Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Something from Nothing

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Something from Nothing

    It's been years since I posted a build on BS. I still like to do things on a budget, and this might be one of the best budget builds I've done. Follow along and see what I come up with.

  • #2
    So I guess I'll start with the 59 F100 I found for $700. I can't find a good picture of it. Here it is hidden behind other stuff at my shop. I had it for a year or two, couldn't get anywhere on it. I wasn't convinced I wanted to make a drag truck, which was the plan initially.

    Comment


    • #3
      I have a thing for 2 door post sedans so when I had a chance to trade the F100 for a 66 Ford Custom 500 I had been eyeballing on FB Marketplace I did just that.

      Comment


      • #4
        This is what I'm starting with. A fairly solid car with a mint frame swapped under it. It's a roller, was a 302 auto last time it was the road.
        Last edited by VTJUNK; October 7, 2021, 08:18 AM.

        Comment


        • #5
          I've done the small block thing so many times there was no way I was going to try to make this car quick with a 289 or 302 and a stroker just isn't in the budget. I wrestled with either a 429 or 460 vs a 390 or 428. I decided I would use an engine available when the car was new and go FE. Part of my decision for this is that I've never built one and want to familiarize myself with them before I build a 427 for the altered Ranchero. I was about to get a lesson in what FE stands for, Freaking Expensive.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by VTJUNK View Post
            I've done the small block thing so many times there was no way I was going to try to make this car quick with a 289 or 302 and a stroker just isn't in the budget. I wrestled with either a 429 or 460 vs a 390 or 428. I decided I would use an engine available when the car was new and go FE. Part of my decision for this is that I've never built one and want to familiarize myself with them before I build a 427 for the altered Ranchero. I was about to get a lesson in what FE stands for, Freaking Expensive.
            Sadly, true.

            Dan

            Comment


            • #7
              Shopping for a complete drop in 390 or 428 for a couple months I started to realize I would need a complete car as well for the FE mounts, radiator, and rear axle as well as other assorted parts. This car would have had a 9" in it but the frame I believe is from a 6cyl or 289 powered 67 model so it had a light duty WER axle which looks like 8.8 or GM 10 bolt. That wasn't going to stand up to any abuse. I started looking for a parts car.

              Comment


              • #8
                I scored a 65 LTD 390 car for $300. It was missing the engine but everything else was there. Click image for larger version

Name:	20200503_180425.jpg
Views:	219
Size:	1.00 MB
ID:	1307373

                Comment


                • #9
                  I found a complete 67 390/C6 for $600. This was supposedly a good running engine with no issues. Well you can guess how that's going to turn out. I took it directly to the car wash with some Easy Off oven cleaner.
                  Attached Files

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I tore the engine down after seeing a few things that made me wonder. Not that I Click image for larger version

Name:	20200822_113746.jpg
Views:	210
Size:	971.2 KB
ID:	1307388 wouldnt have anyway, but I knew it was going to need more work than I hoped.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I found lots of sludge, a beat up piston from something dropping into the cylinder, one head that had bad valve seats, one head had a more recent valve job, and the nylon timing gears had shed their teeth and clogged up the oil pump pickup. The cylinders were good, and the bearings were in surprisingly good shape. I checked all the crank journals and ordered bearings, oil pump and pickup, double roller chain, gasket set, steel head gaskets and an RPM intake. For pistons I found a set that would give me a decent bump in compression. Regular rebuilder type pistons for 360/390 engines have a compression height that is okay for a 360 truck, but not a performance 390. The engine came with a set of C7AE-A heads, probably the worst head there is for an FE. After looking around for a better set and not wanting aluminum, I settled on the "poor man's CJ heads" C6AE-R. The set I found had been rebuilt with stainless valves, 5 angle valve job, performance springs, milled, and had mild bowl work done. They were fresh in the bags from the shop and I gladly forked over $550 for them. Click image for larger version

Name:	20200907_175027.jpg
Views:	216
Size:	950.7 KB
ID:	1307390

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I would have kept the old bearings in there

                        My fabulous web page

                        "If it don't go, chrome it!" --Stroker McGurk

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I called Cam Research for my cam. It's a hydraulic 282/288 .525.542 112LSA. It came already broken in with the lifters. The springs in the heads were compatible so I didn't have to change them. I assembled the engine correcting some irregularities in the oiling system, chamfering passages, etc and added a Click image for larger version

Name:	20210311_174236.jpg
Views:	212
Size:	985.6 KB
ID:	1307394 windage tray. All of the accessories, fuel pump, water pump, alternator etc are new.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            I had a chance to buy another FE C6 transmission that was built for a Cobra kit car that went in a different direction. For $400 it came still in the crate. I added a Hughes 2500 stall converter, rebuilt the rearend with spool, 3.89 gears and 31 spline axles and went through the brakes, suspension, had the radiator flushed and tested, bought some headers, mufflers, and a bunch of miscellaneous parts, hoses, clamps, battery cables, belts, coolant, Tstat, etc. I think I'm going to run steel wheels with dog dish caps.
                            Last edited by VTJUNK; October 7, 2021, 12:21 PM.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              I'm aiming to end up with something like this. Click image for larger version

Name:	9548f96933c149ea449d4fe9cb972639.jpg
Views:	211
Size:	109.8 KB
ID:	1307402

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X