeff, I am 22, dont worry people think I'm older then I really am.. So being called young doesn't make me feel so old haha... Anyways I have a few good older friends who can help me.. also my little brother is in college for car repair (Body work) So he said he would help with that part of my truck and along with painting... Also I do have a job, two in fact...
Thanks for the help again guys,
Cody

 

Listen to Ben - he's got the info you need.

$$ = time and speed of completion. If you can only spend $3,000 then you don't have any choices. You will use all of that just to make it road-worthy. Darksiding it is out of the question.

 

Sorry! LOL at least you're out of high school! And help is good! Lots of advice/opinions and you had posted your intent before i finished my book, so...See ya later buddy!