I know there was no such thing, but if Ford had built a truck like the Lightening back in 1961 using a unibody platform..........What do you suppose they would have done to the truck? I'm thinking phantom project here.

I have a 1961 unibody, a 292 (Ford would have probably stepped up to an FE don't you think?) and need to get some direction in this rebuild before I start anything. Blown 312? "Prototype IFS? Interior modifications? Car 4 speed? Wheels? Paint schemes? Think 1961 styling excercise meets Ford parts sources!

Let your mind run free, have some fun and let's discuss a phantom project.

Thanks,
SPark

 

How about Falcon Sprint buckets and console (ala 65 Ranger) for the interior, either a 390 with dual quad carbs, toploader 4 speed or a blown 312 (ala 57 T-bird) with a 4 speed toploader (they could have made it work). Not sure about IFS. Guess they could have adapted a car suspension? Basically they could have used the technology and engineering they used in the NASCAR cars. Guess the F100XL was the closest thing to a Lightning in that era.

 

What Falcon Sprint came out in 1961? The Falcon Sprint was introduced midyear 1963.

T-Birds had bucket seats, center console beginning in 1958. Bucket seats/console introduced in 1962 Galaxie 500XL's.

Top Loader 4 Speed introduced 1964, 1961/63: Warner T-10.

1961/62 Fords and 1961/63 Birds: 390 6V (VIN engine code M). No dual quads available on 390's till 1963 (Ford's only).

The F100XL was an outside project, not officially manufactured by FoMoCo.

McCollough Supercharged (VIN code F) or Dual Quad (VIN code E) 1957 312 used in Fords & Birds.

 

Opps! Seems I got carried away with too much fun. Guess these things I mentioned weren't in the development stage or in Ford's version of the "skunkworks". OP didn't say they had to be factory available in 1961 or be available in the Ford parts bin. Anyway, I stand chastised.

 

Cool concept. Im actually building a 63 UniLightning. Much more progress than pics show. Ill have to get some new ones loaded on my computer. Im installing the motor, trans and rearend in my 63. Hopefully will have it running in a month. Working on fabbing headers and exhaust now next is wiring. I plan to stick with the lightning theme for the interior but will use a Teas Design seat.

 

It probably would have had the drivetrain from the '60 Starliner Interceptor Special which was a 360 horsepower 352 and I believe is considered Ford's first engine that developed more than one horse per cubic inch and was the first 60s Ford musclecar.

 

Automakers 'grossly' over-rated HP figures on 1951/72 passenger cars V8 engines.

It was all a matter of one up-manshipping the other guys engines.

Some of the figures are so fantastic, that even some dunderheads who didn't know diddly-squat about these engines used back then, didn't believe the HP figures.

 

True, but it has also been said that they under rated some of the engines for insurance purposes. The '68 428CJ was rated at 335hp, how could it make less hp than the '60 Starliner 352 special? I don't know. Until the engine is on a dyno, nobody knows for sure what the real numbers are. Ever met a guy with a small block chev who didn't say it made 400hp? Once you bolt all that edelbrock crap and headers on a motor, its got to be 400 to 450 easy. I just used the '60 352 as an example for this litening dream-up because from what I've read it was a 10.5 to 1 motor with solid lifters, kind of the beginning of the performance movement, and could have been used in the F100s without too much hassle. Although a cool engine and probably more realistically rated at 300hp, the F code 312 was outdated by '60-61. The trend by then was bigger displacement. Maybe if they put a McCullough supercharger on a Lincoln 430?...

 

The 1958/65 Lincoln 430 and the 1966/67 Lincoln 462 make perfect boat anchors.

Maybe the ferries that ply between Richmond - Nanaimo BC or Victoria BC - Port Angeles WA could find a use for them, otherwise....

 

Seems alot of them probably became exactly that as many Chris Craft Commanders seem to have had them. I did a bit of research awhile back and according to some guy who worked at the ChrisCraft plant the 430s were equally as reliable as the 427s. They seemed to think they weren't a bad motor other than they had super thick castings and were heavy, and in a boat like that weight savings on light castings isn't a real concern.

 

I had a 1967 Chris-Craft 37 footer once. It had two 327 Chebbies in it.

Those two engines weren't treated very well by previous owners. I had to replace one, fix up the other.

I soon learned what the caveat of every boat owner is. A boat is a hole in the water you pour money into.

The happiest two days of a boat owners life: The day he buys it, the day he sells it!

 

Just curious why are you going to use period available parts on this phantom? it wouldn't have the same nostalgia if you use newer parts but it will be a better preforming vehicle.

I also am dreaming up a phantom with my 66 but mine is with my 460 out of my 97 retrofitted to run a carb. And eventually a crownvic or a mustang II front swap. I plan on keeping the np435 for now. I geuss mine is more of just a sleeper than a old lightning.

 

I've always liked unibodies. Neighbor had a really nice one when I was a kid and it's always stuck in my mind. Back then you didn't see a newish pickup with Ansen Sprint wheels and fat tires. It had an FE in it and sounded great. A friend used to bring one to our car show here every year and it was really nice. Y-block, Lincoln IFS stub swapped in, major lowering and black as night. I've wanted one for....oh.... 40 years or so. Now I have one to play with and strongly considering the phantom route.

I am already doing the street rod/hot rod/truck rod/darkside (whatever you want to call it) thing with my '57. It's got IFS, power disc brakes, tilt steering, lowered, modern (kind of) V8/automatic, etc. Check my galaries for pics of it.

I have really enjoyed looking at some of the really good phantom street rods at Good Guys events and in magazines. Thought it might be fun to build what a Lightning would have been in 1961. I pictured it slightly lowered, upgraded interior (I like the T-Bird bucket idea with a little custom stich work), body color painted bumpers, I have a Y-block to build so figured to use that, wheels I don't really know about yet (need to see what was popular in 1961 besides chrome reverse or early mags). Take the Lightning concept but back it up in time. Looking for ideas and angles I have missed while planning this farse. In my mind, I think what if the factory built a prototype but it never got off the ground, a 1 off. It's feasable they could have gone forward a year or two to get parts not available to the general public in 1961 but that were being tested. What if......

Keep the ideas coming, I'm keeping notes!
SPark