Darksider's Realm

(this is not a place for lazy video game freaks. We Darksiders have been around doing our thing for decades before the mindless couch blobs latched onto the term Darksider)



DARKSIDER In the world of automotive hobbyists a Darksider is one who modifies and or customizes any and all sorts of vehicles. The Darksiders are in a class of their own simply because they endeavor to be different and do things that others would not attempt for a number of reasons mostly being related to a lack of ability and fear of non conformity.

This is a forum for people who think outside the box in everything they do. It doesn’t matter if you are modifying or building from scratch. It doesn’t matter what brand or brands of vehicles or components you are using. It doesn’t matter if you are working on a mini car or a bus.

We will not be asking you for donations or any kind of monetary payments. We will be asking for help in terms moderators and encouraging you to spread the word and add to our membership.



Join the forum, it's quick and easy

Darksider's Realm

(this is not a place for lazy video game freaks. We Darksiders have been around doing our thing for decades before the mindless couch blobs latched onto the term Darksider)



DARKSIDER In the world of automotive hobbyists a Darksider is one who modifies and or customizes any and all sorts of vehicles. The Darksiders are in a class of their own simply because they endeavor to be different and do things that others would not attempt for a number of reasons mostly being related to a lack of ability and fear of non conformity.

This is a forum for people who think outside the box in everything they do. It doesn’t matter if you are modifying or building from scratch. It doesn’t matter what brand or brands of vehicles or components you are using. It doesn’t matter if you are working on a mini car or a bus.

We will not be asking you for donations or any kind of monetary payments. We will be asking for help in terms moderators and encouraging you to spread the word and add to our membership.

Darksider's Realm

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Darksider's Realm

A message board & forum for automotive builders, fabricators and customizers who think outside the box.


3 posters

    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer

    f1explorer87
    f1explorer87


    Posts : 15
    Join date : 2010-12-26
    Age : 36
    Location : San Diego CA

    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer Empty 1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer

    Post  f1explorer87 Sat Mar 17, 2012 5:09 am

    So I have been lurking a long time, I keep meaning to start a build thread but I never have time... I don't have much time to build either but I'm sure all of you know how that goes... So I just had lasik surgery and I can't go in the garage... no welding and no grinding for a week... sounds like a good time to try and post some pictures...
    A few things y'all should probably know... I am an active duty U.S. Marine, so my work schedule is... complicated. I live on base, an therefore I do all of my work out of a 1 car garage... Needless to say i am cramped for workspace... And finally, besides a couple built jeeps I am new to the custom world. Of course I can't do anything the easy way, I dive head first into a huge project, frame swap and wild ideas... But I will learn as I go, and hopefully be able to drive this thing soon...

    So I bought a pile of rusted sheet metal that used to be a 48 ford f1, no frame, no drivetrain. I had the bright idea of buying a ford explorer to mount it on, 5.0 v8, auto trans, 4 wheel discs, wheelbase is within 1.5"... should be easy Rolling Eyes Here are some pictures to catch you up on my year and a half of work...
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010720
    pile of parts
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010721
    more parts...

    i had two cabs, one rusted in front and one rusted in the back... so my idea was to combine them into one...
    I also wanted to try and chop the cab... but my first chop can't be easy, so I wanted to keep the front and rear windshield full sized. the rear was easy, just drop it straight down. But the front required me to basically channel the roof pillars around the glass
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010744
    no turning back now, cuts have been made...
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010753
    f1explorer87
    f1explorer87


    Posts : 15
    Join date : 2010-12-26
    Age : 36
    Location : San Diego CA

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    Post  f1explorer87 Sat Mar 17, 2012 5:12 am

    here are some more photos of the chop
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P10107541948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P10107551948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010756
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010759
    and here is the test fit I ended up with
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010764
    f1explorer87
    f1explorer87


    Posts : 15
    Join date : 2010-12-26
    Age : 36
    Location : San Diego CA

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    Post  f1explorer87 Sat Mar 17, 2012 5:16 am

    cut the doors
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010766
    and now for the back of the chop... on the other cab...
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010768
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010769
    So, since I had nothing to go off of due to putting 2 cabs together, I did the door posts first so I could build the roof off of that...
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010783
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010784
    f1explorer87
    f1explorer87


