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1968 Ford F-100 - The Bumpside Build-Off - Tech

1968 Ford F100 Bumbside Build Off
So what was I to do? Make... 
   
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1968 Ford F100 Bumbside Build Off
So what was I to do? Make my own I guess, but at least I had the stock ones for reference. I traced the shapes of their bases onto some 3/16-inch cold-rolled steel plate and used transfer punches to mark the holes in the appropriate spots, which made the job easier.
1968 Ford F100 Bumbside Build Off
I also needed to make provisions... 
   
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1968 Ford F100 Bumbside Build Off
I also needed to make provisions for the Bullet Mounts from Sean Hyland to connect to the frame, so out of the same 3/16-inch plate I made this simple yet effective bracket that I'll weld to the inside of the framerails.
1968 Ford F100 Bumbside Build Off
Again, basing the motor mounts... 
   
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1968 Ford F100 Bumbside Build Off
Again, basing the motor mounts I was making off the stock pieces gave me the approximate location for the Bullet Mounts. With the motor mount base plates cut out and bolted to the engine, I could start making templates for the rest of the pieces.
1968 Ford F100 Bumbside Build Off
I made the motor mount's bottom... 
   
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1968 Ford F100 Bumbside Build Off
I made the motor mount's bottom piece level to the ground, which was also level with its mounting location on the Bullet Mounts, so they wouldn't be in a bind, and I tacked it to the base plate. Next came the vertical pieces, which were just trial and error to get the right size and shape template. Paper makes this job easier.
1968 Ford F100 Bumbside Build Off
With the passenger-side mounts... 
   
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1968 Ford F100 Bumbside Build Off
With the passenger-side mounts complete and ready for final welding, this is what I ended up with. Don't forget to use metric bolts going into the block and the top hole of the Bullet Mount, not SAE.
1968 Ford F100 Bumbside Build Off
Depending on what type of... 
   
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1968 Ford F100 Bumbside Build Off
Depending on what type of steering you have in your truck, things could get tricky for a minute or two. Anticipating this possibility when I connected the ididit column to the rack-and-pinion, I ordered an extra U-joint and a rod end bearing from Borgeson to support the double-D shaft when an additional U-joint is added. Because space is limited here, we'll touch on this later.
1968 Ford F100 Bumbside Build Off
In a frame that hasn't been... 
   
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1968 Ford F100 Bumbside Build Off
In a frame that hasn't been kicked up in the front, the driver-side motor mount would most likely be easier to make than what I was up against due to some steering interference overcome with the extra parts from Borgeson. In solving that interference, I had to place the Bullet Mount lower in the frame and about an inch farther back than the right side, not only making a little more distance to cover with the motor mount, but also adding a few more angles to it. You can see the angled bottom piece of the motor mount here spanning from its base plate to the Bullet Mount.
1968 Ford F100 Bumbside Build Off
Once I was comfortable with... 
   
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1968 Ford F100 Bumbside Build Off
Once I was comfortable with the motor mounts' shape, I got out the Miller Dynasty 200 DX TIG welder and made sure they would never come apart. Not too bad, if I say so myself. If you don't feel confident in your fabrication skills to do a job like this, find a quality shop to do it for you-you don't want to skimp in this department.
1968 Ford F100 Bumbside Build Off
Here's the view from the front... 
   
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1968 Ford F100 Bumbside Build Off
Here's the view from the front with the finished motor mounts. Maybe before they get painted or plated I'll drill some holes in them to shave a little weight, and, of course, to make 'em look cool. Let's crawl underneath the truck to see what's gotta happen to mount the transmission into the frame.

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1968 Ford F100 Bumbside Build Off  1968 Ford F100 Bumbside Build Off
1968 Ford F100 Bumbside Build Off  1968 Ford F100 Bumbside Build Off
 
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