Researching/Homework for Irregular PT project....help!?

[Jake616]

I am thinking about taking advantage of a truck I have had for many years (family owned since new), and taking it the pro touring route.... the problem is.... its not a common built truck in any aspect (86 F150 Flareside w 302ci/4speed)...

How do I even begin such a project without having an endless supply of bolt ons or other examples to research like camaros/chevelles/etc? It's just so much easier on a bellybutton car I can picture it in my head but that only covers the stance and the look

I guess I am clueless as to how to prepare engine (swap options possible), suspension on a truck like this (stock ibeams)/ crappy 5x5.5 bolt pattern and how to change that/ big brake options (has rear drums), etc..


ALL INPUT/IDEAS WELCOME AND WANTED!

1986 Ford F-150 Flareside
302ci EFI/ 4 speed manual
3.73 gears/ 50k Original Miles

[tylers88]

rear clip with IRS or a 4 link would be a HUGE differance, lowered quit a bit to get the center of gravity down, big disk brakes on all 4 corners, big fatty sway bars, throw on some light weight wheels and super sticky tires. Personally I would do suspension, brakes, wheels and tires and finaly drivetrain in that order

[Jake616]

Have any ideas of what Fords have adaptable parts such as the IRS? Mustang Cobra's have them alot where they have swapped to solid axle but just not sure how adapting that to a truck is, and also not sure how strong/reliable/performance worthy the Ibeam front is.


A BIG PROBLEM IVE FOUND... is the crappy 5x5.5 bolt pattern. Leaves me open to what look like "offroad style" wheels for dodge trucks and fords or ghetto styled rollers.... I'd love something like a clean 5 spoke (Coys!?) or Shelby stlye rim but am lacking the how to (as are all local wheel shops) to get my bolt pattern to something more common..


I have a few renderings/photoshops of the "look" I can Imagine.... getting it to that is the problem.

Trying to avoid the normal "bagged truck/big rim" look. Wanting the low stance/big roller style but with the balls to back it up

[SLO_Z28]

Dont stick with anything even resembling stock steering/suspension. Id do a rear clip with something like:

and a front clip with something like:

Big brakes and wide 3 piece wheels, coyote 5.0 engine.



This isnt the kind of build you can make pro touring without fabrication.

[wellis77]

This isnt the kind of build you can make pro touring without fabrication.

I agree with that statement. Open up the Art Morrison catalog and find out what will suit your build and plans for the truck best. They will build it how you want it.

[absintheisfun]

Check out this one. It is about as extreme as fabricaton gets, but should give you some good ideas:
https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...ight=silverado

[Bryce]

Build a complete new frame with a 3-link and watts in the back and a double a-arm in the front. Check out art morrison, scwhartz and roadster shop. I know there are more just cant think of them now.

[LowFast]

Most cost effective options for a "good" handling older ford truck, CrownVic front end, look it up its a bolt in aluminum crossmemeber with disks and the more friendly 4.5 bolt pattern. You can pick up the entire front clip for about $500. This has been done many times just check out the classic ford truck forums. For the rear I would go to a single gas tank if yours has dual currently (remove the front tank, keep the rear) and go with a triangulated 4-link out back (when you pick up the crown vic fron also take the rear axle, find one with limited slip and you will have 4.5 bolt pattern to match the fronts and disks). The Crown vic weighs about the same as your truck if not more so the components can handle the weight and are durrable. This is my budget proposal, if you want to go all out then go with a AM Chassis or one of the others and start from ground up. My father and I built a 93 x-cab, supercharged, lowered on 18's, sort of pro touring style, future plans are to go the crownvic swap route to get rid of the crappy I-beams. As for engine, I would look at a 351 stroker, maybe a 408 with 500hp and a good broad powerband. I would run 18's up front and 20's out back and either a tko or if auto a built AODE.

[Bill Howell]

Nice truck! If it still looks like the picture, I wouldn't do anything to it but drive it! You can spend a ton of money PTing it and still be worth what it is now. Personally I would find something else to PT, the truck, IMO looks fine like it is and is still a usable TRUCK!

[Jake616]

Thank you all very much for the input thus far!

And yes, the truck hasnt changed a bit except the stereo from the picture taken. It actually has looked the same for the last 15 years It sits and is seldom driven... I'd like to change that and of course alter it a bit as well. Maybe full PT isnt the route for it but definatley a slightly different stance, more power and basic upgrades... I am really undecided which is why I still am doing my research still.


Here are a few renderings (more to come) and of course, it would stay in its existing color scheme... not the generic color shown in rendering.

[ROADSTER SHOP]

Jake, that rendering looks sick! We could definitely build you a custom chassis for your truck based around our Fast Track suspension. This would be the same suspension that is on our camaro, nova, mustang chassis so you could have the same handling and performance out of your truck. The chassis would be more expensive than a front and rear clip, but I could build a chassis that will be a direct bolt up to your body which will eliminate a huge amount of fab work.

[Wesley J]

I built my '70 F-100 from scratch. That was the best option for me. I plan to use it to haul motorcycles so I went with a triangulated 4 link out back. Packaging was simpler while retaining a "usable" box.

Mustang II up front was very simple to do. I used the Welder Series (http://www.welderseries.com/blog/) as there was (is?) no kit for my frame width and it had to be modified anyways.



http://truck.weshill.com

It hasnt been updated for quite a while though.

Wes