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1970 F-100 Stepside 4x4


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I recently started an F-250 4x4 using the Fireball conversion and started to get interested in the "leftovers" from the 4x4 kit. This probably isn't news to most of you, but one of the greatest things about the Moebius pickup kits is the way you can mix and match parts to make virtually any configuration, so I decided to make a short bed F-100 4x4 using the leftover pieces. I started by adding the 4x4 front cross member and transfer case mount to the short frame. There's no locating point for the transfer case mount on the frame, but since it's also the floor pan mount, I used the floor to locate it.

IMG_20190329_220453.thumb.jpg.085fcaa1ec19895acad9439fb33f0f11.jpg

 

The most difficult part is relocating the rear spring mounts to position the spring mounts even with the bottom edge of the frame rail instead of the upper edge. Hard to explain, but if you look at the two frames side by side it makes sense

IMG_20190329_220459.thumb.jpg.cc291963131d803d1cf9644e93c45870.jpg

I wanted to use the 6-cylinder from the 70 F-100 Custom I was using. To my surprise everything lined up using the molded in locating pins and holes! Even the short driveshaft from the transmission to the transfer case was the correct length.

IMG_20190329_220708.thumb.jpg.fef5ff888a047b84fc9e8713805d2fb2.jpg

I had to shorten the rear driveshaft and I did it by cutting the ends of the long one in and inserting them into a piece of aluminum tube

IMG_20190329_225126.thumb.jpg.ef1e9aa93aef9d3cf112e7ae34cf88d3.jpg 

I also wanted to make it a step side so I assembled the bed from the 66 step side and again, to my surprise it fits right on the 70 frame using the existing mounting holes!

IMG_20190621_231056.thumb.jpg.37f744253a10487dfe96496ce7a4263d.jpg

IMG_20190621_230949.thumb.jpg.7af8d22cbb6083a2bcb3ba8a1cca9b36.jpg

I still have some trim left to remove as well as fill in the back wall of the cab so that it meets the rocker panel. There's also a few corrections I need to make to the bed to match photos of a real truck.

IMG_20190621_231002.thumb.jpg.2872a274c7977df0a368d231a5654328.jpg

kc1211-118415_3@2x.jpg.0c5bc2d9a6b2ae2d1306903c09c43a56.jpg

 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

I had a little more time to work on my pickup, so I decided to attack the missing area on the rear cab wall.

What I have looks like this:

5d3c7a38edbfd_IMG_20190621_231002-Copy.jpg.dbf02dc2e9c0d38e124cd6323b0a11b1.jpg

 

It should look like this:

5d3c7a84cd7e6_kc1211-118415_3@2x-Copy.jpg.df907c12b5ba0f16811e71f97e16d902.jpg

 

I could have just filled in the missing area with a piece of sheet plastic, but since I wanted it to be fairly accurate to the 1:1 (and I like making extra work for myself) I decided to rework the entire rear of the cab.

I searched the web and found this photo of the real truck

1969_F100_MP_10_14_14_031.jpg.24385b8ae8ab7763d8a183ae8ea483d0.jpg

Moebius didn't capture this area correctly. The rear cab wall should come all the way down to the bottom edge of the rocker panels with a cutout in the center.

It's not really an issue if you're building a styleside truck, but it becomes an issue when building a stepside.

IMG_20190726_194510.jpg.ff42ef152be0770ef7558cf5f709c925.jpg

I started to fix it by cutting a section from a donor cab.

IMG_20190726_202805.thumb.jpg.c595bc58b05a884736914d5c9e0c3122.jpg

I clamped this piece onto the original cab making sure it was even with the bottom edge of the rocker panels. I then marked around it and cut this section out.

IMG_20190726_214238.jpg.ef0de6dbea50252cd54510991c4e1335.jpg

After a lot of test fitting and sanding. I glued in the donor section.

IMG_20190726_221454.jpg.e826ac6430b3e83d45a453807df48514.jpg

After opening up the "notched" area in the center and a little filling and sanding it looks a lot closer to the 1:1. It's not perfect but much better than it was and should look good with the stepside bed.

IMG_20190726_233145.jpg.c359f70862e7b091065951c001f8406a.jpg  1969_F100_MP_10_14_14_031.jpg.24385b8ae8ab7763d8a183ae8ea483d0.jpg

 

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21 hours ago, Dave Toups said:

I had a little more time to work on my pickup, so I decided to attack the missing area on the rear cab wall.

What I have looks like this:

5d3c7a38edbfd_IMG_20190621_231002-Copy.jpg.dbf02dc2e9c0d38e124cd6323b0a11b1.jpg

 

It should look like this:

5d3c7a84cd7e6_kc1211-118415_3@2x-Copy.jpg.df907c12b5ba0f16811e71f97e16d902.jpg

 

I could have just filled in the missing area with a piece of sheet plastic, but since I wanted it to be fairly accurate to the 1:1 (and I like making extra work for myself) I decided to rework the entire rear of the cab.

I searched the web and found this photo of the real truck

1969_F100_MP_10_14_14_031.jpg.24385b8ae8ab7763d8a183ae8ea483d0.jpg

Moebius didn't capture this area correctly. The rear cab wall should come all the way down to the bottom edge of the rocker panels with a cutout in the center.

It's not really an issue if you're building a styleside truck, but it becomes an issue when building a stepside.

IMG_20190726_194510.jpg.ff42ef152be0770ef7558cf5f709c925.jpg

I started to fix it by cutting a section from a donor cab.

IMG_20190726_202805.thumb.jpg.c595bc58b05a884736914d5c9e0c3122.jpg

I clamped this piece onto the original cab making sure it was even with the bottom edge of the rocker panels. I then marked around it and cut this section out.

IMG_20190726_214238.jpg.ef0de6dbea50252cd54510991c4e1335.jpg

After a lot of test fitting and sanding. I glued in the donor section.

IMG_20190726_221454.jpg.e826ac6430b3e83d45a453807df48514.jpg

After opening up the "notched" area in the center and a little filling and sanding it looks a lot closer to the 1:1. It's not perfect but much better than it was and should look good with the stepside bed.

IMG_20190726_233145.jpg.c359f70862e7b091065951c001f8406a.jpg  1969_F100_MP_10_14_14_031.jpg.24385b8ae8ab7763d8a183ae8ea483d0.jpg

 

Considering what these kits cost, I think if someone offered up that piece in resin they could sell a few to those that want to make it right!

 

Thanks for showing us the right way!

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  • 10 months later...

Great work so far! I also converted a short box to 4X4, and lowered the rear springs on the frame to make the rear sit a bit higher, here's how:IMG_4274re.jpg.8d1bfad558c7eae43d3a192d6252ed51.jpg

 

Just opened up the slots and slid them down and filled in the tops where the spring mounts were supposed to fit.

 

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