1953 R112 onto Modern Chassis


IHC in the early to mid-fifties.

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Post Wed Jan 26, 2022 3:19 pm

1953 R112 onto Modern Chassis

I'm not sure how much this concept will be accepted on this forum but here goes. I'm considering diving into a long term project with my truck. I just built a 410w for my 1965 Mustang and the build got out of control. It did 575hp on the dyno which was a lot more than expected. It would take a lot of work for my Mustang to handle this power so I'm thinking about putting the 1953 R112 onto another chassis and hot rodding it. It has the 8' bed. What would be the best chassis to find to sit this body onto, lower it, and drop 575hp into? Dodge Dakota frame?

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Post Wed Jan 26, 2022 10:03 pm

Re: 1953 R112 onto Modern Chassis

If you think this chassis swap is a shot-cut to success, you may be mistaken. This sort of "swap" has many challenges. I have had good success with upgrading the running gear of an original truck. Old IHC have a simple ladder frame that is easily fitted with modern axles and an a more modern engine.
One of my favorite axle upgrades is a pair of Dana axles. Old original straight axles out and modern straight axles in and suddenly the Old IHC is a 4X4.A Jeep 4.0 driveline is a great choice and it fits.
I am not a "keep it all original" dummy in any way. I have never seen any sense in having a vehicle sit in waiting while the owner searches for parts that are no longer available. If Pebble Beach or a Concourse is not in your future, why bother with OEM. OEM of a half decade ago was not all that great and struggles t keep up with the pace of everything in 2022.
I built an R120 around the original frame and a 6.9 Diesel V8. I drove that truck for over 20 years and 225,000 miles. I used an NP205 transfer case and DANA 60 axles. The transmission was a Ford C6. We have an L110 short box with Dana 44 axles from a 1997 Ram 1500. The power is from a Cummins 4bta/TH475 and NVG231c transfercase. Look for it in this forum.
What ever choice you make, this conversion/build will be lots of work, most of it rather easy. The biggest obstacle may be the steering column. This becomes a challenge if your engine choice is anything other than an in-line.
Attachments
CUMMINS 4BTA REBUILT.jpg
Cummins 4bta
R120 IHC DAD'S '53.jpg
R120 4X4
R120 6.9.jpg
6.9 V8 Diesel in an R120
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Post Thu Jan 27, 2022 9:12 am

Re: 1953 R112 onto Modern Chassis

Nikkinutshop is a very talented man with a long history of mechanical successes and you can trust his advice. He does represent the segment of this forum who is addicted to 4x4 conversions and has been a proponent of same for many years. He’s a great guy with much knowledge and experience. He lives in a place where 4x4’s are very beneficial in many ways and I understand his want to try to convince enthusiasts to follow suit. Unlike him, I tend toward the street rod side of things since I live in a place where 4x4’s aren’t needed so much. I am retired from an engineering career where design work in citrus juice processing, packaging and support services was my thing. My experience versus Nikkinutshop’s experience is somewhat different, but we both enjoy our truck addiction.
When it came to rebuilding my granddads truck I had alway thought “hot rod”. I never considered trying to adapt another late model chassis to fit my truck. Others on this forum have detailed their experiences with going down that avenue. Only you can decide if it’s worth it to venture there. I used the original frame on my L-110. I removed the original front axle assembly and installed a M-II kit from Fatman Fabrications. I boxed the front approx. 1/3 of the frame during that install. I’m currently using coil over adjustable shocks at all corners. The rear is a Ford 9” w3.50 ratio. It’s also a parallel 4bar arrangement with a heavy panhard bar. The rear portion of the frame also is boxed in the areas where the suspension pieces are attached. I’m running a 430hp 383 stroker motor. I’m not into going down the drag strip and while I have used that hp some it’s not an itch I have to scratch often. My point I’m trying to make is this. You can utilize the existing frame if you modify it sufficiently. Now what qualifies as “sufficient” depends on you. With 575hp to play with, how you plan to use it determines what chassis you should select. If you’re going to run it hard, I’d say skip the late model anything and get a specifically designed chassis from the aftermarket guys who do that for a living. If you’re going to be reasonable, you can probably use the original that has been modified adequately. Now that brings up another point that has been discussed many times on this forum: whether or not it is advisable to weld on an original frame. I say it is, others say it isn’t. What’s the difference in welding on an original frame or on a later frame besides the effects of time, wear and tear on steel. It boils down to what shape is your original frame in. Mine looked to be in good shape, other frames may have seen extreme usage and are twisted and/or cracked. You’ll have to make that call. Going to the trouble to introduce a late model chassis under an older body, brings other un-engineered stresses and forces into play. I don’t know your skill level when it comes to doing this kind of work, but you’ll have to be responsible for the end result.
As it was pointed out, the steering column is going to be in your way. I installed a Flaming River unit and coupled to the rack and pinion steering that came with my front end kit. It all works well. Other folks have used scavenged units from vans, cars, etc. There are solutions around the steering problem.
If you look in the “L, R and S Build-off” section and go back about 3 pages, I detailed a lot of my build in the topic “Project L110” and there are some photos. If you need other info, I’m here.
L110 owner since 1974, finally rebuilt 2014.

