Thanks for the history post. Good stuff!

 

Yeah, Thanks for the History Alert.... Good to know.... DEFINITELY !!!! Good Times, when your that age... NO RESPONSIBILITIES.... SWEET.... Well, that engine looks really clean for 133K so the Rebuild should not be so Bad for you. COOL !!!!

 

Lots more progress on tear down today. I am trying to get ready to take the cab off so I figure I will try to lighten things up as much as possible. I got a real good start installing an interior delete kit . All I have left is the seat, front and rear glass, wipers and wiper motor, and of course the cab mounting bolts. From the looks of my garage I am going to have to spend another afternoon bagging and tagging parts and fasteners. I did take the time to ID the plugs on the main harness before I pulled it.

 

Very effective kit

 

Bump, did you find any crazy items behind the dash? Also, I didn't realize the wiper motor was under the dash! Good progress.

 

Nothing I didn't expect under the dash. Some crappy wiring I did as a kid to get a CD player, two 15 inch subs, and a 1500 watt amp. But like I said nothing unexpected there. I did find a rats nest under the head liner on the passenger side. They munched on the wire for the dome light so I'll have to add that to the replace list.

You know come to think about it those subs are probably the cause of the rear window leak. At every turn I am finding out my younger self is costing my older self money. But what are you gonna do right no FTE back then.

 

I haaate mouse nests. Had a couple in my truck. Worst one was in the front passenger cab mount. I think it would be awesome if you kept the 300 six, modded it a little bit and put a 4 speed behind it!

 

Look forward to watching this build.
Subscribed

 

Dakota, that was you that found the spent shell and old match book... your question makes so much more sense now .

Jakkpine, I know the 300 has a crazy following, and honestly I have been pretty surprised by it myself. It fired right up after sitting out in the woods untouched for 4+ years. I have had my heart set on a V8 since I got it ~18 years ago. Hell I even bought a 302 for it when I was 17 but I sold it before I tried getting it in... girls . I am pretty sure I will end up putting a 351 in it.

Petry, me too!!!

 

Got the Cab off today!

Pics or it didn't happen you say? No problem!

Finally down to the frame. I parked the cab on some jack stands until I can get it over to storage... that will have to wait until I get a few more hands and daylight.

BTW have to give props to the wifey! She really helped me a lot this weekend with tear down.

 

Definitely allot of progress on the tear down, and cab off and all... Very Sweet.... & Yes to an 8 cylinder engine.... that truck will beef up with a nice 8.... and a nice exhaust system if you can swing it... are you gonna do your own body work and Paint or the Body Shop is gonna get it ?????

 

OK now that I have it down to the frame I realize that I am way behind in the planning stage. I am going to put the suspension and drive train together first. Another thing I realize is I really don't have a great understanding of what it is going to take to get out of the truck what I am looking for.

So, first step, define the requirements. I am wanting a decent daily driver that I can bounce around town in. I will occasionally want to pull a small boat or camper. Think ~4000lbs here. Then there is the occasional road trip so I would want it to be comfortable on the interstate. I have a tendency to like to show out (I know, I know), so a great sound and breaking the rear tires loose when I mash on it is something I am looking for. I know it sounds like I want it all but keep in mind 85 to 90 percent would be the bouncing around town.

Second Step, Identify what I am starting with. A 2WD 1978 F100 Custom regular cab long bed with a 300I6, 3 on the tree, and a Dana44 rear. I am doing a little research now to identify gearing (advise here would be welcomed). Tires on the truck now are a CL find and at 275/75 R15 are huge. I used to run 275/55 R15 and loved the way they looked.

About the motor... I love the I6 and it has never let me down. I know these power plants have a huge following but I want the V8 sound and its been one of those things I have wanted to do since I got the truck. Pretty sure I have my heart set on doing a 351W build starting with a roller block from a 94-96 ish truck.

Working my way backwards, given the versatility I am looking for, I am thinking a 4 speed transmission is in order.

Next in line the rear end. I've got no clue what to do here. Should I look for a 9 or some other rear to start with and gearing... I'm lost.

And then there is the suspension. I actually like the stock ride height with the tire size mentioned above so I will want to stay as close to that as I can. I am planning on "freshening up" the ride with new springs all the way around, and new shocks are a must. My question here is since I am starting with a stock F100 what if any upgrades do I need to satisfy my occasional towing needs.

Finally the biggie... Budgetary Considerations. I am not scared to lay down the cash. However, more cash = longer build time. Which, I am also OK with as long as I am getting what I want and learning something in the process.

Oh as an update... I got the Cab moved out of the Garage and off to storage. I am still prepping the frame for sand blasting. I got some fuel lines, wiring harness, and remaining exhaust dropped. I am taking the frame down to just what is riveted on before blasting.

Thanks for giving this post a read and for any feedback!

 

Hey mate,

Sounding like it's going to be a good project!

Pretty sure the best way to find the ratio is to put the truck in neutral, jack up one wheel and put a mark on your tail shaft.

Then put a small mark on your tyre, and turn it 20 revolutions. Count how many times the tail shaft turns - you might need someone else to do that. Then it's just 20 divided by the number of rotations of your tail shaft gives you the ratio.

You could do it with less than 20 revolutions but it's more accurate the more turns of the wheel you do.

Alex.

 

Hi Sorry I can't help you with the Gearing because I would be Lost since I Don't Know, But a Definite "YES" on the V8... I know the 6 is a very popular engine but I Like having the horsepower under the hood, Maybe it's a Guy Thing plus it 's sounds better and performs better if you don't mind the gas for going around town. I'm following a Thread called 1967 f100 resurrection and the guys FTE name is "Pincheweddo" his truck although is a different year than yours, actually looks allot like yours... maybe he can help !!! Another "YES" for the 4 speed Transmission and in order.. VERY COOL... when driving. I can't help you with the Rear end because again I don't know BUT after being here in the forums for awhile allot of people Praise and say their is allot of benefit to a 9" rear end when it comes to towing... I read that allot in the DIESEL section of the forums... maybe browse over their and ask... On the Towing issue in my humble opinion I would Definitely do New Springs & Shocks but do your homework as far as what shocks to put for performance and Towing needs, Check on the "MONROE" Shock I think they make one called "REFLEX" which is for what you want. Look into it.... and another "YES" for keeping it your stock height especially if you are gonna Tow, you may still be able to put 275/55 R15 if that is what you like but make sure you check the Pay Load on the tire so you are within spec's, I Really like the BF GOODRICH Tires for your style Truck, but that's me.... As Far as BUDGET... if you are gonna go through the entire trouble of the build then make sure you spare no expense on what is good and what you like.. Even if it means to wait a little longer for extra Cash $$$ to come along, I think your Truck Deserves it especially with the GREAT HISTORY it has from your Family... If the build takes longer than so be it... again IN MY HUMBLE OPINION Great that you got your Cab to storage and your frame is gonna look AWESOME when you clean it up, Blast it and Paint Don't forget to put some anti corrosion paint like that POR15 stuff on it so it Last a long time. Sorry

 

Alex thanks for the info. I gave that a try and came up with .74. I didn't think that was right so I changed up the math so to speak. I did the 20 revs on the tire and counted 27 revs on the shaft. Dividing 27 by 10 I get 2.7 which feels better given what numbers I have seen thrown around on posts regarding rear ends.

While I was out counting tire revolutions I remembered seeing a tag on the pumpkin when I dropped the tank, so I snapped a pic and broke out the catalog after my math lesson. I came up with the following excerpt. Looks like I have 2.72.