1972 4x4 lwb extended cab project, or that boy must be nuts!

Post progress reports on your project truck(s)

Moderator: FORDification

Post Reply
72extendedcab
New Member
New Member
Posts: 34
Joined: Fri Apr 29, 2011 1:43 am
Location: Quinlan, Texas

1972 4x4 lwb extended cab project, or that boy must be nuts!

Post by 72extendedcab »

Ok, I was told to start this thread here. Please be patient of slow progress, life has a funny habit of insisting on getting its way. I am turning my 2x4 72 lwb into a 4x4 extended cab lwb, so here are some starter photos:
this is the 72 I bought for $40.
Image
this is the 68 I bought for $31. I removed the fenders and grill.
Image
this is what's left of the 79 Bronco I bought for $100, then sold the topper, doors and hood, etc. for $1500.
Image
Last edited by 72extendedcab on Wed Jun 01, 2011 8:07 pm, edited 2 times in total.
anns Serbhit, Mhoit
User avatar
forrestbump
100% FORDified!
100% FORDified!
Posts: 2140
Joined: Tue Aug 10, 2010 12:23 am
Location: California, Phelan

Re: 1972 4x4 lwb extended cab project, or that boy must be nuts!

Post by forrestbump »

Your aspirations are high and your dreams are grand. Dreams are what give us all life, hope yours come true.

You've got some good parts to start with...

Thank You for sharing.

Great Luck and Godspeed...
1970, 2WD, F-250, C/S, Dual Tanks, 390 FE (of course), C6, Power Steering, Power Disc Brakes, Dana 60 3.73, Sky View Blue, Ranger XLT

1970, 2WD, F-250, C/S, A/C, Dual Tanks, 390 FE (again, of course), C6, Power Steering, Power Disc Brakes, Dana 60 3.73, Wimbledon White & Sky View Blue, Ranger (almost twin brothers!)

"One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn't do" - Henry Ford

Larry
User avatar
mlheppl
Blue Oval Fan
Blue Oval Fan
Posts: 564
Joined: Mon Nov 23, 2009 1:43 pm
Location: New Mexico, Grants

Re: 1972 4x4 lwb extended cab project, or that boy must be nuts!

Post by mlheppl »

Looks like a great project! really looking forward to seeing more pics.
Mike
71 F250 4X4
99 F250SD 4X4 7.3L PSD
red403
New Member
New Member
Posts: 222
Joined: Mon Oct 05, 2009 1:51 am

Re: 1972 4x4 lwb extended cab project, or that boy must be nuts!

Post by red403 »

I will be fallowing this one, great project to much for me but I look forward to see what you can do. My hat goes off to you.
User avatar
ford4x4fun
Blue Oval Guru
Blue Oval Guru
Posts: 1468
Joined: Sun Dec 02, 2007 8:38 pm
Location: Cadiz, KY
Contact:

Re: 1972 4x4 lwb extended cab project, or that boy must be nuts!

Post by ford4x4fun »

Wow! Looking good thus far! I will be following this one too although, I don't believe I could ever do a project like this! My expertise are not in patience and getting things squared up! :lol:
CNR Radio Instructor
US ARMY Retired
1971 Ford F100 4x4 (390)
2015 Ford F250 Crew Cab 6.7l
72extendedcab
New Member
New Member
Posts: 34
Joined: Fri Apr 29, 2011 1:43 am
Location: Quinlan, Texas

Re: 1972 4x4 lwb extended cab project, or that boy must be nuts!

Post by 72extendedcab »

Thank you all.
LOL hazelnut. I just got lucky, right place, right time. The red $31 truck actually ran at that price, just not well.
Here's some frame work shots for now:
The front portion of the Bronco frame.
Image
The rear portion of the '72 lwb frame with the Bronco 9" axle under it. The spring perches and shock mounts all had to be moved inboard 1 1/2".
Image
The two frame sections matching, er..... not matching up. LOL. Yes, I did expect this, the Bronco is a spread frame.
Image
For any who might not have known, this shows the kick out in the Bronco frame; for any who knew, sorry for this photo. Sorry it's a little fuzzy, It's probably me. LOL.
Image
Last edited by 72extendedcab on Wed Jun 01, 2011 4:36 pm, edited 2 times in total.
anns Serbhit, Mhoit
72extendedcab
New Member
New Member
Posts: 34
Joined: Fri Apr 29, 2011 1:43 am
Location: Quinlan, Texas

Re: 1972 4x4 lwb extended cab project, or that boy must be nuts!

Post by 72extendedcab »

Still trying to figure out how to show the actual photos here, but no success. Some have tried to help me, but the site continues to reject them saying they're too large for it. :shh: If I ever get it figured out, I'll go back and change them all to show.
Here's a few more:
A quick shot of the left side axle tube after clean up and relocation of the mounts. Notice the divot left under the spring perch from the factory weld; this will be filled before final assembly.
Image
The frame splice being test fit. I would have run it longer, but there wasn't enough straight run on the 2x2 frame in the mating area. with the reinforcement and boxing the area will recieve, it will be plenty strong enough.
Image
This view shows the right frame rail in the foreground and the left in the rear. The bottom welds, reinforcement and boxing will take place when I disassemble the whole truck again after all the cutting, welding and fitting of the body.
Image
After much measuring, jacking, shimming and clamping, the frame measured and trammeled out to less than 1/256" variance in any direction; closer than they were before i cut them up. Sometimes I just get lucky. LOL.
CAUTION: To any beginning builders out there, this frame is plenty strong enough to move around and work on, but is in no way strong enough to be driven on. The extra reinforcement required to make it streetable will be covered in a later phase of the construction
Last edited by 72extendedcab on Tue May 31, 2011 3:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
anns Serbhit, Mhoit
72extendedcab
New Member
New Member
Posts: 34
Joined: Fri Apr 29, 2011 1:43 am
Location: Quinlan, Texas

Re: 1972 4x4 lwb extended cab project, or that boy must be nuts!

