1951 Ford F1 Build

[travissilb]

Picked up this 1951 Ford F1. Done a bit of work on it so far but here's the progress! Sorry for some of the sideways pictures!

It's going to have a flat bed made to fit 2 motorcycles side by side, the motor i will put in it is an old chevy small block out of a c3 corvette because It's free. Going to build a box tube frame with '89 corvette suspension up front and a ford 9" in the rear with a 3 link set up. not sure which trans will go in it yet, but i'll let my available funds decide that later haha

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Got it home. The rear wheels kept locking up the whole way home!

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Stripping 'er down. built a simple wooden frame to hold it by the cab corners.

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Driver's side cab corner almost replaced. More updates soon!

[lobudget]

Love those 50's Fords!

[travissilb]

Been a while since i've posted here, so i'll post my progress in a couple posts...

Had to replace the rear cab corners, inside and outside.

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[travissilb]

I decided to go ahead and buy the stock replacement floor instead of making one channeled to have the car sit low to the ground. With this floor i'll have the raise the rideheight a bit but it will be on the road sooner!

I also decided to buy the Direct Sheetmetal 2" recessed firewall. it required some fitment. i needed to weld in 1/4" strip to make it fit the cab as it was too narrow. but even with that it was half a day to install.165206

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My Mig welder is brocken so i had to do TIG rosette welds to fill the spot welds. it was a pain in the ass but none the less i am happy with the result


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The floor fit in with no issues. it wasn't a perfect fit but it is good enough for me!

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I made sure the the door gap was perfect before i welded in the floor...

[travissilb]

Just wanted to share how i am doing the body mounds in the front...

I made mock ups from cardboard and made sure they were fitting exactly how i wanted. I then layed each of the pieces out on the table next to a ruler and to a birdseye photo of them. I brought this into Fusion 360 and calibrated it and vectorized it. then i can export as a .dxf and shoot to the waterjet to cut them out and weld them up.

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Passenger side body mount

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Driver side body mount

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Fusion 360 vectorization...

[travissilb]

So the Frame is going to be a box tube frame built to fit the '89 corvette front clip i have in the front and a triangulated 4 link in the rear.

Before i go buying material i want to model the whole frame up in Fusion 360 so i can create a cut list and make sure everything mates up as it should without any guess work.

i Pulled the '74 sbc that i will be using for a temporary power unit. I will mount that motor onto the corvette clip sitting on wheels to take measurements so i know exactly how much i can lower the cab before i start interfering with the drivetrain. So that still needs to be done before i can finalize the frame model but here is what i have mocked up so far...

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This is the 3D rendering of the frame

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i was able to use the factory drawings of the cab in order to rough out the geometry quickly

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[travissilb]

After doing the rear corners, i knew i could do a better job on the driver's side front... so i cut it out and did it again!

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The door gap is not perfect but this truck is going to be driven, not perfect!

[minendrews68]

I'm impressed that you've got a vertical mill! Welcome aboard.

[travissilb]

I'm impressed that you've got a vertical mill! Welcome aboard.

Thank you, Carl! Wouldn't live without one!

[travissilb]

Not every panel goes smoothly! I have had two failed attempts at this back panel and wasn't able to get the result i wanted. So i will move on and come back to it later...


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This was attempt number 2... it was close but i couldn't get the the welds planished back out to get the warpage out of the panel after welding. When i bought the car, there was a panel riveted over the back section to cover it up, so i will just throw that back on and worry about this panel when the list of other **** to do gets much shorter haha


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i began to finish out the rear quarters, mating them to the floor i installed a few weeks back. just needed to make a flange to spot weld to the floor. Got it tacked in for now and will finish weld soon (yes, my brother put a dent in my freshly formed panel ;) it gives it character)

[travissilb]

I disassembled the corvette front clip that i'm putting in the truck to get some dimensions i need in order to CAD up the frame. i have a rendering of the frame finished. i will order material hopefully this week and get it started!

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This is the clip i am putting int he truck, it's from an '89 corvette. i originally thought the frame rail had to be horizontal in order to fit in but it turns out the frame rail needs to be 12 deg. facing up towards the front.


