Rock Crawler

Giant · December 14, 2006

I've been looking at starting a project on my dad's old F250 4X4. The inspiration came from those rock crawlers you see with the all tubular roll cage.

I wouldn't be using it for rock crawling but I think it would still be a really fun off roader anyway.

First the body comes off, everything but the guage cluster. After that I would reposition the fuel tank to sit up a bit higher. Rebuild the engine, drop in a single seat with a 5pt harness, set it all up so I fit comfortably (I'm 6'9"), and build a tubular roll cage around it. Then drop some bigger tires on it and go.

I wouldn't have a custom suspension, only a bolt on lift kit if that, and mostly buld what I can from a junkyard.

I figure it sholdn't cost that much, would be fun as hell to build, and when i'm done it would be a blast to drive around on the farm or put some lights on it and use it road legal for driving around in the summer.

Truck = free (1986 F250 4X4 460 V8)

Rebuild Kit = $625

roll cage tube stock = ???

Tires = $1136

Seat = $350

I should be able to put it all together for about 3 grand. Then being on a farm, welding a plate for a goose neck trailer, and a tongue on the front/back for puling everything else, it could come in handy.

Would it be as easy as it sounds? Nothing too fancy, just some fun and replace what breaks as it goes.

asilverblazer · December 14, 2006

I'd ditch the tube buggy idea and leave the body on it. Interior too.

Giant · December 14, 2006

My problem is fit. At 6'9" I'm afraid I'm going to be banging my head on the interior and knocking my knees on the dash. Atleast if I put in a custom cage, I can move the seat back more giving me more leg room and leave a top off.

Maybe I should just leave the nose on, strip from the doors back off, and put tube to fill in from the doors back. That way I don't have to mess with all of the electrical, guages, hoses, stearing, etc... but can still move the seat back for leg room.

GMSea97 · December 15, 2006

I took an old Bronco2 and stuffed 36's on it for an off road toy. I used a poly urethane block under the front coils for two inches of lift and another in the rear under the leafs for two inches there. What was still in the way for the tires got hacksawed off. I only ave about $50 bucks in the whole thing and that was just in fluids and spark plugs. Every bit was built from junk laying around my farm and the Bronco came from a field where it was left for dead. So to build a nice rig for $3000 is very do-able.

Giant · December 15, 2006

The only thing that I've afraid of is that 460 is going to be WAY too much HP and TQ for something this light. I mean, its made for towing and geared really really LOW. By low I mean that in OD I feel like I'm lead footing it to keep it at 60 kinda low.

Maybe after I play with it for awhile I'll pull the 3800 v6 out of my parents old car and use that, or the 3.8 in the Cutlass. Its only got 297k miles on it. Runs too, if it had a new computer.

====added====

I shouldn't have a problem putting big 33+ inch tires on the stock rims right?

Giant · December 18, 2006

What about length? I figure that the full sized truck is just too long and if I can cut it down by a couple feet it will really help the manuverability when I get down in the barn yard with a 5th wheel.

does anyone know if its possible to cut the frame off in the back and bring the rear axle in?