Ok, you have answered the questions that have been running in my mind. You're still young. This is probably a first "major" project. Since you want to tow an atv, or lawn mower, then you can go with a nicely built small block Ford, Chevy, whatever. The 4bt F6 guy is talking about, is a perfect choice for a daily driver diesel, or like mech's mercedes powered one. All good info for you here. Are you still in high school, or are you in college? If high school, get the 31's/33's outa you head. You're thinking tires associated with lift kits and 4 wheel drive. I live in central Oregon, and believe me, I hear about 30+" tires, and 49's and all that crap DAILY. When you talk tires on these trucks, it's 245/70's or something like that. For you, assuming you're still in high school, and this is a project that you are dealing with with little or no help from the parents, then I would do this....Make a plan, run it through us, we're here to help. Check the local wrecking yards for parts, and get prices on engines. Price out the 302, the 350, the 400 Ford or Chevy, price big blocks, small blocks, etc. Price them with and with out trannies. Price trannies. Since you want it quickly, you need to avoid all the newer electrical crap. Get a couple parts catalogs. Get hold of Sacramento Vintage, Mid Fifty, Councours Parts, LMC, Etc., Etc. Once you decide on an engine tranny combo, price the bolt in and weld in motor mount kits. They have them for many different engine/trans combos. Start there, and you'll be ahead of the game for now. MAKE A PLAN, AND MAKE SURE BEFORE YOU START. That is the first most important thing you can do. Get back to us, and keep us posted, and we are here to help!

 

Haha, yes I am in high school. Ok - I can get those out of the picture. So do you reccoment me trying to pull off the diesel or not? Also, I am currently driving manual and I love it, but the truck I am looking at has an automatic tranny in it, so can you tell just by me saying that, that the owner just switched a few cables and the transmission to the point that I could change it back, or is there to much that he could have done to tell?

So far y'all have done the major part of convincing my parents that I can put an engine in this relatively easily, depending on what I choose and I just heard back from a man I was checking with the verify that the title would pass clearly since its from across the state border. So hopefully this will work out.

Lastly, my younger brother and my dad started a father - son project on a 54 Ford F100 and I have been using most of their catalogs such as Capenters for sources as they also sell parts for "my" model. My dad and I started on his first car - a 66 mustang a few months before my brother got his, and work is coming along nicely, but I wanted something that I would reap the benefits of.

Thanks

 

If you really want the diesel, go for it. You're not going to be driving before the end of the school year though. What grade are you in? Assuming say sophomore, diesel should be ready before senior year, junior, probably not, unless you find everything you need and run into very few hickups along the way. Personally, you're doing a 51/2 model year truck. Diesel is gonna be pricey to find a good donor. I would do a small block, and enjoy it sooner, and you can do that on a much tighter budget than a diesel. You can use everything you already have if you go small block, meaning, that you won't have to do extensive frame mods to make it hold up, or, you won't have to replace the frame with something else. You can get a motor mount kit to install any of the motors into the 51's frame. That's what I would do, especially since you want to drive it sooner than later. You don't need a manual tranny, unless you really want it. You can go the route of putting in a Y-block with a T-98 four speed, something out of a 54-64 Ford truck. If i were you, after knowing you want it sooner than later, I would do a small block V-8 with an auto transmission. Really, really easy to put in, and you don't have to be a super mechanic to do it. If your budget for this is tight, I would suggest a small block Chevy (yes, dollar for dollar, they are better for a tight budget). If you want to go the Ford in a Ford route, 302 with a c-4 is more than enough for what you want. Do a mild build up on a 302 ( rebuild it with a cam, and maybe heads, and headers, and a good intake carb set up, and get the c-4 gone through with some hardened parts, and a shift kit. Put in a 9" Ford rear end, and get it geared to the 3.55:1 range, and you would have a nice little street cruiser that will haul an atv to the local dirt spot.

 

Ok, thank you so much, that's exactly what I've been wanting.

I love Ford and their products so I'd perfer a Ford engine but if Chevy's more practical, largely due to the tranny currently in the truck I may just go that route. Does chevy make a 302? Or am I looking at a 350? I have 2000 to 3000 to spend on just the engine, which once I started looking at engine prices, I was pretty psyched, but I also realized that there would probably be some other things that would need tweaking, such as the rear end. Am I going to have to find a rear end for that model or is that simple enough to go down to the junk yard and pulling one out of a newer truck such as a 70's or 80's F150?

