Future Father&Son towtruck project

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About 2 years ago my dad got this towtruck. We plan on restoring the old truck and start driving it. One main problem it has is a messed up 302 V8 (too small of a motor and doesn't run right). After my dad gets it running he plans on repairing and painting the body. The old holmes tow winch runs on a pto out of the transmission.After its restored and running again me and him plan on driving the old girl. It'll come in handy when my aunts or friends break down on the road (happens alot more than you think) instead of hitching a trailer up me or my dad could just hop in the truck and go.One thing we'd like to do is add a wheellift to it. But we're not willing to spend $ 2500 to $5000 on it. We'd rather like to build one.Just cuious anybody got any plans on one?
Reply:sorry posted first before I attached the pics Attached ImagesLast edited by Kingjoker; 02-17-2010 at 10:51 PM.
Reply:one more Attached Images
Reply:Drop a 400 cid in it.  Motor mounts will move back to pre-drilled holes, trans mount will drop back to pre-drilled holes, shorten driveshaft (front half before big bearing).  Put a Holley 4412 carb on that 400 cid & it will pull stumps.I had a 1970 pickup with the 302 & a C-4.  Dropped a 400 with C-6 in it, could out run Vette's stop lite to stop lite in Lincoln NE.  Would run 85 all day long too.  Liked it's gas, but could pull 10K of cows in a stock trailer at 65 all day long too.Get rid of the 302, drop in the 400 cid motor.MarkI haven't always been a nurse........Craftsman 12"x36" LatheEnco G-30B MillHobart Handler 175Lincoln WeldandPower 225 AC/DC G-7 CV/CCAdd a Foot Pedal to a Harbor Freight Chicago Electric 165A DC TIG PapaLion's Gate Build
Reply:Oh yeah, the 1977 F-150 came from the factory with a 302, 351W, 400M, 460 cid engines in them.MarkI haven't always been a nurse........Craftsman 12"x36" LatheEnco G-30B MillHobart Handler 175Lincoln WeldandPower 225 AC/DC G-7 CV/CCAdd a Foot Pedal to a Harbor Freight Chicago Electric 165A DC TIG PapaLion's Gate Build
Reply:There was a time when if you didn't have a 440, you didn't have a real tow truck.Should be a fun project.  Keep us posted.MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:If'n ya have the time, a 5.9 Cummins will drop in too.  Only have to move it back about 8" & there is room.MarkI haven't always been a nurse........Craftsman 12"x36" LatheEnco G-30B MillHobart Handler 175Lincoln WeldandPower 225 AC/DC G-7 CV/CCAdd a Foot Pedal to a Harbor Freight Chicago Electric 165A DC TIG PapaLion's Gate Build
Reply:The transmission on the towtruck has a pto out of the side of it that works the holmes winch. That same kind transmission is in my 1976 f150 and my grandpa's 1978 one ton truck. That sucker's TUFF! mule gear, 2, 3, 4, and reverse. I plan on having a motor built for this truck when we get started on it. My personal favorites are the 351 winzr, 351 modified, and the 360 (that's what is in the one ton)The fun part of this is that I have all three of those motors up the holler (where the towtruck is now) beggging to be rebuilt.
Reply:Speaking of the cummings HECK YEAH I'd DROP that beast in this truck........if I had one
Reply:Boy, there's an old beast ..... She's just begging for a new mill.  That 460 won't just pull stumps, it'll pull the entire TREE ....
Reply:I know it's off subject butMy 1976 f150 nicknamed "copper" because of it's color used to have a 300sixcyl in it when my grandpa owned it (He traded alot when he was able to get out and about). It blew up about 3 months after he got it. The stupid previous owner had taken the oilpan off at some point and resealed it with white house silcone. It got into the oil pump and threw a rod.He then put a used 302 in the truck then gave it to me to drive to school. My dad, cousin, and me changed the rearend because of the gear ratio. For a class project that I needed to graduate we painted copper. After I graduated high school I went to RCBI machinist school. The extra miles I had to go was too much on the motor....it blew a headgasket on my way home from school. My dad at the time had a 289 with 351 heads built for his 1965 ford falcon. ....we put that in the truck. That's all we had handy at the time. (I plan on putting a 351 win in copper and giving back the motor) I put duals on the truck a year later. The way it sounds if you were to close your eyes you'd think that a mustang just flew by. You'd be correct. The motor was originally in a 1966 mustang fastback.That truck can flat BOOK IT!!
Reply:Nice truck to start with. I like my old fords. Go with a 460 there monsters if there built right.On the wheel lift your better off buying a used  then making one. By the time you get the metal, cylinders, valve body, hoses,  plumb it in and the time and money welding it you could of bought a nice used one. Where ya from? I might be able to come up with one for ya in your area. If your around North east P.A. I know where there's a few sitting for around a grand. Also check E-bay and tow411.net look under the equipment section near the bottom of the page.Hope it helpsTaz
Reply:You guy's are being a little harsh on them 302's, I used to run 302's in one of my race cars many years ago, 68 Mustang street stock with 20 some feature wins.  Built right that 302 will have more than enough power to do anything that's asked of it.The tow truck I built for myself about a year ago only has a 300 6 cylinder in her and she'll pull down a house and the barn behind the house. Not a real speed demon but plenty of pulling power.I am what I am, Deal with it!If necessity is the Mother of Invention, I must be the Father of Desperation!