Post by 72extendedcab »

Ok, here are some with the body on, or at least parts of it.
Maybe I should have just stretched the front end sheet metal and drop a 16 cyl. Allison in it?
Image
This one give some idea of the stretch before cutting the cab.
Image
It's getting too long for a complete side shot. LOL.
Image
Here's the money shot (I wish) of the stretch.
Image
At this point, I have about 85 hours in the project including stripping the donor trucks down.
The truck goes into my recently aquired shop as soon as I replace the shop doors.
anns Serbhit, Mhoit
User avatar
averagef250
100% FORDified!
100% FORDified!
Posts: 4387
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2006 12:58 am
Location: Oregon, Beavercreek

Re: 1972 4x4 lwb extended cab project, or that boy must be nuts!

Post by averagef250 »

Looks good. Several ways to splice frames, yours looks nice and fishplating/boxing is not necessarily required.

Can't wait to see the rest of the cab work, that stuff fascinates me.
1970 F-250 4x4 original Willock swivel frame chassis '93 5.9 Cummins/Getrag/NP205/HP60/D70
Fordnatic
Preferred User
Preferred User
Posts: 274
Joined: Wed Dec 17, 2008 7:29 am
Location: Anchorage, Alaska

Re: 1972 4x4 lwb extended cab project, or that boy must be nuts!

Post by Fordnatic »

Nice Project!!!
70F100: 410 Merc with tri-power, close ratio toploader, 4.56 detroit locker 9"
68F100 4x4: 390, 4 spd/NP 205, Rancho 4" urethane susp, 35x12.50 All Terrain T/A's
55F100
01F150 Daily Driver: TP tunes, AF1 intake, elec fans, Magnaflow exh, underdrive pulleys, Centerlines
User avatar
rjewkes
100% FORDified!
100% FORDified!
Posts: 3711
Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2005 1:09 am
Location: Missouri, Webb City
Contact:

Re: 1972 4x4 lwb extended cab project, or that boy must be nuts!

Post by rjewkes »

Don't look like the cab will be barely shorter than a crew cab. Lookin good.
"It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt." - Mark Twain
'70 f250 4x4 Crew cab 460/C6 '72 F100 390/C6 9.8 MPG AVG. '89 Mercury Cougar LS Dual Exh. V6 . 18.9 MPG AVG. In Town.
Image
I don't want to give em a heart-attack. That is what would happen if I answered the door in the buff. Heck it almost scares me to death when I step out of the shower and look in the mirror.~Mancar1~
fuelly.com
User avatar
bnl44
New Member
New Member
Posts: 67
Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2011 12:35 am
Location: Mountain Home, Idaho

Re: 1972 4x4 lwb extended cab project, or that boy must be nuts!

Post by bnl44 »

Any updates? :pop:
I’m excited to see this come together.
User avatar
1972hiboy
100% FORDified!
100% FORDified!
Posts: 2421
Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2010 5:44 pm
Location: California, Santa Cruz

Re: 1972 4x4 lwb extended cab project, or that boy must be nuts!

Post by 1972hiboy »

whoa....thanks for taking pictures along the way and sharing! its looking good anything new on it? Im really interested to see the cab work thats going to be done on it.
Rich
1973 f350 super c/s 460/c6 22k orig miles
1972 f350 srw crewcab special 390
1972 f250 4x4 sport custom 390fe Red
1972 f250 4x4 custom 360 FE " Ranger Ric"
1972 f250 4x4 custom 84k og miles 390
1971 f250 4x4 sport custom 56k og miles. 360
1970 f250 4x4 428 fe hp60 205 d60
Dont eat yellow snow.....
68sportcustom
New Member
New Member
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Dec 17, 2010 12:09 am
Location: Oregon, Albany

Re: 1972 4x4 lwb extended cab project, or that boy must be nuts!

Post by 68sportcustom »

Great Project! I've been thinking about building a 67-72 SWB Exended cab 4x4 for a couple years now so I'm very excited to watch this progress.
72extendedcab
New Member
New Member
Posts: 34
Joined: Fri Apr 29, 2011 1:43 am
Location: Quinlan, Texas

Re: 1972 4x4 lwb extended cab project, or that boy must be nuts!

Post by 72extendedcab »

I realize this thread is a little old ( ok, very old ), but the project is back on. I was pulled away without a moments notice and have just now gotten back to the real world. Every attempt will be made to keep this current, so I will log in and respond to anyone who might still be interested at least once per week, more often where I am able. This project will now receive my refocused attention through to its completion. To anyone still interested, thank you for your patience.
anns Serbhit, Mhoit
Post Reply