WhitsEnd Transformation

[Grandpas72]

Clean looking truck! Keep us updated looking forward to your build!

[IN2FORD]

I just drove my truck for the first time with the Crown Vic front end. Holy cow does it drive better!! You will love it!!

Make sure you post picks of your tool chest/weld table. Or start a build thread on that. I am interested!!

Barry

[Lone Ranger]

That truck looks beautiful already can't wait to see where you take it!

[WhitsEnd]

Made some progress on the tool chest but not the truck. The oil inside the tubing gave me all kinds of trouble. I just couldn't clean it well enough. Gave up and decided to just keep burning with the MIG. My buddy says my welding is improving my grinding skills
I gave Metal Supermarkets a little feedback on the Chinese grease coating their products.




42" high and durable enough to throw an engine on. Two more supports will be added across the top after the drawers are all in. The lower two drawer carcass is installed and the lower half has been sanded to bare metal, primed and painted. The top won't get prepped and finished until the welding is done.
The wheels lock for rotation and pivot.

[hfdco4]

Nice job!

[Ozblitz]

Man the interior on that truck is beautiful!!

[WhitsEnd]

Continuing on the tool chest, but decided to start a thread over in garage and tools since it sort of expanded in scope.

http://www.fordification.com/forum/view ... 14&t=86398

[Lone Ranger]

That tool chest is sweet! Don't let it roll into that car tho

[WhitsEnd]

Well Ford fans, it's been a while and this truck isn't building itself. Since my last update, I've organized the truck sideways in one of my garages to begin the teardown. I actually have a 4 post lift, but I won't be using it for the Crown Vic front end mod. There are two cars being stored on and under the lift, and the front end work can just as easily be done on jackstands. Working on the truck in the two stall on the ground is actually better use of space because the lift is in an oversised single stall. This way I'll have some place to put the front clip when it comes off and I'll be able to maneuver the engine lift easier

Si, it's off to the races...

[WhitsEnd]

This shot reminds me off how much brand new stuff is getting pulled to be replaced. When I bought the truck last year, I didn't want it sitting around not being used and it needed brakes, tires, shocks and a carb rebuild. Well, it didn't NEED all this, but it certainly needed brakes and tires.

Less than 200 miles ago, I installed new tires (now obsolete, since I'm changing to 17" wheels), new master cylinder (may try to salvage this and just add a vac booster), stainless brake lines to all 4 corners (fronts will get reworked), soft lines (fronts being replaced with CV) and new wheel cylinders and shoes at all 4 corners (fronts now obsolete).



It also reminds me of how thankful I am that the old guy really took good care of this truck. Every nut and bolt comes apart like it was just assembled and there is no rust anywhere.

[WhitsEnd]

I've started to collect some key parts for the re-assembly.

AC compressor bracket from a forum member here. Still need to weld it and paint it but will wait for assembly to do so.

[WhitsEnd]

As noted, I'll be going EFI and have decided on the Holley Sniper system. It requires a 4V intake, so I'm contributing an authentic '66 Police Interceptor intake I have had for years.



Also have a brand new Duraspark distributor originally destined for my Cyclone

[WhitsEnd]

The plans for the switch to automatic have changed. I confirmed that the QuickTime bellhousing for the 4R70W trans only allows a small diameter converter. That's fine for a drag racer or lightweight car, but not a truck.

So, plans have changed and I ordered a C6 package from some crappy vendor selling TCI kits on Amazon. I won't bore you with details, but I should have ordered from TCI directly. The kit includes the converter and a cooler for $1500.

Anyway, here's the C6, waiting for installation.

[WhitsEnd]

I also grabbed the required joints and telescoping DD shaft. Not sure if its this conversion, or if this setup is used frequently in other applications, but I put the first part number in and Amazon listed the other two as "frequently bought together". How many of these CV conversions are going on out there?
Anyway, steering column spline to 1' DD, to 3/4" DD to Mustang V.

[WhitsEnd]

Gameplan for today was to get the motor and trans completely free and ready to be lifted.

Things disconnected:

Neg cable to block
Solenoid to starter
Wire harness to alternator
Removed steering box (to get to motor mount easier, but needs to come out eventually)
Motor mount bolts
Trans mount at crossmember
Clutch spring, z bar mount and clutch rod
shift linkage
speeodometer cable
ground cable to firewall
throttle linkage
coil, oil pressure and water temp wire harness

Oh...and the only drama of the day: the fuel line. I just cut the rubber line feeding the fuel pump. I've done this before when planning to replace the fuel line, but never did it to a truck with an in cab gas tank. Wow, gravity test complete and confirmed. At first I thought "boy, sure is a lot of fuel in that line, I wonder if its draining back from the bowl". Then suddenly it hit me. Crap! I grabbed the vice grips and crawled under the cab to clamp the rubber line coming from the tank. Probably dropped a quart of fuel before my brain kicked in.

Motor and trans are ready to lift out.