1967 Crew Cab and a 08 Grand Marquis IFS SWAP

[The Big Bear]

Okay another attempt to post some photos of what I have gotten done so far.

This is what she is looking like right now.



Not bad the front bumper sits right at 13 1/2 inches lowest damn truck I have everhad to this point.

[The Big Bear]

This sucks, I feel completely like an idiot, I can take the photos with my Iphone and put them on my computer but it turns into a hour long process of trying to get the right size for each photo. I know it seems simple to many but I can't find easy way to get the pictures from my IPHONE to my computer at the right size. Iphone and Windows computer. I have a flicker account and I am trying the post but then I just got a box with a X in it? I spend more time trying to post a photo than actually doing the work.

[crewcabfan]

Cool beans big bear, some guys got all the luck, 67 crewcab, raptor as a toy/parts hauler, and west coast cornucopia of rust free parts.
I'm going to my room and cry.
it will be nice to see what a crew looks like wide track.

I think that the CV suspension is to the bumpsides what the volare's was to the 50's f100s.

[The Big Bear]

Another try at this back to attaching photos but I can only attach three of them at a time.

The first photo is my helper giving me the thumbs up after we rolled it in between the frame rails.

My helper.jpg

Finished motor set between the frme rails and tacked into place.

engine set.jpg

The finished height to the bumper, thing is so damn low 13 1/2 inchs to the botom of the bumper and that is with out the entire front clip so I say it will settle another three inchs at least. It goes down a inch and a half when I stand on it and I weigh 185.

Finished Bumper Height.jpg

[The Big Bear]

I was born in Peoria Ill and I still have relatives and family there but my uncle comes out here when it gets cold.

For those who want to do this swap just get the junkyard to give you a full clip, I am using the original Transmission mount.

original transmission mount.jpg

Then modify it by simply cutting it to the width of the original.

Finished Transmission mount.jpg

Then add some metal plate on the end to beef it up a bit.

Thickness of transmission mount.jpg

Vola a finished Ford Tranny mount from the Grand Marquis.

[The Big Bear]

A few pictures showing how you can use some of the parts from the original clip to help out when making the frame connections.

Bolt spacers in orginal frame rails.jpg

Cut out with a plasma cutter or even a cutt off wheel they are only tacked into place.

Clean up Bolt spacers.jpg

Then put them in the frame rails for the mock up.

Cleaned up and in place.jpg

Unlike some other people I was afraid to start welding everything up or even tack them in place so I tried a different way to set my front end. I left all the spacers and holes free floating untill I completely set the front end under the frame rails.

I will explain with some more photos.

[crewcabfan]

[The Big Bear]

So when I rolled the front end between the front frame rails I made sure everything was level, I have the bed off the truck so I leveled up the rear frame rails then did the same with the front frame rails.

Leveled up and ready to set.jpg

It was tight but it cleared everything no problem.

Tight but clears.jpg

I am serious, this was my only helper and we had no issues, just took our time and it rolled right into place.

My helper.jpg

Then I jacked each side up from the jacking points with a floor jack ran my bolts in and snugged them up with my impact and rechecked my level and took measurements to make sure I WAS GOOD.

[tybob81]

[The Big Bear]

So like I said before I rolled it into place then jacked it up one side at a time and ran my bolts in to snugg it in place.

Bolted in engine.jpg

Then after I checked all my measure ments again and again, I cranked on the bolts bit more to make sure they would not move and I tacked the spacers in place. I plan on going back rolling the motor chassi back out and then welding in some plate to make the frame rails stronger.

Tacked the bolts inplace.jpg

My next project I need some advice on. I think I read some where that I needed weight on the front end before I fabbed up the arms?

Next project.jpg

Any suggestions on what to do here? I was thinking of cutting out the old mounting system I have from the original frame but I do not want to create more work than I need in the fabbing sector.

Anyone have a link that shows some ideas or photos on what to do with these?

