Well...it looks like I've solved some questions regarding authenticity thanks to numberdummy but now the fun begins.....how to make my new truck daily usable in the UK.

I have bought this 59 F100 with a 351W fitted on a C4 transmission. Now when it gets here I think I will need to uprate the brakes from drum to discs as well as fitting some power steering.

Firstly can anyone recommend how I can do this without resorting to "clipping". Also would you fellas recommend any other modifications to make it an easy driver for an old fat bloke? Rear axle...I don't want to change the ride height...it's a Styleside body...ver pretty.

Oh and how about the fuel tank being behind the seat...do I need to and can I resite the new tank in between the chassis and if so, what tank should I use.

A/C....am I being too ambitious?

Awaiting the wisdom !

 

Some good reading here, links in the first post....
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...s-how-tos.html

Disk brake kits are available from several vendors.......Google.....

Power steering can be had by fitting a Toyota power box or similar.......

Gas tank.....should be a current thread running.....basic idea applies to all models.

 

Hey Lee,
The gas tank re-location is a good one - Nice weekend project with a high success rate - nice one to start with. You can do a search on this site for it & you should see multiple examples with pictures. The most common tanks used are 68, 69,70 mustang tanks. They fit in between the rails out back - you have to move one of the bed supports & do a little bracket welding. I personally used a 1970 mustang/cougar tank because it was 22 gallons & I wanted the extra range vs. the 16 &18 gallon tanks from earlier years.

It's easier to do with the bed off the truck. You also need to patch up the hole left in the side of the cab for the fill cap. The new fill location will be in your bed unless you get excited & do it out to one of the fenders.

Good luck over there.

Ben in Austin

(The article by jniolin is very good about relocating tanks).

 

To make my 60 more drivable and safe we did the following modifications:

Front Disc Brakes, I got the kit from ECI Brakes and I used a power booster from a 1973 F-100.

Power steering, we did the Toyoto conversion. The attached link is a technical article on it. Toyota Steering Box Swap For 1948-1960 Trucks .: Articles

Moved the gas tank to where the spare tire was originally installed. We used a 1969 mustang tank.

Upgraded the wiper motor to a ranger motor take make them more reliable and to have intermittent wipers.

There are pictures in my gallery, click on my name and select gallery.

We also added AC, These 2 links tell about the installation: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/7...lternator.html

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/7...-part-2-a.html

I would also recommend installing a new wiring harness, we used Easy Wire.

Good luck.

 

I get a kick oughtta y'all installing the tank where the spare tire is. Guess y'all don't recall the exploding Pinto fuel tank fiasco of the 1970's. 100's of peeps were burned to death/maimed for life.

Just like the Pinto's, you have no protection when rear ended...the gas tank will hit the rear axle, split open at the seams, fuel will spill out...guess what happens next?

How many in-cab tanks split open when the trucks were T-boned? I'm not aware of any. The tank is situated high in the cab for a reason.

 

Numberdummy,
Where is your tank in your 2011? It's out back under the bed - Why do you suppose they moved it there?

I moved mine because it bothered me a lot to sit with 16 gallons of gas -
it sloshed around & whenever I filled up it stank to high heaven in the cab.
It's more personal choice - it dramatically improved the quality experience of driving around & it isn't that difficult to do. I recommend it highly.



Ben in Austin

 

Apparently you don't remember the reason why the tank was removed from the cab in the 70's, as well. Same issue, different way it happened. It seems with their higher center of gravity, trucks were prone to tip on their side in a T-bone collision. If tipped on the filler neck side, the fuel would come pouring out and catch fire, and 100's of peeps were burned to death/maimed for life.

http://www.serna-associates.com/news...older-pickups/

The fact of the matter is fires in collisions are rare. Unless you're on Dateline/NBC.

 

Life is full of risk management decisions. I prefer not having the tank in the cab, others may chose differently. No location is perfect.

 

just my 2 cent's worth ..when I took my truck out for her maiden run ..I had a marine gas can on the floor in the cab..worked fine..but then as you say 'God protects fools and little kids... '