FoPAR

Hi all I started my first truck project and I thought I'd share it with you and see if you guys had any tips for what I'm trying to do. I have a 1972 Ford F-250 that I bought around 3 years ago for $800.00 I drove it almost everyday for 2 years before the ol 360 gave out. I found a guy who had a 1977 Lincoln Mark V 460 C6 trany with bad brakes and a rusted out roof but very low miles for only $300.00 It runs and drives great just doesn’t stop. Also bought a 2002 F150 from my work for $500.00 that had a cracked engine block and bed and tailgate damage. I pulled the 460 and C6 parted out and scraped the lincoln. Then pulled the 2002 apart and sold off everything I didn't need for this project.

FoPAR

I cut out the cross member from the Lincoln Mark V and grafted it onto the truck cross member and the 460 dropped right in. The 02’s frame has two trany mounting positions and the back one was a perfect fit













With that done I moved my truck into the shop and took it apart.
















I've always wanted a low rider...lol






Pushed out the old frame and moved the 02 in.








Did a test fit with just the bed first, pulled it back off and then put the cab up on it.









I couldn’t believe it but the front cab mounts were an exactly perfect fit. As you can see in the pic’s the bolts dropped right in and are straight.











The bed is about 3" to high so I will need to fugure out how to make it line up but It looks like I should have room to lower it by notching the bed rails.
Now the 02 was an extended cab and I have always wanted a 67-72 short bed truck so I will have to cut down the frame and then the bed but I planed on doing that to the old frame before I got the 02 so no big deal. 23-1/2” will need to be cut out and that will bring the rear cab mounts up to the correct position. The 02 has disc brakes all the way around and a very nice ride so this should be a great upgrade for my old 72.

FoPAR

test fitting things back onto the truck and happy to say the radiator core support and inner fenders went on without to much of a fight. I will need to drill holes for the rubber isolators that the core support sits on, but shouldn't be to hard. The fender & wheel look right as for how they sit. Also there is plenty of frame sticking out up front to work with for the bumper and ect.










The steering box is way up front so I will have to see if I can modify the shaft off of the 02 to hook up to the 72 column.







I'm going to test fit a few more parts and line up the bed real good then go under it at mark all the bed rails so when I take it all back apart I can C notch all of them. Also I will have to dive right in and grind out the frame welds here in this pic.




After it is separated at that point I will need to cut off 23-1/2" slide it back together and reweld it. I am at the point that I really can't do to much more without cutting the frame so might as well get it out of the way........ right?

FoPAR

I pulled the bed, cab, & engine back off the frame so I could cut it down to a short bed length. The bed on the 02 is a short bed but the cab was an extended so that’s where the cut will be made. I tack welded some legs to it so when its apart it will be easier to work on and also slide back together.

















got out my ratchet straps and pulled it back into place nice and tight. Clamped everything and then took more measurements to make sure it was right.



















Then welded it up cut off the legs and got ready to drill out the new bolt holes for the trany mount.













The placement of the trany mount is perfect for reinforcing the welds because it overlaps and bolts through both sides of the welds









One shortened frame, Done!

FoPAR

put the cab back up onto the frame and with the frame shortened I now was able to bolt it down.












I had to trim some more of the lower back part of the cab so the cab would sit down onto the body mounts.






The floor pans seem to follow the frame like they were supposed to go together and the front cab mounts still shock me on how well they lined up.
I have the typical cross support rust so I will have to fix that along with the rusted floor pans.











I then mark off the bed and cut it down. I cut it so there would be a little overlap up front to help support the cut bed floor. Cleaned up the over lap sprayed it with weldable primer and got everything close to lined up. A few more adjustments and a little trim here an there and I should be able to start tacking it back together.

CC05

iTrader: (2)

I'm liking it, man! Great work so far!

FoPAR

I cleaned out the seam sealer along both sides and started to tack it togther also. I still need to cut out the 4" on the other end and then notch the bed rails so it will sit lower. oh and fill all the holes that are everywhere.












I finally have a short bed!!! I completed the cut down and tacking it back together. Now I just need to weld the inside part of the bed and then I can flip it over and finally notch the bed rails like I've been talking about.

Here's a before and after shot.


and after






and then a few pic's in between

Silverick

Wow! You done good!

FoPAR

Thanks guys!

FoPAR

I started the mock up of the c notch in the bed rails, marked all the frame cross members on the channel and cut them out. You can see I have a lot to work around with this X shaped cross member.






Then flipped the bed and lined up the marks I had made when it was on the frame. Checked everything and then started cutting.















you can see the "C" notches in the pic and the amount of room they gave me to work with.










Fits Like A Glove!










Looks good enough for now. Time for the next phase front end/radiator core support mounts and bumper brackets.