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i modeled it up with the new measurements. should be the final rendering. just need to make a cut list and order the box tubing


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This is the ride height i'm going for, will be a few inches lower than stock but nothing crazy. i want this to be a go anywhere vehicle

[FormTA]

Great project! Love where this is going. Keep it up!

[wfo guy]

What wall thickness are you going to use for the main rails?

[travissilb]

What wall thickness are you going to use for the main rails?

I'm using 1/8" wall tubing for the 2x4 sections. the middle 2x6 will be .187 because that's as thin as they go for 2x6

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Great project! Love where this is going. Keep it up!

Thank you! Much Appreciated!

[wfo guy]

I used .125 on mine on the 2x6 but if I had it to do over, I would have used 3/16" on all the frame rails. I would still use 1/8" on cross pieces though. Mine has a stock 4.6 2v in it with a 5 speed. It has 8500 miles with no surprises but for no more weight than you add, I would have liked to have the added strength of the thicker wall material. I don't have access to solidworks or any software such as that so my design was not subject to F.A..

[travissilb]

I used .125 on mine on the 2x6 but if I had it to do over, I would have used 3/16" on all the frame rails. I would still use 1/8" on cross pieces though. Mine has a stock 4.6 2v in it with a 5 speed. It has 8500 miles with no surprises but for no more weight than you add, I would have liked to have the added strength of the thicker wall material. I don't have access to solidworks or any software such as that so my design was not subject to F.A..

I might go with 3/16 on the 2x4 as well to be consistent. The place i get material from only has 3/16 on the 2x6. Why would you have gone thicker, did you notice any flexing or anything to make you change your mind?

[travissilb]

As i am preparing for the frame build, i am realizing all the **** i forgot to take care of that i need in order to build it! One of those being… the rear suspension. I have planned a triangulated 4 link rear with box tube lower control arms and dom round tube uppers.


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It’s not finished yet, still need to design the upper links on the housing, but it’s designed for a 40” lower arm and a 28” upper. I drew just enough data from the rear end to mock up the links. Getting ready to have these waterjet next week.

[wfo guy]

I daily drive this truck. It has enough ground clearance to drive off curbs. It has Ridetech coilovers on all 4 corners. 4 bar on the rear and a modified camaro front spindle setup on the front. The main reason for my statement was that the frame wasn't as rigid as I wanted before mounting the sheetmetal. There seems to be 2 thoughts on frame design: absolute rigid and flexible. The original frame on most trucks is designed to flex when doing normal duty. With me watching AME and the Roadster shop selling many frames that appear to be quite rigid, I'm speculating that for upper performance duty, less flex can be advantageous. From my drag racing back ground, I know that anything that flexes fatigues and fails. So is it worth a few pounds to shorten the life of the basic frame? If you have access to software that can answer that question, I'd like to know if I'm all wet. :)

[travissilb]

I daily drive this truck. It has enough ground clearance to drive off curbs. It has Ridetech coilovers on all 4 corners. 4 bar on the rear and a modified camaro front spindle setup on the front. The main reason for my statement was that the frame wasn't as rigid as I wanted before mounting the sheetmetal. There seems to be 2 thoughts on frame design: absolute rigid and flexible. The original frame on most trucks is designed to flex when doing normal duty. With me watching AME and the Roadster shop selling many frames that appear to be quite rigid, I'm speculating that for upper performance duty, less flex can be advantageous. From my drag racing back ground, I know that anything that flexes fatigues and fails. So is it worth a few pounds to shorten the life of the basic frame? If you have access to software that can answer that question, I'd like to know if I'm all wet. :)

Thanks for the info! The truck looks great!!! If i were to make the frame from .125 wall it would weight about 288 lbs as opposed to 350lbs for 3/16 wall. The weight savings is only about 60lbs so it’s definitely worth it for me as i will be towing around large equipment with this truck!

