'Old Blue' 1956 F-100 Truck-4TEN-Build on 1.55s

[Generis]

Going to build this in this thread:






HeyHo, everyone. I had started this truck project about a year ago, and it was sort of done on the bench for a LONG time. But there were some things about the project I just couldn't handle, and it kept me from getting along with it. It's a Proline Ford lexan shell, the Axial interior, and the GCM 4TEN chassis kit. I stuck a 35t motor in it, runs on 2s, and RC4WD rims, the 1.55 stockers.

BUT......

I fell over this thing the other day while looking for another truck, and suddenly it all came to my head!

First off was to get the dang skinny BFG look alike TIRES off this thing, and lets put on a tire that actually looks like it wants dirt:




These used to be 1.9 rock creepers, and now they are 1.55 Rock Creepers a-la-chop and glue. Seen here. They look great to me, and now I feel like I don't have to be the last guy in line when we do trail runs. Those other little tires really look sad. I left the foams out of these Creepers now also. The rubber is sort of stiff, but with no help at all from the foams, they just might work! Not bad too!

[Generis]

Next thing I know, there's a package falling from the magical sky, and it had this sick as heck old tube bumper in it. Nice.



This thing was made from a pair of shelf brackets, chopped and welded to the back of 2 strips of 1/4 inch steel tube. The top tube had the center step added first, and then bent, after all that was OK, the lower tube was welded on at the inside edge and then tapered off on the ends. Also acts as a great locator for the body and will help me locate the size of the drop bed. Nice.



Here's the official ride height. Cool shot actually, now that you can see the tire size relating to the body and fenders, and also can see the frame rails out back, where the wood bed will sit. Cool.



I think it's finally achieved the 4x4 old ford stance I always wanted. The little tires didn't do it for me, and the thing was sitting with the frame too high in the body, so now it's not bad! I love the look and can barely wait to get all the details set up, finish the bed and interior. The plan is to have ALL the electrics under the hood, so we shall see how that works out....

[Generis]

This truck is targeted at the 'Mostly Restored, but still used regularily' sort of side of things. In that light, here's what the interior came up with .. It's semi restored. The owner seem to have ended up with a re-fabric'd seat as well as some good dash emblems and the new paint from the doors, but somehow didn't get the weather-beaten dash fixed up yet. That's the look I was actually trying for.



The dash part was sprayed with a sagging coat of 'smoke' and then hung on it's face to dry. That gave it a nice mess to put the blue on behind, and here we go.. an old dash panel. Dude put new chrome trim, and replaced the guage bezels, but other than that, it's old.

There's dash lights in each gauge also. Seen below.





And lights off now:

[Generis]

This interior parts and decals come from the Axial CF-100 truck interior, and so the stickers were named CF-100. Didn't take much to get rid of the C for this Ford F-100 build! haha. And added some reading for those long stoplights.





I added a rear-view mirror as per the old days as well. Simple chopped off axial shifter knob, then glued a washer to that, then put on a cut piece of Axial mirror sticker sheet. Done. Still going to add the farmer and his Matt Hicks Head, but in the mean time I got it tacked into place to get the rest of the thing wired up etc.

[Generis]

Started on the Box also. Dropped right to the frame, using a Rogue Elements Clod bed kit. Which, I HAVE to add.. is the absolute perfect fit for this body. All you have to do is cut the one side of the bed bottom to be the SAME distance from wheel well to front as it is on the short side already. So the bed had the wheel well NOT in center front to back on the bed. I fixed that so its centered by just cutting off the one end of the bed and sides to make the front and back even with eachother. Hope that makes sense.
This setup will let me or anyone else using this combo, drop the body right ON the bed parts, and they line up so UBER perfect into the box sides, it's amazing. You can trim out the lexan right to the bed sides, and have a perfect match. SO good. wow. May even get the tailgate working, it's so perfect.

Here's some layout shots. The bed floor will get a stained and varnished hardwood floor over top of what you see here, then I'll add some tiny aluminum polished strips to make the board separations for the wood bed bottom. So far, it looks like this in the box department.... More to do.





I love how it matches right up with the cute tube bumper out back, this is becoming my favorite setup for some reason. Little steel hangers, welded to steel tubes, and then wire wheel finished. Cool. Looks right. Even if I manage to get the tailgate working everything will be in the perfect spot to get that done! Yeah!

[Generis]

Got the front bumper and similar skinny brackets done. Really happy with this revived farm truck.





And got my round 2 of the headlights in and running. Not bad now. I had backed them with black, and they went all dark, so took them all off, and rebuilt with silver backing, and it's all good now. A nice yellow base for the LED to glow from.

[Generis]

Got the bed all in, and ran far away from my wood floor idea. I would have had to do the box sides in the body color, but didn't have any more of that paint, so went with a black work box. Came out nice, and as the Lad is about to leave for the hunt camp, it was appropriate for him to bring his tools and some supplies for repairs.









The little tool box is made of 1/64 plywood and some balsa strips etc put in the corners for strength. balsa lid and drawer fronts. Toolbox side handles are made from 1/64 steel rod. Electrical conduit is made from airplane pushrods. Ply scraps ended up in the box bottom on the way to the hunt camp also haha!
The cab-saver hoop is a steel 3/16 tube bent and screwed into the bed floor, as well as being secured through the lexan rear window supports. Strong.

