Old sleeper Ford truck???

Crown Hick.

How to Swap a Cop Car Frame Under an F-100 Pickup (hotrod.com)

Seems to me that you can buy a truck from the 60s-early 90s and try to swap in a Vic subframe (or entire frame swap)in order to get rid of the I Beams (with varying degrees of difficulty depending on the year), or you can just buy a 97-03 truck that already has an SLA/coil spring front suspension for similar money and save yourself some time/effort/money. That generation was also available in Lightning and Harley trims that offered a supercharged 5.4L. Lots of those guys ditch the factory supercharger, so if you had a non-Lightning truck with a 5.4, there may be some fairly inexpensive options for take-off power adders.

I guess I should also throw out a token Ranger suggestion here too. They're much smaller/lighter than the F150s. They'll have I beams too (until 98), but AJE makes a kit to swap Foxbody Mustang front suspension in place of the original I beams. That kit knocks 100-200lbs off the nose of the truck if I recall while opening up massive options for suspension/brakes and engine swaps.

My dad has a 78 f150 long bed 2wd with a 460. I have been thinking about doing something with it once he decides that he doesn't drive it enough to keep in the garage. I think that you can get okay versions of the late 70s trucks for somewhat reasonable money and the 460 is a solid base for just about anything you want to do (other than turn well as it weighs SO MUCH). 

With that said. The new gas 7.3l will be getting to the wrecking yards in the near future and should be pretty easy to get running with aftermarket fuel injection as it is port and not direct. It is supposed to have a Mod motor bell housing so buy a built AOD for electron free shifting or whatever the mustang guys use for manuals. I have a bench build in my head to do all this to a 90s Towncar. 

ShawnG said:

460EFI stuffed into a '90s F-150.

They even make a kit.

No need for a kit... they came new in that body! But yes, someone will be glad to sell an overpriced kit. 

My panther is sitting in the garage and I was considering two possibilities since she's not a daily driver anymore.

1. Fix the minor issues, and lift kit.
2. Tear the body off and drop a 7th gen F-series on with shortened bed.

As much as I loved the idea of option 2, for financial reasons, I'm going with option 1. I see someone has already posted a link about swapping the frames onto "cop car" frames. But if a sport truck is a direction you want to go and you have the time/money to drop in, it can be a pretty nice and decent performing machine.

In reply to 03Panther :

Ford stopped offering the 460 in half tons in the late 70s. 250 and up came with the 460, 150 came with the 351.

The Lightning was a 351.

Engine mount towers on the frame are different on the 150 chassis, you need a kit or to get the frame towers from a 250/350 chassis.

Just thought I'd offer a bit more encouragement to the OP.  This is one of my toys - probably my favorite at the moment - 72 F100 "bump side" on a 2011 P71 frame. Rebuilt the entire P71 suspension front and rear, tuned the 4.6/4R75e and replaced the oe exhaust with 2.5" pipe, x pipe and magnapack mufflers. 
it's not fast mid to high 14s -when it will launch - planning to replace the track lock differential and upgrade to a deeper gear (3.27 at present) in the near future to capitalize on the 4.6 power band.  Maybe boost, maybe Coyote, he'll maybe LS down the road. Weighs just under 3600 so light by truck standards. It makes me happy whenever I drive it - will do burnouts and donuts for days and - as my wife loves to point out - attracts men very well. Most women don't "get" the patina thing and just see an old truck. Long range plans include proper paint and body work but I've got a Mustang project car that's getting all the love right now. 

In reply to seadoorider :

Well, I can't stand up now. 

In reply to STM317 :

I'm partial to the ranger myself 

ShawnG said:

In reply to 03Panther :

You need a overpriced kit or to get the frame towers from a 250/350 that is essentially the same chassis.

That's why I specified in that body. The OBS were all 'bout the same. 100/150/250/350 from 1980 till 97. More parts interchange, than are different. Of course there are differences, but a 385 series is a bolt in affair, if ya use the right bolt in parts. 

460 is my second favorite large-cube engine and it is an easy button.  Find a wasted/cheap motorhome with low miles and an EFI 460/E4OD or 4R100 and swap it into an F150.

Given the cavern that is the engine bay, your possibilities are endless, really.  Thinking Caddy 500, Viper V10, etc.  Coyote is fine, but it doesn't make me salivate.  LS is overdone.  Mod is ok with boost, but nothing fantastic without it.

