1951 Ford F1 resurrection, jag IFS LT1, EFI, T56, etc
 

Greetings FTE, first post here! I started a 1951 F1 build a couple weeks ago and figured I would join up here and post it up. I started posting it up on the HAMB but I have decied this one is not going to fit the traditional hot rod mold so this would be a better place to show it, plus I have gotten a lot of great info from lurking on the board and looking at other's projects. I am a GM guy but I like the F1s so bought this one to build. Going to need a lot of work! Plans are to lower it, XJ6 Jag front suspension, and..GASP! an LT1 fuel injected 350 and T56 6 speed trans. Reason for the chevy drivetrain is I have it "in stock" and I like to use what I have and not buy what I dont need. Here she is as loaded on the trailer. Needless to say I will be looking for parts!

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Welcome!! Glad you chose to join us and get an old Ford. Let the fun begin.

Thanks!
Got the nose off the truck, this was the flattie, stuck and missing one head other some other parts. Guess it would be good for parts, going to sell it off with the trans.

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I was all excited until you mentioned the "C" word..... just kidding, welcome to the site!

Yeah I know, I am not anti-Ford, I just have such a large stockpile of GM stuff that it pays to use it during builds. Still a Ford truck, and with the hood closed nobody will know :)

Welcome! Nice to see you on here finally.

I have pretty much every part to finish off that truck. Make you a killer deal on the doors. :) If you are not successful in finding parts at Hershey this weekend, let me know what you need and we'll go from there.

Hello, and another welcome to the forum!

Keep the pics coming as you make progress!

Dan

Thanks Guys!

If I cant find doors at hershey I will definately be in touch, going to try and find a decent hood as well since this one is rusty. Savable but rather find another one.

Anyhow, motor and trans are out

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...ps9e89dcba.jpg

Lots of rivets drilled out and front end out

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...psfbea403f.jpg

and the future new suspension

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...ps137fedcd.jpg

Welcome to the crazy world of FTE! You've made more progress in a week than I have in 10 years. Keep the pics coming and have fun

Welcome and keep up the good work!

Ummm, maybe I'm not the only one wondering......what is the car in the bay beside the truck?
There are some folks here who can identify any vehicle manufactured in the world ever from a single 3" x 3" section of cropped photo of a rocker panel, but not me.
:D
Just curious...
I have a few leftover parts for a '51 too - nothing special but just ask if you are looking for something.

Tom

How are you going to mount the Jag front end? I have the same subframe and I keep going back and forth between soft mounts and hard welding it.

LOL I am always scanning pics for other cars as well. Car in the next bay is last years project, 47 cadillac..build thread is in here

Projects Found this in an old moving trailer - THE H.A.M.B.

Jag suspension will be welded in, I want the crossmember to help stengthen the frame rather than just ride along. Ever see anyone rubber mount a subframe when clipping a car? Rubber mounts are just for factory assembly in a unibody chassis, no need on a full frame IMO. Plus it gets the truck lower and lower is what I am looking for :)

I like it a lot better than a 51 GMC truck with a Ford engine.
Great start. Keep at it cuz most get discouraged and or board
and give up telling themselves I'll get back to it soon.
And never do. They find the Caddy to be easier.

F1
 

Hi, I'm currently restoring my 1958 Ford F250 but my next project is MOST DEFINATELY gonna be an F1. I LOVE !!!! these Trucks and I think you are Lucky to be restoring one, I don't see it as in rough shape Looks like a survivor and great canvass for a restore, glad you posted it and hopefully you will keep posting pictures through out the restore. Remember Little by Little so you don't break the Bank, Good Luck !!!!!

Where in NY are you? I have a CSB 400 with T56 in my panel. Which T56 do you have, single or double OD? Mine's a double (0.62 5th, 0.50 6th) with a 3.70 rear it's a perfect combo. Does yours have the relocatable shifter? mine does not, buckets were required so the shifter wasn't under the seat, still alongside my thigh.

