Well, it't not totally finished but the frame rails have been repaired... the boxing plates installed and the cross member is in. Welds still have to be ground down to pretty them up, plumbing done, engine mounts redone and other misc stuff... but it's coming together.. there are some pics on my main page @ http//:jniolon.clubfte.com if anyone wants to see the deed

john

an article will be done soon

 

Awesome work John.

Steve @ Industrial Chassis is still trying to convince me to try one of his Dodge Dakota kits instead of Mustang II. We'll see.

- JT

 

 

John,
Thanks for the posts!

Todd.

 

Very nice John, you can't even tell she used be a Dodge My compliments to you or whoever did the welding. I just returned from the Badgerland F-100 show at WI Dells. A lot of trucks had 460s in them. I see what you are up against now as far as clearances go. Not much room for error.

'fenders

 

Hey John, keep up the great work here and on your FTE website..I always find excellent info. there for a 1st timer like myself without anyone immediately available to talk with concerning an F100 resto...Thanks again

 

I wished I had met you at the Dash to the Dells. I knew you said you might come but I didn't know for sure. Would have liked to meet you face to face. The rain Saturday hampered the show somewhat. Hope you enjoyed yourself.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 16-Sep-02 AT 09:31 AM (EST)]John, I've just about decided to go the Volare route. Other than the looks of the Chrysler suspension (I know you have the tilt front end from other posts), was it satisfactory as far as ride and handling? What about width and parts availability. I would like to put one of these suspensions under my 48 F3. Am I likely to encounter any obstacles?

 

Vern

I am sure John will give you some feedback but clearance with his 460 was also a big factor in his decision. If you run a smallblock with your Volare you will be OK. I have tons of clearance with my 53. Just make sure you have your relativeely complete engine (heads,headers and oil pan), radiator, fan and shroud, transmission, oil filter etc, handy before you weld the motor mounts solid. You can avoid headaches down the road. MII does look sexier but a Volare that is carefully installed can look very neat and professional. I saw a few this weekend in WI that were nothing short of outstanding. I swear they must have used glazing putty on the welds. Absolutely seamless transition from Volare to F100 frame. If you are not an expert welder, tack it in place and find someone who can make it pretty.

'fenders

 

Vern,

DeWayne is right about the volare doing a good job. I haven't gotten mine on the road yet, but have driven a few with volare suspension.. they all ride sweet and handle well and the torsion bars give you infinite adjustment on the front suspension (although, the lower you screw it down the less suspension travel you have...read bottom out) that can be addressed with dropped spindles (around $450). but if you keep your ride height at a decent level you should have no problem.

Also he was spot on about the small block... there's plenty of room unless you're running a big block. One thing to consider is the cost of rebuilding (recommended) the front end before you put it on the road.. DeWayne can give you some very accurate $$$ numbers to use calculating the cost.. it ain't cheap to rebuild one especially if you have to buy the torsion bar end bushings... If I was running a fat fendered car/truck and wanted a good ride and the suspension wouldn't show.. I'd do a volare. Bob's F-100 in California builds dozens of trucks a year with this suspension.. and he swears there is no interference problems with headers, etc... he might be right, but I couldn't see it... I KNOW with the MII unit there is NO problem and I like the looks of it... If cost is your only deciding factor the volare is cheap (discounting the rebuild cost) $200 bucks will get one. But I had other things that were more important than the cost to consider...

One other thing I didn't mention... the 48 has a narrower frame than the '53 and some of the frame mods will be different.. there are folks on this forum that have done the f-1 frames and they like them... check the archives for some of the message threads on the earlier narrower frames... you CAN make it work...

hope this rambling helps..

john

 

There is a previous thread on the costs of rebuild for Volare from 6 months ago. I do have part numbers, sources and prices if you have any trouble finding info. You are looking at $400 easy for a proper rebuild and it could go higher if you have a clip with brake problems. Parts availability is very good. John is exactly right about the ride height issue. You can get plenty of drop from stock but if you want your front bumper 4 inches off the ground, you will have a mushy ride with a Volare. You have to pre-load the torsion bars to get some firmness. If you buy drop spindles and rebuild the Volare, you are just getting too close to the price of some other IFS options like an entry level MII or the Gibbons torsion bar kit. Good luck and just yell if you need the specific Volare rebuild parts info. I have them at home.

'fenders

 

John and Fenders,

I really appreciate the info. I'm trying to build this truck on a shoestring and the Volare route seems to be the way to go. I will be using a small block and ride height is not a big issue with me. What about disc brakes. Do most all the Volare frames come with them or with drums? If I end up with one with drums, is it a big deal to change it over to discs?

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 17-Sep-02 AT 06:48 PM (EST)]Vern

You will end up with disc brakes with the Volare clip. They are just a little under 11" I believe. Since you are on a budget, if you have your choice, pick out a clip that has decent torsion bar pivot cushion bushings. They aren't cheap. The bushings at the end of the bars at the lower control arm will be toast so don't worry about them, you'll have to replace them. Get the No-Limit engineering video. It is money well spent. Templates are OK but you need an understanding of what you are doing. Too much work to ALMOST get it in there right. The website below will help you understand the bushings I mentioned above. You will also see that you are not limited to just Volare Aspen for your donor clip.

Dewayne

http://www.geocities.com/indychamp/torsion/torsion.htm

 

Dewayne,

Thanks for the tip on the pivot cushion bushings. I'll also check on the video from No-Limit. Is that video for 48-52 or 53 up installations? I printed out reference you gave me for future use.

 

Video is for 53-56 but the principles and important angles are relevent to most any application a Volare will fit in. email me at fatfenders53(No Email Addresses In Posts!) My tape is loaned out right now but I can probably let you use it soon if you don't want to buy it.

'fenders