My buddy is just finishing his 55 street hauler. It has a blown 460 with a C6. He anticipates >1000 HP. I do believe that he boxed the frame. So, yes, there are many 460 setups running around out there. Good luck, Jag
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54 F100
55 Fairlane
68 F100
55 Crown Victoria
What have you really gained for all that extra work?
The answer then appears to be that there is no "later model frame" that seekers of a frame swap can use under Ford trucks with the ease of old Chevy's on S-10's.
Better questions then might be:
What vehicle has a wheelbase in the 110"-112" range?
What vehicles has a track measuring 62"-65"?
What engine/trans/rearend come in this vehicle?
Is there such a vehicle, other than the one that comes under our trucks? The answer appears to be NO. This is the answer that no one seems to be able to dole out, mostly cause no one really has pursued the frame swap based on these fundamental questions.
As far as the extra work goes... many fine Americans go to extraordinary lengths just to get one of these babies restored in terms of time and money. I can see an ambitious rodder going to those same lengths sticking another frame under his '54. Then we are back to your question "What have you really gained for all that extra work?" It's all fun isn't it?
I considered another frame under my 54...but it wasn't worth the extra time and money it would've cost me...so I stuck with the Ford frame and upgraded it..it can be done, if you are willing to take the extra time and money to do so..but I had to have this truck done for senior pictures, so the time was a huge issue. I have seen very, very few 53-56 F100s with newer chasis, with the exception of custom built ones, so it must either be really unpopular or really difficult, just go with something proven and trusted.
__________________ Tucker 54 FORD F100 Street Rod 97 F150 XLT 4x4 offroad 65 Mustang He who dies with the most toys wins....right?
The answer then appears to be that there is no "later model frame" that seekers of a frame swap can use under Ford trucks with the ease of old Chevy's on S-10's.
Better questions then might be:
What vehicle has a wheelbase in the 110"-112" range?
What vehicles has a track measuring 62"-65"?
What engine/trans/rearend come in this vehicle?
Is there such a vehicle, other than the one that comes under our trucks? The answer appears to be NO. This is the answer that no one seems to be able to dole out, mostly cause no one really has pursued the frame swap based on these fundamental questions.
As far as the extra work goes... many fine Americans go to extraordinary lengths just to get one of these babies restored in terms of time and money. I can see an ambitious rodder going to those same lengths sticking another frame under his '54. Then we are back to your question "What have you really gained for all that extra work?" It's all fun isn't it?
having fun, himmelberg
Excellent post Peter. The key is getting most all the advantages you mentioned in your specs paragraph. (plus the IFS-PS-PB the person is usually chasing). If you could, you would gain some advantage of components that were actually factory engineered together. I doubt this mystery donor vehicle exists though. Once you eliminate the frames that have a large frame kick at the rear axle, the list becomes MUCH shorter. While I can't say ALL, I do think most of the potential donors have been explored already. Once you add about three of your listed criteria, you're right back to a Ranger-S10 population. (Which doesn't offer an acceptable drivetrain for most of us). Insist on a proper drivetrain? Now a fullsize truck becomes the donor candidate. Of course now the frame measures out wrong, and the frame kick is probably there.
If you are willing to make strange mods to your bed floor (I am not), then you may very well be able to use a car frame we haven't discussed on this forum previously. A guy who is willing to spend a lot of time at the salvage yard with a tape measure might very well come up with a donor that offers what the original poster wants. If you want the frame offered by a Ranger-S10, I'm firmly back in the AX camp. A frame swap that only yields a frame, IFS and some new brakes isn't even close to worth the trouble IMO. I've seen a few mini truck-fatfender truck swaps, completed by guys with a fair amount of skill. For me, it's not just that they take so long. It's usually very apparent they are "adapted" when you're done. I won't invest a year or two into something that looks cobbled from the bottomside, or underhood. I would however spend as much time as it takes for a frame, IFS, brakes steering and complete drivetrain that rolled off a factory assembly line as a unit. That would be worth something worth bleeding for. Hopefully this is coherent. I better stop before I circle back around again.
Some highly skilled fabber could possibly prove the consensus opinion here wrong. By fabbing the adapting brackets with a factory appearance. I'll be here to congratulate and take pictures if/when that ever happens.
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'fenders
53 F100
"All Ford" Volare Truck
Last edited by fatfenders; 10-15-2005 at 04:14 AM.
Took my '78 F-150 shortbed frame into the chop shop Thursday, so the process is underway.
A lot of your comments were very helpful and will be considered, especially the frame drop under the cab on the '78.
