1969 Ford F100 / 2002 Ford Lightning "Thunder's Truck"

[67XR7]

subscribed!!! looking forward to this!

[V8TV]

Thanks for the interest, guys! We were a little aprehensive about this one at first... or should I say "I" was aprehensive. The customer was convinced it would be an easy project, but we all know nothing is easy. Good thing we have a crew that is capable and super enthusiastic!

[V8TV]

As we lowered the 1969 cab down onto the 2002 Lightning chassis, it looked like the track width on the Lightning was going to be pretty close to the outer fender edges on the 1969.



Our first interference was the shape of the back of the '69 cab that allows the cab corners to hang down around the frame. The Lightning frame is wider than the '69 in this area, so the first cut on the '69 cab was to open up these corners.





[img]http://v8tvshow.com/1969_Ford_Lightning/slides/1969_F100_MP_10.14.14_049.html

Once we modified the back of the cab, we were able to lower it further down onto the lighting chassis.






Our next point of interference came in the front, where the 1969 inner fender wells seemed to interfere with the upper control arm mounts on the Lightning. We cut some simple notches in the inner fenders, and the cab and landed on the '02 chassis. The cab mounts are not in the exact same position, but they were close! We cut the front core supports off the Lightning frame, with anticipation of making our own core support and bumper mounts later.

[tones2SS]

Awesome.
Sleeper truck!

[syborg tt]

Very cool


Marty-mj
www.garagescene.net www.syborgtwinturbo.com www.2ndcamaro.com

[V8TV]

The crew was pretty impressed how the wheel fit in the front wheel well, and it didn't look like very much fore-aft adjustment would be needed.

The cab is still not all the way down on the frame in this picture, so this is not ride height.



Bringing down the cab left this fitment:

[V8TV]

With the cab "in the ballpark", the crew was eager to test fit the '69 bed on the Lightning chassis. We knew the wheelbase of the Lightning was approximately 5 inches longer than the 1969 truck, so we anticipated a fitment issue there. The crew unbolted the '69 bed and carried it into the Lightning chassis.






Once they set the '69 bed on the Lightning chassis, it became obvious that some modifications would be needed to have it fitted properly. The Lightning frame kicks up approximately 3 to 4 inches, raising the bed far above its original orientation to the cab.

[V8TV]

We also noted that this the gap between the cab and the bed was approximately 5 inches, so the crew began to strategize on how to make this fit.






At this point, it was determined that perhaps the cab should be "locked down" into its final position before the crew made any changes to the frame to fit the bed. Little spacers were made to simulate cab mounts to pick up the backside of the cab, and the cab was located longitudinally on the Lightning frame.

[V8TV]

This truck will not be using the Lightning wheels when completed, but it will use wheels of the same size to utilize the stock Lightning tire dimensions. This way, we will be sure that the gear ratio will match that is designed for the lighting.



It turns out that the front cab amounts will be usable on the Lightning chassis, and the crew position and '69 cab over these. Holes will have to be drilled for the mounts, but if it should work.



The crew rolled the chassis truck outside to be able to step away and look at it.

[waynieZ]

It looks good Kevin. Will you shorten the frame where it levels out under the bed after that rise behind the cab?