CLynn85 wrote:
That is one of the most awesome things I've seen in awhile!
CLynn85 wrote:
That is one of the most awesome things I've seen in awhile!
CLynn85 wrote: A couple things started this build. ... c) xflowgolf ruined my life by posting this in someone else's thread, proving that something I had been thinking about doing was actually feasible and others were doing it to; I now hate him:
woohoo!
errrr, I mean... sorry? 
Really wishing I had done this for the Tunatruck now... thanks
mazdeuce wrote: How did the pedals/brake parts and electrical to together. It's easy to focus on the cab getting stuck to the frame, but by brain tells me that runing the wiring would be a much harder job for most people.
Did someone say "wiring"?
I really need to take some more detailed photos of wiring and controls. I cut a TON of wires out, you would not believe how many wires there are for door locks and windows alone. I also removed all the wiring for the air bags, rear window defrost, power pedals, all that random crap.
The actual strategy was once I got the cab sitting back on the frame, I loosely laid the harness out in roughly it's original orientation, hooked up a bunch of grounds, and made sure it still ran. Then I picked a circuit I didn't want anymore, and cut it out. Then I'd start it to make sure it still ran. And repeat. Then at some point I decided to do away with the Vic column, so I had to figure out how to run things that used to be on the column to my own switches, like ignition (that was pretty straight forward), turn signals, etc.
Oh, and this book helped, a LOT.
Strike_Zero wrote:
Thanks!
dropstep wrote:
It will probably eventually get painted, but yeah, it's pretty far down on the list. It wouldn't bother me so much but there's a TON of surface rust. PO decided like 10 years ago to repaint the truck, so he sanded the body, and then parked it, so it has all these cheetah spots of rust above the belt line. He spray painted below for some reason. Oh, and the hood is trash, it's all rusted out underneath.
At some point I decided enough was enough and that I wanted to hang the front sheetmetal (Thanksgiving time frame? this probably coincides with our decision to drive it for the Lemons Moscow to Paris rally in January).
The inner fenders didn't require too much trimming, but the core support did, or would have were it not already rusted out all along the bottom edge anyway...
Driving impressions?
Still drive like a crown vic? heavier/lighter than before? (is the old metal body lighter than the vic body ?)
I imagine it probably rides better than the truck did before, since I believe that final generation of CV had coil springs instead of leaf springs.
Mad_Ratel wrote: Driving impressions? Still drive like a crown vic? heavier/lighter than before? (is the old metal body lighter than the vic body ?)Left Ventricle said: I imagine it probably rides better than the truck did before, since I believe that final generation of CV had coil springs instead of leaf springs.
Pretty much how you'd expect. It rides like a crown vic, stops like a crown vic, steers like a crown vic (with a REALLY BIG steering wheel!), etc. It does have a fair bit more wind noise, though!
I'm not sure on weight. Best guess would be that it would be close, but internet says 500lbs less, which I can kind of believe. I did just bolt a 75lb bumper to the back though, so there might be a bit of a weight penalty there... If I get a chance to next week I'll drive it to work and put it on the scales.
Sometime in the middle of all this (October?) the blow-by on my wife's truck got to the point it was pushing oil out of the breather and onto the headers, so I switched gears for a week. I had already sourced a basically free 5.0 and AOD trans from a crown vic and prep'd it, so it was just a matter of doing the swap. Removing the front sheetmetal on these is a snap and makes a WORLD of difference working on them.
Note - Pops came by to give me a hand lifting the front clip off, that's not my bald head
CLynn85 wrote: Spoiler alert - I've started driving this thing around town to shake it down for the lemons rally (not that there's not still a TON of things to do...), and it is good. I'm really liking the driveability of it. I'm hoping it's up for 2000 miles of Lemons Rallying!
I can see why this is becoming a popular swap.
In reply to CLynn85:
This is VERY similar to my plans for my 78 Ranchero. Glad to see this turning out.
