Realized I'm at a cross road with my build, thought I would get some opinions. I'm deciding if I want to stay the course I've been aiming at for a decade or to change directions with the '56 and get a second truck to fulfill some needs I have with a truck vs having the '56 be an "all in one" truck.

For those unfamiliar with my truck it's a 56 F600. Couple older pics (build thread is in my signature at the bottom):




As of right now it drives. I swapped in a built 460 with a C6 as I was planning on making it a 4x4 and I always wanted a big block.

Since before I bought the truck I had planned it to be a 4x4. Appearance wise from what is pictured above wouldn't be too different. The front would be just a few inches higher so the straight axle would clear, making it level with how the back is currently. Tires would be 37x12.5" Hummer take offs. Right now they're 37" tall dually wheels. So more meat and thickness but from the side it would look the same in most ways. I had planned on having it no longer be a dually.

The issue I've come across is I've realized I don't think it will be what I need from a truck for too long of a stretch. I need a solid winter vehicle, I could also use something that could haul a trailer from time to time and not limit how often I use it from the gas mileage it gets. I'm also thinking a pickup might not be the best type of truck for me.

Enter the Bronco. I've had a Bronco in my life one way or another since I was born. Brother has a '69. We've had a '78 (stolen), '89 (sold after 20+ years of use) and '86 (lemon). To me they are a very useful truck, and unless you're running a farm or always hunting, a lot more useful than a pickup. So I've been thinking about getting one for a main daily driver after moving again. Particularly something that is unflinching in the snow. Figured I would get a 78/79 as they're nostalgic to me and easy to work on.
For those unfamiliar :




The thing is is having that truck would change my need for having the '56 be a 4x4 daily driver.

The 460 in the '56 is everything I've wanted it to be, but I also realize it's made it more of a toy in a lot of aspects.



Option 1 is continuing to build the 56 how I've planned and slowly worked towards for about a decade. That would require a lot of work still. 1 ton Axles, brakes, suspension, tires, fitment, steering, driveshafts, transfercase, ect. All stuff setup differently than a '56 and needing some major work to do. But an awesome idea.

Option 2, I leave it as a dually 2wd. Leave the axles, add some powersteering to the stock axle, remove some leaf springs to lower the rear and make it a little more forgiving. The brakes would require some thought as they're on an F600 and I don't know where I can get good parts to upgrade them. I also don't know if I can upgrade them enough for the engine. I also don't know if the gear ratio I have is going to even be streetable (haven't been able to drive it on the street yet, needs plates but I'm about to move. They're a lot more expensive out here). I am concerned what 500lbs of torque at idle will be like when it goes through 5.83 gears. (37" tires, but it's still a lot of gear). It needs to stop safely and that might not be possible without changing all the brake parts. But at this point, today, it drives.

This option would make it more of a toy and less of a truck that gets used as a truck. But at this point I don't know if I do the 4x4 conversion if it will ever work how I want it to in the end.



What I need out of a truck is something fit for Montana winters as well as something capable of hauling a trailer from time to time, or having enough room to haul somethings in the back. Cars, chunks of steel, a 500# anvil, groceries, ect. Reliable and a good tool. I was playing with a diesel swap in a 2nd truck to help with hauling and MPG. $20 to do a trip makes it a lot more user friendly than $100 each time. I'm not planning on wheeling with it, but some off roading will happen and having a vehicle than can pull another truck out of a snowy ditch is a nice thing to have. Either way I'm sure I'll end up with a 2nd truck because I'd need something before next winter and their is too much to do between now and then. Unless I'm buying something brand new I figure a used truck is about the condition it's in not the year it was made, so why not get something I actually want.



So, what do you guys think; keep with the 10 year build plan or change directions?

 

Change direction and buy that Bronco!

 

I agree with Abe. Your huge 56', with its 460, is never going to be a practical daily driver--especially in "Big Sky" country. I spent a few week-ends this fall making firewood with a friend. He had a modified Ford 1 ton dually with a 460. He used an AMAZING amount of fuel! I forgot what he said he'd have to pay to keep his truck licensed--but it was by the quarter--and it was prohibitive. He took his chances, tried to stay on the back roads, and hauled his firewood without a license.

I would try to limit the time and money needed to get your 56 back on the road. You've been working on it a long time. It's time to start enjoying driving it again.

Jim

 

Yeah I agree. Guess it's just weird when you've been at it for so long to change directions.

The '56 could be more daily friendly with a different engine but I know that engine would just find it's way into my Mustang then. A monster big block has been a dream of mine since I was old enough to know what a truck was. As of right now it drives. I'm willing to bet it will be ok around town, but I'm sure I'll need to fix some parts with the brakes. Ok to drive beats sitting in the driveway for another year or so. I recon if I have an awesome 4x4 that I'll see the '56 build differently. Suddenly lowering the rear a little bit to make it flat again and keeping the duallys sounds like a lot cooler idea than it did yesterday.


