'60 F100 Build

[BrewTown]

To start, this will be started in a year or so. I'm doing an addition on the house right now, doing 95% of the work myself. I'm busy and broke! Planning a multi year process. FYI, I'm 39, not a dreaming high school kid...

Point of this thread is suggestions on build plan.
The truck is a 1960 F100 reg. cab style side 2wd.
Plan is to have a 7.3 auto that may tickle a 10 in the 1/4. I'm good with a 10.999! Reliably! Daily street truck with occasional drag racing. City and longer highway cruising.
By my calculations using some online calculators, that means a 550ish HP 2wd or a 600-630 RWHP 4x. Guessing weights of 4500 2WD or 5000 4x4.

Any suggestions on frames? I initially thought an 05+, shortened, then thought lighter OBS with 05+ axles. No towing or payload really necessary, but it will be carrying a 7.3 and big torque loads. I've even thought 03+ expedition frame and axles. IFS and IRS, wide stiff boxed frame, but, I believe it is an 8.8 front with CV axles and 9.75 rear with CV. Not sure on strength. I don't think boxing the stocker is a good choice.

Transfer case for 4x? NP 271/273? Comes with the 7.3 auto. Or what about the AWD options? NP203 with or without 2WD kit? How about the NV149 like the GM trucks? Big LS power proven, not diesel torque though. I should be lighter than the SS?

Axles. Original plan was 05+ with the coil front. Yes I know they are too wide for the truck. I'm good with it.
Thought against that is 2 fold. Weight and gear ratio. 3.55 from OBS is most highway friendly. I may want 3.31 or a 3.08. I have a 9" or 2 laying around. Problem is what to build for the front if I go that way. What do the drag racing guys build? Fab 9's?

Because I know it will be asked, 350/200, dual HPOP and T-4 w/467.7 should get me there. Obviously not the full list, stock bottom to start though. If I blow it up, I'll build it with rods... I have '94 and '97 long blocks in the garage.

Any shorty guys have input on this power level? How hard is it to hook in 2wd, or control? Charlie? I most likely want 4x or AWD for street embarrassments, in Mexico obviously...

 

[Zeb]

I’d do a 2wd OBS frame with a well built 9” rear.
Reasons are, the frame is setup for a 7.3 and corresponding auto, and is the lightest factory frame available.
The 9” is VERY buildable, tough, parts selection is huge, and gives you the option of 15” wheels for the widest tire selection.
Focus on getting as much necessay weight behind the rear axle as possible. By necessary weight I mean fuel cell/tank, fuel pump, batteries, etc. Leave your coolers up front because they cool WAY more effectively than coolers mounted behind the cab or under/in the bed.
Talk to car guys that are knowledgeable on setting up a suspension. 4x4 is the easy/lazy way to get one to hook.
My 05 2wd shorty project is moving very slowly, but this is basically what I’m doing on it tho.

 

[6.0 Tech]

Charlie with kc turbos haf nothing but issues hooking in 2wd, granted he was about double the horse power youre looking for. But, even at 400 go, try boost launching in 2wd, you'll send up a smoke show. Unless youre planning on doing a ton of crazy suspension work, id go 4wd...

Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk

 

[BrewTown]

That's where my head is at also. I thought Charlie almost lost it on the street too.
I'm just wondering how well the AWD transfer case would work. There are some 1,000 HP turbo LS trucks out there having good luck holding together from what I've heard. If it worked well, I'd think that would be the cats @$$!
Maybe I should creep some of those forums for info?

Any builds on here that I should follow? Anyone do anything similar? I can't be that original...
Any front axle suggestions?

By the way 6.0 Tech, your truck has a hell of a set-up! You build the compound set-up?

 

[6.0 Tech]

That's where my head is at also. I thought Charlie almost lost it on the street too.

I'm just wondering how well the AWD transfer case would work. There are some 1,000 HP turbo LS trucks out there having good luck holding together from what I've heard. If it worked well, I'd think that would be the cats @$$!

Maybe I should creep some of those forums for info?



Any builds on here that I should follow? Anyone do anything similar? I can't be that original...

Any front axle suggestions?



By the way 6.0 Tech, your truck has a hell of a set-up! You build the compound set-up?

Yeah he did have an issue on the street, I forgot about that.

Thanks man, no I didnt build it, I got it from Charlie.

Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk

 

[Skill_Kills]

I kept the frame on my 53 and its running 250/200s and a s468. boxed it and the crossmembers to the rear axle and its fine.


I kept the superduty axles and im wishing i hadnt. Cost was cheap as they came with the donor truck but tire,wheel, and gear selection isnt there like it is with a 9".


