I am looking for a truck to build up soon from 61' -66'. I love the classic looks, I love fabrication, and I am on a budget. I am willing to sacrifice tradition and power in favor of a more modern, efficient engine that will save me money at the pump but I have no idea where to start looking.

In addition, this will be the largest project I have worked on, and I have no garage or driveway space to spare. Are there any places where I might be able to use as shop space at a reasonable cost?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated thanks!

 

considering the lack of information in your post, yes there are engine choices and you can rent a shop cheap in Costa Rica on the back bay..

 

What are your goals for the truck? How will you use it? What level of economy are you after? What level of fabrication skill do you possess? Have you done an engine swap before?

If you have to rent shop space and are "on a budget," then you cannot afford your project. There are too many variables with an old vehicle and that cost will get out of hand very quickly, if it is even offered anywhere near you.
Your best bet is to use a friend's garage or shop but realize that your project could take weeks or even months to complete and that friend needs to be aware of that so that he is not needing the space while your truck is torn apart.

Regarding your goals for economy, the engines that came in these trucks are capable of reasonable economy for what they are. For a well tuned and setup combo, with a factory available engine you should expect 12-15 city and 15-20 hwy. The high end of those ranges is much less likely than the low end. This requires a good bit of work, attention to detail building and tuning the engine, overdrive transmission, etc. That stuff adds up quickly - not for a budget build.

If you want better than that, get a newer 4 or 6 cyl truck. Swapping in a modern economy engine does not always work out because they often lack the torque for an older, heavier, less aerodynamic vehicle, which actually results in lowered economy, accompanied with less power and overall enjoyment. It is also more expensive because there is often not parts produced to install, brackets, adapters, etc. It will all be custom, and custom is expensive.

 

X2 what Charlie said. My '66 F100 restoration (which was my third classic vehicle restoration) cost more than twice what I thought it would and took more than twice as long as I thought it would. I told a friend he could have some of my garage space to restore his '67 Pontiac GTO. That was two years ago and it's still there with no realistic date when it might be done, cost and parts availability and subcontractor speed being just some of the issues. I don't want to discourage you, but you seem to have a lot of obstacles to overcome. I wish you good luck!

 

Thanks to all of you who replied. Sorry about the lack of information I have, I am still planning out this project which is not going to happen for at least 6 months due to work. To clarify, I am very confident in my fabrication skills and I have a full machine shop, and the custom work will be done by me which, in my opinion, is the best part of a build! I misspoke about saying I am on budget, what I really meant was that I am willing to spend money for good quality parts, though I would like to keep the project under 15k (which, given a 3-5k truck, a 1-3k engine I think is very reasonable). I would like at least 18 mpg highway, and I will be using the truck for everyday commuter as well as for some light hauling. Thanks!

 

There are tons of combinations you could do. Here's one that might get you what you want: Find a '65 or '66 F100 that's equipped with the 300 cubic inch (later called the 4.9 litre) I-6 engine. This engine was first used in 1965 and lasted in some Ford vehicles until 1996 (by which time it was fuel injected). There are numerous transmissions that will bolt up to this engine including automatic overdrives and at least three different 5 speed manual overdrives that Ford used. That has the potential to minimize your expenses and number of modifications required. Of course you'll have to take into account whether you want to add power steering, power disc brakes, and air conditioning, for example. You might want to transplant a '96 EFI engine into it with an overdrive transmission. The normal recommendtion for getting a lot of these parts is to use a donor vehicle that has all of the bits, but you've essentially said you don't have the room for one. Remember, these trucks have the aerodynamics of a barn door so that hurts gas mileage potential some. Again, good luck!

 

Welcome to FTE! A turbo diesel will get you some mpg and it sounds like you have the skills to fit it in. You could dare to be different and go with a 4cyl out of a Hino FB. As far as shop space goes I used to rent a barn stall for $60.00 per month back a few years ago. It was very long and you drove up the middle and stalls were off to the sides. If you live close to farm land not being used it might be a thought.

 

Nathan2115 Welcome to and the Slicks Forum.

You said the word planning. I tips me hat to you for using that word. Most guys that come here anymore don't.

Are you planning a new front sub frame like a crown vic? If not, I'd suggest a 65 or 66 because of the availability of power steering and power disc parts that are bolt in exchange.

I would certainly look at a 2010 and newer running gear. There has been a real push in the last few years for fuel ratings. The bad thing is these ol trucks were designed back when gas was $0.20-0.25 a gallon and driven at about 50 mph tops. They are bricks rolling down the hiway with no ero thought to gas mileage.

Please share more with us your thoughts of your plan.


John

 

Thanks for the advice. I would like to install new front sub frame, though it really depends on what is available to me when I start buying parts, and I am seriously considering a diesel swap.