First off Welcome to FTE. Just one more post and you'll have 5 posts, then you can count down the days?

I agree with the $$$ AX was discussing above but that's for a finished project. You can buy a no power train truck, throw a CROWN VIC or Mark VIII power train in it and drive for under $5,000 (if you can do the work yourself). Of course that's a truck in whatever condition you bought it (not pretty) with no paint, stock steering and drum brakes but a driver. Then build the truck of your dreams while time, money and your abilities permit. AX has a great post here on FTE about making a truck plan.

In answer to your original question (If all the parts are there) $1500 to $2500 looks like what their asking in Southern CA for a complete (less power train) 53-56 small back window F100.

 

Seriously? drive it on the street? I hope you have a whole lot of high performance experience and/or very deep pockets. It takes a LOT of work to get a mid fifties F100 to handle that much power, and even more to get a Jimmy blower to have bearable street manners. By the time you build that motor and tune it down enough to be street drivable and dependable you would be money and HP ahead to buy a coyote crate engine.

 

where in CA are you ?

many swap meets coming up Stockton - Pleasanton - Sacramento

talking with sellers is the best way to learn face to face about values

 

Is that the White Buzzard Truck with the blue flames and scallops? Retired
couple pulling a camper around the country with it. They are members here.
I think there user name has to do with buzzards.

I just read a thread on here about a sale on Ford racing Coyote's with the
$1500 electronics and shipping included for like $7500.

 

One more post and you'll have the minimum.

Welcome to the forum! Charlie can point you in the right direction. Axracer has given you some excellent advice. If the cab corners or the floors are rusted through, count on a lot of work for the repairs. If you can get a California barn find with no rust, you'll be able to focus your efforts on building your dream engine!

Keep up posted....and post pics of trucks that you look at. Some of the guys on this forum can spot a mix & match truck from a bad photo. Once in a while we see trucks with a non-correct year model cab, or bed.

Farmers apparently used to love to weld parts together back in the day....that's a good thing to avoid.

Where in CA are you located?

Dan

 

Thanks pal would you guys believe I just found the page 2 button lol

 

not crazy experience like 9 seconds or lower but I've owned 10 second vehicles dang near most of my life I drove slow now the 460 blower is only an idea not set in stone as of yet and money my pockets ain't that deep lol it'll take some time for sure but that's the rewarding part imo

 

Thank you for that info that's really important info and I'm in covina pal

 

You are so right I've been looking into it and a coyote is perfect for what I'm looking for. If I go with a donor car how much modification would be needed if possible for the suspension of a 2012 mustang gt with the coyote 5.0 to fit into the 55 f100 I don't know anything about suspension btw guys but I'm a fast learner

 

Sorry, but nothing from the mustang suspension would be useable under your truck.
The Mustang is unibody construction with strut front suspension and the rear axle is too narrow.
PS good luck finding a 2012 Mustang with Coyote useable as a donor. You would be less out of pocket buying a crate Coyote and tranny from Ford. You can buy a stand alone computer and wiring harness. There are a couple people on here putting in Coyotes.

 

You have enough posts now to use the search function, it's in the center of the blue band at the top of each page. Click on it, then select advanced search from the drop down menu. Here you can put in search terms, search on a member name, and/or a specific forum.
For your reading pleasure, also click on articles v and drill down through for articles on suspension swaps, rear axle choices other interesting information.

 

"just found the page 2 button" - lol - sounds like me. Anyway, for a 10 sec truck you should find just the cab and doors, buy a completed chassis and all fiberglass front end and that $7500 Coyote engine. You could fab a box and buy the 3" wider fiberglass fenders. These trucks stock weigh about 2500 on the front axle and 1500 on the rear - I don't know much about drag racing but I doubt that works well for 10 sec 1/4s. But your idea isn't impossible. These guys do it. Roadkill Hot Rod Drag week. Well, some of them do. oops, sorry, cover photo is one of those ch%$#ys.

 

That's a sweet 57 Belair. Although it handled like chit and was way top heavy and to narrow
for it's weight and height. Prolly why Ford and others beat the pants off them in 1957
ya think?

The 57 Ford was prolly the best handling stock car of it's day. I loved the ones I had.
And would love to have another as a daily go to town car. Although the 55 Town Sedan I sold a year or so ago was a great riding and handling boat. But then again compared
to the 57 Ford it was top heavy. The shoe box's even handled better. Prolly the weight
of the flat motor. They sure would spin out easy.

I love the opening scene of "Thunder Road" when Robert Michem does a roll over turn around
with the Feds and his rear bumper chasing him in a 57 Chev.
Wish I could link to that first few minutes for us.

 

I think that Chevy may have lost a half second just in chassis twist.

 

It lost more than that - check it out at 24:20.