I am near Poughkeepsie, about 90 minutes north of NYC. Engine and trans I will be using are from a 1993 trans am, been awhile since I removed it from the car so I have to double check the trans. Could bea 297 first or a 3:36, 5th is .80 and 6th is .62. I have to do my calculations to see what gear I want compared to what is on the shelf. I normally shoot for 60 to 65 MPH at 2000 RPM in 5th and keep 6th for 70mph and up.
Shifter is in the back, so plans are for bucket seats and a console for the most important part of the build, cupholders! Shifter will be far back as well but I think it will be tolerable.

well another update. I have decided to weld in the jag crossmember, I just dont see the need to make it removable. Using the crossmember to help stiffen the frame can't hurt either.
So these mounts wont be needed. Hopefully I dont regret this later!

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...ps017e7a5c.jpg

So off with em!

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...pscb08f1c4.jpg

Raised up into position

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...ps54ecb882.jpg

How much lower than stock will that sit?

I'll be following the progress!! I can't seem to see the last few pics where it is resting on the frame. Can you try to upload them again? Thanks!

SUBSCRIBED!

Kevin

You know I really dont know, will be dependant on the wheel and tire combo as well..I shoot for 5"-7" clearance to the lowest point so there are no issues with speed bumps. I drive my cars and dont like worrying about road hazards.
Kevin all the pics are showing up for me, as soon as I hammer out locating the suspension I will post a ton of pics with measurements. As common as the jag swap seems to be I cant find a good step by step install with pics so I am going to make one. Will be awhile, leaving tomorrow for the Hershey swap meet.

Teaser mock up picture :)

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...ps2139b668.jpg

I would love to see the measurements when you have them figured out. I'm still taking my truck apart so I'm a few steps behind you. Thinking I'm going to go with the hard mount also.

OK here are the measurments and how I got them, initially I used the original axle snubber mount holes as the center line of the IFS. This is actually about 1/2" forward of the true center line from what I can tell, but since it is a factory mounting point it was still a good reference to work off..or just take my measurements and run with em! I will be using them in the future as well, no sense doing the same work twice.

Anywho here is my backwoods method, made it up as I went along.

First thing I did was level the truck front to back because I want the truck level at the final ride height. I set up two stands with a piece of conduit and a plumb bob and I set the conduit so the plumb bob lined up with the snubber mounting hole. I used a speedsquare to transpose that mark to the top of the frame rail.

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With the conduit set up I used it to mark the same spots on the floor in a couple places and drew a line connecting them

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I couldnt get a picture since I was doing this alone, but I then held the plum bob string on the bottom center of the lower ball joint and moved the jag crossmember until the plumb bob lined up with the line on the floor. This was the jag suspension was centered on the original center line (actually 1/2" forward..so in the future you could mark the center line of the snubber holes on the frame like I did and then make a mark 1/2" towards the cab..then set the plumb bob stand up to match it)

So after getting the suspension centered, which is 1/2" back from the snubber hole center line, these are the measurements I used. From the back inside edge of each jag mounting pad to the front of the Ford chassis crossmember is 21 1/2"

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...psa8730f6b.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...psc0d73e42.jpg
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http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...ps666e23c1.jpg
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using these measurements I mocked up the fender, looks good.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...ps2139b668.jpg

sanity check with the truck level the crossmember is also level front to back.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...psb88750bc.jpg

Hope this helps!

You'll know if you did it correctly if the truck drives straight down the road after you're done. :)

Looking good so far.

That is great thank you very much.

I dont care if it drives straight, just have to have the wheel centered in the fender when parked! ;)

Front end alignment takes care of the driving straight haha

Will be more to come, plan is to weld it into place over the weekend. If you just use the 21 1/2" measurement you can put it in place quick and dirty, mock up a fender to verify and be good to go.

Finally got a few hours in the garage today and did the install.

Welded on the outsides, probably over did it with a few passes but hey I dont want this thing coming loose!

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...psf8b0a13b.jpg

Notched the frame on both sides so I could bend the channel down to match the crossmember angle.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...ps74aa5417.jpg

Lower flat of the C channel was heated up and knocked down into place and welded in. Also went back and plug welded the rivet holes in the frame.

