If I slammed a Ford truck to where it was about 4-5 inches off the ground. Which way would be cooler to own to an early Ford truck enthusiast?

Option 1,
Jaguar XJ6 ifs/irs, and run a Ford motor probably with a massaged oil pan for clearance. Glorified car, but more then adequate for safety.

Option 2,
Z the frame on a I-beam truck while grafting on the later generation I beam clip. This moves the steering box to the front thus simplifying the problems I would create. Allowing easier hook up to the column with a couple of mods, but also adjustable beams with out bending them. Maybe able to fit a smaller 302, and AOD combo. With a decent possibility of having to run a sbc because of the rear sump.

Option 2.5
Raise the trans tunnel for a Ford engine, but no more bench seat. If that is a issue with people.

Option 3.
The Crown Vic swap. Low yes, but I wouldn't call it slammed.

The reason I ask was my cousin wants to start his own custom type shop in a few years as he gets more experienced. Or at least build a small side business for fun, and profit. So I told him you have to know your customers, and build something that gets attention rather then do a me too build all the time.

Also in the last few years as my taste have turned to Ford because I don't wanna be a me too type, but also my skill level has increased. Mostly I just love those side boxes Ford put on their trucks.

 

My $0.02 - Seeing older trucks lowered makes me want to cry. (then again IMO lowering any truck defeats the whole purpose of having a truck.

 

If its slammed, you'll scratch the paint on the sidebox door when its open and you will have to lay on the ground to get anything out of it

 

Option 1 but use Corvette C4/C5/C6 components and an Ecoboost engine. I think there was an Aussie doing that suspension a few years ago. Btw, C4 Vettes are relatively inexpensive these days.

I think folks need to "get over it" with regards to lowering a truck... it's a matter of personal preference so guys can do as please.. hopefully with safety in mind, sound engineering principles, fabrication skills, and applied "good taste".

No one has to satisfy others' tastes.. to each his own.

 

If I get involved the trucks will have to be cheap, and relatively affordable at the end. Especially with no "name" people will not bite on truck built by start-ups for big bucks. Nothing about an eco-boost or svo engine is going to be cheap for awhile if ever.

I can buy a running F250 for about $2000 in decent condition, and a used Jag for less then $1000. Ocassionally you can find a F100 rcsb cheap too. Add in coil overs, exhaust, and driveshaft mods. I am right about $4500 total. This assumes the tires are ok on the Jag, and the ifs/irs are not in need of service. Also no selling of parts I don't need or scraping of the Jag. All of which can bring the cost down some. This way if things go wrong I don't lose my back side, and end up in bk the next day.

 

Well, that would have been important to state at the outset.

Nonetheless, in order to showcase your/his talent, the rig needs to draw attention in order to drum up business. There has to be a relatively constant flow of customers and clients in order to have a sustainable business base. Clients will need to be comfortable with parting thousands of dollars and a build (actually a marketing tool) has to exemplify what can be done... truly custom. Show them what your shop can do.. not what every other custom shop can do. For mass appeal, I think staying with US-brand parts (like a proven C4) is more appealing than having to deal with Jaguar/foreign components on an American truck. To many that may be considered blasphemy.

Ya gotta think BIG and I don't think a run-of-the-mill Ford engine will do it unless it is uniquely different. That's why it has to go beyond like with forced induction, an Ecoboost, or even a twin turbo diesel. If it's a custom shop that's the goal then it really needs to be "custom"... not merely a modified stock. You said it yourself: "So I told him you have to know your customers, and build something that gets attention rather then do a me too build all the time."

Ya might wanna start with packaged deals like a set price for a dropped beam installation, Mustang II front suspension install, Dentside discs to Bump swap, 4-link/4-bar installation, air bag system install, CV swap, MN-12 swap, 8.8-inch rear end retrofit, etc. Build your expertise in a niche, perhaps at a set cost, rather than a one-off, Jag-based component build that not everyone would want.

Btw, there's lots of FTE'ers who like mods in "kit" form because all the engineering and parts hunting is done for them. There have been quite a few looking for dual exhaust kits for headers over the past few years... they'd pay for convenience of prefabrication rather than cutting and welding their own systems.

What about a CV install kit at different stages?.. Stage 1 could be the boxing plates, engine mounts, steering gear and brake line adapters. Stage 2 could be Stage 1 plus rebuilt and new components - bushings, ball joints, etc... short of offering the subframe and other hard parts that can be locally obtained. Stage 3 could be the whole assembly including the subframe.... fully rebuilt with new bearings, races, calipers, shocks, springs, etc. Stick it on a pallet and ship it.

I figure in a few years that 80-96 F-Series owners may become interested in the CV swap if it can be made doable. That's 16 years of truck production off of basically the same platform. Remember, Ford produced millions of these F-series truck over the decades... should you anticipate them?? Maybe these are niches, among others, your shop can fill.

Good luck in your endeavor.

 

You say a crown vic swap isn't slammed but you call 4-5" of clearance slammed? Slammed is like scrapping the floor low.

 

Yes one does need to be unique, but run of the mill engines can be dressed up quite a bit. Plus they don't kill the cost if you have failures. If it magically happens I can easily sell a running slammed F150 for over $6000. Which is likely 1/2 the cost of modifying a eco-boost into an early truck. I can do 4.6's dressed up to look like 427 sohc's, and they can run reasonably hard.

I have been offered as high as $3500 a few times on my 1/2 finished project. Which is still more then enough to cover the projects cost, and failure's. Just not labor, and it has a run of the mill 352.

Going big has its place, and if I had a real shop not a broken single car driveway. Yes it would be a big difference. If I magically started today. I feel I would need to have a about 10 more fully modified vehicles under my belt even if they are simple ones.

I am doing a CV swap right now, and I have found a few to many issues with it to be a fabricated swap. Or the Jag for that matter. If I water jetted plates they would be pretty expensive shipped, and likely would still need to much trimming based on frames I have seen. I've seen guy's online swap a slick to a 67 and later frame, and the cab forward bolts on no issue, but my 67 F250 frame is different. The cab sit 1 3/8 higher then the core support roughly. So who really would want to buy pre-cut plate steel they have to modify to fit. They could buy scrape for 1/8th the price, and go for it.

On my current frame I have about $60 dollars in steel to modify it for the CV front end, and step notch. Unlike any other build I have seen online I sectioned my frame to sit lower. This was so I could run softer springs if need be, and have more travel. Even though the ride height is only about 1" lower then what can be done the traditional way. This is due to the width of the CV, and can not be gotten around very easily. One day maybe I will build a steel cross member to "fix" the CV's issue, but it won't likely be any better then what already available. If my truck was a 67 or later I would of dug up 2 more fender's and raised the wheel opening, but the 66's body are to complicated.

Which is why I like the Jag, and wish I went with it originally now. The narrow track width plus chevy bolt pattern make it a much better set-up for running stupid low. Plus with the way they bolt the caliper on it is likely I could run cheaper disks, and caliper for better stopping performance. I originally intended to use the truck for towing, and the CV set-up would be safer doing that. Then my small car took a dive, and I found a C20 at a price I couldn't walk away from. So now I want the F100 even lower, and that may require custom rims or using narrower tires on the front. Either way I should be able to get an extra inch.

Also with the Jag irs I can run a roughly 8" rear drop, and still have a un-cut bed. All I would need is to notch the frame for axle shaft clearance. The jag is a swing axle type irs with only a lower arm with a bar for triangulation.