50 f1 cab on a 54 f1 frame
 

I am wanting to mount a 1950 f1 on a 54 f1 frame. I believe the frames are similar. Not sure of the mounts. I noticed in my LMC magazine some the mounting hardware is similar, but not the same. Is this doable? Long story on why I want to do this.

Welcome to the forum! I'd like to first make sure we are all using the correct terminology. The 1950 is an F1, the '54 is an F100 and they are two totally different trucks from the ground up. It gets confusing if we get that mixed up. The frames are similar on the back half, but the front half is totally different. The rails are narrower in the front by 2". The axle and front crossmember will be in the wrong place, which means your front sheet metal won't align without further surgery. All your mounts will be in the wrong place. While most anything is 'doable' one must ask themselves how much trouble one wants to go to to put together mismatched parts for their long story.

Thanks for reply and correcting me on terminology. My 50 f1 is currently mounted on a 86 f 150, which is how it was when I purchased it. Too wide, too long, all wrong. I recently located a 54 f 100 frame along with a 99 crown vic front end, and rear axle. My plans were to have the front end and rear axle installed on the frame. Make whatever modifications are needed to set my 50 body on it. Sounds like that it may not fit any better than what I have now.

I believe Wayne is spot on and moving from the wrong frame to another wrong frame isn't solving the base problem for you. Too often, we get to read posts by well intentioned, first-time posters who inisist that their proposed frame swap will work. As you have found there can be considerable difference to the definition of 'works'. Perhaps there is a busted project to be found to get you right.

Thanks, sometimes a realky good price convinces us "our" project will work out. I am certainly a novice at this.
at the same time, the underside of my body is pretty much "modified" for the 86 150 frame. Which is going to make putting the right frame under it all the more difficult.
If I do locate an original 50frame, what is best for a front suspension? Reading all these post sure gives you lots of options, which makes this decision a hard one. Need to know which direction to go in. I attached a picture of truck. Notice the height and off center of wheels.https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...2832a413ae.jpg

From what I've seen from previous frame swaps, your truck doesn't look that bad. Wheel centering is not noticeable from the picture. Perhaps concentrating on lowering would be better time spent than putting it back on an original frame which would require a lot more work.

Here's a picture of a 50 F-1 that a friend owned a few years ago that was mounted on a 75 F-100 frame. The frame swap had been done by a PO and the hardest part my friend had was getting wheels to fit under the fenders. :)

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...3f222811bb.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...0f9795e148.jpg

I don't think your truck looks bad or wrong. The rear wheel looks perfectly centered. I can't see the front wheel well enough to be able to tell. That area is too dark, with a black tire against a black background. Did you ever see the front wheel on a stock 53 to 56 truck? They were not centered perfectly in the wheel well from the factory?

The height? It looks okay, but I prefer a truck that sits up and looks like a truck rather than one that sits low like a car.

If you must do a frame swap, I think a frame from 48 to 52 should should work for you.

I can appreciate that the full size frame is all wrong. Does not seem to stop people from trying.

I have personally swapped a 50 cab onto a 95 and up Ranger frame. Fits surprisingly well and if you use the short box single cab frame, the wheelbase is 108". Problems are the kickup in the frame rails between the rear of the cab and the box. Plus side has a very nicely designed coil spring suspension with rack and pinion steering, (in the 2WD models). 4WD models have a torsion bar front suspension. Rear end has a bolt in 8.8 diff available.

Next time I try this, I will use a late 90's Explorer frame. 2WD versions are available, but they use the torsion bar suspension. The frame also is flatter, no big kickup to deal with and the wheelbase is 111.5 for the 4 door version.

Lots of frame dimensions available in the Ford Body Builders's guide.

https://www.fleet.ford.com/truckbbas...bodybuild.html

Thanks, your friends truck looks good. What is a P.O.? Did it set that low on the frame or did he do something else. I have seen dream beams and drop spindle axles used on later model Ford frames to lower them. My wheels are also a problem, how did he resolve the issue with his wheels.
Less work may also result in less $$$$.

PO is a previous owner. I do not have the details on how he set the body on the frame or what mods may have been done. The white spoke wheels were the only ones he could find at the time that were inset enough to get the wheels under the fenders. He ran the original 360 FE engine and automatic transmission. Later trucks and car wheels have a lot more inset that what was in the older ones so finding wheels may be easier now. Another thing you can do to disguise the wheel wells to make the truck look lower is to use larger tires. :)

I certainly would support starting with an original frame but it really depends upon how much they had to modify the body to get it to fit. I assume that the '86 F150 was 2WD? And I assume that the engine, trans, rear axle, etc. are from that truck? If so that means that you will have some work to do to get those components to fit a 48-52 frame. Then you have to deal with the cab and reversing any changes made. Lots of work. You might be better off finding an unmolested truck and start from there.

Or over all, as Vern says, your truck doesn't look to bad from that angle. I lightened up the picture to look at the wheel wells and the front looks the worst. Lowering it a bit as suggested should help. But if the axles are too wide that won't help the look.

IMHO I would sell it and start over fresh. Fixing somebody else's mistakes, and you will find those, can be quite challenging.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...c9164fea04.jpg

This enchanced picture looks like it has F2/F3 front fenders. If you had F1 fenders, that would change the front look. The F1 fenders have a smaller wheel arch opening

That wheel well opening looks huge. The PO might have put big truck fenders on the front. Maybe someone who knows 48 to 52 trucks better might comment.

Can you get us a closer picture of the front fenders? Around the wheel well opening where the upper and lower fender come together, that will tell us for sure, but those fenders don't look right.

Wow, thanks so much for this info. I am going to try and attached a better picture of my front fenders. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...c6ec447538.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...4ed7ad4031.jpg