70's lincoln frame

[hotrod preacher]

so i have wound up with a complete 1970's (76 i think) full-size lincoln frame..i was considering using its front "stub" or "clip" under the f-100 unibody truck i have...

now i know i should get out a tape measure and all that, but i would like to ask if anyone ever did a swap like this....it looks like a possibility and since it is a freebie and the thing isn't comepletely wore out it looks like a good candidate......anybody wanna talk me out of doing it before i drag out the plasma torch[


give me some feedback guys.....[P

 

[zzrodder]

I think you will find it's kinda wide for your truck - I used a 78 Merc Grand Marquis frame (likely the same frame)under a 47 Packard and had to narrow it 3 1/2".

 

[hotrod preacher]

thanks ZZ, now your just gonna make me get out the tape measure and find out the "bad news" for myself aren't ya....

i guess i'll see what i can figure out next week.....

 

[hotrod preacher]

ok here's the deal....ford truck frame 34" outside-to-outside at the cab-mount@ cowl..

lincoln frame 36-ish and it actually tapers in to 34 closer to the front engine crossmember.....

as far as track width is concerned it was harder to get numbers for it, but it looks usable there as well-somewhere in the 63-64-ish range (center of tire to center of tire) my 66 w/ twin i-beams setting on 7" wheels had a 66" center of tire to center of tire...


a little cutting, a lot of measuring, probably some more cutting, some welding, probably some more measuring and some more welding and it might fit

 

[zzrodder]

Hey, that's actually not too far off - with the right wheels and tires, it may be a good fit after all. The Lincoln frame was made to fit and support a big block so any Ford motor will fit.

 

[hotrod preacher]

yeah, ZZ this was a case where a guy bought the car for the 460, and i wind up with the left-overs --a bare rolling frame...he stripped the body off (scrapped/parted it out)

i'm hoping to start this project this fall/winter i'll try to make a build thread if i do...

 

[zzrodder]

Does the Lincoln frame look anything like this ? It's the 78 Merc I used. I made a lot of mods to it - cut off the front horns, narrowed the front 3 1/2", took 4" out of the middle and added the double X member, cut 10" off he rear. To fit the Packard, I also moved the 460 back a few inches and up 2", of course that meant notching the crossmember to clear the Ford front sump. Also added a 78 Tbird sway bar (narrower and thicker) and cut 1 coil off the springs - I've found you can do it with a 3" air cutoff disc without disassembling the suspension. I started with a complete donor car that had only 65,000 miles on it so I used everything, brake booster, pedal, gas tank, steering column, etc, etc, that really saved on hunting down parts as it was all designed to work together.

 

[hotrod preacher]

yeah, zz it looks very similar, though i can see you did a lot of modifying to that one[

i'm thinking i have my "grafting" ideas figured out, though i really need to know the ride height of a stock lincoln frame, so i get the ride height like i want it on my truck--low but not too low

--i started a different "little project" yesterday, so it may be a few weeks before i get back to the unibody truck/lincoln frame[P