1967 Crew Cab and a 08 Grand Marquis IFS SWAP

[crewcabfan]

hey big bear thanks for the props!!!
my truck has been a long time project, and some times I have bog down myself but i think the secret to keep banging at it, in my case, has been that i always work on it during the winter and then drive it as much as i can in the summer.
my wife somewhat supports and also enables my addiction to bumpsides and allows me to work on it during time i should be spending with her and my kids.
this winter i'm trying to get the engine and trans rebuilt and also install a gear vendors overdrive.
but in the other hand i've got the itch to get a super camper special so if i find one that is worthy i'll put off the powertrain rebuild for a while.

[The Big Bear]

Thanks guys, the holidays are over and I have recovered from last night so I think I will be able to fab up the arm mounts tommorow. Thanks for the advice on the CV spacers and that is what makes this site som great everyone is willing to share and it saves so much on trial and error.

I hate to ask because I know how people are when it comes to forums but without sounding like a idiot what is FTE, the place you saw some other clean mounts? Is that another forum?

Also thanks for the help on the weight off the front end I almost tried to fab it with weight on it but your explanation makes more sense to me having them with no weight on them.

Going to go out into the garage and draw out some templates tonight so I can get to work tomorow.

[elgemcdlf]

FTE is a different forum.

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/index.php

Make up your mounts, loosen the nuts on the back of the control arm, Weld your mounts in place. Load the suspension and tighten the nuts back up.

[The Big Bear]

Awesome, appreciate the help again. Can't wait for tomorow to get here. I will take some photos of what I finish up with and try to post them that evening if all goes well. Back to the garage to make my templates.

[The Big Bear]

Got some work done today.

front arm bracket finished.jpg

I added extra metal since I figured it ws easier to cut off or grind off the excess if needed but harder to add. I am going to go back and grinde and clean up the shape later.

I took some 3.8 flat steel and drilled out a template for each side.

Flat steel.jpg

Drilled the holes,

Drilled the holes.jpg

[The Big Bear]

I bolted the drilled plate to the swing arm bracket off the arm:

Arm bracket bolted in place.jpg

Then I placed it back on the arm leveled it up with it hanging and no weight on it and torqued down the large nut. After I had it level and the nut tight I cut out cardboard templates for the angle pieces and added extra metal then tacked them in place. After I had them tacked good I let the car back down off the jack stands and made sure nothing moved and I jumped up and down on the front bumper to make sure everything cleared. Looked good to me so I welded it up completely. I know the welds are not the prettiest but it aint going anywhere and will look better when I clean everything up. Next I am going to drop the entire unit (Chassi and motor back out again by removing what is now a total of ten bolts and roll it (entire assembly) out from the frame rails and box the inside of each rail. Also I cut the flat plate about a inch lionger on each side so I have material from the new mount hanging about a inch inside of the frame rail and I plan on attaching that metal to the original frame and new boxed metal I will add in the inside. I will take photos of that as I do it as well. Last thing is I plan on filling all the holes in the from the old rivet holes and cleaning the entire frame rails all up.

front arm bracket finished.jpg

The tires clear everything from full lock to full lock and I have at least two inchs of clearance from what looks like a sharp edge.

[The Big Bear]

Well the wife got food poisoning last night so I was not able to work on the truck today, she got some bad clams and I have had my hands full making jello and pudding runs. I hope to get on the truck and roll out the engine and front end tomorow and complete all of my boxing and welding of the front frame rails. I will post the photos after. I am having second thoughts about keeping the 2008 4.6 motor in it. After driving the new 6.2 in my wifes Raptor with 400+ horsepower and 400+ torque stock for the last week on vacation I am sure I will not be happy with the 4.6. My 06 Mustang GT with the 3 valve motor feels slow now afte the 6.2 and the Raptor is turning 33's. I know I have everything I need but I am just not finding enough aftermarket items for the 4.6 that will give me the kind of horsepower I want. Hell I squezed more horspeower and torque out of my Excursion 7.3 diesel than I am looking at by dumping tons of money at the 4.6. I am looking for suggestions from everyone----fire away and let me know what would be different in my Crew Cab. I would like to do something different and not follow what eveyone else is doing. I was thinking a V-10 maybe, has anyone at the site tried to fit one of those into a 67 F250? Is there any aftermarket for the V-10 and will it fit? I would like to keep it a Ford Blue, I am not against changing into something else Ford wise. Remember I am going slammed and not lifted and I am in SO Cal so I would like to avoid a Diesel now that it is over 4 bucks a gallon and going up faster than gas. I know I don't want a LS or a Cummins so that is not a option. Come on guys help me out with some links and Suggestions?

