I need my truck to be a business truck, but I'm a blacksmith artist, my truck needs to say what I can do even if I'm not building trucks for a living.

Since day one I've wanted to go 4x4, I'll need it. Plus large tires and a low stance looks awesome.

I've toyed with darkside ideas, like hood vents with some early 60s style, but today I'm really leaning towards really keeping that '50s feel, even if everything under the sheet metal will have to be more modern.

Most the work I build is heavy, big and awkward. For that reason I'm also going to build a trailer and just tow with my truck. A flat-bed might be easier for some stuff, especially if you have a fork lift, but when it's just man power walking off a trailer or trying to get it off a bed 4' up becomes pretty clear. Plus it allows me more style, I feel in love with all of the '56, I don't want to give up the bed, it changes too much.

I plan on customizing a 73-79 short bed, or a '53-72 long bed, or really just making the thing myself. I want it about 6' or so, but wider and taller than the old shortbeds. In my opinion it looks a lot better, plus the room would be handy.


Going to be red, possibly candy apple red over gold. I'll either do some door art with my business logo or put it on the bed stakes if I use those. And the tail gate. Look something like this... only less horribly photoshopped:



with a different bumper...




Yeah you've seen that truck before, if anyone is board and wants to up me on photoshop:






I just like a low ride and large tires. Always been my thing.

351w with auto, 4.10 POSI all around. 36-38" tires. Might go with EFI, all depends on what I can find. I'll have to wait till I move to do a lot of it I'm afraid, you can't weld on a busy street, especially when it's -20 outside. Tilt hood, possibly full tilt front. Possibly hood vents (which I have mock up pictures as I've made them just haven't installed or cut anything, still debating) . I really like a black truck with red interior, but I think I'll loose too much from a distance and I want to catch some eyes.

So thats my game plan, if anyone has any ideas, feel free to shoot ^_^

 

I like it. I like it a lot. I'll make two little notes here, though. First is your transmission vs. gearing choice. If you want an automatic with those 4.10's, then either get an AOD or even better would be a E4OD. You'll need the overdrive. My old '94 F-250 had 4.10's with no O/D and 32" tires. It sounded like it was coming apart at 65 MPH and SUCKED the gas like you wouldn't believe. I swapped to an O/D tranny and it was like night and day.

The other thing you need to think about is what you're willing to live with as far as ride height goes. If you want the cargo capacity to actually use it for a truck, then it ain't going to be low. If you want it 4-wheel-drive, it definitely ain't gonna be low. It's not physically possible. I'm assuming that you'll end up using a straight axle with parallel leaves up front. If you look at a stock 2WD axle out of one of these trucks, you'll see that it has some drop built into it from the factory. A front 4WD live axle has none, so it has no choice but to sit higher. One of the other members here did a 4x4 conversion to his truck and I'm planning one for mine, too. He had to add 4" lift blocks between the springs and the rear axle after the conversion just to keep it level. From the measurements I've taken so far on mine, I'll have to do the same thing. I'm not saying it's going to have to sit as high as that truck did before you 'shopped it, but it will have to sit a bit higher than a stock truck does.

 

how big of a trailer are you going to need? are you going to modify a step side bed for trailer sides to help tie the trailer to the truck?

 

Thanks ^_^
Yeah definatly going with overdrive, maybe a 5 speed manual but it might just be easier going auto. When I saw low I don't mean 2wd low, but basicly unlifted. It will probably be the exact same height the truck is now, it's a f600, so it has 36" wheels on it already. But the straight axle will prove to add some problems to the equation, you're right. I may have to look into frame changes, but hopefully not. I don't mind a heigher than a f-100 ride hieght, I just like it to be as low as it can go. I won't be putting thousands of pounds in the bed, just light use there, and use a trailer for heavy stuff that would trash the bed overtime anyways.

Decent size trailer, probably big enough to put another truck on. I might not need it that big, or wide, but I bet the width and lenght would come in very handy if I got another project... I enjoy building quite a bit, I don't see myself ever really quitting. I do plan on making it look to match the truck, probably removable stake sides, and a removable piece in the inside so I can strap my work down standing up (lying down rubs the finish and makes it harder to get in and out). Course that will be a little while down. I may use the old 600 axles for it, who knows.

 

You mentioned candy-apple paint. I'll suggest that there are a lot of very attractive, standard-type colors, and if you're planning to use your truck as a truck, sooner or later you're going to scratch, chip, dent, or otherwise inflict some sort of damage to the finish. True candy type paints are virturally impossible to repair without doing a major re-spray. You may want to consider choosing a more practical finish.