[travissilb]

Been working on the design for the 4 link. They’re pretty close. I made the brackets so they can all be waterjet cut, welded and fit nicely to the frame and axle/housing with good welding joints so they’ll be sturdy as hell. This is with a 40” lower arm and a 28” upper arm parallel to the ground at ride height. It’s got 3” bushings and 1.25” 10ga DOM tube for the control arms. Still have a bit or work to do but it’s getting there



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[travissilb]

I got some work done on the rear suspension. I decided on adjuster and tubing size so i began cutting out and weld prepping the brackets. CAD makes it easy and a waterjet makes it easier!!


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Surface ground all the parts to get the scale off the hot rolled material. Also makes it look nice for instagram ;)


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Gave all the slots and tongues .010” of clearance on either side so they fit together nicely as the waterjet doesn’t cut very square.


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Here’s the brackets so far (not welded yet). The 4 on the left fit on the frame. The 2 on the right fit on the axle for the lower links. And the upper link housing brackets still need to be designed but i need to wait until i get the axle cut so the pinion will line up with the motor.

[mikidymac]

Just a FYI for you, that is a 48-50 cab not a 51'. The 51-52 had two round holes for the gauges instead of the long one like yours.
The other difference is yours has the smaller rear window, it was lengthened in 51'.

[travissilb]

Just a FYI for you, that is a 48-50 cab not a 51'. The 51-52 had two round holes for the gauges instead of the long one like yours.
The other difference is yours has the smaller rear window, it was lengthened in 51'.

Yes i know it's the previous year cab. it's VIN makes it a 51. to the best of my knowledge the cab is original to the truck, so i wonder what was going on in the ford factory!

[wfo guy]

Nice brackets. Technology is your friend if you have competency with it. :)

[RMMiller]

Yes i know it's the previous year cab. it's VIN makes it a 51. to the best of my knowledge the cab is original to the truck, so i wonder what was going on in the ford factory!

Maybe an early build with a left over cab.

[wfo guy]

Maybe someone has changed the tag on the firewall. Does that number match the one on the frame?

[travissilb]

Nice brackets. Technology is your friend if you have competency with it. :)
Thank you, and agreed!

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Maybe someone has changed the tag on the firewall. Does that number match the one on the frame?

The number on the firewall is engraved in. And it matched the number on the glove box (which is the VIN tag) and not sure about the frame, i cut it up and junked it! Couldn’t keep it in the yard ;)

[travissilb]

I have been waiting for what seems like an eternity to start the frame! But alast it has begun!

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These braces will be welded on the inside or every joint and then the joint will be fully welded around it. For the braces i’ll do TIG rosette welds to make sure the weld penetrates fully, then fill in with MIG. I’ll show more when i begin the welding precess… which should be soon!

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This is how i got the angles dialed in. I roughed them on a vertical band saw and milled them to finished dimension

[travissilb]

I got the 2 frame rails completed and straightened out. Now i have make brackets to bolt it to the suspension crossmember. I took out the transverse leaf spring in the suspension so that i could sit it as it would be when loaded. Then i made spacers (height blocks) from extra box tubing to hold it at that height. On the frame, i welded in 2 temporary crossmembers to line up the frame rails square and level. Then i made 11.85” height blocks out of box tubing to hold the frame where it will sit at ride height. Once that is lined up as it should be, i can take the measurements to make the brackets that will bolt them together.

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Shimmed up the frame to make it perfectly level across and front to back

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Just welded the top and bottom because these will need to be removed when i am ready to out the cab on

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Tacked on the 11.85” height stands to hold the frame at ride height

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Just mocked everything up to see the fitment. I will make the brackets soon!

[Peter Mc Mahon]

Looking good!

[travissilb]

Looking good!

Thank you, Peter!

[David Sloan]

Nice!
Cool build!

[wfo guy]

I'm looking at the equipment in the background. That doesn't look like my shop. :)

[jaybee]

This one is really coming along nicely!

[Peter Mc Mahon]

We need some updates here, need my fix!

[travissilb]

Progress has been a bit slow, but none the less, i got the material cut and weld prepped for the rear half of the frame. The waterjet will be taken up for the next 8 weeks or so so i had to mill all the inner structure pieces for this section…!

