Well I have begun a gradual upgrade project for my 1994 Flareside. The first step was to build a decent power plant. I purchased a running 302 engine with a C4 transmission from a friend who was parting out his 72 F100. I took the block and heads to Ag and Industrial Engine of Norfolk Nebraska to have it line bored, decked and punched .030 over. The motor has been balanced and blueprinted and the stock rotating assembly has been replaced with a 347 stroker kit. The crank is forged steel with “I” beam connecting rods and TRW “Black Skirt” Hypereutectic Pistons. A Comp Cams roller timing set spins a mild Comp Cams camshaft. The hydraulic lifters, roller rockers and pushrods are Comp Cams also. I took what I though were the original heads along to the engine shop but found out that they were off of a 1969 302 and they didn’t have the hardened exhaust valve seats. Well the cost for working the heads along with the new valve seats would have exceeded my desired budget. However, the owner of the engine shop had a pair of mustang 5.0 HO heads that he had already worked that he would sell me for $360…SOLD! The heads have been milled to a 60CC chamber. That will put the compression up around 9.75/1. Still low enough to run on pump gas. I purchased a ProForm HEI distributor from Northern Auto Parts out of Sioux City Iowa for $218.00 delivered. These are great distributors since they don’t require anything more than just a power wire from the ignition switch to make fire from them! From advance Auto Parts I purchased an Edelbrock Performer 289 aluminum intake (Part # 2121) and an Edelbrock Performer 600CFM Carburetor (Part # 1405). I also picked up a set of Flowmaster headers (Part# 12000 FLT). At this point we are looking at somewhere in the range of 350-375 HP. Not to shabby for a motor that only cranked out a maximum of 225 HP stock from the factory (on a good day). I am so use to the quite and mild engine that is in the Flareside right now that I can’t imagine what this truck will be like when it’s roaring down the track in Scribner Nebraska doing 5,500 RPM! However the engine shop assures me that with aluminum heads and the right valve train I can get 7,500 RPM out of it!

Although the bottom of this engine is strong enough to handle over 500HP the top half is being kept mild for now. After the motor is assembled it is going to be bolted into my 1984 F150 4X4 and ran until it has around 10,000 miles clocked on it.(About 4 months worth of normal drive time to and from my regular job.) Once the motor is well broke in and seated I am going to remove the motor and complete the top half. I am starting out with AFR aluminum heads with one piece Stainless Steel Valves and double springs. A computer roller cam and lifters, heavy duty pushrods, and stainless steel roller rockers are also planned. The 4BBL intake and carburetor will be removed and a new EFI intake will be installed along with a larger MAF sensor and supercharger. There are tons of aftermarket performance parts that will fit under the hood of this truck so I have not decided on what type supercharger I am going to end up with. I am even considering a Holley NOS system for that added passing power.(LOL) When the motor is ready to drop into the 94 Flareside it should be churning out somewhere around 450-500HP on premium pump gas.

The next phase is to determine what transmission to use. I currently am running a fresh 4R70W. I have not heard of anyone building one of these transmissions up for any serious power. If I stick with an auto I may try to locate a strong C6 that will bolt to a 5.0. Otherwise it may be a matter of looking into a new Ford Motorsport 5 speed. I hate having to install the linkage for that stuff. If anyone has ever built up or know much about the 4R70W let me know.

The 94 hits the body shop in September for new paint and customizing and then goes for a trip south to have Chuck Udell of J.C. Enterprises install a custom cherry wood floor installed in the bed of the box and a custom cherry interior. Out with the back seat and in with the subs wrapped in leather and cherry.


Now for those of you who are wondering why someone would do this to a truck? Well, this truck has seem me through 1 divorce, 2 ex-wives, and over 70,000 miles of work, recreation, relaxation, and self therapy, not to mention that it my favorite body style of pickup ever built. It just needs some help in the pony department. I am planning on letting the truck spend its remaining life chewing up bowtie and hemi power plants when the weather is nice and enjoying the cooler Nebraska months snuggled away in the garage.