Reply:West Virginia
Reply:I almost forgot That cab on the towtruck isn't original it was changed
Reply:302 and then set the gearing for the purpose.  Put 4.11 or higher in the rear and with a granny first gear it will p-u-l-l.  Or just plop a 460 in it.  Gear it and granny first and you can probably snap axles (if the tires hook up).    The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:Originally Posted by dabar39You guy's are being a little harsh on them 302's, I used to run 302's in one of my race cars many years ago, 68 Mustang street stock with 20 some feature wins.  Built right that 302 will have more than enough power to do anything that's asked of it.The tow truck I built for myself about a year ago only has a 300 6 cylinder in her and she'll pull down a house and the barn behind the house. Not a real speed demon but plenty of pulling power.
Reply:Originally Posted by KingjokerSpeaking of the cummings HECK YEAH I'd DROP that beast in this truck........if I had one
Reply:302's are the right engine for specific tasks.  Tow trucks need torque and there's no substitute for cubic inches to build torque on the cheap.That 400 I had had the 8.5 CR dished pistons, standard heads & head gaskets.  Brand new rebuild on it, it would barely push 140 psi on a compression test.  Yes it was loose, but it could pull those 10,000 lbs of live beef in the trailer like it was nuttin.  3.75 gears in the rear was all it needed.  With the 302 & 9:1 flat top pistons, steel shim head gaskets & those same 3.75 gears, couldn't get out of it's own way if the trailer was hooked up............ empty.  Wouldn't go over 50 mph downhill with a tail wind with it either.Nope, it needs torque.  300 straight 6 or 400-460 cid.  Latch onto some car buried in the mud/snow/down a embankment, you will like the torque.Oh yeah, ditch the 360.  It's only a destroked 390 & worthless.  Those years of motors (1972-1977) the blocks were soft & full of sand.  351W's are known to break too.  Right down the middle.  But those usually are from too high RPM or too much boost from turbo's.  But I've also read about ones that were worked too hard ie. pulling excessive loads.Last edited by MarkBall2; 02-19-2010 at 12:06 AM.MarkI haven't always been a nurse........Craftsman 12"x36" LatheEnco G-30B MillHobart Handler 175Lincoln WeldandPower 225 AC/DC G-7 CV/CCAdd a Foot Pedal to a Harbor Freight Chicago Electric 165A DC TIG PapaLion's Gate Build
Reply:Torque, who needs that?  use the winch.I do like the idea of the old twelve valve in it though.Mack
Reply:Forget the 302 and the 400. Also the 360 / 390 motors. 302's have less torque than the 300 six, and they need to be wound up to make horsepower. 360 / 390 are overweight pigs that were from the days of 35 cent gas. The 400M (and 351M) were luxury car smog motors. None of them ever even came stock with a four barrel carb. Good luck finding much in the way of aftermarket accessories for them.For a gas motor Ford, there are only 3 motors I would consider, the 300 six, 351W or the 460. I've owned about 12 Ford trucks in my life, with all different motor / tranny combo's. As was said earlier, the 300 six will pull a house down if you've got a while to spend doing it. As for the 351W, someone said something about breaking them. My last Ford was a 1995 F350 Crew Cab with a 351W (5.8) and a E4OD automatic. It had 170,000 miles on it, most of which was spent towing about 12,000 LBS worth of tractor, bushog and trailer. Sold it, and I still see it around town. Empty, it would get 13 MPG. Not too bad for a truck that weighed 6,800 LBS empty.My favorite was a 1976 Ford F250 Trailer Special I had about 15 years ago. It had the 460 4 barrel. That motor drug anything I put behind that truck with NO effort. That's the motor I'd use for your tow truck. It would bolt in with the proper mounts. You'd have to change the bellhousing on your tranny (most likely an NP435). As a close second, the 351W would work quite well, and it literally would bolt in place of the 302.I thought I would never drive any other truck than a Ford, but I now drive a Dodge 2500 with the Cummins, and I'm not sure I could ever go back to gas again.Miller Thunderbolt AC/DC (Sold)Miller Dialarc 250HFMiller MM251Miller MM200 (Sold)Miller MM130Miller Spot WelderVictor O/A rigMiller Spoolmatic 1 (Sold)
Reply:i remember seeing early add on wheel lifts that used the cable to lift the wheel lift with. should be easy enough to look up pics on the net. ive towed with a 60's ford 1 ton with a holmes bed and a 292 v8, worked fine a couple of 60's ford stub nosed twin boom wreckers (f600-f750?) with a 330 and a 361. pulled fine just the darned governor would stab ya in the butt when needed more! pigpen