Thread: Ranchero to crown vic swap

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Hey guys. I am new to the site. My name is len.i just purchased a rather rough 57 ranchero and want to drop it onto a newer rolling chassis.it seems to be that the best option is a 95 crown vic with a 4.6 but i am open to ideas. I own a well established wrecking yard in alberta so i have lots of options and have lots of connections for support.any info or other ideas would be appreciated.len

Are the wheelbase and track width even close to the same on the 'Vic???? I've never been a big fan of the "old body, new frame" builds, it looks and sounds easy at the onset of the project, but I've seen more of these projects turn out looking like poo-poo then I've seen them turn out good! Body mounts, radiator supports, bumper brackets and a whole host of other things will need to be redone. I usually prefer to start with the original frame, then update the brakes, suspension, engine, and drivetrain as required.... It's your project and you should do what you want, just wanted to offer a word of caution that it's never as easy as it looks......

Check the track width its tough to change, wheel base isnt that difficult. There a good frame and handle well done right. Follow my 87 Grand marquis build if some measurements work out.

maybe a ford expedition with irs?

Welcome to CHR, Len! A '57 Ranchero will be a super cool project!! Like Dave, I've not been a fan of the old on new approach. The modern frames have so many bulges, bumps and brackets that they just don't seem to fit just right, or if you can get them to fit then they tend to look "different". The '57 Ranchero can be a car/truck of considerable value if updated like Dave mentions, but dropped on a later chassis is not really a '57 any longer in many peoples eyes. Like a guy I met that had a cherry 1940 Ford Pickup, and he set it on a Chevy S10 chassis . He loved his truck, but it wasn't a '40 any longer - it was a S10 with a sweet 1940 body, and he got judged accordingly at cruises and shows.

BUT, it is indeed your project, and there have been a lot of these grafted projects done and they look great from the top side. If it's what you want to do then get the front track to match your needs, and go from there. I'm surprised that the Crown Vic chassis isn't waaay too big, but if you've got a salvage yard you probably have that scoped out already. Either way you go, I hope you'll stick around and let us watch your project as it evolves. It's all about doing things the way that YOU want them, not pleasing everyone else, right?

Yeah, like this other guys said, frame swapping seems like a mixed bag of stuff. I've never seen the 57 Ranchero chassis and the Crown Vic chassis side by side.

I've seen a few guys put the 1961-63 Ford F100 shortbed unibody pickup body on the later model Crown Vic chassis. The big problem with that swap losing the whole mid-section of the bed to accommodate the hump in the rear frame rails.

The Ranchero has 116" wheelbase and the Crown Vic has 114.4". An inch & a half can make a big difference in how the tires fit in the wheel well openings.

And there's always the issue of how they handle vehicle registration in your area. What happens when the VIN on the chassis doesn't match the body? Definitely check this out first. It would suck to put all that work into and not be able to license it!

Good luck with your project whichever way you go with it.

darn i hate computors.ok.after much deliberation and a few conversations i have decided to keep the original frame on the ranchero and opt for a disk brake conversion and a power steering rack conversion.kinda funny though. i have worked in or owned a wrecking yard for 40 years and everyone says go to yur local yard to get a granada swap. good luck with that. i havent had 1 in my yard for the last 8 years.however i still want to put in a 4.6 engine.kinda worried about wiring it up. done a few injected chevies but never an injected ford.i know i can probably buy a wire harness to do it but have access to hundreds of used harnesses at no cost so prefer to modify a used one.any thoughts will be appreciated.ps. am just getting the ranchero hauled in this week so am probably jumping the gun a bit but thats how i am.will keep everyone posted.len

Sounds like a much better plan on the chassis, Len!!!!! Last spring I was looking for some info on the same 4.6 Ford harness, found some good information on it with a google search! Can't remember the site but if I can find it on the 'puter it couldn't be a difficult task!!!!!!!

sheesh. me and computors. for all i know i might be ordering chinese food here. back to the ranchero. my concerns were about the same as yours on the frame swapps i sent this note to dave but my computor skills are so bad it could be going round the planet. if so have a good laugh at my expense.anyhow on the ranchero i agree and after a few of you guys came back with the same conserns i had it made me revise my plans.len

Ahhh, just post stuff here on the thread, Len....Nobody around here is too fussy if things are "computer correct" or not!!!!! Seeing as how you have ready access to donor cars, you might also want to look at the Crown Vic's and Grand Marquis that have the removable front crossmember. I don't recall what years they are, but they are a bolt on unit and could be adapted to the Ranchero frame with some crossmember mods to the '57 frame!!! You'll end up with good steering and brakes and a good ride to boot!!!! Just one more option to ponder! I've seen some of these units adapted to F-100's, and one that was done on a '58 Ford 2 door hardtop!!!!

Len, I put one of these rack & pinion kits on a '64 Galaxie, which is basically the same suspension as your Ranchero, several years ago along with the Granada disc conversion. It worked great until I got T-boned in an intersection and totalled the car....57 FORD RACK AND PINION CONVERSIONS

naa. i think i will be happy with the disk brake and ps rack conversion.just want a nice driver for my wife.we live in the country so it will see some gravel so dont want to get too fancy.my only issue is this. i purchase a ps rack for 1600.00 .have it shipped to my shop only to find it is a production line rack with a few mods that i have 50 of on the shelf like new that i could have done the mods to in a few minutes but as i tell my customers when they order an electrical part bt mistake everyone has to pay for their own education.len

ps. i still want to do the 4.6 conversion so if anyone has any tips i would appreciate it. i want to modify a used harness and fuel system as i have lots of em in my yard.len

Originally Posted by len bloomberg

naa. i think i will be happy with the disk brake and ps rack conversion.just want a nice driver for my wife.we live in the country so it will see some gravel so dont want to get too fancy.my only issue is this. i purchase a ps rack for 1600.00 .have it shipped to my shop only to find it is a production line rack with a few mods that i have 50 of on the shelf like new that i could have done the mods to in a few minutes but as i tell my customers when they order an electrical part bt mistake everyone has to pay for their own education.len

I agree. Since you have access to so much stuff, you could study his kit and build your own. It's based on a GM center-steer rack and it wouldn't be that hard to adapt. His prices have gone way up since I did mine and back then he got way behind with orders and it took forever.