Making a chassis do it all

J

JD3020

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Just dreaming here, but after spending 7 hours in a car this weekend i've done a little thinking. I have a couple local friends that are talking me into auto-crossing, and maybe some drifting. I currently have a project truck that i plan on starting once work slows down this fall, but i've been leaning towards selling it and all the parts, and building a car. Most likely an older Supra as they are relatively cheap and easy to make big power. But that just leaves me with a car, obviously no dirt drags or sled pulling which i love to do.


So that brings me to this, how well could i build a truck to basically do everything: drag racing(dirt and asphalt), auto-cross, some sled pulling, and at the end of the day still be a decent DD and tow if needed. Not looking to go out and set the world on fire, just a truck that will do whatever i ask of it halfway decent.

What i currently have is a 97 F-250 ECSB. I have the parts for a 5-600hp 7.3. I'm pretty confident i could get this truck down to, if not under 6k lbs without too much hassle. I also have a set of 99 axles, but ultimately i'd love to go with 05+ suspension with front coils which would make it super easy to go 3/4 link. Rear would be a soft set of leafs with traction bars, and possibly helper bags so it could tow alright.

Overall i plan to lower the truck as much as i can, add some hefty sway bars front and rear, and i'd like a set of "racing" seats as the stock seats have 0 lateral support. Depending on what happens with the trans it will either be a ZF-6(which i have), or a built auto with a standalone controller(what i really want). It'd probably be running on a set of 420's, or BFG AT's. For pulling i'd make some rear stops to raise the ass up, plus i'd be able to hang a good bit out of weight out front. It'd get a roll pan along with moving the hook point up as far as possible. Only frame work i see happening would be adding some plate for a GN hitch, along with whatever it'd take to move the hitch up and reinforce it.


So thoughts on if this could make a fun street truck, or am i way out in left field?
 
No one every likes a do it all truck. I'd say get the truck where you want it, then build a car.

Unless you have a billion dollars.
 
Do everything ok
Do most things alright
Do a few things good
Do one thing the great.


Choose one.
 
I hear Unbroken's old CCSB could handle real good. Now, IDK about autocrossing something with 30 more inches of wheelbase but a car is definately cheaper
 
I wouldn't start with that if i wanted a do everything good vehicle.

What would you be thinking of towing ?
Auto crossing in that would be hysterical to watch with the tight switch back turns.
Braking to make time in a 4500lb vehicle is not an easy feet, let alone 6000lb and longer.

With what you laid out so far, it's gonna only be ok for pulling.

My Jeep can embarrass cars on the street and track, short track oval and road course, it can tow 6000lbs, it can stop very well, never attempted a official pull, but i have pulled many large trees off my trails off-road with it, which it does that well also along with heavy snow.
It does everything awesome, except put something large in it, in that respect it'll never replace the truck there.
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I'd love to build both a car and a truck, but unless i sell my current truck i can only have one.

As far as autocrossing i wouldn't be doing it often, probably just a couple times a year. I'd like to think i could be out pulling or racing just about every weekend though, depends on work and the farm. So i guess realistically what i want is a truck that will be pretty fast(which i think at 6k and 550-600 i should be in the 11's), pull a sled halfway decent, and handle pretty good.

Towing is up in the air, it wouldn't be a dedicated tow-rig but i see it being hooked to a GN hauling hay and equipment on occasion. Or if it were on a trailer heading to a pull, and say the tow-rig gets a flat, i'd be able to just switch the trucks around and continue on.



I'm not expecting this thing to handle like a touring car, just want it to hold its own for a rig with a 138" WB.
 
If you only want 600, do a small set of twins and a little suspension. Call it good.
 
towing is pulling really, so if you don't load the trailer wrong it can pull whatever you want it to.
handling you'll want to lower it as much as possible with it still functioning correctly, you're gonna have to see some custom bars and links for that truck, and play with springs that are not to soft but not gonna upset the truck when it encounters something while it's loading heavy on the side.

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