Project Public Enemy 38' ford truck

Sam_Fear · Apr 12, 2013

With big mud tires, you might not wanna chop it.

You need to get it off the table and do a serious mock-up of it with tires - only way you're going to really get it figured out. You don't want to set the frame for 35" tires and then find out it looks better with 28" once you have it on the ground. Re-Z'ing a frame is not a simple adjustment compared to a few hours of mock-up.

XtremeS10 · Apr 12, 2013

Sam_Fear said:
With big mud tires, you might not wanna chop it.

You need to get it off the table and do a serious mock-up of it with tires - only way you're going to really get it figured out. You don't want to set the frame for 35" tires and then find out it looks better with 28" once you have it on the ground. Re-Z'ing a frame is not a simple adjustment compared to a few hours of mock-up.

That was his suggestion as well, essentially get wheels and tires for the front and set it down mock up a bed and mock up tires to decide before we even start on the back half. I'm just trying to figure out what I wanna do up front I guess it's not so easy for me to visualize what will look right

XtremeS10 · Apr 13, 2013

So how do you guys feel about a smoothie style wheel front and back, 15" front and 17" rear with a 28" wide white up front and 31-32" wide white rear??

Neverdone · Apr 13, 2013

I like smoothies, that is what I am running. Wide Whites I think depends on the car. I am with Sam though too, I think you need to get it on the ground at ride hieght to figure out the tires. I would only run mud tires if you are going to be more at stock hieght. Sitting low to the ground I think would make it look funny.

XtremeS10 · Apr 13, 2013

Neverdone said:
I like smoothies, that is what I am running. Wide Whites I think depends on the car. I am with Sam though too, I think you need to get it on the ground at ride hieght to figure out the tires. I would only run mud tires if you are going to be more at stock hieght. Sitting low to the ground I think would make it look funny.

I'm looking at the diamond back white wall tires, 235/70/15 fronts and 265/70/17 or 285/60/17 rears I think it could look about right not a mud tire but still tall and the white wall goes with the white on the truck since I'm aiming for a white with black accent type of look

XtremeS10 · Apr 16, 2013

Not much to report right now, we are waiting on some parts to show up so we can do the motor mounts and move the cab/motor forward some, playing with wheel base a little as well, cut the firewall to set the motor back... I need to find a nice looking grill for the build, any ideas?? I have a couple tractor grills but I'm not crazy about them

Heres the grill's I have

XtremeS10 · May 1, 2013

Got some more progress, he got the motor mounts in and welded, started putting together the whole front end, finish welded some parts of the frame, braced and boxed the 4 bar brackets, cab is still moving another 2" forward yet going to build the cab mount off the Z, got it measured up for tires and got them in, 285/60/17 31" tall wide white rears, 235/70/15 fronts 28" tall

bad news though, wheels got pushed back 2 months... so I am gonna have to go a different route with the wheels I wanted and get something different, but no biggie, had a back up plan!!

sgtpontiac · May 1, 2013

Should look very nice....

Seems set backs are an automatic in most builds.....making good progress....

Torchie · May 1, 2013

Your build is looking great.
I agree with all the comments inregards to mocking it all up at actual ride height. My project usually sits on dollies so I can push it around the shop when I need to. But when it comes to something important such as stance, tire size and even the chop, down on the floor it goes.
I chopped mine 4" and I am 6'2". I looked hard at 2 and 3" but decided that at 2" it didn't looked chopped. 3" was alright. But 4" gave it the look that I wanted. And it is still driveable for me.
I would suggest that once it is down on all four's take a profile pic and get out the sicsors(sp) and do the chop. It will help give you a visual.
That is unless you have photo shop. Then do it that way.
Torchie.

XtremeS10 · May 1, 2013

Torchie said:
Your build is looking great.
I agree with all the comments inregards to mocking it all up at actual ride height. My project usually sits on dollies so I can push it around the shop when I need to. But when it comes to something important such as stance, tire size and even the chop, down on the floor it goes.
I chopped mine 4" and I am 6'2". I looked hard at 2 and 3" but decided that at 2" it didn't looked chopped. 3" was alright. But 4" gave it the look that I wanted. And it is still driveable for me.
I would suggest that once it is down on all four's take a profile pic and get out the sicsors(sp) and do the chop. It will help give you a visual.
That is unless you have photo shop. Then do it that way.
Torchie.

Thanks guys, we set up cardboard tires to figure out the sizing and figured the 15/17 28/31 split just captured the eye just right. Hoping once we get it rolling and on the ground we can really decide what's going on with the look I'm really pleased with how it's turning out so far.

So far the front is stretched 29" from factory, we are thinking of holding the bed a little long like 4' or so and having the wheels sit slightly back from center so it gives it a little more visual illusion to even it out, once I get wheels that is and we can build a template..

MercuryMac · May 1, 2013

chop

Hi Extreme, I'm a fan of Ford trucks except for the '38 truck grille, so I applaud your decision to look for a grille. Torchie says photo shop chop your truck and see what you think. Well, I already did the work on my '42-'47 doors. See what you think. I hoped this would be about a 4" chop. Good luck. Keep on tinkering.

XtremeS10 · May 2, 2013

MercuryMac said:
Hi Extreme, I'm a fan of Ford trucks except for the '38 truck grille, so I applaud your decision to look for a grille. Torchie says photo shop chop your truck and see what you think. Well, I already did the work on my '42-'47 doors. See what you think. I hoped this would be about a 4" chop. Good luck. Keep on tinkering.

That's looking pretty good! I gotta get it on the ground I think before I can really start looking it over, I kinda want no chop just to be different and save me some money on glass and all that so I'm hoping keeping the truck stretched out and only 6" off the ground will make it look just right with a full cab

I never liked the oval grill to begin with lol but I want something that looks right like a 32 shell or something a little different

XtremeS10 · May 5, 2013

Not much progress again but finally got the wheels I've been digging around for, was hard trying to find 17x7.5 police interceptor wheels!! Anyways got them cleaned up and gonna get the tires mounted this week hopefully to start plugging a little more away at the frame

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XtremeS10 · May 10, 2013

Pretty awesome update!

So got the wheels and tires setup and finally got my project looking like a vehicle on the frame table! Got the wheel base pretty much set and starting on the rear frame now. Really happy with the wheel/tire combos its gonna look rad! Sorry for the big load of similar pics!

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XtremeS10 · May 10, 2013

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XtremeS10 · Jul 18, 2013

Got it Rollin!!

Finally got it sitting on the ground. Everything is looking good. The steering arm brackets are hitting on the wheels so looks like they'll need changed out but otherwise it's moving along!