 

A 51 should have I think a Dana 44. I think. As to the budget, you're golden. You can get a complete motor tranny from the wrecking yard for a few hundred bucks. If you really want Ford, find a 302/C-4 out of something in the early 70's. We had a 73 E-350 that had a 302 and C-4 in it. Get the motor mount kit from the restoration supplier for a couple hundred bucks, and you should be able to get both the motor and tranny kits for a couple hundred. Start there. Get the TH 350 out of the truck and the crossmember that it's attached to. It's been exposed, and there fore is likely junk. You'll need to get a driveline made too. You can get an after market shifter assembly for the C-4. You can get a radiator for it too. You have enough money to make real head way, IF you do some thrifty work in the wrecking yards. If you can spend that much on just the motor, you can get it bored over, new pistons, cam, the whole shebang, and paint it a real pretty old Ford blue. We have $4000 budget on a 302 for a kid. We've gone .040 over, thumper cam, rebuilt the heads, ARP bolts, the whole nine yards, and are still under his budget with us charging $68 an hour. Do some searching now. Get us some pics of the truck, and we can help you. Let's assume you have a $3000 budget for just the motor. So, let's assume you have a $5-$6000 budget all together. You can do a lot on $5000. I mean a lot. You can get the disk brake kits that retain the stock front end. You can swap out the rear axle for a 9", or get the stock one rear geared. You can rewire the whole truck, get most of the interior done, get the engine tranny, and exhaust all done. About the only thing you won't be able to do on that is paint it, and redo the bed in oak. These trucks are not an expensive truck to restore, or resto-mod, UNLESS you want them to be. The people spending $45K and more, are getting $6000+ paint jobs, and major custom work done, and paying someone else to do it. If you do almost all the owrk yourself, you can restore a solid original on a very tight budget. I have a total of $1600 out of my pocket into my F-800. I have been able to sell parts to help, but if I hadn't, I would be closer to $4000. But, I have mine on a semi frame, and it has a Caterpillar diesel, and a 5x4 tranny set up, with tandem rear axles, and full air brakes. I have killed 3 trucks to build it, and scrapped two cabs that were usable (if lots of rust were fixed), and two cabs that weren't usable. I have 3 years into this truck, plus the 18 months of searching for the right frame and drive train. You will have an advantage, you are talking about a pick up truck, and you can buy everything you will need from a catalog. I can only order cab related parts for mine, as front end metal is NOT available. Don't tell any local sellers about your engine budget. Go down to the wrecking yard like you're broke and on a super tight budget. Talk them down on their asking price. A used 302/c-4 combo that has 30 + years on it, and is in unknown coindition is worth about $60 in scrap (assuming dirty automotive scrap is still $200 a ton) on the high end. Talk them down. Try not to buy a rebuildable engine for more than $300, tranny included. Don't go in there with a punk kid attitude though, but go inthere with a little confidence. Don't get excited if they show you a motor with chrome valve covers. EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. The engine will need to be rebuilt, need new ater pump, oil pan, oil pump, pistons, bearings, valves, gaskets and seals, cam and bearings. EVERYTHING. You are basing your offer on the purchase of the block and usable guts, not a running motor that they just pulled out of a car with low miles. If you can get the same motor tranny from a vehice still there, get the drive line too, and any tranny linkages as well as fan and carb and carb linkages. Get us some photos ASAP, and ask us before you chunk down the cash on a motor.

 

Ok, that sounds good.
So you think its better for me to go down and get one that's not rebuilt rather than get one that's already rebuilt? That's the main problem we're having with the mustang right now is the fact that both the tranny and the engine need rebuilding, but there's no one around here to do it and the few people we can find are very expensive. How much will it save me to do that versus going on ebay or some connections I got from the Food Lion Auto Fair that was here about a month ago and getting one already rebuilt?

As far as the powersteering goes, that's a main reason that I'm looking at this one over one in Virginia that is running. This one has powersteering, power brakes, and front disc brakes, all of which my mom is requiring before I can make it my daily driver. The one in Virginia has a 400 cu in motor in it and my dad said that it would cost too much on insurance to keep it and I'd have to replace it anyway. His main thing though was he thought that the conversion to powersteering was extremely difficult and time consuming, he said the brakes weren't as bad because of all of the conversion kits, but he said I would have a time with the powersteering. This is true - right? If it is somewhat easy I will look into the Virginia truck.