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Post Thu Jan 27, 2022 11:26 am

Re: 1953 R112 onto Modern Chassis

Git it guys. Thanks for the info.

Golden Jubilee
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Post Thu Jan 27, 2022 3:35 pm

Re: 1953 R112 onto Modern Chassis

I like to think of a build up versus the power of the driveline and what happens when they are stressed. I like to think of this as where is the fuse? The fuse being the first place to break or lose traction. With an empty pickup it is very likely that the tires will lose traction, before the frame bends or the driveline breaks.
The most stressing part of a silly burnout is just before the tires lose traction and start to spin. The friction of the spinning tire melts the tire and makes smoke. The melted rubber tire in not unlike grease, reducing the stress on the driveline by reducing traction.
I totally forgot about the popular Mustang two, AKA M11 conversions. Of the many kits available, I think Fatman Fabrications is one of, if not the best options.
Something I have wondered about, and my never get a chance to try, is adapting the independent modular Ford Crown Victoria front suspension. It looks like a relatively easy bolt in. There are a few good examples on You Tube. My friend operates a local Ford recycling business. He has encouraged me to take and try what I think I might need for the conversion. I had wanted to fit a T5 transmission to an Old IHC engine. Sadly, I do not think this will ever happen, now.
I must thank WEW51L110 for his kind words for me. They mean a lot. I must remember to thank WEW51L110 for his very helpful suggestion on using a REESE hitch on our L110 shorty build. This hitch kit adds considerable strength to the OEM frame.
Attachments
REESE LEFT OUTSIDE VIEW.jpg
REESE LEFT SIDE 2.jpg
FUEL TANK AND REESE HITCH.jpg
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Golden Jubilee
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Post Thu Jan 27, 2022 6:20 pm

Re: 1953 R112 onto Modern Chassis

One thing I failed to mention and wish I had been clued-in on is the air flow through the engine compartment. The original SD220, 90hp engine bay was designed to cool that motor adequately in all conditions. Fast forward 65 plus years and put a 575hp motor under that hood inside those inner fenders and there is not enough air passage going to move all that heat out unless you put some holes somewhere. I’d recommend a generous amount of louvers in those inner fenders so the heat has less restriction in exiting that bay.

Thanks to Nikki for rattling my memory closet also on a thought I once had but never have seen anywhere. He suggested the front clip from a Crown Vic. My idea would go back to the late ‘60’s/early ‘70’s when it was very popular, albeit expensive, to use a Jag independent rear in hot rods. Today, ‘vette rears are the independent ticket, but there is another independent rear that -maybe- could be used and hopefully at a better cost. The independent rear from a Ford Explorer. They have already been designed to carry some weight, have a beefy, proven differential and with some planning potentially could be used in an old pickup. Just thinking outside the typical box.
L110 owner since 1974, finally rebuilt 2014.

