hey guys, im new.

anyways i have a 1952 pickup that I inhereated when my grandpa died last year. I have finally got around to draging it out of the field it was left in, and i think its in pretty good shape for something that sat in the field for 15 years. It has a clean title which was a plus.

my plans are to lower it with a nice indipendent coilover setup, flat black/ baloonwhite 2tone paint job. and shave everything on it.

Im debating on a choped top as well but not sure of many places near me that can do it, or where to get the custom windows made.

It has a 6 cylinder engine in it, and it is the original engine but i think i would rather have somehting with a little more power like say a 347, or a 302.

It will be a lengthy project but i hope to really get started on it next summer. I have a lot of research to do such as finding out how to get an independent suspension on the truck, and what i'll need for the engine and transimisson to fit. I know alot of chevy owners are puting the nova front ends onto their trucks so now sure if anyone is doing that in the ford sceen.


I am coming from the import sceen so this is a big change from using computers to tune and having bolton mods to having everything pretty much custom made. Im hopeing to find these engines much easier to work with. to say the least at I wont have to deal with that stupid imobolizer, and obd 2 garbage.

 

welcome aboard, probably the easiest IFS for your truck would be the Jag IFS, the T-Bird IRS would also install pretty easily. There is a member here who has done both to his truck, maybe he'll be along and you can look in his gallery. You have an extensive list of mods which isn't going to be cheap and will take quite a while to complete without rushing. Everything you mentioned has been discussed here so you came to the right place the knowledge is here.

 

is there a thread that explanins the used abv. on here? Not firmiular with IFS, and IRS

google is my friend, i know what they both mean now .

and yea i definitallyknow it will take some time. and some $$$. I plan this to take about 3 years to get the rolling chassis, and 5 years for the finished product. I plan to do everything but the body work my self. hoping to get it back painted from them but i will be puting it all togather.

 

the more i think about it i feel i'd be better off just going with only an ifs, and just going with leafs for the rear.

I had been looking at the mustang 2 ifs, is there any reason why i shouldent go with that?

 

ABSOLUTELY NOT!
Everyone here will beat their own drum but it just is a personal preference.
..................AND mine is the M II

 

Hello and Welcome to FTE

Acronyms (IFS and IRS) are an everyday part of this place - you'll get the hang of it.

Also, everyone here likes to know about your truck and where you are if you ask questains so if you forget to mention it, they can look it up onyour info page.

Plus, we LOVE pictures - learning to import and post them is a pain here but worth the challenge.

The MII is a good set up. There are also posts about Volare and JAG IFS. Personally I restored my original suspension and had springs made for it and it rides as good as a MII but was much less $$$$. So, yes you will get lots of opinions.

Nice thing is folks will usually substantiate those opinions with lessons learned so you cn gather the facts too and make some good decisions.

I would have saved ALOT of money when I started my truck if I would have known about this site and asked the right questions first.

 

Mustang II is a great suspension. I went with a Volare because of the lower cost and the soft ride. There are several IFS options for these old trucks.

 

Welcome to the forum, and my condolences on the loss of your Grandfather. I, too, inherited my truck when a loved one passed.

You've found a great place to hang out. There's some very knowledgeable people here, with a wide variety of styles and opinions. The best part is, all are welcome.

At the top banner on this page is a button marked "Articles/Specs". Check out the list of articles. There's a lot of information there to satisfy your curiosity, or maybe turn you in a direction you never thought of.

BTW, what's your location?

 

Mustang II is the way to go. I installed a kit ( there are many ) and it works great. Went with lowered leaf springs in rear. Handles like a sports car. Great site, many good people eager to help. Welcome

 

Welcome to fte & check out the jag ifs

 

Welcome and post some pic's. We like Pic's

 

You mentioned wanting IFS coilover suspension. You're not going to get that with anything other than a kit like these.
http://www.totalcostinvolved.com/pdf/TCI_pg21-22.pdf

TCI has great rear suspension options, as well.
http://www.totalcostinvolved.com/pdf/TCI_pg23-24.pdf

You've got some pretty ambitious plans. Just be careful you don't get too far over your head and lose interest. If you're used to computers and electronic engine management, a 5.0 EFI conversion should be easy for you and make for a nice driving truck. You'll be one up on most of the rest of us old farts. ;p

 

I guess the first thing im going to worry abotu is geting it tore down. then i should be able to send the bed, and cab off to get them painted, and to find out how many body panels im goign to have to replace. Im sure the running boards are gone, and it may be easier to buy new finders for the bed.

 

im in stokes county NC.

 

Welcome! Nice to see another 52 in the ranks amongst us. Finding good sheetmetal could be tough, but if you have time, you'll come upon something. Too bad that you're thousands of miles away. I have a complete 51/52 F1 bed with good fenders and tailgate. I also just obtained good and solid running boards if yours are rusted through.

I'd go with a MII set up in the front and keep the rear stock. You can find a 9" rear end out of a 1957-72 F100 and directly bolt it in instead of the current stock rear end. You'll get better gearing and could actually be able to go over 55mph without it humming. You can also buy adjustable leaf spring shackles for the rear that would allow you to lower the rear to your desired height. I have this same exact set up on a spare frame.

Also, I'd like to talk to you about your 6 cyl engine if you don't plan on keeping it. There are a few parts off of it that I'd like to obtain. Since you don't have the minimum required posts to PM or email, could you email me at modelking2000 at hotmail dot com.