50 Ford F2 build

Hi and welcome to this build thread. Enjoy reading it and looking at the pictures. Don't be shy if you have got something to say about the build please do so. I am always open to new ideas.

To know where we are going we need to know where we have been. I have done the drag racing thing since the 60s along with hot street cars etc and I decided that I just wanted a driver to have and work on with the basics done. i figured out how much I had to spend and I went looking last fall. That was when my truck found me. it was not what I was looking for but now I am glad i found it.

This build will be based on two rules.
1. This is not a show truck or trailer queen but it will be a driver.
2. The sole job of this truck is to put a smile on my face.

That's all the rules there are. The truck is limited by my imagination, budget, my age and health. I will continue to always try to improve it. Most of the work will be done over the winter months and the summer months will be spent driving and enjoying it. So now on with the show.

Here is a picture of the truck as I brought it home. The day I bought it I drove 175 miles back home with it. It was a blast.



I almost forgot, since I have had this truck, I have done some work to it and have pictures so i will continue with some posts and descriptions of what and why I did something.

jim

The truck is a 1950 F2 sitting on a 1986 S-10 frame that had a V8 conversion with a auto trans. Considering that the cab, pickup bed, front sheet metal, and heavy bumpers are going it is pretty light weight. Even though it has a 307 in it that is basically stock except 4 brl carb and swap headers it scoots along pretty quick.

Here are a series of pictures I took when I first went to go look at it.



This is just one shot of it, here is the link to the whole series.

http://s93.photobucket.com/albums/l66/hellfirejim/50 ford pickup/#!cpZZ1QQtppZZ16

The next post will start the actual build.

jim

The PO that did the swap mounted the body on the chassis in a nose down atitude. Yeah i wish it was more level so I can make changes with the suspension but that is just the way it is. Actually I have come to like it this way. It is different and i won't see myself coming down the highway.

I decided to start on the wiring first basically because if you wanted to turn on the headlights you had to put in a fuse. If you wanted to turn on the electric fan you had to put in a fuse. See a pattern developing here? But besides theincredibly messed up wiring this picture will show you why I decided to start there.



You see that red and white box on the passenger floor???? Nope not a case of oil but it is an empty box covering the battery. Yes the battery was on the Pass side floor. Now you know why I am starting with the wiring.

jim

The first place I started was to get the battery back in the engine compartment. The battery box I ended up using was one from a 55 gmc. Worked well and only required a new hole be drilled.



I was trying to show how bad the original wiring was but even this doesn't begin to show the mess.



BTW: See that steering column? The only thing that does besides steering is the steering column lock to keep it from getting stolen.

Ok, this is just the beginning if anybody is interested i will continue with the build, just let me know.

jim

More please [P[P[P[P

looks like a good start there... just out of curiosity.. where west of Chicago are you? Notice my location... just so happens to be a corn field behind my house as well

grommets?

WOW

that "wiring" is scarey! did they run any grommets anywhere to keep the wires from rubbing bare spots and grounding out?

looks like an explosion in a spagettie factory,

l got a EZ wiring kit, there a lot of places out there who make kits, maybe easier to buy than build one.

keep us updated,

Later

Thanks for the good words. I know it is different but perhaps that is why it means so much to me.

Corpo, I live in cortland which is just east of DeKalb.

Skull, believe me it didn't start out as a re-wiring job. I was just going to put in a couple of switches. One small improvement added to finding one more rats nest of wires and finally I had enough and just stripped it out and made changes and did it my way. I will show that in some posts coming up.

So now I am re-wiring the entire front of the truck from the dash forward. This will work for now and until we blow it apart for the body work and paint. At that time I will have settled out the truck into it's mostly final form. I hope! I will get a custom wiring kit made based on what the final setup will be.

Time for my bed as 4am comes early...

I will try and post some more tomorrow when I get back from the doc's.

jim

not far from me... st.charles...

you going to put a bed on it eventually?

Welcome to RRR my FTE friend!

CORPO said:

not far from me... st.charles...

you going to put a bed on it eventually?

Click to expand...

Right now the answer is no, always subject to change. Got something special in the works. I will let you know but right now that is down the road a bit as I have to get some "repairs" done first.

I have lots of time in the Geneva, St. Charles , Batavia triangle.

Love your truck.

Lvin4jc: Good to see you too. These guys are real darksiders, my type of people. Both are good groups of people only each is different.

jim

Can somebody tell me how to post pictures as thumb nails?? I looked but didn't see how. If you want regular pictures let me know which way is easier for you to view. Most posting later today.
jim

I like the fullsize pics.

I'm looking forward to following along!

-Chaz

Wiring isn't that hard to do right! Or even half right. That was a mess and not even worth trying to sort out. Keep at it and give us pics.

Big pix please. About that bodywork and paint you mentioned. Some of us here feel that time and energy could be better spent on acquiring more projects.

hellfirejim said:

Lvin4jc: Good to see you too. These guys are real darksiders, my type of people. Both are good groups of people only each is different.

jim

Click to expand...

They're good guys for sure. And i'm becoming more of a real darksider myself all the time [ddd

I like the raked stance your truck has btw, i'll be shooting for a rake on mine too, maybe not quite as extreme as yours but by looking at those rear tires i'm guessing you like things extreme

how about some running boards? i can see the frame under the cab thats one of my pet peves newer chevs have that problem from the factory it makes me think giant body lift

but other than that it looks great

38fordtruck said:

how about some running boards? i can see the frame under the cab thats one of my pet peves newer chevs have that problem from the factory it makes me think giant body lift

but other than that it looks great

Click to expand...

Those ch##ys drive me nuts too! You can even see the stinkin' stickers and barcodes and junk on the frame. Glad i'm not the only one

Ok, Where to start?

paint and body work are way down the road for now and who knows whatever i might find to keep her company.

Those rear tires are extreme and cool but for a driver highly impractible. I am going to a rear tire that is about 5 inches over all shorter which should lower the rear about 2.5 inches. Since you were talking about the real tires, those tire and tubes are for sale, $200 and the rims are free.

I don't know if the running boards are going to show up or not. I am not completely decided on that.

The rake grows on you over time. I have to wait till I get the tires and rims on it to see where and how it sits. The only place I have a clearance problem is right in front and that is sheet metal only. I will make clearance there as required and when I put the new fenders on I will make a clean fitting to the shorter height. Right now it will give me an idea of how much clearance i need to be able to drive it.

Welcome to the darkside. [cl

jim

I forgot to mention being able to see the frame. The PO only painted it to the back of the cab and not under the cab. Obviously the painting school was right next to the wiring school....

Once I cleanup and paint the frame it will disappear into the shadows......

jim