If you want a way to show off your metal-working art skills, think about custom making your own small brackets and trim, bumpers, etc. I'm guessing someone with your talent can whip up some really cool, one of a kind mirror brackets, light brackets, tailgate latches/hinges, emblems... I'm sure you get the picture.

 

Yeah I've thought about that. I did my car in House of Kolor's Candy base and it went on just as easy as anything, but I also find myself worring about the paint job a lot more, even though it wasn't really any more work. I guess it's because if it gets damaged it's more likely that I will have to repaint the whole car to get it all to match. Which I actually wouldn't mind, it's fun.

I've been trying to find a very vibrant crimson for a while. The problem is finding a color like blood but not one that turns orange or too dark in the shade. It's maddening, lol.

I've thought about doing the custom parts, I remember once thinking bumpers kinda like a second gen corvette could be pretty cool. If nothing else I'll have to make the rear bumper and probably the running boards, if nothing else cause I don't feel like paying for them, lol. Going to be fun to see, if only I had a place to work. (thats way maddening, wanting to work so and having no where to do it. Can't weld in the street, can't do metal work and have it exposed if you don't want it to rust, can't work in the cold, it sucks, lol)

 

CANDY BRANDY WINE with a gold base is nice. I sprayed my brother inlaws Corvette that color and it really stands out in a crowd.

I am reinstalling my flatbed(all refinished) and adding my wing to the roof of my 56 F600.
wITH A HIDDEN BALL ...in the bed/I will hook up a 28' goosneck tandem axle and also be able to pull my 28' car(enclosed) trailer....or any of my 8 trailers.
I keep my trucks stock and with the added trailer and flatbed.....can haul 'bout anything I want.

 

I like the low with wide tire version.

 

Had a friend here in town that had a specality welding business - almost all his equipment was mounted on his truck - an early 70's Chevy - He build a custom bed with toolbox sides - bumper mount vices/benders/shears/etc - everything was lockable and was cool to watch when he pulled up and set up shop.

 

Thanks

I've thought about brandywine as well, truthfully I need to see some colors in person, which is hard with custom colors like this in a town this size, before I can be certain. A photo changes too much.

I have planned on putting a goose neck hitch in the bed, only lowered so it didn't stick up and be just a massive trip hazard most the time. Just have like a panel or something.


That would be cool to see Dick C, lol but I'd have to double all the tools I have and Having a furnace on the back next to everything wouldn't be the best idea, lol. My business is a bit different than a welders, everything I do is done newly, nothing welded on sight for me, everything is finished and designed to be simply installed when it shows up. Actually even installing is something I don't do, all I need to do as far as actually using my truck for work is getting my work from my shop to the site. Some people live off dirt roads and in the winter it makes 4x4 quite necessary, but I also want to be able to use the truck for more than that. If nothing else I love finding more projects and materials and need to get them home, lol.

 

Have you thought of airbags? A buddy of mine convereted an old *****'s M470 to dually and uses them. I believe he gets 4-6 inches of ride difference. I'll ping him for more info.

 

Haven't given any thought to airbags, to be honest I've never seen them on a 4x4, never stopped to think they could be used.

I don't need it real low, but I think 4x4s look better if they're not up real high and have the wheel more full in the wheel well, this truck for example has a great stance to me:


I'm more than willing to go through all the work involved to make things fit sitting unraised. Be fun. I'll have to look into airbags, only thing I don't like about them is when the compressor a sensor goes out, I'm a fan of keeping things simple.

 

I figure I'm going to have to build/get a bed before I can be certain on a lot of things, the bed will effect a great many things as far as the axles go. I've got a feeling this is really going to snow ball to get me what I want, ha.


Ok, thinking way big, but there is pleanty of room in the engine bay, what about c-notching the front to loose a couple of inches? I mean can't go too much or I'll hit the engine of course, but maybe a little? (lol a thought brought up without going to even check if it's even plausable, its cold out there, and dark... and I'm hungry, lol)

 

Whoa! Forget the C-notches. If you like the stance of the last truck you posted, then you're expectations are reasonable. That truck has a straight axle under the front, so you should be in that general area. I'd shoot for a stockish F-100 type leaf spring suspension all the way around and the ride should be decent and still handle average truck duty and a trailer with no problem. I think your plan is really shaping up! Our builds will be very similar. We'll have to compare notes. I should be getting started in the spring.

 

hey man that is looking cool. i cant wait till you actually get started on this. who knows maybe if your still in sheridan when you started i might have to give ya a hand.