About 15 years ago I built a 66 F100 (started with a truck pulled out of a field and added a 5.0 FI w/AOD out of a Mustang GT, PS, PDB, tilt, 3 point seat belts, relocated the gas tank to between frame rails, etc., etc.) and was never more proud of what I had done when it was finished. Drove it for 12 years (about 40K miles) and was never sadder than about 5 minutes after it got loaded on the hauler to go to it's new owner. I fondly remember driving mine around the neighborhood with out doors or seats or a bed on it's "maiden voyage" -- it took days to wipe the smile from my face so I really get your "Happy Days" comment. Carry on -- I look forward to whatever you do next.
Great video Nathan. I also share the same idea and passion for modern and old. You just can't beat these swaps .Its doesn't matter what make of vehicle you do a chassis swap on its always a learning experience and improving the driving ,performance,comfort quality is always a gain.
Nicely done and very well explained . That truck is awesome , when I was a kid and drove a 69 long box it was a great truck but it was missing performance and attitude and that is what you have given to this truck . Again well done . Thank god I'm on the other side of the county and can't stop over to take a closer look at it .
Nat nice job on the truck , on the next one you want to leave the E.G.R. Valve it keeps the engine from pinging on Hard acceleration , It lower Nox Out put so it makes the cats job easier to keep the air clean , also it will turn on the check engine light , and the engine could run fixed timing / fuel trim If the computer is not reflashed to run with out the E.G.R system .. Ford spent millions perfecting there E.G.R systems and 35 years of trial and error .....sorry for the lecture take no a fence I enjoy the videos very much Pete M
You are an awesome dude. I am jelly of that truck. Hummmm.....I have an 81 F-100 short bed and a Crown Vic, but the crown is a driver and besides, I don't quite have the skills to pull off the miracle that you did. Congratulations man, super cool ride you've created.
And we now have Nathan's Garage #002 on the block for sale.....lol. You know I'm going to keep numbering them until you start putting serial number stickers on them like a Saleen Mustang. Joking aside, I vote that you hold your ground on that price. It's very much worth every penny. I've been looking for my next truck for weeks now and they are getting harder and harder to find. Found the perfect one and the guy is giving me the runaround....I'm gonna keep on him, though. Great job on the truck!
Very nice, real British ingenuity and engineering there coming together to make a really usable, adult truck. I love the work on combining the period feel of the interior with the functionality of the Crown Vic and keeping the better driving position of the original truck compared to the orange truck. Somehow $10k doesn't seem a lot for all the work that goes into a project like that...
Nathan-I wondered if the Crown Vic perimeter frame depended on the body for strength. Good you have identified the need to add structure to the sedan frame.
you REALLY should put it on wheelwell.com and send it over to Matt Farah at TheSmokingTire on youtube for him to give it a full review! I'd be very impressed to see that, and I've followed these builds you've been doing from the beginning! Great work! Keep it up!
Love this ride. Question - I have just mounted my cab on the frame. When I put a level on the cab, I'm like 5/16 higher in the back . I didn't know if you recalled or not where you were at with this one. Thanks for the inspiration my friend.
J P I made it level with the frame. You have to trim the back of the cab and trim the crossmember underneath as well. Check through the videos it’s covered mid way-ish through the build.
Hi Nathan I’m wondering if you build these kind of trucks if someone brought you the donor vehicles? And would you have to shorten a step side bed off a short wheelbase truck?
Just binge watched your F71. Loved it. Wish you still had it for sale. Love the premise. Was wondering though, could you take a shell of a classic like a '65 Galaxie and do a CV swap? So frame, engine, even interior is CV with just the shell '65 Galaxie.
You'd have to check wheelbases (Vic is 115") unless you want to chop the frame. Anything's do-able, I just can't lift a car body as I work on my own. There's a guy somewhere putting a Vic frame under a Charger or Challenger.
Very nice job. Great to follow the progress. Is the wiring all from memory and trial, or do you have a printable plan?? That's what I need on my 58 f100 to P71.
I never actually found wiring diagram that I could either understand or was actually right. When I back traced both vehicles I labelled very well. Then I fitted the Vic wiring back to the truck, powered it up and from the Vic under dash fuse box I then probed for ignition & constant lives to solder the truck wiring harness to.
Nathan, I really enjoy your videos. Thanks! You mention that you stiffened up the chassis through a heavy cab mount that ties in the bed (without bolting the bed to the cab). I looked through your videos and couldn't find any information on this part of the build. Did I miss it? Have you posted it somewhere? I'm learning a lot from your projects. Thanks again!
Hey Nathan, would you happen to know where I could get some new body mounts to put on the frame of my 62 Uni? I have looked and looked and have had absolutely zero luck. Thanks for any help
For the original truck frame? I would assume LMC, NPD or something like that. If you're using a Vic frame there aren't any suppliers, you gotta make your own.
is it titled as the truck or the vic now? I have 2 p71's ... the ol lady drives the 2010 and I have a 07 parked in backyard that I havnt drove in years.... really thinking about doing this. I have those bullitt 18" rims and everything... just need the truck. What would you say total cost was besides the p71 and donor truck? Thought about doing this with an old ford galaxy but bet that would be alot more difficult
I don't touch the title. The stay as the truck. That's for my convenience, lack of smog & I advise to read up and see what route you & your state wants you to take. Join Frame Swap Faction on Facebook. Answer the questions (so I know you're not a robot) & settle down for a good read. There's a Galaxy being built over there right now.
I just found your channel, you may have more videos on this truck, I haven't searched ¥et. But I was wondering if you had to modify the crown vic frame to fit the wheel base for the truck. If you have a video on this, and don't mind posting a link I would appreciate it.
WHAT?!? No happy days tagline at the end of the vid? C'mon!! Not to intrude but does the state of CA think you're driving a Crown Vic or a F100 when they run the VIN/Plates?
Its usually what it looks like since the vin number is on the dash and its against the law to mess with a vin so CA knows its a F-100 and don't care about the drivetrain or motor. But on the older F-100 Nathan is working on now the vin tag is inside the glovebox lid. But if its a vehicle that must be checked out by the state after its done they may want to see the vin number on the frame, that might mean you have to report that the frame is different. If I have any of this wrong for CA then please tell me if you can, thanks Nat. Not sure what happens if you used a crown vic dash in a truck that has the vic vin number that can't be removed on the dash panel.
Nathan's Garage I just spent the last week watching all the videos related to this truck. It is an amazing truck. I'm looking forward to watching the Betty videos next. Too bad I missed out on the F71.
The original shifter didn't have a provision for O/D like the Vic shifter so with my limited electrical knowledge that was the best solution that I came up with.
With the bodywork resources I have I couldn't make a panel, paint it and fill it to look invisible. The caps are sealed with black permatex so totally water tight.
