We are self-funded high school/ college kids just having fun and taking “built not bought” to its fullest potential. The goal of this post is to inform and engage the interest of the dying breed of young gearheads out there like us!

It all started with my first truck I bought when I was 16 from a family friend. He was the second owner of this beauty of a 87 Ford F-250 2wd 460 gas guzzling farm truck with only 110k on the ticker!





Putting the idea of Built not Bought into full spirit some buddies and I fiddled with the truck for a few years doing the kid stuff we all did once…. Whips…. CBs……toolbox…. Tube bumper… KC’s… etc. Come senior year the whole plan escalated. I purchased an 86 Ford F-350 4x4 pickup rolling chassis for a frame swap for my 460.

So for the swap I researched and researched till I had everything figured out for the 4x4 frame swap. Decided that senior year spring break in Cancun or the fort wasn’t for me. Senior year spring break meant an excuse to spend a week straight on the truck and do so actual cool sh** with my buddies!
We first moved the trucks to the only place we had to work. An old cattle free stall barn, a couple old tool boxes and a whole lot of not really knowing what the h*** we were doing and we got the frame swap completed in only a month!




Sold the body and un needed parts off the orange truck leaving me with only the frame and a total $$ amount spent on the swap so far at $450!









Frame moved into the super awesome shop we had…..lol!

http://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.ford...9fadaaf749.jpg

Improvised walls for the shop…

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...bffe03deb9.jpg

Truck rolled in and ready for teardown.

http://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.ford...103a89bb35.jpg


Pulled everything with just an engine hoist…. Oh and the 1000 hp 2wd custom Sonoma…

http://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.ford...65dc437fd1.jpg

http://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.ford...4a0100c09e.jpg

Some frame restore on the 4x4 f350 frame. Rust converter and roll on bedliner… only 150$

http://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.ford...d9e490f3b3.jpg

http://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.ford...5daf65a81d.jpg

Cab and motor on the frame… why not fly around with no doors, bed, fenders, or anything haha!

http://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.ford...5b40a5b8d1.jpg

http://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.ford...9e17e18b79.jpg

Finished product of about $500, 7 high school kids, and a whole lotta long days and nights.

http://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.ford...cb57a943bb.jpg

http://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.ford...df46826b7f.jpg

More to come on our next project to come this summer. Cummins swap into the F-350 and the 460 going into a 96 F-150 2wd!
After a 100$ Orielly paint job and a few other items…

http://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.ford...b5217abf27.jpg

 

For the second part of the swaps we are going to take the carbed 460 out of the 87 and plant it in this 96 F150 2wd to build a quick little SOB! We again are doing all the work ourselves and this time have a little better of a shop and have all acquired some more “complete” tool sets!
http://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.ford...6df35b1274.jpg
http://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.ford...3be305596b.jpg

Here’s the Cummins picked up for the swap. 94 ppump 12v with nv4500 and dld t-case. Bone stock and only 215k miles!

http://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.ford...fe2680ef22.jpg

Plan is to pull the motor and work on it in the next few weeks until we are all out of school and can start the builds.

 

Great job!!!! Be warned, the sickness won't go away and will only get worse!!!

 

I bet y'all are learning a lot. Now you gotta ditch the "4x2" badge under the left headlight!

 

Looks like a lot of made memories on some fun projects. Be sure to beef up the front end on that two wheeler before dropping that big block in!