[Generis]

Out back I got the tiny red tail lights in also. Used milled out Axial SCX10 radio box mount legs. Work nicely. Also sanded the front of the 5mm LED to be flat, and made the whole LED about half as long in the process. Fits much better, and lit it looks perfect. Then painted the LED lens with red tamiya lens paint.



Of course, the thread wouldn't be complete without a flex shot. No battery or electronics yet, They should flatten the nose a bit also.



Here's the goods as it sits now. Looking forward to adding axles and RX, HeyOK light controller, ESC, and Battery. Trails tomorrow!!!!!!! YEAH!!

[Generis]

Needed some sort of way to hold down the body on this thing. With the front and rear bumper mount tabs locating the body shell at large, and with the way the bumpers wrap the body itself, the lid can't move at all. Ever. But it can lift straight up easily. The solution was some traditional body mounts and clips.. but where!!

I finally decided to put the mounts and body clips through the front of the box, under the wood, where they'd not be seen ever. Easy spot to hide even if the wood get's in the fire some day. Here's a pic of the upside down truck with the 2 posts bolted to the 4TEN frame, and up into the box. You can also see the black plug that connects the cab's lights to the Dual LED HeyOK light switch stuck beside the Tcase. So it's an easy unclip x 2 and unplug x 1 and the cab comes off freely. And the truck still drives completely like this.



Here's the clips themselves. They are sandwiching the box floor to the body mount pin and against the frame of the 4TEN. It's a solid really nice setup and works so slick. You can also see the 2 bolts that screw up into the black roll bar through the box floor right beside the bed corners... so when it's all assembled, the cab-saver roll bar acts as a perfect carrying handle also!! Slick. One of those unexpected cool things that happened!

[Generis]

Old Blue got out for a nice run today. Really nice run! What's amazing about this thing to me is that I cared-not for the weight or balance when building it.. and I usually care all about that! I demand my center of gravity be just ahead of the Tcase, and I build accordingly. In this case, weird thing, is the back of the truck is SO heavy with the box and all the stuff inside, I had lost all hope of getting nice balance on this old truck... but with the battery up front, and the electrics all huddling around the front motor and trans, the C of G ended up right in front of the Tcase!! Yeah!! It rides perfect!!


Out on the Farm:

[Generis]

The Old Blue Ford is Alive.
First run right here! It's a great runner!! I'm barely able to get anything done now, All I want to do is wheel this thing for hours. Much love.


1956 Ford F100 4TEN Scale Truck 1st Ride - YouTube

[Generis]

Here's some dash highlights, and a bit of an end of day trail.


1956 Ford F100 4TEN Evening Trail - YouTube

[Generis]

Unfortunately I can't stop working on this thing.. I have a nasty cough right now, so might as well hide in the RC shop!!

TAILPIPE! Ya, it's steel.





I noticed (and maybe you did too) that the lexan cab steps were taking a serious scraping along the rough stuff, so I added some armor!



This is a 3/16 steel tube, zinc plated, and it's bent all crazy to be screwed to the chassis directly, but has to fit smooth under the steps. It's a true armor, being plated and all HAHA

This tube has the perfect hole inside for threading any M3 machine screw into it.. which also works so nice on the chassis side also. No brackets, nothing. Screwed through a chassis hole, and cranked tight. You can pick up the truck by these. Solid as a rock. And now the lexan won't be bothered by any of the sliding action, and the too-many-after-hours-farmer won't go through the step when it gets a bit rusty! ha!

[Generis]

I love to take one of these 'behind' shots at least once in the threads. It's cool to see how everything sits in the truck, and on the frame side. Hard to see when it's all covered over itself, but fully exposed here now! Every single thing that makes it move is under the front hood, nothing behind the firewall. That helps to balance out the heavy load of wood in the box!




I think I may actually be done with this truck now. It's been tested and true, got the needed add ons after the first runs and testing, and now it's ready to do some work. Waiting for a while on the driver and head, so might as well get some enjoyment out of the farmer-less truck!

[Generis]

Out and about today gettin' wood:

[Generis]

The old farm truck is back from hunt camp to collect some more firewood and get some more lumber for the camp. Fortunately, the River Ridge is on the way back home, so we captured some of the journey! It wheels so nice! Got to be stretching into my favorite ride of this year!

RiverRidge Trails #3 Old Blue '56 Ford F100 - YouTube

[sam63]

Very cool build, I must say I am partial to the old ford trucks. I really dig the drop bed tip, may have to use that one.

[Desert Rc]

I have one of your 4tem chassis and I was looking for an appropriate body...man this is great looking!

What material did you make the fender flairs from??

I might have to make one if these....I love the throw back truck bodies lately. Good stuff.

[Generis]

Thanks, Man! I made the fenders out of a strip of all soft rubber weather stripping. It looked like a P and I cut off the 'leg' so it was a D then put the flat of the D onto the body fender. Easy, and cheap, and works great! It gave the truck that little bit more body width it was needing!

[Difuser]

Love this build, simple but looks great. My theme for 2013...
Keep updating as it gets some patina...