Thread: Courier Project Underway

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Well I got a place to work on my '81 Courier Hotrod Project last week and I have gotten started. I hope to have it roadworthy in about 8-10 weeks. (We'll see about that.)

Here are some pics I know how everyone loves pics.







For comparison on where the chop and section are heading -





The photochop doesn't take into account that the cab will be stretched 3-4 inches as well.

The front cowl will be totally rebuilt and the master cylinder will get mounted in the glove box area to keep it clean. I have a lot of other little details I will share along the way.

scotter looks like a very radical machine your about to build. 8 to 10 weeks you will be sleeping next to it i think . Good luck and i'll be watching the build so post pics, like to learn new fab ideas .

Here is a before picture, the chop and the section will remove about 12 inches from the overall hieght -

My daughter and I got the driveline pulled out tonight as well as stripped the dash and cowl of most everything that is in the way tomorrow we will likely pull the cab and start cutting. The block on the floor is the 383 mopar that will be going into the truck.

For a while Techinspector1 has been saying someone should build a car like you are doing. This is going to be interesting to watch. Thanks for doing it.

Don

Yeah, buddy.
Only thing is, now we have a Scotter and a Scooter.

Hmm... This looks like the S10 im going to build. Ive been hoarding parts for awhile, just haven't had time to get to it. Seems like your trucks going to be one crazy ride.

O.K. here we go , the real fun begins - I blew the courier apart tonight, literally. sectioned it and chopped the B-pillars. I set it back together to see where my alignment issues were and it's not to bad, actually it is but it is all pretty easy stuff to correct.

Keep in mind that I have not layed the windshield back or stretched the floor, so the proportions are not correct as the windshield is still about 6" to high. Everything is loose nothing has been tacked yet. Tomorrow I will tack the body section into its proper location and install braces to keep it square. then I will cut the floor and work on laying the windshield back. I will be welding on the body for at least a week before I can look at mounting it back on the frame. There is a lot of floor and rocker panel repair to do as well as fabricating a new cowl. You can get a feel for how small this truck is by looking at the 4 wheeler in the background.

Special Thanks to my Father who stayed up late and helped me tonight - He did a lot more than just take pictures

Yeah, we Dads do have our moments.


That truck is going to be really cool. You are at my favorite part of the build now, cutting stuff up and mocking it up to look like a car again. I can see how it is going to look just like the one in your avatar.

Good going.

Don

MMMMM pizza ovens . Food and a build now thats the way to put them together . You sure are putting it down low.

Looks good. I will be following this thread, as my first car was an '81 Ford Courier my Grandpa gave me and my dad and I redid the whole thing.

You better belive its low. practically have to lay down in it, and as for the ovens, that's another project - I am restoring them for use in my new kitchen addition they came from a bakery I remodeled. they probably wiegh twice as much as the truck.

Originally Posted by 53fatfndr

Looks good. I will be following this thread, as my first car was an '81 Ford Courier my Grandpa gave me and my dad and I redid the whole thing.

Do you still have your courier ?

Originally Posted by scotter

Do you still have your courier ?

I still have it, but I don't drive it any more. It's just sitting out back. It was wore out when I got it, and is even more wore out now. I think it is close to 300k miles on it. The steering box is worn out big time. I've been thinking of keeping the drive-train and using it for a T-Bucket....a 4-banger with a 5 speed trans would be perfect.

The frame on that truck is very nice indeed. it is fully boxed and narrow enough to accomadate just about anything. Just don't throw out your Courier parts. they are getting harder to come by for collectors like my self. I have two right now and am looking at two more. Trust me the folks at www.fordcouriercollector.com would be greatful to have your spare parts in circulation. or even better I could just drive over and pick up you truck if you decide to get rid of it. (I'm in Idaho as well). Couriers are cheap thrills, I love these little trucks.