 

Well, I was just informed that someone beat me to it and it has been sold.

 

I'm now waiting on a call back from the Virginia truck to ensure that it is still for sale. If it is, I will get back on here with some questions about the powersteering and disc brake conversions - the engine isn't a massive issue as it doesn't have to be dealt with right away.

 

There are kits available to put a mustang II style front suspension in that truck. You would have power disc brakes. The power steering is not an issue, as these old trucks are geared in the box to still turn. I wa able to turn the 8.25 20's" on the front of the F-750 fire truck with out any trouble, and it was not power steering. Good luck with finding the other truck. How much are you paying for these, if you don't mind me asking. You may consider finding one a little further away, and check into the cost of transport. Heck, I was given a 48 F-1, that I'll give you with clear title if you can't find a good project. I mostly have no need for it, and don't want to have to see it go where it will get ruined. It's already been altered a bit, so it is not a perfect restoration candidate.

 

.......NOT SPEND DOZENS OF MONTHS OF WORK AND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS??????!!!!!?????

Ok did you guys change the rules again and not tell me?

Julie!

PS Chevy 350 with the T350 or a Ford 351 Windsor with a C4 will be great. Gear your rear to 3.00. OR gear the rear to 3.00 and replace the C4 with a Ford AOD tranny! You can lock out the overdirve when towing and have decent freeway speed whan your not.

 

The one without the motor was $1500 and the one from Viriginia is $3500, and that one was driven down here from Viriginia, it runs great, it just doesn't meet my mom's safety standards. That's good to know about the power steering. Also, the reason I don't look in places like that is that my dad won't let me get something that I can't see first. It may be different with yours since your someone on this forum, but I don't know. What do you mean when you say altered? Like, it's been converted to like disc brakes? Or a change in the rear end?

Well the thing about that truck was that it already had everything needed to drive away, but the man had blown the engine and he had already removed it, so I would have just needed to drop an engine in it, but it already sold, so unfortunately it doesn't matter. I take a class at a local community college in Auto Tech and he reccomended a 3:55 or lower, he said if I wanted more pop, go with the 3:55 but I'd have more top end speed and torque by going down to like 3:00. Thanks though.

 

He's mistaken about the top end speed and torque with 3.00:1 gears. The lower the ratio, the more torque transfer, the higher the ratio, the less torque transfer, and more top speed. So for a truck, that still gets used as a truck, I wouldn't go any higher than 3.55:1, but would be more comfortable in the 3.73:1 range. Now, I am a truck person, and so I do not need my trucks to run down the road at 75 with all the sports cars and family sedans, and I don't use my truck as the family sedan. Trucks are for working. My boss has a Duramax truck, he shines it and babies it all day long, and even though he uses it to pull his race trailer, it is far less a truck than most others. My 01 Dodge dually, I got it all nice and clean and shiny white. It has not been washed yet (I will wash it after next weekends scrap run though, because even trucks require regular exterior care too). But, I don't mind the truck getting dings or dents in the box. Since you are anticipating a borderline truck (you want to drive it, and still use it like a truck), I would say the 3.55:1 would be the highest ratio I would go. I would say a mildly built small block, and maybe a nice hevy duty built auto trans. Unless, of course, you can obtain and install a nicely geared 4 or 5 speed manual. I see your moms point, and even your dads. It may be better to aquire a truck that is already mostly or completely built, but is in disrepair.

 

Oh ok.

I'm still waiting to hear back from the Virginia truck, I assume that he's been in Hershey, but he could just be ignoring my call.

That's one thing that I like about this truck is that its color is rust on black. Haha, but any how, I would love to get a 4 or 5 speed and put it on the floor, but how hard is that? Is that something that in several months I could do it over the weekend or is it much more involved?

Yes, that's what we're looking for.

 

There are several of the guys on here that have installed S-10 T-5 transmissions. It wouldn't be that involved. It would mostly be a matter of making a crossmember that would work for you.

 

Well, I called that guy again and he said that he decided to keep that one and sell his other one, which is nicer, thus making it out of my price range, as it is 6500 right off the bat, and so then I wouldn't have the funds for putting in the things that I'd be required to put in. So, for right now anyways, my search has been put on hold until I can find another that pops up in my area. Thanks for all the help wmjoe.