86 tbird 4x4
Reply #45 –
There's no such thing as a '60 Bronco, nor any Bronco until '66 for that matter. If you can find one worth buying, expect to pay more than you can imagine, as they're mighty uncommon, and most of what's left are in the hands of people who won't come off of them easily or cheaply.
Best thing I can think of is to measure your wheelbase, and then goggle or search of your choice and compare wheelbases of vehicles such as reg. cab shortbed rangers, s-10's, and such.
I really doubt you'll find anything that will be a direct "fit" in regards to wheelbase though. There'll most likely be some sort of frame shortening or lengthening for a perfect match.
That's the easy work.
Then you've got to fab (or have someone do it for you) the body mounts and all that that entails.
Sort out the wiring, throttle cable, shifter mechanism, and hoses, etc.
First off, what size tires do you want to run under this...thing?
Anything much over 31's will probably require either a suspension lift, or some sort of body lift.
Nobody makes body lift kits for a Tbird on a ranger frame, so you'll have to make that yourself. Got a welder, and steel stock? 
Don't take this the wrong way, in NO way am I trying to put out your fire...but if you're gonna do it, do it right, and do it safely.
And start off with a good, solid plan from the git-go.
If I was you, i'd keep the Tbird you have now, leave it as-is, and find another Tbird or Cougar to do this with. Preferably one that doesn't run, or is missing the driveline. Odds are, all of that will need to be yanked anyway.
On other thing, assume you have a 4x4 Ranger frame, and you "swap" a 5.0 into it.
You'll probably also have to mount the engine/trans/trans-case further back in the frame so the engine will sit in the right location in the Tbird, yet still keep the front wheels/tires in their necessary place.
BTW, there's kits for swapping an efi 5.0 into a Ranger/B2/Explorer....if you want to go the V8 route (still assuming you use a Ranger/B2 frame...)
Do a lot of searching on the subject, see if it's been done...learn everything you can before you start, and a painful lesson I learned I'll share with you right now as far as tools...the...i mean THE first tool you should ever pick up before a project like this is a good ole fire extinguisher.
Trust me when I say they're like shag or air....it ain't important until you need it and don't have it! 
Good luck, and keep us in the loop.
Topic: 86 tbird 4x4 (Read 5862 times)
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