Slick 60's

Hi everyone!
I just found this website today and I was really excited to see it. I have been reading it all afternoon. I am an engineer living in mid-Michigan although I grew up in Silver Spring, MD and Chandler, AZ.
I have a 1964 F100 bought from Swift Ford in Yuma and used on a Yuma farm for 20 years. In the early 80's my grandfather bought this truck as a worktruck for his chemical plant in southern California and later Las Vegas. He was the developer of Rust Bullet that some of you might know and I plan on incorporating this product (my family sold the rights to it a while back, but it is still neat) into the project.
Currently the truck has a tired 292 Y-Block and 3 speed floor shift transmission with a limited slip Dana 44 in the back. It is totally rust free except for some minor surface rust. There is a dent on both front fenders from a while back, but they can be fixed. It now lives in Michigan (I am a chemical engineer like him but work at a large chemical company here) and only gets brought out on sunny days when the road salt has been washed away for the year.
I plan on driving it this summer since I spent most of this last winter getting it to run well. I plan on driving it in the Woodward Dream Cruise, etc this summer but want to start this major project at the end of summer and am already beginning to put parts together. I bought a Crown Vic front end last weekend for $350 from a 118k 2006 Crown Vic PI. It is a little crusty from the Michigan roads so I am going to see how it cleans up. I might end up selling it and getting one from out west instead. This thread will be my build thread for this project as well. Here is a rough plan of what I want to do:

-Crown Vic swap (have front end)
-New steering column
-Partially box frame (or should I completely box it?) and powdercoat
-5.4 2 Valve Mod Motor from a 1998 Ford Expedition
-Relocate fuel tank to back and set up compatible tank (truck currently has dual tanks. Hopefully can use the filler neck near the back of the bed to go down to a newer tank?)
-Tremec T56 Magnum transmission (I like manual transmissions and plan on slightly building and supercharging the 5.4 down the road, so want a trans that can take ~500 hp)
-Hydraulic clutch install using stock pedal
-Rebuild Dana 44 Rear End
-Lower rear axle with TCI parabolic spring suspension setup: http://totalcostinvolved.com/products/1 ... pring-kit/
-Convert rear drum brakes to disc with 5×4.5" bolt pattern to match front IFS
-Install manual 4 disc brake master cylinder
-Cut out bed floor and install wooden bed
-new gauges (speedometer, tach, oil pressure, Wideband O2, fuel, battery) and stereo system
-install aftermarket AC running off compressor from 5.4 Mod motor
-Dynamat inside of truck cab and install carpeting
-reupholster bench seat
-Install new glass
-plumb original factory heater up to mod motor
-Remove tow mirrors and install more subtle side mirrors
-Roll pan welded onto back
-Repaint entire truck a metallic or pearl blue color (as a mopar guy, I am thinking B5 blue or similar). Would like to use Rust Bullet on the underside or on whole car as primer.
-Chrome front grille and bumper
-18" Mustang wheels with summer tires

What do you all think? Any initial advice? Being a mechanically inclined engineer, I think I can figure this out as long as I have a multi-generational plan and take it one step at a time. I actually am really into gun building as well (AK's) so I have some limited exerience riveting and welding. I have not done much welding before though and I know for this build I will need to know what I am doing, mainly for the IFS install, wooden bed install, and frame boxing.

If anyone is in the Midland, MI area then I would love to meet up and work on trucks too!

Welcome to the board. Sounds like a great project.

May want to try some spray aluminum cleaner and powerwash the CV cradle. I've seen several guys use it with great success on FB.

Welcome from N.W. Ohio. You have a well thought out plan for your truck. There's several people on here that I'm sure would offer to take the bed floor off your hands when you cut it out.

you might cosider rear from late exporer has disc and 5 x4 1/2 bolt pattern many are limited slip 355 373 ratio

Subscribed....welcome from Virginia! There is a plethora of great information on this site.

Thanks guys!!

I will definitely try cleaning the IFS up first. I think I may be able to save it with TLC. Man do I miss living in a rust free area though...

I will post some pics up of the truck today! I forgot to post them originally haha.

fordtrux62 wrote:you might cosider rear from late exporer has disc and 5 x4 1/2 bolt pattern many are limited slip 355 373 ratio

Thanks for that advice. I know guys are doing that so I will look into it. Do you know what my options are for changing the bolt pattern and to rear discs if I wanted to keep the original Dana axle?

Here are some pics. Normally I keep her garaged and obviously do not drive her on winter roads. I got the plate off ebay but still need some 64 tags haha:






Also, what is my best source for non-cheap chinese quality trim parts, door molding, roll pan, etc when I am to that stage? I have ordered from LMC before and it was all overpriced cheap chinese crap. I live close to National Parts Depot. Are they good?

i have the brother to your truck..... my Sleeping Beauty a 1964 F100 Texas built Arizona district sales truck that ended up in West Virginia. She is repowered by a MB OM314 4 cylinder diesel..... going to puzzle the purists. Worst rot was from leaves in the bed with the truck parked downhill. Welcome to the site.

Nice truck