My goal is to have a truck that runs and drives as awesome as the '78 4x4, proven and trusted, with the classic '56 looks.
If you look underneath it won't compare to a stock unit, or a stock frame with fabricated IFS, beefier rear suspension, a different engine and transmission and so forth. Hopefully it will be what I want, not necessarily what you want.
Some custom jobs kind of remind me of the carpenter who had the same hammer for 50 years, but he replaced the handle six times and the head three times. But hey, it's your truck.
Aha! At last an answer. OK, Mr. Oldjeep. Give us the model years and we are set to answer the next "What modern frame will go under my '54 F-100?" with the information at hand.
This, of course, satisfies the question of size but hardly addresses the fit and finish issues that will make a successful frame swap. As far as the engine/trans choices, hmmmmm, we really don't mention AMC's around here much do we?
Would be interested in hearing more about this almost perfect match. I get van Hoy's idea about the 4x4. Cool. Ya pays the price and takes the chances.
I remember a '56 from Colorado with a 4x4 setup that looked ok.
1980 - 91 are the Wagoneers that have the 62.5" track width. Might be interesting for someone to give it a try, a junk wagoneer is basically free around here and the frames are usually still pretty good. Hard to say how everything would fit until you try - or at least measure
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Chuck P
46 Willys CJ2a - Dead and gone
94 Jeep Wrangler - New Rock Crawler
53 Ford F350 - Future Tow Rig www.oldjeep.com
Well, you guys were all right. The chop shop started the '56 F-100 on '78 F-150 frame today. The back rear spring shackles are too wide and will have to be boxed in. In order to fit the box on the frame and the cab on the slanted part of the frame the mounting had to go up up up. About 1 1/2" above the frame. That puts the fenders way up above the tires, about 8", so the '78 factory hi-boy blocks will have to come out. That will drop about 3". The tire width is too wide, maybe different wheels will bring it in or it may not matter cause she's up so high. The firewall will have to be bumped back about 3".
The good news [?], in one day it's all laid out and ready to start welding the mounts on the frame. I can definitely see this is not what some of you want, heck, it may not be wat I want, but it's doable.
A buddy in Oklahoma has a '56 sitting on a '76(?) 2x4 Ford frame. He used a '76 style short step bed so he did not have to address the wider frame problem. The truck looks good. I will see if I have any good pictures.
I see little difference, from a mounting standpoint, between 2x4 and 4x4 in this instance.
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'78 F250 4x4 Supercab, Cummins 6BTA, NV4500, South Bend clutch, NP205, Dana 70/60.
A buddy in Oklahoma has a '56 sitting on a '76(?) 2x4 Ford frame.
Scot, I am running a 69 f100 frame with '75 front beams and will soon be looking into new wheels for mine. I currently am running 9"-10"X15" wide rims (previous owner) and they extend beyond the fenders 1-1/2". Do you know what rim size your friend is running? Thanks.
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Tom
55 F-100 w/efi & twin-i-beams
ok..ok..ok...after reading all the articles here, I have decided to keep my old 64 F250 frame and update the brakes as time permits. I will install the 460 C-6 with the mounts I got for the swap. I'll clean up & paint the frame. I think I will miss the power steering, but that's for a later time. Does anyone know about changing the axles and drums from 8 lugs to 5? I'll have to measure the 9" I have to see if it would fit. Then there's the front....geez...it just get's worse & worse...but fun!
Vanhoy, Here I sit wating to see how your little project will come out. Come on tell us how is it going? How much have you done? How does it look? Come on spill the beans!! Got any pictures?
ok..ok..ok...after reading all the articles here, I have decided to keep my old 64 F250 frame and update the brakes as time permits. I will install the 460 C-6 with the mounts I got for the swap. I'll clean up & paint the frame. I think I will miss the power steering, but that's for a later time. Does anyone know about changing the axles and drums from 8 lugs to 5? I'll have to measure the 9" I have to see if it would fit. Then there's the front....geez...it just get's worse & worse...but fun!
Use F100 hubs for the 5 lugs. Or just swap a complete axle, they are the same as the 250 otherwise.
With a 460 you best use a 9" rear, most truck versions have the 5 on 5 1/2 pattern you want.
Im going the opposite way and prefer 8 lug. Putting 49 F3 sheetmetal on a 62 F250 frame. Engine will be a 430 Lincoln and C6 and a Dana 60 for the rear. It will then become a vintage wrecker.
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Carl
See my profile for details
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I do believe that he boxed the frame. So, yes, there are many 460 setups running around out there. Good luck, Jag 