SRW was a nightmare but i put duals on the back and it hooks pretty well now. If i went auto id definitely do 4wd

 

[BrewTown]

This is still a ways off, but, just for fun I thought I'd let you guys know what my plans are.
I'm going to use an 03+ Expedition frame. Ideally 07+ as they updated a couple suspension geometry things. Not the EL. Before I purchase a donor, I will check frame height, but I'm thinking some of it may be visible under the cab as that frame is tall.
Reason being: 4 wheel independent, rack and pinion, 4 wheel disc, and that wide stiff frame. How many classic trucks have that?
The front axle is a reverse rotation 8.8, and CV axles. I'm thinking that the aftermarket should have some parts if (when?) I break it. This is the same as in F150s, and they are built as dessert racers with big tires and power... We'll see.
Rear axle is a 9.75" (same as a Dana 60) with CV axles. Hoping with IRS, wheel hop won't be an issue, so parts breakage won't be too bad. Axles would most likely be the fuse.

Transfer case, I will keep the floor shift NP271 behind a 4R100. Most likely do drive flanges in front, so 4wd will be a transfer case shift away.

For suspension, they call them struts, but, I think they are really coil overs. Not really sure what differentiates, thought struts took the place of upper arms. This has upper and lower control arms front and rear. If needed, adjustable coil overs could be used. Obviously with different rates.

Stock gear ratio I will use is the 3.31. With 32" tires, and the turbo setup I want to run, it should make for great street manners.

Speaking of that turbo setup, I plan on connecting rods, so, might as well try compounds right! I believe a 364.5 in the valley, and a 476 maybe. May need larger LP, don't think so though. Really fast lighting for street is the thought. Gated around that HP to the LP. Dual HPOPs and 350/200 still. When the time comes, hoping ported heads and talking to Brian Gray about a cam. Heard good things. Like Richard Holdener says, better NA means better with boost! May try an air to water.

One of the many challenges I will face, how to handle the wheelbase. The '60 has a 110" and the Expy frame is 119". I am 6'2", so adding a little cab space would be welcome, even if it's just under the dash/windshield. Adding under hood length would only help with a compound 7.3 also. Not sure how to make either look right, and bodywork isn't my forte... Another option is to just shorten the frame. Or cut down a long bed to fit.

Still have a couple months of my house remodel before I can even think about any of this. Hung up my framing hat, and put on my plumbing hat recently. Sometimes I think life would be easier if I didn't know anything...

Input is welcome!

 

[psduser1]

I'd go way bigger on the lp charger. Like .88 or even .94. Even then, I'd think the 364 will limit you.
What hp level are you shooting for? Your injectors, with head work and cam, etc, should push you close to, and possibly over, 700 hp, if you can get it cleaned up.
Free internet advice.
Seriously, spend a bunch of time with turbo flow charts, they will save you a lot of headache.

 

[BrewTown]

I spent a good amount of time on MatchBot to pick that 364.5. Did I do it right? Not sure. Garbage in, garbage out right! Or is it Coors light in, Coors light out? My plan for this whole thing is to have a really responsive fun street truck.

With the calculators on this site, and a rough estimate of 4500 to 5000 lbs., it seems I'd need that 600 to 650 RWHP to hit my 1/4 mile goal. Primarily really fun street truck that will surprise the newer muscle/pony/whatever they are calling them now...

That being said, I don't want to resort to a loose converter, I like manual transmissions for that connected to the pedal feeling. Loose converters are for all out race in my opinion. Band-Aid for a set-up that's not street friendly. That's my opinion, probably not a popular one.
That 364, should be making power very low in the revs. The gearing I've chosen is equivalent to 3.73 gears and 36" tires for reference. Maybe that will shed some light on that choice also.

As far as the 476 atmospheric, I'm basically trying to balance when the chargers are coming up on boost. That 476 moves enough air for way over my goal, but, I think you hit the nail on the head with that 364 being a restriction higher in the rev range. Gating around on the turbine side should take care of that, and give higher temp energy to the 476. On the compressor side, only way I know is to try it out, and see what others have done. Seems to me on the 5.9 front (yes I know huge size difference) guys are making 1000 hp with a 62 HP. Displacing 444 CI, and only looking in that 6-700 range, I think it may work. Maybe I'll fail miserably...

To clear up the cam and porting idea, both of those increase power at every RPM, not just at peak output and high RPM. Most think to do those mods to increase the peak numbers. That is not what is going on here. Take a look at the 2 years Lavon Miller won DPC. The difference between, he worked on airflow. Not charger changes. Head flow, cam etc... If you watch the spooling characteristics between those, night and day difference. That's one of the puzzle pieces to a quick spooling street truck. Also, boost is restriction, that's all. Free flowing combination promotes more power at lower boost, which means a cooler intake charge, which means more power.

I hope all this rambling makes at least some sense. I wish there were more proven combinations, but, compound 7.3's are scarce because factory rods won't take it. And most guys building with rods are targeting one form of racing or another. Not street.