CLynn85 wrote:
Holy E36 M3, that is so cool! I know it's frowned upon, but I'd just go with a matte clearcoat over the existing panels and call that done for paint. It would be a shame to erase all of this history, and this way it could be preserved without looking shiny and tacky, and still allowing for body integrity.
Also, am I the only one picturing this thing on air ride?
Thanks. I'm torn. On one hand I want to slam it on bags, especially since the rear is so easy (factory rear air suspension, anyone?); on the other hand I want it to be a handling machine so stiffen it up on coils and good shocks/bars (this would also require a seat that doesn't allow you to slide from driver to passenger side in a heartbeat).
I clipped an old gopro to the fence in my back yard, wasn't consistent so I didn't get everything, but here's a few bits of the process.
What about coils up front and bags in the back with really good shocks? Handle fairly well and drag tail whenever you want.
You can get plenty of bag setups that will handle great. Look up ridetech. They make airbags that actually make your car handle. They even have crown vic specific parts.
In reply to simon_C:
I seem to remember them having a line of what were basically coilovers with a bag instead of a coil spring.
Crackers wrote: You get my seal of approval.How did you go about shortening the bed?
So before I start - let me say that I like long bed trucks, a lot. I think they look right, they're uber-useful, and they're a dying breed.
However, the wheelbase just ain't going to work for this one. I felt bad about cutting it up, but long beds are a dime a dozen compared to short beds, so under the knife it went.
Comparison in dimensions. In theory to do this "right" you need to take 16-17" out of the front and 4" out of the back.
For mine, the cab sat a little farther forward so I only took 15 out of the front, and I wasn't totally convinced the 4" out of the back was "worth it", so I decided to do the front, test fit, and then do the back.
The before:
Layout was nothing exciting. Pick a reference point, make lots of marks with silver sharpie, connect marks with line, measure 15" back from line, make another line. Cut was made with combination of death wheel and sawzall.
Just a bit off the top.
Used lots of these little butt joint clamps. Got the gap down to .050 in most places, touching in others.
Outer seam.
Inner seam. Area up front was only rust in the entire bed. Mostly due to rodent activity, they were all up in the crossmember. The rest of the bed was great and had a camper shell on it for the last 10 years that it's been sitting.
OSHA-not-approved lifting rig.
And in place for the first time. Compared to a stock shortbed. I don't think the average person would know if I didn't point it out. So for the time being, my mid-bed length is going to be the solution, especially given my timeline.
simon_C wrote: You can get plenty of bag setups that will handle great. Look up ridetech. They make airbags that actually make your car handle. They even have crown vic specific parts.
Yeah I'm familiar with ridetech, but they're not exactly budget-friendly. It's one of those pick 2 of three: good handling, air bags, cheap. Can't have all 3.
How do those butt-joint clamps work??? They look like a must-have
jfryjfry wrote: How do those butt-joint clamps work??? They look like a must-have
Do you mean my qualitative assessment or how do they function? For the former - they work pretty well, and I'd gamble to say the person who invented them is a proper genius. For the latter - they work by extending a thin piece of sheetmetal between the gap with a 1/4" piece of bar stock on the inside, you then tighten them down with a wing nut.
See:
Hey you made it into an RCR video!
xflowgolf wrote:CLynn85 wrote: A couple things started this build. ... c) xflowgolf ruined my life by posting this in someone else's thread, proving that something I had been thinking about doing was actually feasible and others were doing it to; I now hate him:woohoo! errrr, I mean... sorry?
I've been following this thread since it appeared on the feed, thinking "yeah, that's really cool", but the sheer wickedawesomeness of it really sank in today, and now, I want to do this to my truck. Consider Xflowgolf's inspiration payed forward.
Have you driven it in anger? I imagine it is like a more upright cop car. Maybe lighter?
EDIT: You have already answered all my questions. I have nothing further to add.
You'll need to log in to post.
