How much would you pay for a 56 F100 with the big back window? I am in the process of building a slant cab project truck and came across a 1956 F100 big back window truck that is running but it is pretty rough. Bed is shot, poor 390 engine swap, stock suspension, roof rusted through over doors and windshield, all four cab corners gone, paint looks like it was troweled on and is cracking like a dry river bed. The books say that there were only 6000 of these models built out of a total production run of over 137,000...it seems like they are the Holy Grail for F100s but how much is too much to pay for a project???

 

CharlieLed-
Hard to put a price on something without seeing it but your description seems to be of a truck requiring alot of metal work. Some like the bigger back window and others do not. It's personal choice so it gets down to what you feel comfortable paying. I bought a BW a year ago and paid $3000 but later found one just as good for $2200. Both may have been overpriced but I wanted the BW cab. Mine needs some metal work but not as extensive as the one you described.

 

Also consider that you can order a steel big back window frame, new glass and seal for less than $1K. At least that was what I was quoted ~18 months ago. It seems the prices for BBW cabs that require alot of work have come down in my area with the new reproduction parts and glass. I seems to me that the repro glass has driven the cost down for these cabs.

Good Luck!

 

Charlie,

I have to agree with Fatford. With that BW section now available and the cost of the glass having gone down if a guy or gal had a solid SWindow 56 they would probably come out better going that route. Like you I prefer slant cabs. I won this one on Ebay and went to pick it up this morning with a buddy who prefers 56's.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...RK%3AMEWN%3AIT

It was 70 miles away. Before we got back home we had made a trade. This 56 for a 54 that I prefer. It is all in taste I guess and what your wallet allows. Best wishes with whatever you do.

Donald

 

The guy is asking $4,500 for this 56 which I felt was WAY too much. I have a 54 that I am building now and I think that I will stay with it. Going to pick up a Corvette C4 IFS for it this weekend then make a decision on whether to go with the 302 I have sitting here or with a SBC (well actually an LS6).

tacson...I remember talking to you about a cab, there's a complete 54 parts truck on ebay right now not too far from me for $150 BIN....cab and bed look pretty good. As it turns out it's just a few miles away from where I am getting the Corvette suspension.

 

Small point, but to balance the holy grailism, keep in mind that they didn't sell because they don't look good.

 

Charlie,

I have two buddies who done the C4 Vette IFS. I think you will find pictures in my gallery.

Thanks Donald

 

Thanks for pointing out the pics, looks like a nice clean job! When mine goes in it will mount just the way it does in the Corvette however, don't see a need to weld it all together. I like the idea of being able to unbolt eight bolts and the two shocks to drop the whole IFS and the engine in one step!

 

Well, I saw the most expensive 56 BW for sale in Reno 2 weeks ago. ($125,000) and the least expensive was a hulk my buddy sold last month in Oroville. It was rough with no motor or tranny. ($500) So, now that you know the range, what is your budget for the truck when it is completed? If it's 10K and you spend 4K to start, can you complete all the improvements you want for the remaining 6K? So I guess the math formula is C-A=B. Where "C" is the finished cost and "A" is the Aquisition cost, and "B" is the Balance of your budget So a goal of 20K-4,400= $15,600 to pay for paint and body, interior, engine, tranny, and stereo. Good luck, Jag