That's an excellent way to go, especially for a "greenie" doing his first build.
I'd highly recommend rebuilding the beam axle and suspension, removing every other leaf from the springs or putting in a fresh set of lowering springs to soften the ride and lower the front. Save the IFS for a while until you can find a good complete Jag parts donor, then you can put in the IFS and IRS from the Jag. A lowered softened beam with a matching set of shocks valved for the softer (not the original) springs will ride and handle close to an IFS, and the work can easily be done in a weekend or two with average mechaical ability and basic hand tools. The IFS will take a month or more (likely a lot more depending on how good a fabricator you are and how much heavier equipment: welder, engine hoist, drill press, etc you have and can use well), and there will be a number of additional mods needed: new steering column, or heavily modified original, steering linkage fabricated, new/modified shift linkage if column shifted, interference with the oil pan, exhaust, new power brake master cylinder, mounting and all plumbing, power steering pump adapted to engine, mismatched front/rear wheel bolt patterns, etc..
Same with the brakes. Little secret: the original drums if rebuilt with new wheel cylinders, drums and shoes and lines, rebuilt or replaced master cylinder, will stop your truck as well as you are likely to ever need it to unless you are doing a lot of driving in the mountains, thru water, or hauling/pulling heavy loads. After all the suspension and brakes worked and lasted for 60 years! All those mods may look and sound sexy, but will mean your truck will spend a lot of the first year or more in the shop rather than on the road and cost a LOT more money and work! If you decide you really must have disk brakes, there are plenty of bolt on kits available to put them on the original spindles.

 

Yeah after I posted that I read some more and decided the ifs isn't for me.
In the end I want a truck that still has the style, lines, and shape that it did when it was new but with some improvements in areas like brakes, suspension, and drivetrain.
Don't get me wrong I LOVE my flathead V8 ( it's the reason I bought it) but I just want it to be something my wife n I can hop in and take out on Saturday, or go for a 50-100 mile trip with no worries.
The flathead is great and I put several miles on the truck, driving it everyday for about 3 years but it is a bit of a hassle and not real "comfortable" for long trips.
Plus I want something under the hood that not only sounds good but does have the ability to show out when called on.
This is my very generalized direction for my baby of 11 years now.

 

If you are going to swap the front to discs, Speedway Motors has the best price ($279) for the complete kit and, usually, they have a $7 flat rate shipping special going (otherwise it would have been $90).

I have one of the kits waiting with a new set of king pins for when I am done with the body work.

 

If you want a truck both of you will love to drive, do as I said and rebuild the front and rear suspension with new springs bushings and pins. put in new kingpins and bushings, tie rod ends. Add the Toyota PS upgrade, radial tires. have the front end aligned properly with a little more toe in and caster than the factory spec. Put in a good set of shocks, NOT the mass marketed ones, but quality ones specifically valved for your application and/or adjustable. put in a set of buckets or bench seat from a late model mid-upper end sedan. Look at imports for buckets or bench that will fit the smaller cab width. Put in power assisted brakes, either drum or disk. Rewire for 12V neg ground. Put in some creature comforts: decent sound system, cd and/or mp3, power windows, sunvisors with lighted mirrors.
Now you will have a vehicle she will WANT to drive and/or ride in, and you can do most all of it yourself in weekend or week long bites while driving it in between.

 

Thanks so much for the feedback... I hate that I have high jacked HTR1969's post but I do appreciate the feed back.
So I will rebuild the front and rear suspension. And then go from there.
Thanks again guys!!! I'll keep reading and posting

 

No worries Halaferd! The more info the better, so keep it coming. Good luck in your rebuild as well. It would be great to keep in touch and share our trials and tribs along the way. I'm sure we'll have many of the same questions so if that works via this thread, all the better.

 

Ok, thanks! Do you have pics of yours posted? I'm on my iPhone so I can't see your full profile. I will definitely stay in touch.

 

Ok since I real jacked up on this whole "building my dreams" kick... I have a question.
Since I'm keeping the flathead V8, at least for now, does anyone have a solution to a leaky radiator?
A new one is very expensive, and I'd rather it be shorter, flush with the base of the hood if possible.
But I'm open to suggestions?

 

Oh and it's been patched at the radiator shop once already but the guy didn't give it long to last, and it didn't haha. The tank is separating and the core has some small holes as well.

 

No pics yet but I will soon. Still early in the process - just gathering info. But I am in the process of lifting the body off the frame.

 

As soon as I get on the laptop again (iPhone/skynet dominates mostly) I'm going to do a document folder haha wait till you see the pics I took last night. I'm imbarrassed to say the least.

 

Document EVERYTHING. No matter how bad your pix are, we've seen worse! (and would rather have someone else embarrassed for a change!)

 

Haha cool, I'm going to work on it here in just a bit

 

Got the album started... I think. Someone let me know if they can see it.

 

Hey all - Does anyone know the dimensions of a Ford Crown Victoria front end and if any particular years model will work for a 1950 F1? Up here in Canada our police force used to use them but have recently moved onto other models. They have beefed up suspension, steering and brakes and can be found at various auctions and sales. I read an article about a guy who boltefd one onto a 53 Fargo recently and so was curious if that might be an option for my F1. Cheers
HTR