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hey welcome, lets get right off topic, that truck looks lifted could you let us know if it is.
also keep the 4 speed in it as grinding gears is fun to do and those transmissions are indestructible.
I don't believe it's lifted but here's a picture of the rear springs, is that how they are supposed to be?
Great article. I like the part about emotional support. When I was building my race car my wife kiddingly said she’d forward my mail to the garage. 2 years from bare shell to the track. Kids and dogs often hung out in the garage, a great experience and one son eventually got to drive it at the track.
"It wasn't running anymore and needed a good deal of repair. I wanted it so badly I could taste it, but I didn't have the time to fix it or room to keep it. I couldn't afford to do the work, pay the insurance or buy the parts. I was having a hard enough time keeping the junk I had running. Groceries and kids were more important. I've always regretted telling him no and I was determined from that point to some day have an old truck to rework." That's about the point I'm at and almost made the same decision but something kept telling me I'd regret it if I didn't buy it so I did, most of the 52s I've seen are far out of my price range or in worse shape. Having a plan definitely sounds like a good idea. After reading that I'm starting to think completing the truck in a couple years may be wishful thinking but that's OK because I bought it knowing it was a big project and wasn't going to be done quick, I already have the basic idea of what I want but what I can find for parts will determine what it becomes. Getting the frame and body ready for everything else will probably be my first goal. Great article by the way.
guess I quoted the wrong message with this one
Last edited by Donpettipas; Nov 28, 2023 at 02:46 PM.
you have to know your path (as others have pointed out) Here's a link to something I wrote years
ago when I started... Might give you some ideas and paths to think about
"It wasn't running anymore and needed a good deal of repair. I wanted it so badly I could taste it, but I didn't have the time to fix it or room to keep it. I couldn't afford to do the work, pay the insurance or buy the parts. I was having a hard enough time keeping the junk I had running. Groceries and kids were more important. I've always regretted telling him no and I was determined from that point to some day have an old truck to rework." That's about the point I'm at and almost made the same decision but something kept telling me I'd regret it if I didn't buy it so I did, most of the 52s I've seen are far out of my price range or in worse shape. Having a plan definitely sounds like a good idea. After reading that I'm starting to think completing the truck in a couple years may be wishful thinking but that's OK because I bought it knowing it was a big project and wasn't going to be done quick, I already have the basic idea of what I want but what I can find for parts will determine what it becomes. Getting the frame and body ready for everything else will probably be my first goal. Great article by the way.
Last edited by Donpettipas; Nov 28, 2023 at 02:47 PM.
if i were you i would get a 223 and crashbox 4 speed to bolt in to the truck because you only need to fab up front motor mounts or swap in a y block.
I may have access to a 300 straight 6 with an automatic transmission out of a 64 comet(not the original motor unsure of transmission) I was kinda thinking about going that route but I'd prefer a standard and its definitely a bigger transmission. What I can find without traveling to far and my pocket book are definitely going to have a lot of say in what I do to it. Any idea how id tell if the transmission in the truck is any good? It probably wouldn't bolt up to a strait 6 though eh?
I may have access to a 300 straight 6 with an automatic transmission out of a 64 comet(not the original motor unsure of transmission) I was kinda thinking about going that route but I'd prefer a standard and its definitely a bigger transmission. What I can find without traveling to far and my pocket book are definitely going to have a lot of say in what I do to it. Any idea how id tell if the transmission in the truck is any good? It probably wouldn't bolt up to a strait 6 though eh?
Ill be interested to see answers here as I want to use a straight 6 in my 50 with a manual also.
I figured that my build would take at least 3 years and I am coming up on two years. I have most of the frame and running gear in and am now working on cab issues.
When I would get stuck on one issue I could not figure out, instead of stopping, I moved on to something I understood and then I could see progress. Seeing progress is key to not getting burned out and quitting.
I used the kind folks on FTE for info when I would get stuck with an issue. Once I figured out the issue that I was stuck on, then it was back to that part.
It is like eating an elephant. One bite at a time.
That a transmission will bolt to a different engine doesn't mean it came from the factory that way.
Many transmission swaps are accomplished with an adapter plate between. Scroll thru the Speedway catalog or search online for details on mating a T5 to a flathead for instance.
Crash box 4 spd is a 4 speed transmission without synchronizers or another way of saying it has spur gears. You have to double clutch the things or delicately tickle your way thru a shift without using the clutch.
Double clutch - simplistic explanation. With the truck moving, you push the clutch in and move the gearshift into neutral. Let the clutch out and match the rpms of the gear you're going to engage. Push the clutch back in and move the gearshift into that gear. Let the clutch back out and continue on down the road. You will grind a lot of gears learning.
You have a later axle with the 12" Bendix brakes. The measurement refers to the diameter of the brake shoes, and if you were to pull a drum and measure the brake shoes, you'll find them to be about 12" across. The good news is your brakes will take later 16" rims and you can be rid of your 17" widowmaker rims. The 14" Lockheed backing plate looks like this...
The numbers cast into your axle housing is a casting date code. Probably safe to say it's original to your truck
This is the adjuster hole plug, and the number on it is the part number.
I may have access to a 300 straight 6 with an automatic transmission out of a 64 comet(not the original motor unsure of transmission) I was kinda thinking about going that route but I'd prefer a standard and its definitely a bigger transmission. What I can find without traveling to far and my pocket book are definitely going to have a lot of say in what I do to it. Any idea how id tell if the transmission in the truck is any good? It probably wouldn't bolt up to a strait 6 though eh?
A 64 Comet would not have a 300-6. That was a truck motor, along with it's 240 sibling that was used in full size cars and trucks. It wouldn't fit in a Comet. A 64 Comet would more likely have a 170 6 cylinder and 2 speed Ford o matic trans, neither of which I'd wish on you, even if they were free. The 300 is too long to fit well in our trucks without major surgery or butchery. And 6 cylinder engines were never used in Canadian Ford or Mercury trucks until 1956.
A crashbox is the slang term for a non-synchronized transmission, which is another thing to avoid if you're not used to double clutch shifting. Beware of those who yap out of their backside a lot, that have no clue what they're talking about and may steer you wrong.
