I am finishing up the CV install and hoping to get the Thunderbird IRS under it before spring. Here is my project after "defarming" her and a few mods. Off came the big truck mirrors, step bumper and receiver hitch. In the shot as all blue the front coils were heated to lower the nose a bit. Yep messed up camber but wasn't driving it much so didn't matter. Wanted to see the stance. I am hoping to keep that rake when the suspension and tires are done. Currently sports a 302/auto with plans for a 460/auto next year. I opted for a '67 grille. Currently has tilt steering, power windows (out of a 1990 F150), shaved door handles, tinted windows, peep mirrors & an almost complete CV IFS.



Twin I Beam headed to the dumpster!








Here she is sitting outside not finished but at least back on 4 wheels. Painted the verticals black in the grille to give it a tube grille look.





The blue "68 belonged to a friend of mine & is all stock. These pics are before the dropped springs. Have more pics coming of the fender scoops and the drop springs. We also got rid of the wipers. Welded in a portion of the factory grate. I took 2 leaves out of the rear which dropped it 3". Poor thing had a 7 1/2" rake. Hopefully the rear suspension will go in soon. Heart attack slowed me down a bit.

Oh yes we lost the seal in the left end of the rack so before I even got the rear end in I need to fix the front!






Time to start on the fenders. Bought a pair of nice fenders to start with. Had a couple days of guilt after cutting 40 year old original fenders but I got what I wanted. Layed out the opening in the original left fender to get the "look" I wanted.



Replacement fenders cut, boxes built and welded in place. Light grinding and a coat of spray bomb primer. No bondo here. I had a local metal shop (Metal Arc Inc, Indianapolis, IN) build the boxes, cut the fenders & weld in the boxes. All the pics have no bondo!






Pics of the truck before the drop springs. Rear with stock springs. You can see the holes from the wipers. Later pics those holes disappear.








Here we are against the '68 again. Detroit Eaton 1 1/2" drop springs installed.




Pulled 2 leaves from the rear getting a 3" drop & got rid of the wipers.




Here is how she looks at this point. We have everything to do the IRS except time.

 

Got word yesterday on my 460 & C6! May even have a volunteer to do the welding for the IRS. If all goes well will have all installed by the end of September.

 

Awesome build! Looking forward to seeing the finished product!

 

Thanks. A few "odd" things I noticed from your response. My truck was also built in Canada. I got it out of Jasper, GA. Here is the link to the detailed build if interested.

The FORDification.com Forums • View topic - 1970 F100 CV/Thunderbird

 

Ha yeah that is odd! We got my truck out of Conyers, GA.

 

Ok you have to go away now. I worked for 10 yrs for a company based out of Conyers, GA! If you tell me you are planning to paint your truck Saphire Blue I am so finished!

 

Hahaha wow. And no I plan keeping it red and as for the suspension, it will be relatively stock, nothing like you are doing lol.

 

Put the deposit down on my 460 today!

 

Swapped out the rack today. The left side blew the seal. My left lower control arm is bent which might have been that way when I put it in since it did come from a wrecked car. Anybody with a CV IFS in their F100 have problems with the lower control arms. This is the shaft at the rear mount. I found a control arm & will be picking it up either Monday or Tuesday. Not sure when I will get it installed but gonna push so I can focus on the IRS and engine.

 

Nice build can't wait to see it done.I'm working on a 78 myself,keep the pictures coming.oh yeah I was raised in Jasper,GA.I just live the next town up presently.

 

I have a few more pics that I haven't got up yet. The front bumper is off getting the plate recess eliminated and set up for blind mounting. Later in time I will be building in some rectangular driving lights. No lights yet so I don't know what size to cut the holes in the bumper just yet. I am also doing something with the hood badges. They look too heavy for me. I have a set of hood chrome from a '53/'54 F100 Deluxe Cab that I am going to try in the same place. If they give me what I am looking for I will buy new ones. The build thread for the truck is here:

The FORDification.com Forums • View topic - 1970 F100 CV/Thunderbird

 

Here is the front bumper with the plate recess deleted & blind mounting.



Badge replacement.



Right side of the truck now.



The left side of the truck now.



Head on view of changes



The ends of the bumper need to go back about 3" or so. I have to order the lights and get them set up prior to straightening the bumper out and rechroming.

 

why no wipers? guess it never rains in Indy?

 

It never rains on this truck. When I bought the truck I wanted to build a decent street truck. A toy not an actual utility type vehicle. When envisioning what I wanted the wipers just cluttered things up in my mind. Then came how to get rid of them. Everyone fills the cowl vents when they do it or hide the wipers. I wanted it to look like Ford never put any in it. She has no heater either. That left the same time the wipers did.

 

wheres the irs rear?? pics