Folks,
Do any of you have any experience using a post '65 F100 frame and running gear under a '53-'60 cab? If you center the front wheels in the wheel wells as original does anything major interfere? How did you deal with the floor pan around the steering box? Any other advice would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Brett

 

I put my '50 on a 1975 F100 frame.

Sat way up in the air, and needed some creativity in the steering linkage department, but other than that it was a drop-on fit.

I had the long wheelbase, so I took something like 38" out of the center of the frame to use the shortbox.

302 with headers fits fine under the hood.

Good Luck,
/Kris

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 31-Dec-01 AT 03:23 PM (EST)]My buddy put a 60 Ford cab on a mid 70's frame. The front wheels weren't in the right spot so he had to rebuild the fender openings to get the wheels centered. The body mounts also had to be reworked. It drives great but it still doesn't look quite right altho I couldn't exactly say why. Personnaly I would stick with cab and frame and change out the axles etc. - at least till I was convinced it can be done.

 

When I started researching what to do with mine, I found a guy in Michigan who had (someone else) put his 54 on a mid 80's explorer frame... after a few questions on body mounts and such.. it was easy to tell that he didn't do the work himself.. his favorite thing was that he could take it to the dealer and have it serviced ???

But it can be done if you have enough skills and enough money.. but as another poster stated... seems on late model frames it would sit very high without some airbags or something to let it down to a respectable height... good luck...have fun...

John

 

Folks,
I guess I should explain what I'm thinking here. I have a '75 supercab longbed (155"wb) that I still use as a truck. The chassis and drivetrain is serviceable and I've built it just the way I like it. But the body has rusted and stress cracked so bad that I'm out shopping for a cab and box. I need the 8' bed and the supercab for hauling people and junk around. '57 on up tin would cost me roughly the same around here and that got me thinking. Why not slap a 57 cab and longbox on it? I used to be a bodyman, so I could extend the cab myself or else fab a sleeper. The fly in the ointment is that ford pushed the front axle back 4" on the 53-60 models. Centering the front wheel in the '57 wheelwell moves the cab forward 4", interferring with the steering box. E150's are front steer and swapping to that setup would solve that problem. But I'm afraid that that would just be the beginning.
'65-66 tin would fall right on there......
Adios,
Brett

 

Call Ray at A1 Truck Salvage in Yuba City. His number is 530 673-4609. He did what you are interested in doing and maybe he will discuss with you.