1959 F100 frame swap

I have been watching the old Ford fridge trucks sell lately and I know of one sitting in a barn with a half way decent body. I have thought about buying it and putting a modern frame with a modern engine
& brakes in it to make it more drivable. The 1957 to 1959 F100s (and F250 & F350) long beds have 118 inch wheel bases - while the 1980-1996 F150 SHORT BED is roughly 117 inches.

Is the 1 inch difference that big of deal in the wheel base?

Anyone done this swap? I know the frame rails on the newer F150 are wider than the old 2nd generation truck but are the wheel tracks the same? I'd hate to think I had it all figured out and find the tires
sticking and inch outside the wheel wells. I think a 1980s carbed 300 I6 or a 302 V8 with an MD50 5 speed behind it would be a slick set up and look somewhat original

I can't answer your questions but have had the same idea in my younger days. you've gotta post pics during the build and afterward!

I have to start it first.

I would go to the seller and ask permission to take measurements, then take them to a junkyard and do the same on a running gear of your choice. That will tell you if you are even in the ballpark of matching up mounts, and sizes. We have a local 'Pull and Save' where you can enter for a $2 cover charge and wander all day long with a tape measure. Steve

Have no experience and cannot help you on FORD swap but from doing three early IH swaps to late frames be prepared to spend a LOT OF TIME and money. So many things come up from sterring to exhaust to brakes , it is just nowhere as simple as it looks. Sitting the cab on the frame is probably less than 20% of the work , making every thing else work is the job.

Never done a frame swap
I learned my lesson replacing a 318 with a slant six. NEVER AGAIN!!

Search out F100/Crown Vic swap. Seems to be a real popular set up in the past few years. Around here, even well used-up police crown vics bring good money just to get the drive train.

That would be 1/2 inch on each side. Different tires can be that much. Look into the Crown Vic or Grand Marques swap.

That's what fender flares are for.

That's for people wanting to take their old F100 and make it handle like a car. I still want to be able to haul/tow with it.

Never done it, and frankly the thought of taking on a project like that has no appeal.

But from what I've seen, instead of a complete frame replacement, unless there is a problem with it, they change out the rear axle and springs with something more modern, and remove the front suspension completely, replace it with something popular, or an aftermarket suspension, and add disc brakes.

As far as the fuel system, there are some really nice TBI systems that hide under a stock air cleaner very well. The problem with keeping it carbureted is it will not like sitting with ethanol gas, especially if it is not a daily driver. Plus the increased fuel economy, drivability, reduced emissions, and increased engine life.

Very interesting. Throughout my life I have often had the urge to start expensive and essentially useless projects. When that happened, my solution was to lay down until the urge passed. Good luck with your project, keep us up to date on what happens with it.

Have a friend who is rebuilding his Grandfather's 64 f100. He has put a aftermarket Mustang 2 independent front end. And a Lincoln independent rear. Ho 302 port injection motor. Rack and pinion power steering. Air conditioning etc.

The old 57-60 Ford pickups in good running condition are selling in the 10K range, nice looking units in the 20K range. Very nice restored / restro mods are selling in the 30s.

Last week I watched a complete, hadn't run in 20 years I6 with no floors 1957 F100 sell for $4000.

Frame swaps are something that either turns out good, or turns out bad. Getting an old Ford cab to sit down around a modern chassis correctly is tricky due to the step wells below the floor. As you stated, a modern frame is much wider. Most older trucks had a 34 inch on center width. A wider frame plays havoc with cab and bed mounting.

Still wanting it to retain its usefulness as a truck is tricky, especially if you are stuck on the 300 six or 302. Ford trucks didn't gain decent front suspension until 1997, by then the 300 and 302 were gone, so those frame would require custom built mountings for your engine choice. If you could stomach using a GM frame, that would be your better bet, as GM has had a more comfortable suspension since the 60's, greatly opening your choices.

Your other option, for better brakes, would be to leave the original frame and suspension and go 4x4. Should be reasonably easy to do since the truck has a beam axle already.

Either way you go, it will take twice as long and cost twice as much as you planned. I can almost guarantee, all those truck prices you listed, those trucks were sold at a loss. Money is no reason to take on projects like this, unless you are a shop paid for the work. Restorations and resto mods only pay off if they are a rare model, or the owner does every stitch of work themselves. A shop built resto mod would run over $30K before the truck was even painted or moving on its own.

Congratulations on living a mediocre life.

Sometimes things just need to be done, just because you can. That's why my son and I are transplanting a 7.3 Powerstroke into a 77 F250 highboy. Do we need it? Nope. Is diesel cheap? Nope. But we can, and that's all the reason we need.

Sprint ..... wow, I'm impressed. My apologies for being so boring ....

I put a 300 six and a 5 speed in a 52 ford F2, Told wife I could do it for 3500.00 but ended up at over 7500.00 . Only me for labor and cheap swap meet parts except brakes with power disc set up and new wiring. Been driving it for 5 years now.

The frame WIDTHS changed also. Pre 1972 had a narrower frame than the 1973 and up. I encountered that issue when installing a chrome rear bumper from a '76 onto a '71. Had to improvise some spacers.

I did a 1960 for the street years ago , then I built a 4X4 for mud boggin with the leftover parts.
I put a rusty cab on a 1977 F150 frame. The problem came when I tried to center the front tire in the wheel opening.
The engine sat back in the newer frame and I had to raise the body up and cut a big chunk of firewall and floor out. it was good enough for what I was doing , but to make it look nice would've been a lot of work.
You might consider a newer Ranger pickup , it might be closer in size.