Pro Street on Slick!

[fuzzier1]

Why don't you want to go with a Fatmans? CustomCrewCab bought just their crossmember (or whatever you call it) and bought the rest from a salvage yard, he can tell you more on what it took. I plan on doing the same thing in another month or so.

Fuzzier

[FORDification]

Here's a couple links to check out from Jeg's:

http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/s ... &langId=-1

http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/s ... &langId=-1

It's your truck, and I'd say go for it. I've always liked the Pro Street look, though I have to admit it's not only a LOT of time, work and $$$, but it really puts limits on what you can do with it afterwards.

[SMF Speed&Custom]

Good idea about the crossmember. What I know or hear so far is Fat Man's has good products but their customer service is not great.... I don't know, hard to explain from the stories I got. Anyways, I will see if I get more replies on this and go from there. On the pro street thing though yeah I guess it puts a limit on what I can do. Basically here is the situation. I am only 18 years old, I have this 66, the 85 and this 48 that is basically just a body and a frame and nothing else. I need to focus on one thing at a time. Once I get a few more bugs worked out on the 85 and I paint it I am going to leave it as is and just drive it everyday and keep it clean and in working order. Then I will start on the 48 which I don't plan on getting done for another 2 years or maybe even 3 1/2. So after the 48 is done it will be street legal and will be driving on the street a lot and one of the vehicles either has to go into my parents name or come off insurance since it will be too much. I thought for now I can go ahead and tub the bed out and put the wheels and tires I want. Repaint the truck and a few other things. Leave this 302 in it and start slowly building a 351 on a stand and when the 302 goes out I will take the whole thing out and put the 351 in it. For right now I need to have two vehicles. The 66 isn't very reliable right now and is a side project basically. Anything I do to the 66 now will have to work with the Pro Street thing like wheels and tires because I wont be able to afford to buy things twice if you get what I mean.
For the front end I want to do it sometime this winter or next spring and if not then then I will wait until I put the new motor and tranny in.
Ok well sorry for such a long post but just getting all my idea's out there so you guys can see what I am getting at.

[customcrewcab]

take your axles to a machine shop. a real machine shop not a engine shop. they should be able to your axles on the mill. you could also do this for your from rotor for know you you can have the right pattern when you switch to the mustang II. they may be have to rotate the head but i know it can be done. the set up takes the longest. drilling them is simple. i sugest you just get the right offset wheel. you don't need a narrowed axle to run a large rim. weld your spider gears togehter. this will make it work like a spool and will not brake if you weld them good.

[SMF Speed&Custom]

Will I still be able to fit 16.5 in back and have a deep wheel? I want the wheels to be pretty deep looking. Also how wide of a wheel should be able to fit, any idea? I think the 67 Ford and around there should be the same frame width because I can cut the bed, etc.
Thanks a lot for anymore info, you guys are a huge help!

Edit: I forgot to add. Is making this truck a pro street or drag truck a waste of time? Some people told me that I am wasting my time basically because it's a heavy thing to start with and a 351W is too small. What else can I do here? I dont have the space for another vehicle and I want to start drag racing some. I am only 18 so I mean, I have years ahead of me to get more projects and sell these but I do want to keep the 66 and 48 for a LONG time. I can't really see me selling them.

[SMF Speed&Custom]

I just thought about this... I don't know where I will find a shop like that around here customcab.... Not very many experiences shops here at all. And for the front rotors if it costs a lot I don't think it's worth it because when I have to get rotors again I will just have to do it AGAIN! If I can get this dang dirt bike of mine cleaned up then I will sell it for about 2500 bucks and then I guess I may ALMOST have enough for the front end. What else do I need besides the front end... What can I do for steering, brakes, power brake booster, master cylinder, lines, steering column, etc? I think this will cost like 5 grand wont it?

[fuzzier1]

The 5 grand question first ??? The amount of money it cost depends on a vast amount of what ifs and what you exactly want to do. I plan on building my Pro street very similar to what you are describing and I am planning on around $15,000 and I bet you I am low with that figure when I am finally finished (without paint).

While a 351 would be fun why not shop the bone yards and get a 429/460. This is what I have done and I plan on building a 557 stroker out of it. Depending on how it is built you can EASILY get 600 hp 600+ Lbft of torque. If that won't motivate one of these trucks nothing will.