... and you know that there can't be an old truck thread without Curtis suggesting a diesel.  So, I'm suggesting a diesel.

seadoorider said:

Just thought I'd offer a bit more encouragement to the OP.  This is one of my toys - probably my favorite at the moment - 72 F100 "bump side" on a 2011 P71 frame. Rebuilt the entire P71 suspension front and rear, tuned the 4.6/4R75e and replaced the oe exhaust with 2.5" pipe, x pipe and magnapack mufflers. 
it's not fast mid to high 14s -when it will launch - planning to replace the track lock differential and upgrade to a deeper gear (3.27 at present) in the near future to capitalize on the 4.6 power band.  Maybe boost, maybe Coyote, he'll maybe LS down the road. Weighs just under 3600 so light by truck standards. It makes me happy whenever I drive it - will do burnouts and donuts for days and - as my wife loves to point out - attracts men very well. Most women don't "get" the patina thing and just see an old truck. Long range plans include proper paint and body work but I've got a Mustang project car that's getting all the love right now. 

I'd keep that as is. Pretty frickin sweet right there!

I've added a lot of detailed information below about the CV swapped F100 just for fun not to derail the thread but to bolster the idea that an old truck on modern suspension is indeed a cool thing to do. Read it if you want to.  If anyone wants anymore info or pics of anything just hit me up. 
 

Thanks for the compliments all. My nephew started this project  and when I saw what he was doing I fell in love with it and made him an offer he could t refuse. There are a lot of loose ends to tie up - broken windshield, the damage on the pax side door, cab and bed, finishing a bed floor to cover the CV rear suspension and fuel tank (big hole between the wheel wells). 
 

on the positive side, the cab floors are solid and other than some surface rust on the bed seams it's virtually rust free. New bed side sheet metal just became available so that may be the easy button - whole truck has holes drilled in it for Ranger/XLT trim along the bumps and rockers plus a million holes in the bed for a tonneau cover some time in the past. Interior is pretty clean. 
 

I need to get the AC working, it's all plumbed but has a wiring issue. Also have some intermittent wiring issues with the tail lights and turns I'm trying to sort out. 
 

Replaced the COPs and plugs on the 4.6 recently and got rid of a flat spot I was experiencing at about 4.5k rpm. Tranny shifts really strong - it was the only shiney part on the CV donor chassis so I am suspecting it may have been rebuilt recently prior to the wreck that ended the car's life but don't know for sure 

The track lock seemed to work when I had my winter tires - 235 all seasons on 18" mustang fan blades but my summer set up of Nitto 555 G2s make it act like an open rear end so I assume the clutches are about smoked. Trying to decide between 3.73 or 4.10 gears - leaning towards the 4.10 since to me the 3.73 aren't that much better than the 3.27 and the internet CV community says the 4.10 really wake up the 4.6 and I don't doubt they'd help. 
 

I really had no idea how popular this chassis swap had become until I joined a few FB groups. Makes sense though. The wheelbase is about perfect for the short bed truck. This one happened to be a shorty originally so I haven't cut the bed at all. The 2003 and up panther frame is a super strong hydro formed piece with nice suspension layout front and rear not to mention rack and pinion steering, lightweight aluminum drive shaft and of course the 8.8 with discs and ABS (second biggest improvement after losing the twin I beam set up).  This thing brakes fantastic. 
 

cruise control is nice - though I'm not a fan of the CV steering wheel (I used the column and steering wheel to retain the cruise, column shifter etc. some guys keep the whole CV firewall and dash. That makes the swap easier from a HVAC and wiring perspective but IMO the dash is too big for the old truck cab, I like the old school dash - I plugged the P71 IP into the old dash instead and have an under dash a/c unit.  I would also like to do a console with a floor better shifter set up but my son in law has a Mustang parts car with a manual so that's been tempting me too. 
 

also used the CV DBW pedal assembly which turned out to be trick because we retained the power adjustable pedals which come in handy when my 5' tall wife takes a turn behind the wheel - not often but once in awhile. 
 

thinking about taking it to a local autoX event maybe in June. Just got new seatbelt system installed plus all the suspension rebuild that I mentioned above. Doubt I'll get to the differential between now and then with all that's on my plate. So we'll see.

Won't be competitive anyway, just for fun. Would try not to be DFL - I'm not that great of a driver in an autoX situation despite my best efforts. Ironically there is a guy in a nearby SCCA chapter running a very similar truck and our chapters CI-host events throughout the year so it would be fun to run against him. 

So bringing this back around...