I think I'll do the Bronco different. Find something that's already as close to what I want, especially mechanically. I don't mind doing interiors or paint but it would be nice to not have to do any of that either, just upgrade it as I see fit. More expensive to start but probably less money in the long run and whole lot less work.


Thanks guys.

 

FWIW, I think you're on the right track with keeping the 56 as a dream toy and having a more practical 4x4 daily driver. The Bronco plan sounds like a winner. The 56, as is, is way cool!

 

I think your shortened bed and duallys are a big part of the "cool" factor for your truck.

Jim

 

I'd tend to agree with getting a different winter vehicle. Newer stuff drives better, heats better, seals better, and you don't feel as bad if you have salt on your roads.

 

Thanks guys. And I agree.


As of right now I'm looking into the 78-79 Broncos. They're nostalgic to me and built a little more "truck" than the ones that followed in my opinion. Probably find a good one, then get crazy with it an swap in a Cummins so I can have 25mpg vs maybe 10. Cross that bridge when we get there. Probably need to find a mechanically strong project, I don't think I'll find one with the paint scheme I want. I don't mind making it pretty, just don't want to have to rebuild the whole thing to have it be reliable.

 

Try not to lose sight of the fact that you are looking for a daily driver, not another big project. I'm thinking you need the daily driver sooner rather than later. Just my take on your situation. I could of course be all wrong, in which case, ignore my comment. Good luck to you in your search.

Jim

 

No I agree. It needs to be something I can use today, as is. My thought was I could find an older Bronco that's in good mechanical shape and maybe just repaint it someday. Or find a pretty good one that was restored a few years back and just make payments on it like I would any other truck.

Things like a 10 year old FJ cruiser are still selling for $15k or more with 200,000+ miles on them. So I figure a restored '78 for the same price that's not going to need a bunch of parts soon is a reasonable choice, even if it might not be as comfortable as a modern truck. Plus they're more useful for hauling things.

But yes, that's something I really need to keep in mind, this is an easy idea to snow ball since I've always liked the '79 Fords. I thought about getting a newer Bronco but 1996 was the last year it was made and that's still 23 years old now, but they are cheaper. Problem is they don't really make anything like them anymore, so it comes down to finding a good used truck. My thinking on the old Bronco would be that I could find one in good mechanical shape for a decent price and do some paint or interior work as I went without effecting it as a daily driver. Right now I need to price it out and determine what's worth what. I could find a 1980+ Bronco for less money.

And with all that being said I still need to look at other trucks out there. Anything older than 10 years is going to need something, I'm sort of banking on finding an older Bronco that's already had it done. Or just not being as difficult to work on myself when it comes up.

 

The 78-9's seem to be fewer and farther between than the later version. Probably a bit more beat when you find them, too. The few I've seen around the neighborhood have more than their share of issues. But here's one, if it's as decent as it looks at first glance, the crummy pics notwithstanding, it could be worth a look. It's a bit of a drive for you, but that may be the effort you'll have to go to to find a decent older Bronco. https://lewiston.craigslist.org/cto/...804540572.html

 

Thanks for the link. That looks like it might be worth investigating, foggy pictures make it a little rough to judge.

This one has been gone through fairly recently but is exactly twice as much:
https://fortcollins.craigslist.org/c...796864427.html


Guess I'll have to go through somethings, probably just pay a mechanic to check it out. Well, I have a few months till I'm moved and situated, but I think I'm set on a '78 or '79. I seem to really like the "only made it for a year or two" models it seems. We had a '78 when I was a kid, so there is a bit of nostalgia for me with them on top of liking the year to begin with.

 

Go with the Bronco, the less you have to depend on your 56 to be running every day, the more you can enjoy working on it and making the changes you have outlined. Broncos of the vintage you are looking for are going up in value, so it would be a good investment if you can fight the urge (I know how hard it is) to modify the heck out of it, and leave it as stock as possible. You could drive it for several years and end up selling it for more than you paid for it.
Good luck with your decision.

B

 

 

I know you have your heart set on a Bronco--but this is my daily driver:




It's a do anything go anywhere kind of vehicle. FWD, as you can see, is a must. My Jeep can tow about 6000 lbs. and with the 4.0 I6 engine, (which is a holdover from American Motors days) it is bullet proof. My daily driver isn't as cool as a vintage Bronco, but you can get one cheap. I paid $3800 two years ago. You have a cool dually Ford F600, maybe you can get by with a more ordinary daily driver.

Jim