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    Results 1 to 7 of 7
    1. #1
      Join Date
      Aug 2004
      Location
      Laurens, SC
      Posts
      67

      New "Frame" for my 1961 Ranchero

      Hi Everyone- Been a long time since I was here. Havent done much "customizing" anything is years. Hopefully I will change that now.

      I recently picked up the car which was my first- 1961 Ranchero I drove in the 90's back and forth to High School. It is NOT in good shape. If it wasnt for the fact that this was my car, I would scrap it and find a better one. Anyhow I have a lot of work to do.

      The truck floors are bad, some rot in the rear frame rails and most of the bottom of the truck. I am looking for some creative suggestions on a way to graft in a modern suspension/floor/frame to the ranchero. Basically keep the body and change everything under it. since I have to repair/replace most of the underside of the truck, I think this may be the best way.

      I have spent the last 2 weeks searching the internet. Every time someone asks something like "Can I graft in a Fox Mustang chassis" all the answers are "Keep it as it is and swap in a mustang II suspension.

      Mustang II is great and all, but with the amount of rot I need to replace, I think something a little more in depth is warranted.

      I have NOT taken any measurements yet- Still got some regular work to finish up before I can start the new toy, but my thoughts are leaning in this direction:


      1. Fox Mustang- Possible Entire floor/frame, cut and weld as possible.
      2. Ranger/ S10/ Toyota- cut/adapt the frame and make my own sheet metal floor.
      3. Something Else??


      I really want to do a junkyard type swap- Where I can get Most of the stuff from the local u-pull-it yard. A full frame from a s10 or toyota would be best for me because I basically lower the body onto it, make new mounts and floors and DONE. but I dont want to raise the thing up like its 4WD.

      I will spend money when I need to, but having a custom made frame or buying a $2-4K suspension is out of the question. I prefer to do most of the work on my own.

      So what ideas do you guys have? looking for ideas you know someone has done already OR even some crazy "Have you looked at this" kind of ideas.

      Thanks Guys and Gals!

    2. #2
      Join Date
      Dec 2006
      Location
      Out of the Burbs of Detroit to SoCal, then onto my ancestral homeland, the woods of Cascadia
      Posts
      1,753
      Country Flag: United States
      Might want to look at the $5000 Mustang thread. Pretty clever what he did, and sounds like he started with about the same thing you have
      Greg Fast
      (yes, the last name is spelled correctly)

      1970 Camaro RS Clone
      1984 el Camino
      1973 MGB vintage E/Prod race car
      (Soon to be an SCCA H/Prod limited prep)

    3. #3
      Join Date
      Aug 2014
      Posts
      435
      Country Flag: United States
      I kinda dig the idea of using a Ranger frame...you could probably use the bed floor from the ranger to replace the Ranchero bed floor. IIRC, early 60's rancheros were based on the Falcon, weren't they? Probably come out pretty close. Not that familiar with them, and I'm not a Ford guy so I could be talking out of my a**. lol....a ranger frame would be like a mini version of swapping a crown vic frame under old F100/150's that seemes to be the rage now.

      Jay

    4. #4
      Join Date
      Dec 2010
      Posts
      709
      Look at Explorers. Otherwise, any smaller truck frame would work--your suspension probably wouldn't get any worse. If you like Ford, there's also a Crown Vic--newer is better. The thing about a Crown Vic, though, is that you'd have to cut out the middle, then make a new central frame to accommodate your body's width and length. You'd also have like ten inches wider a footprint with a 2003 or later one . . .

      Wikipedia tends to have good, basic measurements (like wheelbase) for all kinds of cars . . .

    5. #5
      Join Date
      Aug 2004
      Location
      Laurens, SC
      Posts
      67
      Hey Everyone- Thanks for the feedback!

      I checked out the $5000 budget Mustang thread- Yup looks like what I am starting with and pretty much what I want to do- Only he has a really nice frame for his!! bad ass !

      Yes I am going to look at small trucks- I would prefer FORD with the Ranchero, but I know S10 has lots of aftermarket stuff available. I also was looking at Ford Courier as a possibility but thats pretty old. I would like something newer.

      I did find a post on Jalopy Journal where a guy was putting a beetle on an S10 frame and it looked decent- If I bug fits, I think my Ranchero would too.

      I would love to go with Crown vic, but way too wide. Maybe I could mod it, but Im not real excited by that idea.

      I have found older Supra Rear suspension is independent and mounts in a cradel that is easy to mount on other vehicles- So that is an option if I need to build a frame.

    6. #6
      Join Date
      Feb 2011
      Location
      Indpls, IN
      Posts
      613
      Country Flag: United States

    7. #7
      Join Date
      Aug 2004
      Location
      Laurens, SC
      Posts
      67
      Quote Originally Posted by Jetfixr320 View Post
      https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/46489-TwinTorino



      Check this on out.
      Thanks for the link- That is pretty much what I need to do... Hopefully something like a mustang fits but I need to do a lot of measuring and find something suitable.






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