Looked at a Karman Ghia that turned out awful, and back to my thoughts from awhile ago. Idk if it is the selling of Ken Block's Honnigan truck, but old 70s Ford trucks have jumped around here. 80-03s seem to have stayed in that same cheaper bracket. Thoughts of building a GRM challenge truck have crossed my mind. 
 

My question is on the transmissions of those 8th-10th generations. It looks like the the 8th and 9th had the same version for the V8s no matter the size, and the 10th had the same as the 9th for V6 or 4.6 V8. But they went to a different one on the 5.4 V8. Is that correct? Is one better than the other? 
 

I also see a lot of V6 manuals, but (and I think some one here said it) is that the same is the 4.6 transmission? I ask because I wonder if swapping a V6 out for a 4.6 V8 manual would be doable or PITA. 
 

Lastly, I think 97 is when all of America decided they needed an extended cab 4x4 truck, and then a 4 door 4x4  truck, cause there are few 2wd, reg cab, short beds around me for sale at a resonable price.  Isn't that always the case when you are looking tho? 

Hoonigan just built an '01 F-150 with a 2JZ and a Tremec 6-speed with repro Lightning body parts as a Fast & The Furious tribute vehicle. They say if people demonstrate enough demand, they'll sell the mount kits. Just an outside-the-box suggestion.

earlybroncoguy1 said:

Crown Hick.

How to Swap a Cop Car Frame Under an F-100 Pickup (hotrod.com)

 

They have a weird definition of bolt-on.

octavious said:

So bringing this back around...

Looked at a Karman Ghia that turned out awful, and back to my thoughts from awhile ago. Idk if it is the selling of Ken Block's Honnigan truck, but old 70s Ford trucks have jumped around here. 80-03s seem to have stayed in that same cheaper bracket. Thoughts of building a GRM challenge truck have crossed my mind. 
 

My question is on the transmissions of those 8th-10th generations. It looks like the the 8th and 9th had the same version for the V8s no matter the size, and the 10th had the same as the 9th for V6 or 4.6 V8. But they went to a different one on the 5.4 V8. Is that correct? Is one better than the other? 
 

I also see a lot of V6 manuals, but (and I think some one here said it) is that the same is the 4.6 transmission? I ask because I wonder if swapping a V6 out for a 4.6 V8 manual would be doable or PITA. 
 

Lastly, I think 97 is when all of America decided they needed an extended cab 4x4 truck, and then a 4 door 4x4  truck, cause there are few 2wd, reg cab, short beds around me for sale at a resonable price.  Isn't that always the case when you are looking tho? 

While I went the old truck route, I would highly recommend checking out the this guy's  youtube channel  -  Apologies in advance for being an enabler.  Super high quality and well thought out build.  

Find a 1997-2004 regular cab, short bed with the 4.6L in it and the 4R70W. They have the NASCAR edition which came lowered and with black painted navigator wheels.

Built motor, built transmission and a big turbo would be a very fun ride. Then add some Hotchkis suspension items for the suspension. Swap the rear end for a Currie unit with disc brakes. Throw some lightning replica wheels on it and have fun.

Would make a sick little cruiser and be MUCH cheaper than a lightning.

To answer your question though....

96 was the last year of the OBS truck. These had pushrod engines 4.9 I6, 5.0 V8 and 5.8 V8.  The 5.0 and 4.9 could be had with a manual. Standard cabs and short beds aren't too hard to find.

97-04 were the new areo look trucks. The 4.2 V6 was a stroked 3.8 like the one used in the Mustang.  Some had head gasket issues. Otherise unremarkable. The V8's were now the modular OHC 2 valve per cyl. in 4.6 and 5.4 and in these years the supercharged 2V 5.4 was also available in Lightning ans Harley edition models. The mod motors in these years are reliable but had a reputation for spark plug issues due to the minimal threads in the head. Some had plugs come out, most ended up with at least one helicoil at plug change time. Manuals were available for the smaller two motors 4.2 and 4.6 but V8 manuals are rare. As you noted buyers were wanting these in super cab and crew cab so RCSB models are harder to find. Most I've found were Lightnings or V6 powered. There were some "Boss" editions RCSB (ok step side really - lighnings too) with 5.4s but these are rare. 