Back on the suspension end, I plan on a Fatmans Mustang II frontend and to help get traction I plan on a 4 link rear suspension.

I am looking at 18/20" wheels, full roll cage, haven't decided on a tilt frontend but that would be cool, Recaro bucket seats, C6 or a six speed (just started thinking about that aspect about a week ago, before that it was a C6( have even thought about a Powerglide)), nodular third member with Detriot lockers (ratio to be determined later), tubbed bed, disk brakes all four corners, and the most god awful red, white and blue paint job that the previous owner had painted it (the ultimate sleeper) but more than likely a paint job using realistic flame look.

On the comment of limiting what you can use the truck for, all I plan on haulin with it is ASS.

Fuzzier

[SMF Speed&Custom]

When I said 5 grand I meant the front end and master cylinder and just to get the whole front end on. I know the rest will cost a lot. I will be doing ALL the work myself including engine, paint, rear end, making my own roll cage, etc. I am not sure what to do with the cage yet since I have to see how to do it but I may have to end up buying the NHRA book for all the specs on building something. If I am going to do it then I will build it under the 8 second specs incase later on if I decide I want more and want to keep racing the truck then I don't have to go back over things and spend even more money and time on something that could have been done right the first time. Your idea sounds awsome. I am going to make a few scetches of what I want and see how it comes out.
Thanks again and keep the info comming, heh it is getting me motivated to hurry and start this thing!

[SMF Speed&Custom]

Customcrewcab, I looked back at your post this mourning and even though I like your idea I think for now I will keep these stock wheels and skinny ugly tires on for now. I am going to start putting about half the money I make on these odd jobs away and then sell my dirtbike and use half of that money and when I get about 10 grand saved I will do the front and rear end all at once. Plus I have a lot of extra parts lying around here like mirrors, intake manifold from the 302, 2 barrel Holley carb, etc etc and I am going to get it all together take pics and hopefully get a bit of money from that to help me out.
Kind of hard to do this with no job though. All I am doing now is getting work by word of mouth by doing body work and painting peoples cars for them and it's doing ok but I need more business or else it isn't going to work anymore and bye bye goes one of my trucks.

[crazyace99million]

that's alot of money, but will be worth it when you are all done

[Pro-Street/StateTk]

I noticed that you have not said if you plan on going with a 4/ link or
ladder bar or move your leafs inboard, if you want to move your leafs
inboard you may want to take a peak at my gallery and if you need any
help on moving the leafs feel free to ask! I have a very detailed tech
article that I have written, Check out the link below!






http://www.fordification.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2847

[dragtruck]

You have several front end options,the 80's and up ford mini vans front suspensions unbolt from the frame,I've noticed some of the chryler cars did too,the late 90's ford ranger have IFS(not twin I beam) so you can do a frame graf,the 80's big ford cars that have the steering box ahead of the engine ,you can do a frame graf,then theres the camero subframe.The rear you can box the frame,and build bridges for the frame for the axel and mount the leaf springs inboard,but I think 17 " wide tires may be pushing it.But I comes down too is walk through a junk yard and see whats out there and what you can cut and weld to make work.

[SMF Speed&Custom]

Well guys thanks again! I am not sure about the rear suspension. I am gussing coil overs with 4 link is best setup here for racing huh? Looks like that may be the best way to go.... So for the question that I mostly wanna know...
What is the BIGGEST or WIDEST tire I can fit back there without narrowing the frame? 16.5? 18.5?

Thanks again!

[Pro-Street/StateTk]

Is you truck wide bed or step side? I think that step sides have less room for wide tires, but I have not compared to wide bed trucks! My estimint is at least a M/T 29.1850 would fit very good and safe, they are 15 1/2 inchs and on my 65 step side from the frame to the fender lip I have 171/2 in.
I have wanted the wider fenders, they make them in 3 in. and 5 inch wider. I think that 4/ Link would be very good for racing, but as a daily driver it will have short comings! What ever you want to do, DO it well!





Wally

[SMF Speed&Custom]

It is a swb. Wide bed, no step sides on this one. This isn't going to be a daily driver anymore if I make it pro street. Just a weekend thing and a strip truck for a while then in a few months after finished it will be a strip only truck.