Homeno prob man!! just post pics of your progress!
+3
Darkside Dave
charger
jayboy3
7 posters
my 51 truck
charger- Posts : 148
Join date : 2009-06-15
Age : 49
Location : manitoba
alanco- Posts : 8
Join date : 2009-07-03
Location : Kingston, Nevada
jayboy3 wrote:OH man, moving to the darkside really 'clouded my mind'. You see, for those who don't know the whole story, I got this truck thru an enheritance. I don't know who decided to what they did to it, that is putting it on the galaxie frame...I don't know how long ago it was done....so I sure as heck didn't know what I had when I got it. I just knew it looked cool and it drove. This was back in march or so.
So I went to where everyone goes for info when you don't know, the internet. Those searches showed me what an f3 should look like and let me know mine was not right somewhere. So I thought I could get me a bed for it...wrong...you can't find f3 beds and no one is intrested in making one. So from my experience with salvage rebuilds i have done, I knew that frames could be cut and messed with in the right hands...so I checked out the idea of taking the length out of the frame..Thats when the guys over there figured out it was a galaxie, or somewhat a galaxie frame.
After much talk with people on there and two guys where i live, the general opinion was to find an orginal frame and do the upgrades to it so I would not run into problems...That is making my f3 into an F1. I actually saw somewhere on the net a guy putting his f1 on a s 10 and thought that would be the trick, but when I mentioned that to the guys in my area they were like, you will have to makes all kinds of stuff and talked me out of it...so like i said to start with, my mind is clouded with info....if I were to go with an s 10 or dakota now, would most everything i need have to be fabricated to get stuff mounted up? Also the guys truck I went and looked at from my area....he had a mustang 2 kit and a 4 link on the back...he acted like it was no problem to put on.
I could most likey get both for under 3000, since I really don't know how to fabricate metal parts and stuff like that, would i not come out better doing this. It would all be new stuff, would not need new parts..Anyway that was a bunch, and I might sound stupid, but its because i am....na i can figure out alot of stuff but this I don't know about. Just a history on my story for anyone who didn't know it
If it were me, I would put it on an F1 frame with original axles and brakes. and would keep it a flatbed. However if you hate flatbeds, you can buy pickup beds and parts quite easily. The stock rear end is a Dana 44 and is strong enough. The stock front axle and steering is adequate for a lighter engine like a flathead, (my choice) or a 302 Ford, a 223 OHV Ford Six, or a 351W. These engines weigh in at about 500 lbs and make manual steering OK. Do not use a Y-block as it costs a lot to rebuild one and they are not worth it. None of the old Ford motors have over 8.5 to 1 compression and do not get good gas mileage. It will not be long before gas is $4.50 a gallon again, and putting a big motor in a light truck is a good way to get poor mileage and subsequently not drive it much. I use small block Chevy motors and OD 700R4 transmissions and you can get 18 MPG with a carburetor and 20 with fuel injection. Of course, you can build a flathead and get 20 mpg as well, but you would have to use a T5 tranny from a Chevy S-10 (it has the shifter in the right place for a truck) The Mustang ones have the shifter on the rear of the tailshaft. One of the problems with a truck with a Mustang/Pinto IFS is that the bolt pattern does not allow original 5 on 5.5 bolt pattern that the rear uses, and consequently you have a two spare problem, and you also can't use stock type wheels. On a truck, the Bendix 11" drum brakes are just great. They stop very well, and unless you are racing with the truck you do not need disc brakes. There are two options for a beam axle truck to add power steering. The best option, in my opinion, is the power rack and pinion which is bolted on to the axle, and linkage made to go between the steering rack and the steering column. If you want more information on this, e-mail me at alanco@starband.net.
Regards,
Alan
55f350- Posts : 127
Join date : 2009-04-29
Age : 59
Location : a corn field in illinois
alan, i'd sure like to know how yer gettin' 20 out of a flatty ! mine will have a final drive of 2.73:1 here before long using the t-98 four speed i have in it . using that gear in the 8.8 i'm putting in it , and fourth gear will essentially act like my od 'cause of the gear . with the ultra low first gear well i still got plenty 'o' poop to leave the line without killing my flatty . at present i only get 8.5 to 9 at best . worse on the highway !!!!!! i'd have to drop mine off a tall tall cliff in a vacuum to get 12 or so i think . i have several wish lists for engine parts for all four of the motors i got sitting , and after everything is figured up including a geusstimate of what machine work i might need , the flatty , the two fe's , the 4.6 , and the yblock are real close in price and the 4.6 is the most pricey one , as what i got listed for it isn't even a rebuild , just a few goodies to try and haul that sled it's in 'round a lil' quicker !!! as far as the suspension , short on cash and maybe a lil' worried about your skill level , and other variables , alan's right . there isnt nothing wrong with the oe stuff , and the drums on it will suffice if your not going to be running at break neck speeds , but i'd still get something better brake wise . leave the manual stuff there in it's place . why ?????? mine is the perfect truck ... manual steering , brakes , transmission , no air or power options , rough riding = NO ONE WANT'S TO BORROW IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
charger- Posts : 148
Join date : 2009-06-15
Age : 49
Location : manitoba
jayboy,are you done yet??? 