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I wasn’t able to mill the 2x6s on the bridgeport because it’s in a corner and the tubing is almost 6’ long. So i had to set it up on the mori supported by a roller to mill the angle! I love setups like this haha

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Instead of water jetting the braces, i took them to the old O and H mill. It took a 15 minute job and turned it into a several hour job!

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I'm looking at the equipment in the background. That doesn't look like my shop. :)

It’s definitely nice to have equiptment at your disposal!

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Thank you everyone for the nice comments, i really appreciate it and i’m glad you enjoy the project!

[travissilb]

I forgot to post all my progress here over the last year so i'll make a few posts to try and catch all of you up!

First up, I finished the frame...

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TIG Rosette welds and a route pass on the joint before filling with MIG...

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The finished rear frame rails ready to be mated with the front section

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before i fit the rear of the frame i wanted to get the front end in and square. i made these brackets to bolt to the corvette front clip and then welded them to the frame. The corvette front clip is tricky to fit because none of the bolting surfaces are flat, level or square. so i just had to take rough measurements and make a few brackets until i got a design that fit.

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Heres the frame tacked in place and ready to fit. i machined extra box tubing into height stands to hold the frame at ride height when i welded it. these will make things easier down the line when i start to fit the cab and rear suspension.

[travissilb]

Fit up the front cab mount supports and made the front cab mounts.

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The front cab mount supports were tricky to fit because they are factory replacements and they mate up to a panel that i formed haha. the fit left something to be desired so i had to cut them up and make them fit as they should

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The driver's side was in need of more work than the passenger's side. i had to cut relocate the outside edge and make a slice that fit in the gap. I welded it up and it fell right into place

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Once the cab mount supports were made, i had to make a stand for the cab to set it where it will sit at ride height. The frame is also sitting where it will at ride height so this eliminates guess work.

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With the cab on the stand, i took measurements to make the front cab mounts and modeled it up in fusion. i went with a design which will bolt to the frame and have some adjustability as i want the wheels to be centered in the arches and don't know where they'll sit yet.

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The good thing about using CAD software is that i can print out the plates to size and cut them out of wood to see if it is a good fit. i'm glad i did it for these because i had to make a few before i got them to perfectly line up.

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Here is the almost finished mount in place to check the fit up.

[travissilb]

For the rear body mounts, i went for the same level of adjustability front to back and also up and down. i decided a threaded link would be perfect for this application

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This is the design i came up with on fusion. this will let me adjust the cab to sit right where i want it

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I went with a 1"-12 pitch because i had to single point the threads and didn't have any tail stock support! if i went much thinner it would have chattered like a mofo!

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Here's the assembly together. i have to take some generic bushings and turn them down to fit

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i clamped them in place and put the front fenders on to make sure the wheels were where i wanted them in the arches

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Took the cab stand out from under it and let it sit on the front and rear mounts!

[wfo guy]

It's coming along very nicely. I want to ad that the original rear cab mounts were designed to move because the frame flexed so much. With the chassis you have designed, you could have a solid out rigger mount similar to the front and be good. I did something similar to your mount on my 51. If I was to do it over, I'd through the original in the dumpster. My frame is 2 x 6 and 2 x 4 rectangle tubing.

[travissilb]

It's coming along very nicely. I want to ad that the original rear cab mounts were designed to move because the frame flexed so much. With the chassis you have designed, you could have a solid out rigger mount similar to the front and be good. I did something similar to your mount on my 51. If I was to do it over, I'd through the original in the dumpster. My frame is 2 x 6 and 2 x 4 rectangle tubing.

Interesting! i was wondering why they were made that way... i would have just had to modify the mount on the floor for a regular puck style mount

[travissilb]

Progress on the 4 link...

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This is the finalized design of the 4 link. The upper arms 25.2" long and are 48 degrees included angle and angled 3.5 degrees down in the front. the lower arms are 36" parallel and angled 2 degrees up in the front.

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The rod is 1.25 OD .188 wall DOM which i felt was too thin to tap directly into so i made these weld in threaded ends

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this is how they will get welded in place. a big V groove to ensure they weld goes all the way through the joint and a couple spot welds.

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The links are ready to be coped and welded with the other bushing housings and the brackets are ready to be welded up