After thinking about how I"m going to get my Flareside project as low to the ground as possible, still have it ride nice and not spend a ton of money on flip kits and JDM dream beams.....

I was thinking about dropping the entire cab and bed on a car frame.

According to my research, an F150 SWB truck is 126 inches.

Does anyone know of a suitable donor car that has approximately the same wheelbase?

I've seen articles here about putting a late model clip under the front end, but that seems like a lot of work. Plus, you still have to deal with the rear.

I was thinking maybe something along the lines of a T-Bird or an LTD frame.

Any thoughts?

 

chevy kingswood wagon (or BPO equivalent) oughta do it

 

How about a Lincoln?

 

A lincoln would be the only honorable choice. Couldnt let u taint the Blue Oval w Chevy parts

 

Has to be a car with a solid frame no? A Lot of Fords have unibodies that require sub frame connectors to unite the two halves.

 

i used to demo cars all the time and 72 up torino/elite/montego's are pretty close to that wheel base, have a full frame, already came with a 9" and you can find all sorts of different engine mounts for them.

 

A friend had a Chrysler stationwagon that was 2 feet longer than my '64 GMC half ...

 

How about a Galaxie frame? This is a 70's cab, slughtly modified, to sit on the frame.



(sorry, found this thread doing some search and Phil has only just done this mucking about...)

Source thread... Australian Ford Forums - Lowering a 70's F100

Personally, I'm going with a Jag front end, they are very easy to adapt.

 

Thanks for the info Brewtl.

You wouldn't happen to know the wheel base of the Galaxy by any chance would you? I'm putting a Flareside bed on the frame and it's short enough the way it is.

 

Galaxie wheelbase = 120" / 3048mm
F100 WB = 115" / 2921mm (swb)

Gal track = 62" / 1575mm
F100 track = 65" / 1650mm

5" out, but not insurmountable. Track differences could be countered with some nicely negative-offset wheels.

 

Thanks for the info.

I'd have to stretch the rear bed a couple inches, which is no big deal. I need to build custom bedsides for it anyway.

 

Would certainly be a cool project. If you go this route (or any other frame), keep us up to date.

 

Hey Brewlt ... Any chance of ya sending a few Falcon utes our way? I hear they get good fuel mileage ...

 

Intresting, I have seen cars and minivans on truck frames but not the other way around. Might want to check and see if your state is a "vehicle check" state. Here in Florida they don't mandatory check , but have nailed my friend for a unsafe vehicle when he mounted a Minivan onto a ranger 4x4 frame. The also got him for VIN fraud(chrysler minivan's don't have a full frame was the excuse) and a few other things the FHP fromphed up on him.

Being your lowering the truck I doubt it will cause them to check like a minivan on a 4x4 chassis!

 

I'm not worried about it.

The VIN tag is on the cab and they are both full frame vehicles. I can't see be hassled because I changed the frame.

Besides, I have friends in all the right places...........