Oh yeah, the Raptor is the Wifes and after 20 years she lets me drive it if I am good to her--I try to tell her 20 years is damn good!!! She is all about power and big tires she is really pissed at me for dropping this thing but now I can show her a Photo of yours!!!! Your photo is SICK----how low is that thing?

[socalcraigster]

Could you post some pictures of the crewcab? I have a 67 crew as well. Thx.

[crewcabfan]

maybe these would help you change her mind



all of them are before i "Z" notch the rear 6". summer of 2010.

[The Big Bear]

Holy Crap that looks like a B52 coming down the rod!!!!! I love it!! I love the look of the long bed and I actually was thinking about making mine a long bed based on the beds are easier to find. Then I started to think about where I live in Cali and the parking spaces are all made by developers for SMART cars. I had a lifted Diesel Excursion before getting the wife the Raptor and you should have seen the fear in little old ladies eyes when my wife would wheel into a parking lot with that diesel beast clanking away on 35's. The greatest thing was if you could squeze into the space you never had to worry about door dings! She could come within a 1/2 inch of a vehicle and park it anywhere. Back to your truck, I have been trying to read some of Bobby Ford's posts on dropping the rear of the truck but I have no idea how low I need to go. I have just set the new rear axle in place and I am going to see what she looks like after I set the bed back on. Hanger Flip might be enough. I kinda like the old 70's look of the rear end slighty taller than the front, maybe a 1inch or 1 1/2. Your truck is going to be my new inspiration, my truck was white as well and I am going to print up a couple of your photos and throw them on my wall for inspiration when I bog down. In a answer to So Cal Craigster, not much to see as far as photos of my truck. It had a rusty Utility bed and I went crazy on her with my Plasma cutter on a long three day weekend and just blasted through it tearing it down. My wife came out and said I was a idiot of course then she wanted to know if Ihad taken any photos of the before and after? OOPS!! Anyways just a empty Cab sitting on the frame. I am tearing the whole thing down all the way, I have learned my lesson the hard way when it comes to rusty restorations---I have spent way to many hours on past projects cleaning them up and throwing paint on them to have the dreaded rust start showing up in the seams or other hidden locations 6 months later. Nothing worse than putting tons of work into a vehicle, fabbing and working then some idiot comes up and points out a rust bubble on a seam and complains. People are totaly cluesless sometimes to what it takes to do your own work. I have decided I am getting the cab dipped when the money comes to kill all the rust, I have major rust in the roof drip edges and when I get the engine and chassi to the point I like I will starting each and every piece Body from fresh metal. I am hoping a year to mock everything up then maybe 6 months to put her all back to gether again.

[tybob81]

Dipping is well worth it. It makes for a lot of work to seal it all back up, but you can do it better than the factory did. My green 68 was dipped and now my 68 crew is being dipped.

[elgemcdlf]

Truck is definitely taking shape. The nose should sink when you get the doghouse on. Stir in that your truck is heavier than mine. I have 1 1/2" drop springs in mine and the bottom of the front bumper is 10 3/4" from the ground with a 302. I am expecting some more drop when the 460 goes in. The rear lower control arm mounts. Dave at http://www.truckirs.com has built kit to put the CV into a truck. Last I talked with him he was looking for "test" trucks. You might give him a call. I don't have any pics but what I did was fab a plate that matched the top of the CV mount. I left material out the back that I trimmed to fit later. The front is 3/4" below the rail so I cut a couple pieces 3/4" x the width of the rail. With the truck sitting unstressed (not pulling or pushing the control arm) with my mounts bolted to the CV I welded them in place. I then cut triangles and welded them to the outside of the rail & the top of my mount. I seen some really clean bolt in mounts on a fridge over at FTE. The key is you want to location determined by natural position. This makes all the bushings straight and not twisted in any direction for longer life. Clear as mud?

I also have no start pics of my truck. I am bad about that. Lookin good! You are going to love the new IFS. The IRS swap I did is suppossed to drop the tail 5". I would probably start with 5" being what to expect for the rear drop. Again your truck is heavier but I am also attempting to maintain some form of factory looking rake. Doesn't using the CV spacers make the install nice?