2004-2009 The new square body trucks...the RC had short "suicide" doors, no backseat but the doors let you access the  rear of the cab. this was to allow a single door to be used on all the cab configs. it's kind of wierd and handy at the same time. Engines were carry over except the 5.4 got 3V heads and VVT.  I think you could get a manual on the 4.2 and 4.6 models though I can't say I've ever seen a V8 manual in this generation myself.  The 4.6 reamined the low performance version so the gap between it and the 5.4 was significant. The early 5.4s had cam phaser issues. The plug issue I beleve was resolved mostly by this generation. Some 2004s were the 97 type body style as there was a phased approach to the plant tooling change over. These 04s were called "Heratige" models and were mostly pretty plain. I think Ram did something similar recently too. Their specs were the same as 03 models. 

2009 -2010 revised body style...RCSB lost the rear "doors" and no more V6 or manuals available. The std engine was the low power 4.6 and optional engines were the 3V 4.6 (ala 2005-2010 Mustang) and the carry over 3V 5.4. In 2011-2014 same truck now with 6 speed auto saw the return of the V6 (3.7 305hp like the Mustang) and 3.5 TT ecoboost versions - The V8's were now 5.0 coyote varriety on most F150s with a new 6.2 version on some high trim levels. The 6.2 had more torque than the Coyote but street performance (other than towing) was essentially a draw and the 5.0 has a much better aftermarket. 

I have owned or driven extensively:

2004 V6 RCSB auto (newer style) 

2004 FX4 5.4 

2008 super cab 4.6 Auto (this one is still our shop truck - runs great if a bit slow compared to the 5.0s) 

2010 super cab 4.6 3V auto (unless you were really wringing it out this one felt similar to the 5.0, great driver) 

2011 Super cab 5.0 auto - dad's truck 

2013 RCSB 3.7 V6 auto (she thought she wanted a truck. Cute blue STX truck, drove nice but traded in with short miles for another car) 

2013 RCSB 5.0 Auto (ordered this one with 3.73 track lock with the intention of making a hot rod, traded for a crew cab due to family additions) 

2014 super crew 5.0 auto (still have this one) 

edit to add....the 3V mod motors got a 5 speed auto - i can't recall what it was called. All the 2V engines had the 4R75 auto like my 72/2011 P71 truck. Manuals were (I think, check me on this ) a Mazda sourced 5 speed OD. No manuals at all from 2009 on.  Not known to be a performance part.  From 2011 on, all versions got the 6 speed auto.  

If I found a v6 manual truck in the 97-03 body style I think a 4.6 5 speed from a Mustang donor would be a good fit. 

In reply to seadoorider :

You could still get the OBS style truck in '97 as an F250, if I remember correctly.  Other than that, no other issues with your list.

Mr_Asa said:

In reply to seadoorider :

You could still get the OBS style truck in '97 as an F250, if I remember correctly.  Other than that, no other issues with your list.

Yes! and those with a 7.3 Power stroke are highly sought after. I was in the half ton frame of mind here :) 

My dad had a '69 F250 with a 390 4bbl.  Auto.  Got 8 MPG... Always.  Up hill, down hill, towing, dropping off a cliff.  8 MPG.  Actually drove fairly nice, in a big truck kind of way.  Never did anything too spirited in it, though.  He sold it in 1986 and bought a brand new 3/4 ton RAM POS.  Less than a year later (after dealer recall work on the intake manifold and exhaust), it started spewing flaming gas at a construction traffic stop and proceeded to burn to the ground.  Everyone got out OK.  Melted the aluminum castings on the motor and the glass headlights over the bumper.

Sued the dealer and Chrysler, won, got a judgement, and spent a couple of months sending the Marshall to do till taps of all of the registers (they just walk into the business and say "Give me all of the money".  They don't even have to use a gun.).  Dealer finally paid up, but was out of business a couple of years later - my dad was retired law enforcement in a fairly small area and everyone knew what the dealer had done.  The only time I really enjoyed having a bunch of collection experience

Wish he had kept the Ford.

seadoorider said:

Mr_Asa said:

In reply to seadoorider :

You could still get the OBS style truck in '97 as an F250, if I remember correctly.  Other than that, no other issues with your list.

Yes! and those with a 7.3 Power stroke are highly sought after. I was in the half ton frame of mind here :) 

Yep. The 250 got weird for 97, 98 and 99. For 97 they came out with a "light duty" 250 base on the new body - and had 7 lug wheels! The 97 HD 250 remained OBS. No HD 250 made in 98. Then the Super Duty 250 came out in its new bodystylein 99. I think ( but not positive) the Light Duty 250 was still available, and stopped the next year. Maybe made 2000 also, but not much after.

In reply to CJ (FS) :

Ive had a couple with the FE engines, and with careful tuning, was happy to get 'em "up" to 12MPG! But boy, they would pull!