First timer - 49 Ford Truck

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kzoldman

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 10, 2009
Messages
260
Location
Byron Ga.
First timer - 48 Ford Truck

Thought I would start me a build thread to post to. Here are some pics of yet another 48 Ford F1 truck. This is my first build so I will not be as fast as some of you guys. One pic is the 5.0 and trans I plan to use. One pic is of my side tilt bed and yes that is 100% mahogany. :)There is also another pic of the ignition coil fuel cap. I know one wire goes to the battery but not sure were the other one goes. :DMaybe this was the last guys attempt to get rid of the truck. Anyway, if you see me doing something that just won't work feel free to jump in.
(Started this as a 49, Correction, according to the vin it is a 1948 1/2 ton V8 truck.)
 

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Test fit of a 4dr 63 Fairlane front bench seat. Looks like we may have a winner. Plan to use the Fairlane column and steering wheel also. Going to take out the glass and start the 4" top chop this week. Never done that before, but I saw somewhere on here if in can be cut it can be welded so I'm not scared. [dr For now I just need my coffee and someone to push me around in the garage while I make motor noise.:)
 

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Cool truck... are you going to use the original diff? I think the gears are 3.92 or something close to that.

I bought a rolled but running 97 explorer a couple of years ago for almost nothing. I plan to use most of the running gear from that. That gives me a 5.0 (ford in a ford [S ) and with the Mustang ll front end, four wheel disc brakes. I had the long side of the explorer housing cut to match the short side then put it back together with a 31 spline short side axle. This centered my yoke. It is a 3.73L diff. but with the od trans. it should be cool. Overall mounting surface to mounting surface is 57". When I finish I will work out any shortness with new rims. It was cut for another project, I might not have cut it for this truck. Here is a pic before I cut it. It has a cool sway bar that I am going to use and I also have some caltrac traction bars I am going to work in. I may want to do some wheelies :D
 

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Oh boy that learning curve is rough. Burned my thumb (not a welder) [;) and cut on the wrong side of the tape (stupid too) starting off. :D Anyway, this is my first chop so if you are looking at this to learn how, be ye there for warned. I looked at how Dmw56 chopped his but I want to run door glass without the quarter windows and I looked at how roddguy did his, but as good as it looks, I do not have that many clamps. :D So I am going out on a limb here. I am doing my doors first and then making everything else fit to them. I am tacking everything first just in case. I am doing a 4" chop on the top and a 2" chop on the back glass. Here are some pics of this afternoons mess. :D I will post some tomorrow of the rest of the story. One pic is what happens when you do not cut on the right side of the tape even with arrows showing you what to do. [S
 

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hey old man i had not caught this thread yet, but good to see SOMEONE make some progress[cl even if it ain't me!!
don't feel bad about that burnt thumb-when ya get a welding-dingleberry in the ear you'll forget all about the thumb!:eek:
as for the miss-cut, it happens to the best of 'em and the rest of 'em, there is one good thing about it though, it's only metal so you can .... um.... well......er...[;)...ya that's it

are ya gonna run fenders or no?......
keep us posted...
HRP
 
No fenders and building my own frame. I am thinking about a hood. I am running a 5.0. I will post as I make progress. [dr
 
Had to get off the rat rod for a couple of weeks but back on it today. I think my welding is going to cost me a lot of grinding and bondo. :D Not sure if this is how to chop a 48 Ford but i guess this is how I am doing it. Just a few pics of how the chop is going. The ladder is my helper dude. Doesn't talk much and stays out of the beer. :D
 

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Did the doors first so I can use them as a guide to weld the top back together. One pic is of the drivers side before I cut the top in half long ways to widen it.
 

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Looks great!

Don't bondo anything! :D
I like the color scheme as it is :)

Thanks Andrew! This truck started out red then at some point in time someone put bondo over all the rust, [S sprayed it with brown primer, then sprayed on a black guide coat. Then they parked it for years. I want to go pack with an "aged" red interior and an "aged" rusty black exterior. (I like the black on red look :D) Here in GA it doesn't take long to create rust. :D A buddy of mine just finished his second rat that he made look like an aged white truck. Below is a link to his first truck. I will get him to post a video of the second one. Very cool truck!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqLerDkAW-I
 

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