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i always hear that learning ford engines the easyist way is to work on a 88-93 mustang 5.0. would you say that working on a 80-96 f150 would be as easy??
Absolutely. A lot more room under the hood to move around. Much easier to get underneath without jacking. And like I said before, not in high demand for rebuilders so there are plenty of parts available in any junkyard.
302 F150's are everywhere. I think you should build an F150 with a 351 and a 5-speed. Those are awesome combinations, just never found in an F150 with EFI.
low92flareside: BTW, Nite's came out for mid-year 1991 as a shortbed 2wd/4x4 model only. 1992's added a Bronco, flareside, and supercab models. They are very rare, you should hold on to yours...
And don't worry, I'm not letting go of my baby. I'm totally in love with this truck. Have been since I first saw one on the road in 92. Just waitin' for the $$$ to buy a nice new daily driver with a warranty so I can have her off the road for a while to build her right.
fordraceing_man, my advice to you. Build what you want. We've all got ideas and opinions, but you're the only one behind the steering wheel when its all over with. Take your time and don't be afraid to ask questions.
you can make these trucks fast right??
i have a 95 tbird with a 4.6 in it. would it take a lot to make the truck faster then that? also would a stick or auto be my better bet for that? basically i would like to make a really nice clean looking fast truck.
yes you can make these trucks pretty darn fast. how's your stick driving skills? do you enjoy driving stick? Its really a preference thing. Both can be put behind a fast motor with no difficulties. Personally, I prefer stick, but there's no shame in driving an automatic.
are you planning on driving this truck a lot. I'd be more concerned with finding a trans to suit your needs. If you'll be on the highway, try to find something with a 5 speed or an overdrive. If gas mileage isn't a concern..look for a nice 4 speed stick or 3 speed auto.
Your post says you're looking for a fast truck...are you looking for 1/4 mile times or do you want to try to run with hi performance cars down a highway at 130 mph? The rear gear ratio will play a big part of this as well.
Let us know what you are looking to get out of this truck and hopefully we can help.
If you already have a nice peppy t-bird (automatic I'm assuming), i think I'd lean towards the stick. Variety is the spice of life...
well it won't be a daily driver i have a 03fx4 with only 20k miles on it and i have a 40th anniversity tbird with 90k on it. see i don't even know much about different trannies or gears or anything like that. i won't be raceing just if im curing along the shore line and floor it i want something to go pretty good. doesn't have to kill a 05 stang or anything.
also if i found one with a 6 cylinder in it would that be a hard swap or do i need to find one with a 8 in it?
The great thing about these trucks is that they are almost completely swapable. (not sure if that's a word). I wouldn't be concerned with what engine the truck comes with. That's swapped out easy enough. I'd be more concerned with 2wd or 4wd and stick vs auto and body/frame condition.
Correct. The only problem you may experience is that most places won't let you trade in a 6 cyl as a core for an 8 cyl.
Like I said before, be more concerned with body condition and trans options. Rust is annoying to have to fix, and buying a stick and later deciding you want an auto can be more trouble than its worth IMHO.
No, read back into this thread a bit about core charges.
Have you ever bought a starter at a Pep Boys or Auto Zone. When you buy it they make you pay a core charge ($20 or so). When you bring the old dead starter back, they give you the $20 bucks back. That's a core charge, but, if you buy a 351w and have a 6 cyl, they won't give you the core charge back (or at least all of it).
If you go with a junkyard 351, you won't have to worry about this. They usually don't have core charges. When you buy a crate engine, they usually have a core charge (in my experience).
Had a $100 core charge when I bought a new trans online once. When I sent them back the old trans, they refunded the $100 on my credit card.
I'm just curious, have you bounced any of these ideas off the mechanics at your dealership. What are their thoughts? They've seen the inside of more of these trucks than anybody.