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Frame and crossmember level

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...ps153f6fce.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...psece3f461.jpg

with the truck leveled the front end is now down 4" from where it was before, and it should come down 3 more inches at ride height. This will put the running board bottom about 6" off the ground for a nice lowered and "no speed bump worry" ride height.

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Done other than boxing the front rails.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...ps33bc4af9.jpg

You work fast! Looking good! You'll have it back on the super slab in no time!

drptop ???
 

since u are building a '50 F250, i was wondering if u can do some measuring for me on the rear.. i've got a '49 F2 and would like to replace the rear for better gearing. i'm with the understanding that '57 to '72 F250 will fit..
numbers needed..
out side drum to drum
centers of the leaf spring mount
shock mounts.
if u can fit it in, i can see your up to your eye balls busy..
bill
ps, here or a PM will be fine.. tks

Bill,
Ford used the same rear frame width, rear axle width, and spring perch spacing 1948 -72. So any rear axles from those years will bolt right in to your 49. Different models will have different bolt patterns however with some of the heavier duty models having 6 or 8 lugs. The shock mounts are part of the spring mounts and are interchangeable and/or aftermarket mounts are available. Check www,classic haulers.com and/or Home - Mid Fifty F-100 Parts (many of the parts for 53-56 will work on 48-52 just call and ask them, they will know. The two companies are "sister" companies, owned by sisters and are the best/most knowledgeable people to deal with.)

Almost anything you want to know about rear axles can be found here:
1948 through 1960 Ford F-1 and F-100 Rear Axle (differential) Swaps .: Articles

Good info above which I wouldn't know, especially since this is a 1951 F1. Not sure where the F250 came in!

Back to this pig. As a reminder this is a budget build and I dont spend money unless I have to. So I need to box the front rails and I just happened to have some steel on hand from a car I parted out, I save everything. I think this was from a 55 packard frame.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...ps31e7fe29.jpg

pattern

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...ps53dd4c34.jpg

plasmoidal

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...ps4f7a54e0.jpg

Tacked and then full welded. Welds are still a litte heavy on the wire amount, just changed welders and I am not as familiar with the settings as my other one. Plenty of penetration, just a bit heavy.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...psec031ae6.jpg
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Since you have solidly mounted the Jag crossmember you can do away with that "unique" Jag U joint, it is only needed if you use the soft mounts, and use a standard one. Borgeson makes ? shaft to Jag U joints.

edited. I had worded it badly the first time, sorry!

Thanks, planned on taking it off but havent done it yet. Started pricing the steering ujoint to replace it, after seeing the price I am hoping to find a used one or a factory similar joint I can grab at the boneyard. There must be some other car that uses a similar joint without the swivel.

Subscribed...

What year Jag, or does it matter? Watching this one.

For IFS donors would be 1987 and older XJ6/XJ12 (body style with the round headlights), and the XJS up through I believe 1996. My unit is from a 1986 XJ6. The XJ12 has even stiffer front springs that I assume would need to be cut down to lower the truck, I will know shortly how much my XJ6 springs are going to drop with the engine and trans installed. Plans are for updates this week, would be nice to not have to work for a living and just play in the garage every day.

Another update, got some time today to mess with the truck. Started in the back so I could get the rear suspension apart and figure out which way I am going to go with it.

Cut the welds and removed a sheet of steel that was welded in the bed only to find remanants of yet another sheet of steel!

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...psc7f2f1b3.jpg

Cut those welds and got down to the original base

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...pse4fa5e63.jpg

Bed removed

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...ps16c0f822.jpg

And down to the suspension.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...ps0981cfe4.jpg

Rear was removed and is now out as well.


http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...ps98a523ab.jpg

OK so now how do you remove these, I assume they are spanner nuts? Is there a special socket for them?

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...ps8364bdd8.jpg

OK found an exploded view of the rear suspension and found that those are just machined slots in the end of the spring pin, not sure why they are there but they are. Time to get the rear suspension apart.