AWD explorer as hot rod chassis...

[FourbyFour]

Sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. I don't get on this site as often as I would like.
I measured the shocks on my 97 and they are approx. 16.5 inches mount to mount. Hope this helps.
Your build is looking great. Keep up the good work.

 

[scruff]

Thanks fourby, it will come in handy soon.

Today I cut up the F150 Bed I was given and took out the center section and kept the support rails intact, I think it'll work out very well for the truck.

I've been messing with the suspension a lot tryingto find a good ride height, and researching all the air bag stuff. Shame it mostly came to naught, it just seems like there isn't enough space around the front end without completely custom lower A arms. I think I'll just attempt a coilover conversion and be done with it.

 

[rob17san]

I know this is an old thread but if you still have the Factory 16" Limited Wheels from the 1999-2001 Bodystyle, I would really like to purchase them. I sold mine awhile back and I regret it ever since!

 

[scruff]

Rob, sorry but I sold those a while ago _ I saw your thread and thought you might be wondering.
I also only had three that were any good. If I spot any I'll let you know.

 

[iceman7329]

You dont have the rear cargo door off that truck (explorer) do you? I didnt think I saw it at your house but figured its worth asking. I cant wait to see this project done.

 

[CDW6212R]

I know this is an old thread but if you still have the Factory 16" Limited Wheels from the 1999-2001 Bodystyle, I would really like to purchase them. I sold mine awhile back and I regret it ever since!

I wish you luck on finding those wheels, it took me a while to find the nine which I have(snow tires and spare). I got three from two salvage yards and two from eBay. They ended up being about $75 each two years ago, with center caps.

I hope you figure out the suspension with the truck. I think any workable solution will give it a ride equal or better than stock. These ride like trucks.

 

[Spas]

*munch munch munch* Neat thread! Sorry to hear about all your troubles, but I admire your senses of perseverance and optimism Looks like it'll be an amazing trucklet when you finally get it finished!

 

[rob17san]

Rob, sorry but I sold those a while ago _ I saw your thread and thought you might be wondering.
I also only had three that were any good. If I spot any I'll let you know.

I found a set from a FORUM MEMBER! Thanks guys.

 

[scruff]

So things have been going nicely with truck lots of progress.

Today I cleaned the garage out and re-installed the original 8.8, it had a bent flange and axle shaft when I got the donor Ex, and I've had a placeholder axle in there for a while. The $39 wheel dollies I bought make an amazing difference in moving this stuff around.

Got the F150 bed floor tidied up and started measureing for the removal of the extra foot (it was an eight foot bed). The crossmembers may have to be moved around a bit but I'll use most of them.

We also dismantled the fifty five year old structure from the F1 bed and took the front panel out. It was really rusty allong the bottom and was smashed outward from years of hauling, so I bought a replacement. The bed sides are good enough for use, and with a little bodywork will look good.
I actually think putting too many new pieces on an old truck like these looks a little too sharp or something, a little imperfection is good.

Also managed to remove ALL the sheet metal from the truck, fenders, running boards, bed, basically everything except the cab and doors. It's all going out to http://www.rustbustersofatlanta.com tomorrow to be bead blasted and put in primer - black primer I hope, so when I hang it all back on the truck it looks a lot like the final colour.

On the explorer side of things, now that the front clip is off, I have full access to the headers, so I can finally fit the Torque Monsters. That'll be doubly nice since I am completely out of storage room, I've been buying a massive numbers of tools lately. I now have a MIG a TIG a 30 gallon Air compressor (thanks to my wife, it was BD / Xmas present) a 3/8 rattle gun an air ratchet die grinder, angle grinder, drill, and a stack of incidentals like vice grips etc.
All up I am running out of places to put them, a nice problem to have.

Next up after the headers is the channel of the floor, which I am a bit scared of, because it's a lot more of a hard core hot rod project than I've tackled before. I need a bit more MIG practice before that happens.
Pics to follow soon.

 

[scruff]

OK here are some pictures.

A perfectly good 49 car dash about the go under the knife, by me, a complete idiot.


It needs to be narrowed 10 inches and made to fit where the existing integrated truck dash was.... here is the center cut down.



F150 bed floor I am so happy with..



Bet you all wish your TM's were this easy to get at ?
Each header came off really easy, in fact half the bolts (!) weren't more than finger tight ! Quite alarming really. Also the plug were massively worn out, like 50 thou gaps or something, and they look to be the original 120,000 mile old motorcraft platinums.
Eeek, out they go.



