what's a V8? ok, It's that thing with those flat heads....or a 7.3 IDI

 

lol Shouldn't need to modify an engine just to do highway speeds! I have no problems with engines of any type, just know that a 351w outperforms a 300 in every way from my experience.

My Cummins I6 does what I 'wish it to' without hesitation, as does the I6 in my Comet, Love the zuki 1.0L 3cyl in my Turbo sprints as well.

Try to make a helpful post next time instead of tossing around insults.....


GB I thought long and hard about tossing an IDI in to my fridge, have three sitting here that need homes! Dont think the frame could take it without boxing the whole thing or maybe swapping to a 70's frame. Would be freakin cool though!

Scott

 

I'm considering a '57 panel with no drive train. Probably drive 100-200 miles/wk, mostly on the highway. The suggestions here seem to be pointing to a motor/tranny from Mustang or an Explorer. Dropping this in is probably beyond my capability both in equipment and experience. How big of a job is it? About how much would a garage charge to do it?

thanks

 

To the OP: which way did you go with this project?

 

Arturo,

Food for thought I stopped into a nearby LKQ a couple of months ago, and was told they would pull and ship me a complete drivetrain from a 10 year old V6 5-speed F-150 for $2000. They usually part everything out, so it would have been a "special order" to keep the drivetrain together.

My perception is that the trouble with an engine less than 15 years old is the anti-theft stuff. You'd have to convert to a carb or an aftermarket EFI in order to get the thing running without an electronics background.

Larry

 

Speedway sells front and rear cross members that make the job much easier. I would go with a 302 because they are cheap and easy to find. I am probably going that route on my build. I have a carbed one and possible an efi engine from the car I am getting the front stub from. I have a friend who has done a few of the efi installs and he says it isn't that complicated. We'll see. The 5.0 or 4.6 efi is going to be your best bet for mileage but remember the aerodynamics of these trucks are like pushing a barn door through the wind at any speeds over 60 mph and 20 mpg will only be feasible at or below that speed no matter what gas engine you use.

 

Thanks for the tips guys. Unfortunately, the vehicle in question was not as the seller described so I passed on it. Looks like I'll end up with plan B, a 59 Chevy Apache panel. Probably shouldn't say that here as I'm sure the ban hammer will come out...

cheers

 

Too bad. You just went from one of the best old cabs to one of the worst. The doors on the 55-59 chevys are total junk. You can find any 57-60 Ford in a junkyard and the doors close better than those chevy ones did when they were new. good luck, it is a decent looking style.

 

my 59 with the stock 292 gets about 20 on the high doing 60.

 

I’m new here to the forum, I recently bought a 57 F100 Styleside short bed and I was also wondering about an engine tranny swap. The previous owner had planned to put in a 351 with a C6 tranny so the engine and tranny where already out. The original motor is a 272 with a 3 speed but the motor does need a rebuild. My plan was to have the engine rebuilt and bumped up to 292 but some people have suggested finding another engine ie 302 or 351 and different tranny which they said would be a ‘cheaper and better’ way to go. To me it would be cheaper to go with the original motor rebuild because it seems like a rebuild and crate motor are very close in price but I then would have to get a different transmission with the bigger engine.

 

Why is it that when someone buys an old truck, the first thing they want to do is jerk the engine and trans for something more modern.

My choice for the truck that started the post is the 223 I6 with the three-on-the-tree or a four-in-the-floor. If you want economy, there you go. If you wanted something with a 302 or a 351 in it, you should have bought a 70-something model.

I have a '59 F100 4wd. It is all original (very rusted, but original). I bought it because I wanted an old truck, not a new truck with old tins.

Go FORDward! Automatics are for women.

 

It is a lot easier to road hunt with an automatic.

 

Spurredon, you do make a good point.

 

Nobody has said anything about a Y-Block in this thread?

I've a 700r4 behind a 292 and I think that does really well for final drive ratio (0.70) on a highway at decent speeds.

 

Technically your final drive ratio would be the overdrive ratio times the rear axle ratio.