Project 1953, aka Hoss

I ended up saving a '53 Ford sedan from the junkyard in a wierd trade having to do w/ a caddy fleetwood I once owned. Here's how it looked about 30mins after I had it in the garage. The roof was caved in &I popped it back out by giving it 2 boots upward. man, I love old sheet metal.. also didn't run until I got it in the garage, too. that only took 10 mins to figure out.

I've got the longbed frame I was looking for. I ended up trading the Fords' Flathead V8 & trans for the frame & got my Blazer (Schustaffel) towed back to the house. Ended up chopping the Blazer apart for scrap & keeping the good bits for the S10 chassis that's get swapped under the Ford.

Now, I know the Ford isn't an S series... but it is getting the chassis. Do you guys feel this project can be posted up here w/out a problem? Please feel free to post up (or PM) your feelings.

I will put up a link to where the thread is & has all my pictures. When I update here I can/will just post *UPDATE*.

http://www.s10planet.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28402

slamming it?

I don't plan on slamming it, but it is going lower. I kept a 3/3 drop on the frame.
Here's some specs..


S10 long bed frame 118" wheelbase

3" drop tubular lower control arms
Heavy duty cargo coil springs (G body?)
B body spindles (70-78 F body) modified for the big brakes
C5 Z06 corvette front brakes 13"
ZQ8 front sway bar
ZQ8 rear sway bar (for blazer)
Ford explorer 8.8 (redrilled axles for 5x4.75 bolt pattern) T/A Girdle installed 3.55 posi
3" drop rear springs
std shock height for front
3" drop height shock for rear
3rd gen F body steering box (2.5 lock:lock)
Global West B body spindle conversion tubular upper control arms
Explorer rear discs 11.25"
454 bored out (460.. just like Fords magic number)
Super T-10 4 speed from a Pontiac (has the ratios I needed)

keep going. please. i cant be the only non s-series project on here.....

at least you still own one though. so you have more legitimacy to poist this than i do my duster.

carry on.
michael

Thank you.

I have to keep the pictures over on the other forum. I posted one up here & it's huge. I hope everyone can see the pictures over there.

I do have a ZQ8 rear sway bar comming from a pickup. Since the ZQ8 blazer bar is mounted wrong. I wanted to see what I needed but I guess I need the bar that should go on a truck. Maybe I'll need to redo the brackets for the bar that mount on the 8.8 rear.

Heavy duty cargo coil springs (G body?)

^ are you just looking for a replacement stock coil with a higher #/in rating?

..they're for the BBC. They look the same as G body cargo coils to me.

Redid the rear bar. Put in a ZQ8 pickup bar.

Link to pictures in in the 1st post of this thread

Jason, I can't see pics due to ip ban...lol

Looks to be a problem with S10P today. I've e-mailed one of their admins about it, whole site has since gone un-accessable from my end.

Well for me it's definitely an ip ban

Ask and you shall receive. I asked for it, I got it. back on topic.

http://s1182.photobucket.com/albums/x458/1953Customline/

That should link to photobucket w/ all the pictures.

I pulled the '53 off the stock chassis & set it on the S10 chassis. I need to get it sitting where it needs to be, weld on some body mounts & get the '53's frame horns where they should be, too. I'm lookin right now for some front fenders so I can cut & graft the wheel openings on the back for some more tire clearance & a wagon's gas door so I can mount the blazer's tank. Which I ended up scraping the blazer's tank mounts for some reason.. duh.

Got most of the frame mounts done. Got the body mounted well enough for now. Need to do 4 mounts up front & 2 out back. Got 10 done. I'm adding 2 & removing 8 OE. There was 22 OE & I'm cutting it back to 14. S trucks & Blazers run 12-14 mounts, if my memory is correct. Been using pieces of the old chassis & fabricating mounts out of it. Also, I bolted the intake & other parts on the BBC to try & button it up.

http://s1182.photobucket.com/albums/x458/1953Customline/

Stopped for a while on the body mounts & decided to go for the firewall (mounting the clutch mstr, the hydroboost & the steering column) so I could steer the car around.. when I need to move it.
I got a little of the radiator support done. Had the remove 4" on each side of the stock opening & move the stock supports outward. Made a cradle for the radiator but to run the fan setup as a pusher (which I need for engine clearance) I need to adjust the cradle. It's not finished but maybe 70-80%
Now, the firewall... I made a plate out of 1/8" sheet steel that will welded in place once everythings fitted. I took the GM column from the blazer, cut the mount off the firewall side. I gutted the column so only the tilt & turn signals work.. pulled out everything I'm not using (like the high-beam, ign switch guts & I broke the collar.. that was a bummer). I took the blazers pedal assy & modified that, too. Clipped off the column (dash side) mounting & fab'ed up the column mounting towards the firewall 3-4" & lowered about 2". I also welded a plate to the assy to hold the clutch mstr. It looks like I can still use the Jeep steering shaft. I will be welding an exhaust flange to the firewall side of the column as the mounting.

http://s1182.photobucket.com/albums/x458/1953Customline/

I welded in the 1/8" plate to the firewall for support. I learned my lesson w/ the blazer why firewalls need more support. I also welded in the remainder of the 1/8" plate under the other to fill the hole where the stock column went through. I put the GM column through the hole in the plate to get a better idea of where I'll be ending up. May take some tweeking to get it exactly where I want everything..
I also mounted the remote dual oil filter setup, too.
I cleaned up the holes in the firewall a bit so I could fill them tomorrow.
I decided to have a little fun, too, & install an old 'use nickles only' light-up indicator from some arcade/POS machine. It's old, it's been w/ me since I found it when I was about 6 or 7 & found it buried in the garage. I would have taken a picture but I didn't wire it up & I don't have the battery in the car. Maybe I can light the buld w/ a 9v battery for a picture.. now to find a battery..

Enjoy the pics

http://s1182.photobucket.com/albums/x458/1953Customline/

I got the Hydroboost, clutch master, all three pedals, the modified GM (S-blazer) column & a throttle cable all installed. I also welded up a bunch of holes in the firewall, too.

http://s1182.photobucket.com/albums/x458/1953Customline/

I got the radiator support made up & about how best it'll work out. I also welded in a trunk... since I cut out the original before the chassis swap. I made it from a 55 gallon drum. It's what I had on hand, cost only $20 compared to $70+ for sheetmetal of the same gauge. .. I kept the 'flammable liquid' sticker on the barrel & painted around it. Kinda liked the touch to spark a thought in peoples heads, at the car shows I go to, that I DID use a 55 gallon drum as a trunk. I also mounted the aluminum battery box but didn't grab a picture of that. It's a rat & I don't care so long as everything works. It doesn't have to be 'pretty'. It's my monster. I'm it's Dr. Frankenstein & it's beautiful in my eyes.

http://s1182.photobucket.com/albums/x458/1953Customline/