    Posts : 15
    Join date : 2010-12-26
    Age : 36
    Location : San Diego CA

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    Post  f1explorer87 Sat Mar 17, 2012 5:20 am

    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010787
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010783
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010798
    align the door frame with added metal, took part of what I cut out and retooled it for the gap
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010802
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010804
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010809
    f1explorer87
    f1explorer87


    Posts : 15
    Join date : 2010-12-26
    Age : 36
    Location : San Diego CA

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    Post  f1explorer87 Sat Mar 17, 2012 5:27 am

    NO MAKING FUN OF MY WELDING!!!!! sheet metal with a flux core welder sucks, and I'm not a trained welder... I'm learning... (this was a year ago, I'm actually much better and I have MIG now)
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010812
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010814
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010819
    ok, so the door posts are done... now to work on the window frame... I did not account for the curve of the roofline over the window, so I was left with a huge gap... in an effort to keep the flat glass flat, i welded a frame in the frame out of scrap angle so i could move the frame as a whole...
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010836
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010839
    f1explorer87
    f1explorer87


    Posts : 15
    Join date : 2010-12-26
    Age : 36
    Location : San Diego CA

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    Post  f1explorer87 Sat Mar 17, 2012 5:36 am

    So i started pulling the frame in as close as I could, and started welding...
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010846
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010847
    Ended up with a little bulge in the middle, So i did a relief cut
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010848
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010849
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010850
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010853
    f1explorer87
    f1explorer87


    Posts : 15
    Join date : 2010-12-26
    Age : 36
    Location : San Diego CA

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    Post  f1explorer87 Sat Mar 17, 2012 5:48 am

    started cutting patches out of the cab back i wasn't using, perfectly formed patches for stuff like the gas filler...
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010855
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010857
    Here are a couple pics of the exploder that will be giving life to the F1
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P10108781948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010870
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010882
    It had a few problems, CEL that i fixed by cleaning the EVAP solenoid, Trans leak that I am still fighting... I have replaced the brakes, the ball joints, the shocks, full tuneup, ect... the list goes on, the wiring in this beast is no joke! ugh! i need to take some updated pictures...
    f1explorer87
    f1explorer87


    Posts : 15
    Join date : 2010-12-26
    Age : 36
    Location : San Diego CA

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    Post  f1explorer87 Sat Mar 17, 2012 5:55 am

    More posts to follow as soon as I find the pictures... That was like 6 months of work.... much more to follow, Its getting way too late to do it tonight.... Happy St Patricks Day!
    Darkside Dave
    Darkside Dave
    Admin


    Posts : 1018
    Join date : 2009-04-21
    Age : 78
    Location : Marietta, Ohio

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    Post  Darkside Dave Sun Jun 10, 2012 9:50 am

    f1explorer87 wrote:More posts to follow as soon as I find the pictures... That was like 6 months of work.... much more to follow, Its getting way too late to do it tonight.... Happy St Patricks Day!


    I hope you will be posting more pictures soon because I have a project using the front half of a '99 Explorer 4WD chassis.



    Darkside Dave


    f1explorer87
    f1explorer87


    Posts : 15
    Join date : 2010-12-26
    Age : 36
    Location : San Diego CA

    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer Empty UPDATE!!!!

    Post  f1explorer87 Sun Aug 05, 2012 2:36 am

    I know it has been way too long since I updated, but lets face it... I dont have enough time for work, Family, working on the truck, and updating the forum... Sorry... But The good news is, I took 2 weeks of leave, family flew in for one week, and i got to spend a week on the truck! Now ill spend a little while on the forum... :-)

    So, I am focusing on getting the truck on the expo frame, and getting it moving under its own power... Bodywork can wait until it moves... I have been focusing on the small stuff and not the big picture... So, here goes big picture...