You've all seen TM's on Expo blocks, but not like this...
They looks so cool I am going to try and keep them as uncovered by other junk (brake lines hardware etc) to show them off. Eventually I'll be changing a few aesthetic things to make the engine bay look a little more Ole' school, but these will stay as is.

 

[Turdle]

Oh, you really did cut that dash. How long did you stare at it before you actually made sparks?

 

[chriswells78]

Man, this continues to be one of the coolsest pojects on this site. Very nice work!

 

[scruff]

Oh, you really did cut that dash. How long did you stare at it before you actually made sparks?

oooh I'd say about 1 1/2 months... seriously, when the dash showed up, I was stunned, I only payed $35 for it plus shipping, and I wasn't expecting such a good example.
One thing I have wanted since the start of this though was a nicer dassh, the truck stock one is ugly and unbalanced looking. I considered a couple of others, and settled on a 53 Desoto one that a friend was going to give me... and then he decided it'd look great in his 51 Merc - *******.
I discovered the 49/50 car dash by accident looking at junkyard pictures. The best bit is keeping it all Ford.

The only aesthetic I may not be able to stay Ford on is brake lights - I LOVE 59 Caddy lights (I had a 59 for a bit and it was supposed to be this build but was too rusty) so who knows.


Thanks for the kind words Chris !

 

[MoabB2]

Great Idea with the dash!

Here is a picture of what my dad is doing with his 56 F1 dash:
1956 F100 Dash.

He used another 56 F100 dash and integrated it on the passenger side. Passenger hump will house Navigation/DVD screen.

 

[scruff]

Great Idea with the dash!

Here is a picture of what my dad is doing with his 56 F1 dash:
1956 F100 Dash.

He used another 56 F100 dash and integrated it on the passenger side. Passenger hump will house Navigation/DVD screen.

Very nice ! I thought about using a set of pods from a 59 Chev at one stage, but decided to stay Ford.

Is that the F100 that is getting the full custom chassis and big wheels ?

 

[MoabB2]

Is that the F100 that is getting the full custom chassis and big wheels ?

Yeah, I guess 20's in the front and 22's in the rear are big wheels! Custom chassis, air ride suspension, and Ford Lightning drivetrain. But slow going as you can attest to as well.

 

[scruff]

I remember you posting pictures of it on here a few pages back I think.
Big $ in a build like that, precisely why I didn't go that way.
So far I am into this project for less than $7000.
The rolling chassis alone would have cost that on the F100..

 

[MoabB2]

You will also have AWD, which I think is awesome!

 

[scruff]

You will also have AWD, which I think is awesome!

Yup ! That was the whole point ! It's is a huge stroke of luck that the Expo chassis not only has AWD and a V8 but it is also only 2 inches out from the stock F1 and is exactly the right width.
I spent a LONG time with a tape measure.

 

[scruff]

OK it's been steady going with the truck project.
I now own a 99 4x4 Ranger as well as the ExploRod F1.
The coolest thing about the Ranger is that being an almost identical chassis I can mock up ride height and my wheels on the Ranger, drive it around and see how it looks and feels.
I've had the steelies on it but not the Torsion Twist yet.
I might do that this weekend and see how it feels.

My wallets been busy, the fenders, running boards and bed sides all went out to Rust Busters of Atlanta to be blasted and put in black epoxy primer. This was good because eventually they'll be finished matte black anyway and mocking up everything in the final colour gives a huge amount of satisfaction.

I also started hacking away at the inner fenders from the F1 - the guy who initially did the roof chop and body mount decided (!) I didn't need them and made brackets to run the fenders without them. This might look cool on show rods but this will be a street vehicle and I don't want wheel crap thrown up into my engine bay.
He also made body mounts... Which I have never liked, they look to weak. So I am now remaking them using the original Explorer ones that he cut off and saved.
The upside to doing this was that I discovered he'd mounted the body slightly ****ed to one side.
The right side is back 3/8 inch from the left and the left side is almost 3/4 inch from being centered in the wheel arch.

I also scored a new rear axle from a junkyard a while ago and installed that better low mileage never been in a wreck axle. It's much prettier than mine was.
Even better was selling the old one for $275 (yeah serious, a friend stuck it on Craigs list for me and someone paid that).

OK pictures.
Crap, I am late for work. Check the link in my Sig, new pictures are at the bottom.
More later.