jayboy3- Posts : 17
Join date : 2009-06-22
Location : North Carolina
DONE! haha....I don't even know how to start. Na, I am just kidding, I have got some things going but not much. Went to st. marteen for a week and my boat has been acting up now for weeks. Cant get it fixed.(well the mechanic I have took it too says its fixed, but we evidently are not on the same page of how a motor should run) Anyway I was consuming myself with thoughts and talking to people about the truck so I decided I would give it a rest.
I did purchase a 49 f2 from a guy that lives near me. It has the bed(no floor) and cab. The flathead 6 runs and it has a 4 speed transmission. The cab and doors are better than my 51. The bed has some small rust spots around where the bed floor was, but what I was thinking was if I try it on to my galaxy the bed floor was going to have to be brought up anyway, and I thought what the heck.
Anyway since I got into to this about 7 months ago I have aquired a 51(the one on the galaxy frame), and orginal 51 f1 frame(just the frame nothing else on it), and now a complete 49 f2. All of this and all I have invested is 900.00. I don't really think that is too bad, but I did got up to the garage the other day and look at it and think....What the heck am I doing here, starting a scrap yard or something.
haha....anyway that an update for you....I figure when it cools down here a little I will get some stuff going and will flood you with questions. see ya
I did purchase a 49 f2 from a guy that lives near me. It has the bed(no floor) and cab. The flathead 6 runs and it has a 4 speed transmission. The cab and doors are better than my 51. The bed has some small rust spots around where the bed floor was, but what I was thinking was if I try it on to my galaxy the bed floor was going to have to be brought up anyway, and I thought what the heck.
Anyway since I got into to this about 7 months ago I have aquired a 51(the one on the galaxy frame), and orginal 51 f1 frame(just the frame nothing else on it), and now a complete 49 f2. All of this and all I have invested is 900.00. I don't really think that is too bad, but I did got up to the garage the other day and look at it and think....What the heck am I doing here, starting a scrap yard or something.
haha....anyway that an update for you....I figure when it cools down here a little I will get some stuff going and will flood you with questions. see ya
Darkside Dave- Admin
- Posts : 1018
Join date : 2009-04-21
Age : 79
Location : Marietta, Ohio
charger wrote:jayboy,are you done yet???
I'm gonna take a wild guess and say NO, he is not done yet... I don't thik he has actually started yet.
jayboy, just go look for a reasonable frame, be it Ranger, Dakota, S-10 or whatever and get started. Or, start looking for stuff to put on that bare frame you bought. There's always a first time for everything. Just get in there and start. You can figure it out as you go. You don't need to spend all that money on that high priced after market suspension stuff. If you have that much money you can afford to get somebody else to do the work. For three grand I can build a whole damn truck including buying the truck.
Just get started,,, do something... You're gonna worry this thing to death... This is supposed to be fun you know...
Later Man...
charger- Posts : 148
Join date : 2009-06-15
Age : 49
Location : manitoba
you better get started before you buy another truck 
,i`m in the same boat,worked on my truck for a total of 2 days this spring and summer,just have no time for it right now.
,i`m in the same boat,worked on my truck for a total of 2 days this spring and summer,just have no time for it right now.
55f350- Posts : 127
Join date : 2009-04-29
Age : 59
Location : a corn field in illinois
i remember that truck now from the pics over on fte ...... dakota or ranger if ya really wanna swap em , as the available extended cab short bed s10's around these parts are hard to find in useable shape . i think a good 48-52 frame and add ifs and such would be a whole lot easier on ya but ...... how about getting some good diagrams of an oe and building one from scratch ??? you seem to be ambitious or just plain crazy like a few others ....... then as you were building you can tweek it for the suspension , driveline , ride height etc , of choice .............
charger- Posts : 148
Join date : 2009-06-15
Age : 49
Location : manitoba
are you calling me lazy???
Darkside Dave- Admin
- Posts : 1018
Join date : 2009-04-21
Age : 79
Location : Marietta, Ohio
charger wrote:are you calling me lazy???
Sounds like Attention Deficit Syndrome...
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