Finally getting around to finishing up a few things underneath.

Ordered up an ADDCO sway bar and got it unboxed yesterday. I was pretty disspointed with the finish on the bar, it was chipped and scratched up before I even got the bubble wrap off of it. If you look at it wrong the paint just falls of. Seems like for what they charge they could have powdercoated it or something, it is just crappy paint, not even a primer on it or anything.

I guess I will need to pull it out after I get it all installed and get it powdercoated.....just what I was hoping to do with a finished part.

Looks like it will fit, I drilled the holes in the frame yesterday and got it close, I have to put a thin spacer underneath the bar to clear the flexible coupling on the turbo crossover pipe as it just touches the bar at ride height.

I picked up some 1/4" plate and 3/8" plate to build spacers out of today 1.5" wide. It should be about perfect.

Might get it all installed and buttoned up after work tonight.

Sean

 

Managed to get some spacers built for the sway bar and get it installed. It just clears the exhaust flex coupler....I mean by a few sheets of paper clears. But I dont think either of them are going to move too much in the center. We will see I guess. Not much more down room to go before I get into steering issues.

Wow.....this thing is a totally different machine with the sway bar on it. It handles like its on rails. Steering response is right now with very little body roll if any. Its a 1.25" bar.

Moving forward....I had a air fuel guage mounted in the ash tray temporarily and it kind of grew on me having a real guage on the truck for this instead of the KIWI stuff.

Headed to the junk yard and picked up a second ash tray to keep the stocker just incase.

Did a little measuring and trimming and drilling and now I have an ash tray that slides in and out of the dash with a slick little air fuel guage in it and looks totally stock from the outside.

I tore it all apart last night for some body work and painting. Paint is drying now should have some glamour shots of it later in the day when I am back home. At work for a few hours today. Hoping to make a trip back to the yard later today to snag a sweet guage cluster to build the Dakota Digital stuff into.

Been driving the truck a little bit, its getting better and better with each little thing that gets done to it. I am a little afraid that I am getting close to "Done" with it.

Seriously considering building a brother to this one. Leave the outside paint all old looking, crown vic front end, coil overs, sway bar, huge brakes and proper wheels and tires. This time with an all aluminum LS3 and a 6 speed manual. Just seems like it would be super fun.

Truck makes a great driver surprisingly.

Sean

 

As promised, here is a couple quick photos of the dash.



Turned out pretty good if you ask me. Open the door and there is the guage.



Took the truck out yesterday for a little cruise to the east side and picked up a little powered subwoofer. Need to get that installed in the next week or so but have some other items that are pressing first.

Did a little work on the paint, trying to touch up a couple of chips on the passenger interior door panel from the wife's seat belt..and one on the drip rail. Went over the entire truck with a fine cleaning compound and top coat wax. It made a huge difference truck looks damn good especially for a budget paint job.

 

Nope, no link. I didn't document the build. The 3700lbs is a number my friend and I best recall from a couple of weeks ago when we took a trip to the scrap yard to get rid of a bunch left over stuff I had after the swap.

I'll be going once again to dump some more stuff. I'll make sure to snap a pic of the scrap yard's scale when I drive onto it.

 

So far how do you like the Tru-boost?

Been considering that or eboost

 

Hackster, the truck looks fantastic!! Im currently in the planning phase for my truck, hopefully soon to start acquiring parts. I have some questions, if you dont mind answering. What did you get your brake booster/mc/brake pedal setup out of? How did you lower the pedal closer to the floor and keep the correct "ratio"? My truck has original power brakes, and im trying to figure out how i can safely lower my pedal to the floor, for a closer to gas pedal height?

 

On the top right of the page is a tab that says "Search this thread."

Tipsy

 

A real update for a change.

Getting the truck ready for the Portland Roadster show coming up in just a few short weeks. I spent a good portion of the last weekend with the truck up on the lift just cleaning and detailing the underside of it. Looks like I have all the leaks fixed. Cleaned up a few electrical connections with some zip ties and just general tidying up. Things still look good under there.

