[david85]

Just found this one: http://www.evalbum.com/2898

To my knowlege, this is the worlds first conversion of an F250 (4x4 no less!!!). Just don't look at his build cost....

1978 with C6 and 7.5L V8.....gotta love that era. Smallest/lightest truck you could get in the F series and yet available with the biggest engine and toughest tranny. You could even buy crazy highway gears like 2:1 or lower than 4.10 if you wanted. These days, you buy what they sell you.

That truck might not be too bad to convert if you are comparing against a new ranger. 1970s F150s are fairly light. Not as light as 1980-1983 with the swiss cheese frames, but still pretty good. Frames are also strong enough to take the load.

Getting something that can do 70 MPH on $5000 might be a challenge though. The 1970s fords look great IMO, but they don't have much going for them at higher speed. Did Randy get back to you yet? I suspect motor and controller will already use up nearly all of your budget.

[lazydfarms]

Thanks for the info once again. Ya I'm pretty much to the point where I've abandoned any idea of doing a full size truck...its just way too far out of my budget. I do like the style and versatility of the old trucks but came to a realization that the application of an electric commuter is just that; a commuter. Short distances, no payload so a full size truck isn't even suited to that in the first place (although people down home use them regularly to run around which is questionable with $3.50+ gasoline). I'm starting to consider my possibilities for car platforms or possibly a low option Ranger. Randy has not got back to me yet which is ok because I'm going to look at used options for the motor and controller. From what I read a forklift is likely best for heavy duty used parts so I'll investigate that further. Thanks for your input

[lazydfarms]

An interesting development...after much research and a few footsteps I have found a possibility for a donor...although its much older then I would have anticipated. A guy I know has a 1953 Ford Custom sedan with excellent body, chrome and mechanicals except for the flathead engine is shot. They came with a low(er) gear three speed stock which makes for ideal gearing. The weight is not much more then modern cars and certainly less than any truck. The body while chunky is rounded and shouldn't drag much. The reality is these cars were built for a 40-55 mph cruising speed so commuting shouldn't tax it too much. I also have the oportunity to get some simularly equipped Mopar products if this one doesn't work out. I'm interested to see what everyone thinks!

[david85]

That could make for a really nice conversion, but I have to wonder what that car weighs. It can be conflicting to decide on a car because all the "cool" ones frankly are not very good donors. Either too heavy, or too chunky. My saturn is far from being glamorous, but it is light and aerodynamic. Stock it was probably around 2200lbs.

On the other hand, you want your conversion to be something that really reflects you since it is your creation even if its not perfectly practical.

Having said all that, if you plan to stick to 40 MPH speed zones, Aerodynamics don't matter as much.

My advice generally is to go with a car you really like, but make sure you do the home work on it first.

Is it rust free?