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hotrod preacher · May 15, 2008

though I really haven't turned any wrenches on it yet, this 52 ford truck has been "rolling around in my head" for a month or so...
plans? include: dropping the front to the ground, using the original axle and possibly qtr eliptics..and leaving off the front cap. I got my eye on a massey furgeson 65 grille (that's a tractor-for you city folk)

and z'ing the original frame in the rear to level out w/front while pulling out about a foot of frame to shorten the rear and bobbing the bed to about 4 1/2 ft. of course it needs about 4" took out of the lid before i finish and it will roll on stock 15" steelies on front and 8" wide 15" steelies on the rear ..... maybe it won't take 9 yrs like the last one!!!!!!!!!!!! maybe just 4!!!?? LOL

that mold/fungus shows how long the old gal has sat--over 20 yrs before i got her!

Tripper · May 15, 2008

Kool!!!

Preacher,
Those old Ford PU's make really great rods... can't wait to follow u're progress!!! Hopefully we won't have ta wait 9 years to see it finished!!!

BoB

FlatBroke · May 15, 2008

Lots of potiential there....and in the one sitting beside it too...

donsrods · May 15, 2008

9 years!!! I may not have that many years left!!

Boy, that cab looks solid. I've seen these done as a bobber or Rudy truck like you describe, and they look nice.

Keep us posted.

Don

Willowbilly3 · May 15, 2008

Now that's patina!!!
I also like those trucks. You can take 4 inches off the top and still seat tallish dudes no problem.

dmw56 · May 15, 2008

I think that's a great plan for that truck. Here's my 51. It has a Minneapolis Moline Grille, will have a 40" bed and the 4" chop will happen soon.

BruceR&C · May 15, 2008

Nice truck to start with. Sounds like you have a solid plan for how you want to do it.
dnw - your's is looking good, too.

Gastrick · May 15, 2008

That'll be a good project HRP. I'd get that other one going first though, it's almost there.

Donald · May 16, 2008

lol i think the fungus looks custom lol

my car got some growing too

Willowbilly3 · May 16, 2008

dmw56 said:
I think that's a great plan for that truck. Here's my 51. It has a Minneapolis Moline Grille, will have a 40" bed and the 4" chop will happen soon.

Now there's a tractor grille I like. Being an old farm boy, most of them just end up looking like tractors to me.

riverrat44 · May 16, 2008

Lookin' forward to build pics. I don't know what ya paid for the truck, but I looked at one like it in a local salvage yard, and the owner wanted 250 bucks for just the front axle and steering box. Seems like used parts are like gas prices......................up up and out of sight...

custom cabby · May 16, 2008

nice truck, Preacher. i'd cruz it just like it is... well... lower it, wheel it, motor it and ofcourse gas it.

B.I.C.

hotrod preacher · Apr 10, 2009

time for the 1st annual update

well after only a year of investigating, contemplating, or procrastinating, the time had come to start the 52 project....
after viewing all of the different f-1's being built here i have concluded that originality is not gonna be happening with this one, rather a simple documentation of the build up for proof that preachers do something besides just talk..

well this is what it looked like after whacking off the front cap, the bed and 30 years worth of rat-crap out from under the seat....

hotrod preacher · Apr 10, 2009

Good Friday=good work on rat rod

well today was a good day for a few more things to get done on this one....
my 46 seems to be at a point where i need what i don't have ($$$) so i'll whittle on this one a while.......

removed the steering box and column (may use it but it was in the way for now)

gently removed those high dollar shock mounts (saw some sell on da'bay for 49.95---ORIGINALS!!)

after some very delicate HAMMERING, WITH MY 3LB. "FINISHING HAMMER"
and a little snip-snip from my plasma cutter the front axle came out..

more yet to come...

hotrod preacher · Apr 10, 2009

well as you might have seen at the bottom of the last pic, the front horns and bumper were removed plasma-style...

this is how it looked after all of that..

then i whittled a little more...i did figure out that occasionally a plasma cutter will need a new tip

works great again!!

hotrod preacher · Apr 10, 2009

maybe an original idea?!

well i did figure out how i wanted to do the front-end...decided to go traditional "buggy-spring" on my original front axle... so i thought i'd pinch the 'rails and also help the ride height a little as well

i sliced a little for an experiment and it worked great..

this was what i removed

the idea was to take the rail up until the front section of it was parallel with the main section of the frame - maybe this helps...

hotrod preacher · Apr 10, 2009

wrapping it up for today..

quickly sliced the right side and made it match-"eyeballed it" and then tacked a crossbrace in place when got my width right and the front squared

if it still looks right when i get back to it then i'll weld it up and make a front crossmember/spring perch mount.....just for the record i plan on boxing my sliced/pinched 'rails when i get time.....

thanks for the space guys.......have a safe and happy Easter weekend!!!

earthman · Apr 10, 2009

Glad to see you back at it. We want to see weekly updates from now on however.

hotrod preacher · Apr 10, 2009

planning on putting it together w/ all my spare parts/leftovers and $elling it before it eats a hole in my pocket

Sam_Fear · Apr 11, 2009

FlatBroke said:
Lots of potiential there....and in the one sitting beside it too...

Was that 65-66 beat up by a tree?!? Looks like the hood, cab and bed took some serious hits!

For growing fungus on it, that body is solid!

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