Also got the sway bar all painted and the front suspension cleaned up. It actually cleans up nicely. Here are a few underbelly shots of the old girl.



Its not spotless but its pretty damn clean under there for an old truck.....my hands were damn tired.











Then on Monday, my new brake setup showed up. Here is the stock Crown Vic setup on still...



New front setup from Todd at TCE Brakes. Amazing stuff from him and I would recommend him in a heartbeat. Wilwood AERO 6 black caliper, stainless lines, cross drilled and vented two piece 14" 1.25" rotor with aluminum hat......turns out I had room for the 15" rotors. Should have just committed to them earlier.



This is just mocked up on there. Still need to plumb and deal with the raw rotor finish. Hope to have this all buttoned up Saturday.

Sean

 

looks great

 

WOW -> AWESOME!! that makes life simpler on the brakes that they clear as is. They look killer!

I learned a little bit with my coil-over install. Longer springs provide a more consistent ride (in comparison to shorter). Looks like you have room upfront for longer springs, if you want to optimize there.

Doug

 

Well the show rapidly approaches.

Front brakes went very well......I have no idea if they stop or not yet though.

Todd at TCE is the man. Everything bolted together very nicely and had no issues at all. Pedal feel is excellent so far.



Some goodness in this photo...



Went through and fixed a few things that were bugging me under the hood a few bolts that needed swapped and cleaned up the rest of the stock paint inside the truck.

Built some stantions to go around the truck and picked up soem carpet from a friend of a friend.




Truck gets loaded up in the trailer tonight and goes to the show on Thursday.

Hope all goes well and looking forward to a fun weekend.

Sean

 

Truck looks good. Enjoy the show!

 

God I love this truck, only thing that would be a cherry on top would be nice airride setup...

 

Thanks!!

I am just not a fan of air ride setups. I agree it would be killer to have it 4" lower but they add so much complication to a truck and add very little performance benefit.

Honestly I would like to see the entire truck 2" lower all around. I think it would be the perfect stance, but it would need a ton of work to make that happen, maybe on the next one.

Truck made it down to the show in one piece. I have kind of a shitty spot right behind the Rat Fink booth, kind of tucked away at the end of an aisle but oh well, truck is still down there.

Display turned out pretty good, very low key which is what I like. Its as clean as its ever going to be

Swing by and check it out if you make it down there and give me some feedback.



Came a long way in the last couple years.



Sean

 

I think the stance is perfect as is. Any lower would be just for show. The way the wheel arches sit just on top of the rim is just right IMO.

Edit: At 2nd glance, the front could be about 1/2" lower, but it may settle on its own with time.

 

I almost grabbed my spanner wrenches and dropped the front another 1/2" this morning =) Its easy to do and since I have the sway bar, my rubbing has almost gone away 100%.

Sean

 

The truck looks great! Good luck at the show.

Wayniez

 

Thanks Wayne.

Show was great. I think it was a little bit more geared towards the traditional hot rods than something like my F100. But it got 3rd in its class.

Managed a little seat time this past weekend and got the brakes bedded in.

Took the truck to this local sunday night cruise in called Red Door Meet. It is mostly imports,some european cars and a few muscle cars. I have never been before.

The turnout was crazy. I was impressed as there were hundreds of cars there, all parked on either side of the road angled in. Everything from other muscle cars and pro touring rides to bikes, beemers and other cool cars.

Truck got a ton of compliments and looks from lots of people. All in all something I thought was not going to be that fantastic, turned out to be a really fun night.....I just love cars.

Now that the show is done, I want to get back on the tuning in the next month or so and get out to some events to see how the truck performs.

Ill keep updating this as time goes on.

Sean

 

Hackster,
Congrats dude. TOP notch build!!!

 

Finishing the tune might be smart Sean.
I know a guy......

Ron