Who else has a hotrod pickup out there?

Timmay
cauweav@plvwtelco.net
P.S. I will have some pictures to be added soon.

 

I now have my engine back home and am getting ready to finish the assembly. Included are a few shots of the dry assembly. (I just couldn’t wait to see what it was going to look like.)

More to come soon!

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I'm doin an engine swap in a '94 shortbed usin '90 HO and aod out of a '90 MARK 7 if I can find the fuel rail I need I'm gonna stay with the HO intake. Hopin to use ecu from the MARK7. I'll post some pics as soon as it's done.

 

Well, things are coming along nicely on the truck. It is now in the body shop having its dimples removed and some new paint spashed on it. I have also purchased the veneer for the custom wood bed. The motor has been painted and most of the parts have arrived and will be ordering the remaining items within the next 2-3 weeks. I have finally found a couple of manufacturers that make drop beam kits for a 94 F150 so those are definately on my shopping list. I also have a custom front bumper cover/air damn, that has been ordered and I am looking at a really cool hood that looks like that of a GT500 Mustang.

I have included some pics of the motor as it looks now. Still just a dry assembly but it really does get your attention. I am going to apply 2-3 more coats of high temp clear but I am going to purge the spray cans and add deep violet pearl powder to it then apply it with a small gravity cup gun. It should really make this motor stand out.

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[sm=smiley20.gif]Hey Project 94, I finally got some critical parts for my swap fuel rail,dizzy,and wiring. Still need exhaust and driveshaft shortened.

 

Hey grampz! Would love to see some pics! Tell me more about your project. Mine is still in the body shop and I have not seen it in over a week so I am really getting anxious. So are you going to drop or bag your ride? I just bought a 1994 Lincoln Mark VIII with the air ride suspension, all leather, power everything, and the real kicker...All aluminum, 4.6, DOHC, 4 Valve per cylinder, V8. I paid $495 for the whole car. That’s right four hundred and ninety five dollars!!! It needs a set of primary timing chains that I have located for under $500 with everything including chains, sprockets, guides, and tensioners for the primary chain sets. I don’t know if I am going to part the rest of the car out and throw the bags under the Flareside or just drive the car since there is nothing wrong with it other than the timing issues.

So what tranny are you using 4R70W, 4R100W, or manual? I have not decided what I am going to do. I would like to keep my ECU just because I plan on sticking with the ABS and EFI. I would love to put in a hopped up C6 but I don’t think there is any way to incorporate the computer components from the AOD into the C6. And I know that without the tranny computer components connected the truck will not start.

Anyway, get some pics and keep in touch.

By the way, my name is Tim, I live in Nebraska.

More to come soon!

 

Hey Tim , my name is Jeff. You'll probably need to use alot of the wiring out of the 8,you'll also need the computer. If I where doin it I'd use the trans also. I'm usin the transout of the donor MARK 7, its not an electronic ,also usin the ecm out of it. I don't have a camera,xtra green goininto goodies for toyz; HEHE; all I need for mine yet are the headers and driveshaft. [sm=smiley15.gif]

 

Well things are coming along at the body shop. All of the minor dents are gone and all of the spot priming is done. Dave welded up all of the holes in the box that were from the screws that held the bed liner in place. I am still not sure about the color of the pearl that we are going to add but Dave said he had an idea so we will see what happens. I have included a few pics of the truck as it is right now. At first they make me cringe but I know that’s its all part of the process to get it the way I want it.

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Hey Tim, I finally got my driveshaft back had to have about 3" taken out. slowly but surely getting the wiring and vacuum lines hooked up. But i still need the headers and a plenum spacer so it will clear the fuel rail.

 

BURRRR.. You live in cold country.. No thanks, but your project looks interesting. Would like to see more pictures, especially when you marry the body with the engine. Carl