[elgemcdlf]

There is a guy in the slicks section over at FTE putting the V10 into his pickup. My advice is to start practicing your story about her truck being stolen and all they took was the engine/trans and all wiring, computers, etc. Hope she is feeling better now.

[The Big Bear]

Okay I will take a look----she is coming around now and I am not good at dealing with the law---I have been told too many times I LOOK GUILTY!!!!

[elgemcdlf]

Okay I will take a look----she is coming around now and I am not good at dealing with the law---I have been told too many times I LOOK GUILTY!!!!

That's why you have to practice your story. In front of a mirror!

[The Big Bear]

Well today was a bad day, my compressor died!! I just baught a new Nieson motor for it and the thing is not over a year old. Damn! I had just got rolling on the front frame rails and was welding and cutting some things with my plasma cutter and sudenly I realized I was out of air. I had not even noticed it had stopped and not re-started. I went in and no smells were in the garage the motor wsa not hot? I tried to manually get it to run by clicking the manual override but no go--pulled out my meter and had juice to the motor. The motor turns over no problem? Crap, I hate to have to buy another motor. Well anyways I just went crazy and started to weld up holes on the frame where the old rivets held on the former front suspension and went back and ground them clean. It is starting to shape up but still alot of work to go before I paint the frame. Sorry no pics I was so pissed about my compressor I just went into a zone with the grinder and welder on the holes.

[Manny]

Been wanting to see this done nice how it works out. Will be watching.

[The Big Bear]

Sorry no pictures or posts for the past few weeks I have been moving the mother-in-law into her new home and I have not had a chance to work on the truck and it is driving me crazy. Hopefully I will be back at it this weekend and finish boxing in the frame rails and cleaning up all of my ugly welds. I keep telling myself I will get better with my welding as I go. Still doing alot of research and trying to figure out what I want to do about the electronics on it. Motor wise I have two options, that are paid for at this time. I have a sweet 5.0 that I rebuilt as a 306 a few years back or still going with the 4.6 from the Grand Marquis. This last few months one of my Mustang magazines I get has been doing a build up on the 4.6 SOHC two valve and it looks like I can get some decent horsepower from it. Looks like that is going to be the way to go based on money. Thanks for the help and suggestions from all. Hope to get back at it this weekend.

[elgemcdlf]

I have been totally surprised at the hp numbers they get out of 4.6 engines. It would also give you late model that once installed could be tuned/upgraded via computer, etc. Sorry putting a 460 in mine. Should be done by the 2nd week of Feb

[The Big Bear]

It has been a long two months but I finally got the money together to get me a decent compressor. I got a 80 Gallon 7.5 hp T-30 Ingersol Rand that puts out 24SCFM so I will be back to work on the truck in a few days and should be able to start posting some photos again. I was at a point where I needed to box the rails and I needed my plasma cutter and all of my grinders and air tools and just took a break. I was so depressed based on my old compressor dying in the middle of a proect with the economy so bad. Still on the other had I got the compressor of the dreaded E-Bay for 900.00 and it is a 2500.0 compressor. I should be able to finish up boxing the frame then sandblast everything and finish the mock up on the front end and have a rolling chassi again. It has been driving me crazy but I am back in business again. The Good Guys Hot Rod show is at the end of this month at Del Mar Fairgrounds so I will be there to see if I can get any good ideas for the truck. Thanks for the help and suggestions I got in the past from several of the other members. It kept me motivated to get the compressor and get back at it.