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Post Thu Jan 27, 2022 9:27 pm

Re: 1953 R112 onto Modern Chassis

I built an R120 around a rather large 6.9 Diesel. The cooling was more than adequate until I placed the Vintage Air condensor ahead of the radiator. I moved the transmission cooler to under the box.
I should mention that I had a custom 4 row radiator built for this truck.
Attachments
ATF oil cooler.jpg
R120 6.9.jpg
6.9 worn out and in an R120.jpg
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Post Fri Jan 28, 2022 2:51 pm

Re: 1953 R112 onto Modern Chassis

where is the build thread for the Mustang!?

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Post Fri Jan 28, 2022 3:23 pm

Re: 1953 R112 onto Modern Chassis

https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cgi- ... th=1857578
The above is one of a few I found by Googling nrowles and adding Mustang. I think the Mustang is a 1965. Google is your friend.
Many persons do not use a different name on each forum. There was a time when I used Google to find a person with the breed of dog he has and his forum name. In a very short time I knew his employer, the names of his family members a bunch of other information that should have been protected. I called this guy and identified myself. He went ballistic with me. I explained that if I can find this information in less than 5 minutes, as an amateur, a professional hacker could empty his bank account and do other damage.
Something to keep in mind, if you put anything onto the internet, I can find it, unless it is protected.
I would rather have tools I do not need than to need tools I do not have
Thinking risks being controversial and possibly being offensive

Freshly Restored
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Post Sun Jan 30, 2022 9:19 am

Re: 1953 R112 onto Modern Chassis

nikkinutshop wrote:https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cgi-bin/viewit.cgi?bd=ttalk&th=1857578
The above is one of a few I found by Googling nrowles and adding Mustang. I think the Mustang is a 1965. Google is your friend.
Many persons do not use a different name on each forum. There was a time when I used Google to find a person with the breed of dog he has and his forum name. In a very short time I knew his employer, the names of his family members a bunch of other information that should have been protected. I called this guy and identified myself. He went ballistic with me. I explained that if I can find this information in less than 5 minutes, as an amateur, a professional hacker could empty his bank account and do other damage.
Something to keep in mind, if you put anything onto the internet, I can find it, unless it is protected.


Top tier interwebs investigating right here...haha. Yeah I don't really try to keep my identity on forums concealed too much so if someone doesn't like what I post elsewhere so be it.

As far as a build thread.....I'm really bad at keeping track of that stuff, taking pictures, posting it, etc. And on top of that I'm pretty redneck so my "builds" aren't generally of the highest quality. I like to get it running decent without looking too nice that I'm afraid to drive it. A buddy of mine has a 1963 Chevy pickup and when I helped him get it home 18 months ago it would start, move and stop. To this day he hasn't driven it down the road. I bust his balls telling him he's like kindigit and I'm like roadkill. I just want to drive it. He's going to spend tons of time making every little thing perfect and it's going to take forever. If that's what he wants to do cool but I got my R112 on the road in 6 months after it sat for 35 years. Sure, I'd like it to be a little more appealing to the eye but it's running good now and I'm enjoying it.

So here's a more recent thread I have related to the Mustang. I bought it in 2017 running with a pretty stout 351w. Put a posi unit in the rear and a good bit of time tweaking things. Then a year ago it was time to decide if I was going to put some coin in the suspension and steering or sell it. Decided to keep it. Put all new roller suspension and steering. Front and rear springs. Shocks. Rebuilt steering box.
Etc. Rebuilt the 4 speed myself. Then went out of control with the motor after I pulled it just to "freshen things up". Here's the dyno last month. So as far as a build thread here's the best you'll get from me. Edit: I don't have my youtube login on me so here's a link to another forum I use. Go to post #18 and crank it up.

https://www.vintage-mustang.com/threads ... t-10579625
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