The frames up to the mid 70's are all the same, but the later 70's trucks the wheel base cahanged something like 2", and I'm not sure of the years that are longer. The body would still bolt on,but there will be a gap between the cab and bed.
Allen, It was 73 that the 4 in" was added to the rear of the cab behind the cab/front clip mount points and lengthened the chassis.
John
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In the cool still quiet hours of night, you can hear chevies rusting away.
Thanks, John. I don't have any trucks in the 70's, so it's hard to keep up or remember. I have CRS problems.
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Allen D
1966 F-100 4x4 with 390 GT engine
1990 Areostar 2wd XLT ext
1980 Bronco with 460
1964 Galaxie 500 with 428
Oregon Chapter Member: To join the Oregon Chapter, click HERE
what about throwing a 351 windsor in? I mean, bigger than a 302 and still a sb? just a thought, oh! hey! I thought I read somewhere that the 351 cleveland was once used in trucks, not sure what year, anybody ever heard this?
Sure sounds like you have the same rig! What tranny are you running?
It has been along time sense I looked, but if I remember right, CRS, it is a np435 with a married transfer case. I run a 67 Fairlane GT 390 engine. The steering is off a 87 Toyota 4x4. The engine, paint, wheels and the steering is about the only thing that is not stock.
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Allen D
1966 F-100 4x4 with 390 GT engine
1990 Areostar 2wd XLT ext
1980 Bronco with 460
1964 Galaxie 500 with 428
Oregon Chapter Member: To join the Oregon Chapter, click HERE
The 5.0 from Bronco will only get around 12-13 mpg unless you never push down the gas pedal. Going with a Car style 5.0 may yield a mile or 2 more. Any offroading excursions will totally kill all mpg gained for that tank of fuel. If you could locate a NV 4500 for a fair price, it is easy to adapt to stock bellhousing. Adapters are made to bolt up a Dana 20 transfer case. I believe it mounts same as the Dana 21. This will give you a bulletproof tranny very well suited for offroad and with decent OD for some fuel economy. I retired a 78 Bronco recently powered by a stock 351M400 motor with 435 granny 4 speed. Even with 35" tires it got 14-15 mpg for some reason. Even with a 16 year old kid with lead implants in his feet still suprised me.
First, I want to thank everyone who commented a few months ago when my son & I started looking at this project. Since then, grandson & Grandpa made a deal for the truck purchase....now, we're back soliciting ideas. The project has been on hold while my son has been working to fund the project.
Here's where we "think" we should start.....
1) Our 390 is most likely the best idea for moving the truck down the road. Too many folks tell me the 5.0 that I sourced from an '86 Bronco would have to work too hard to move the old truck down the road and the end result would still be bad mileage...with LESS power to boot.
2) The AOD MAY be an option as an adapter is available, AND I have a transfer case that goes with it from the Bronco to give us an overdrive option.
3) I like the idea of an NV4500 to keep a manual shift and give us an overdrive. Does anyone know of an adapter available and what would it take to operate the linkage or is there a slave cylinder setup I need to fabricate? Seems to me I would need to find a transfer case that would fit as well. That way, we could rebuild the 390 now and look for the available parts and swap when we find them.
4) I also like the option of swapping the body to a newer truck running gear. We have been looking for one, but nothing so far...as daunting as that seems to me in lifting the mass.
Well, any ideas would be GREATLY appreciated. You all have been EXTREMELY helpful. I will try to figure out how to attach a photo of the truck
I would love to hear about bertha66's toyota steering swap. Any info you can pass down? Thanks.
I used a box out of a 87 Toyota 4x4. When I got the box, I also took the P/S lines that run from the pump to the box.
I removed the driver side fender and inter fender for better access.
1. Remove the old steering box and the steering link that runs from the box to the drag link.
2. Place the new box in the same place as the old one. mark the holes that need to be drilled, drill and tap into the frame, or drill all the way and put in a bolt and nut.
3. The new box, the pitman arm has a stud, where as the old pitman arm has a hole to hook the box to the drag link. I used a piece of a drag link that came from a Chevy truck that had a hole in it, the hole has to fit the stud on the pitman arm. The steering link that came off, I cut that in half and treaded the the Ford piece and the Chev piece togather using left and right treads and a turnbuckel off a tie rod end, got from the tie rod end off the Chev. Thet way the length is ajustable. Sence I had the drag link off that links the wheels togather on my truck, I cut off the nonreplaceable tie rod end and treaded a new new and turnbuckel. Now I don't have to replace the whole thing when the end goes bad again. You do not have to do that for this conversion.
4. I used a P/S pump off a 75 F100 Ford truck. The P/S lines that came from the Toyota, you will need to cut the pressure line fitting off at the pump end and replace it with a SAE fitting that fits the Ford pump.
I mounted the cooling loop with the horn on the drivers side.
5. I had to cut the steering shaft @ 3" and welded the end back on. Have someone that is a GOOD welder do this. The input shaft on the Toyota is smaller, so when you put in coupler on, I cut the slit on the clamp that holds the steering shaft to the coupling and tighten the clamp down.
6. I used a pully off a 64 Galaxie, I just had one, but when you pull a pump off at the wrecking yard get the P/S pully off the crankshaft.
Let me know if you need anything else.
Allen Dendy, e-mail is abertha2@juno.com
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Allen D
1966 F-100 4x4 with 390 GT engine
1990 Areostar 2wd XLT ext
1980 Bronco with 460
1964 Galaxie 500 with 428
Oregon Chapter Member: To join the Oregon Chapter, click HERE
Got it. You are in Eastern Wa., if you come down into Central Or. let me know and I can show you the truck.
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Allen D
1966 F-100 4x4 with 390 GT engine
1990 Areostar 2wd XLT ext
1980 Bronco with 460
1964 Galaxie 500 with 428
Oregon Chapter Member: To join the Oregon Chapter, click HERE
the gear vendors overdrive is still an option. they make a divorced unit that you could mount but you would have to figure out a way to make it so that the overdrive is locked out when in 4x4. they will not recommend it due to the damage it could cause if used in 4x4. I have had a 302 powered 1972 f100 it had lots of power and got all of 13 mpg. my 1965 f250 with a 325 hp 390 gets 12 if i keep my foot out of it.
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Jim
Elko, Nevada
1965 F100 240 I6 3speed overdrive
1965 F250 390/auto Camper Special
1947 1T flathead 8/4Speed
1977 F250 460/autoS/C Trailer Special
1976 F250 460/auto Camper Special
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