    Ford explorer goes in...
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer P1010878

    Carnage starts
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer 67D11591
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer 10428EF8

    And some of the explorer goes out... You would be really surprised how hard it is to sell used auto parts... Had all this on craigslist for weeks and nothing.. So I got $53 at the scrapyard...
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer 538FE7A5


    I got sooooo tired of looking at wiring diagrams and chasing wires... I swear everything is involved with everything else, I think I got it figured out tho... We will see when I plug everything back in and try to start it...

    f1explorer87
    f1explorer87


    Posts : 15
    Join date : 2010-12-26
    Age : 36
    Location : San Diego CA

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    Post  f1explorer87 Sun Aug 05, 2012 3:10 am

    Did I mention I hate wiring?
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer DSC04221

    So this is the engine compartment I started out with... Now I have to figure out how to keep almost everything, and make it fit in a space 2/3rds the size... Oh and make it not look cluttered... Not that I'm ambitious or anything...
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer DSC04213

    This is going away... it never worked properly and wont work with the different weight bias of the truck anyway...
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer DSC04214

    ABS pump junction is being replaced with this...
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer DSC04242

    More cutting, trimming, and wiring...
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer DSC04232

    So I will skip all the other boring cutting and wiring photos, I think I have made my point that it was difficult, and took a long time...

    So, on to the good stuff...
    f1explorer87
    f1explorer87


    Posts : 15
    Join date : 2010-12-26
    Age : 36
    Location : San Diego CA

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    Post  f1explorer87 Sun Aug 05, 2012 3:21 am

    So, to make space some stuff had to be cut off so it can be relocated... All of the AC and heat stuff can stay, except the blower fan...
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer DSC04246

    So, it will be relocated... hopefully that can be accomplished without losing too much air flow...
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer DSC04262

    And from the interior view...
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer DSC04265

    So, now to put a truck cab on a frame... with a vehicle that doesnt move, and with no brakes... in a one car garage... by myself... How you may ask? A floor jack!
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer DSC04279


    Slide all the way against one wall
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer DSC04278

    And struggle in the garage for a hour or so... and voila!
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer DSC04280


    Very crude, not mounted at all, but it is there so I can take measurements...

    More slicing and dicing
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer DSC04291
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer DSC04290


    And finally the final cab placement!
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer DSC04298
    Darkside Dave
    Darkside Dave
    Admin


    Posts : 1018
    Join date : 2009-04-21
    Age : 78
    Location : Marietta, Ohio

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    Post  Darkside Dave Sun Aug 05, 2012 10:53 am


    Hi Flex,

    I have been watching your project since you started your posts. As you might know, I too have a project going using an Explorer with a '53 F-100 cab. You don't need to explain to me about getting time and the ambition to work on your project. I have two projects that have not been touched for three months. I really need to get my ass in gear and do something. Hopefully, posts like your's will enchourage me to get moving once again.

    I also noticed that the work space in your garage is even more cramped than mine. I'm guessing you spend a great lot of your time moving things around so you can work

    Later Man...


    Darkside Dave
    f1explorer87
    f1explorer87


    Posts : 15
    Join date : 2010-12-26
    Age : 36
    Location : San Diego CA

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    Post  f1explorer87 Sun Aug 05, 2012 12:26 pm

    Dave,
    Yea most of my time is spent playing shuffle... the hardest part is remembering where everything went so I can use it whenI need it...

    I still have a lot of finish work to do on the cab itself, but I felt so accomplished seeing it on the frame I started mocking other stuff up to get an Idea of the finished product...

    So first I cut out the dash
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer DSC04309

    And re-installed part of the explorer hvac and steering column... Being that these 2 vehicles were never ment to work together, it is actually going a lot easier than expected. The cab is set 75 inches back from the front hub center, which put the F1 firewall about 8 inches behind the expo firewall. I guess modern cars have figured out how to cram the eng compartment smaller for more interior space... Which means as long as I recess the dash in, where the cowl would be in the factory ford, it works!

    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer DSC04312

    Steering column comes out just far enough! I am very glad I dont have to extend it!
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer DSC04313
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer DSC04314


    So I started cutting some sheetmetal off the header panel around the radiator, and if my measurements are right the hood will clear the stock expo placement... So lets see!
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer DSC04308
    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer DSC04306
    hookster
    hookster


    Posts : 1
    Join date : 2015-03-21
    Location : york, uk

    1948 f1 reborn on 96 explorer Empty Hello there in the U.S of A !!

    Post  hookster Sat Mar 21, 2015 12:27 pm

    Hello Brother

    I am very much considering buying this truck, as it is now over here in ...wait for it.. England, and is for sale.

    Looks fabulous. How woudl one connect heating to the old girl,?. would it pose any problem for a skilled mechanic at my local shop?

    Gary , York, England.

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