Projects 1966 F-600 Ramp Truck Build 5400 Orig Miles

Just what I needed, Another PROJECT!

I have been wanting a larger 1966 Ford Truck for years to build a Ramp Truck or Tow Truck out of.

I finally found my "dreamtruck"

A 1966 F-600 174" WB Water Tanker (Fire Truck)

Plan is to sell the water tank and use $$ to buy material to make a Ramp Truck.

I have a basic vision what I want it to look like but have to start somewhere!

This particular truck has only 5400 documented miles and is still on the original
MSO!

A never Titled or Registered Truck

Tomorrow I will pick up the very first title, a Arizona Title with a Antique Commercial Plate so there will be no weight fee's on license plates.

GVW will be 20,000 lbs

To others who have ramp trucks what is a good length for bed to be?

I was thinking around 17-18'

It has the 174" WB and 102" from back of cab to axle center line.











I also found a NOS set of GoodYear tires, summer tread, just need to have them shipped.

 

I'm surprised the compartments are still so clean, and still covered in paint, after all these years...

 

Tomorrow is cleanup day for it.

I will start tomorrow and hope to have it cleaned up by Friday . .

Hope I do not get too carried away! LOL

It has some really great storage compartments. Would be neat to integrate them into Ramp Design.

 

Those would work well, besides, they look too good not to use. When I called Hodges about locating the rear in my truck for one of their 19 foot beds, they recommended 10' for the C-A measurement. A little shorter bed, your C-A should be just about right..

 

Nice truck! And, it has the Heavy Duty axles with cast wheels....not that common on F600's.......

I would be a bit concerned about the NOS tires you are acquiring. Are there not current production tires available?

 

No other tires avail that I can find. Odd size.

8.25 x 20. Lock Ring Wheels and few to nobody works on them anymore

I could upgrade to 9R 22.5's which are a bit easier to find but the cheapest I have found them is 3100.00 plus 1000.00 for shipping.

The NOS tires I believe to be fair amount newer but still the old style.

The original tires on truck look great with no cracking but do not like the winter tread on rear.

 

NO! You have 20 inch DAYTON, or spoke rims. NOTHING wrong with them, they are not "split" or "two piece". They are lock ring type. Still in common use. And 8.25x20 are still available at REAL truck tire dealers. They will be foreign made.
That WB is just long enough for a ramp bed, I'd say 17 ft. max, IMO.

As for tires, I would surely put NEW on the front.

 

I made correction poor word choice.

So far I have not found anyone in Phoenix area that will work on them.

I was a bit worried about the foreign tires. Is there a brand I should stay away from or one you could recommend?

Is this something I could do myself If I built or bought a cage?

Why limit bed to 17'?

 

The wheels are something you could do yourself, IF you are very careful! Proper seating of the rim flange and locking ring is absolutely crucial. While a cage was commonly used by tire shops, and is probably safest, I have seen alternative methods used to contain the tire/wheel assembly. One such method, for example, was to place the wheel under a drive on lift rail while inflating. And, even then, placing the wheel, ring side down, and inflating with a double side style extended air chuck helps contain the ring should a separation occur.

While this style of wheel did become associated with injuries and death, many, many were assembled and inflated without incident. Careful inspection of the parts for damage, foreign objects and seating of the rim flange and ring should produce satisfactory results. A thought: with the style rims you have, wrapping the assembly with a length of chain around the circumference, with the chain links bolted together at the end should contain the components should the worst occur.

As for bed length, obviously it needs to be long enough to be useful. The primary limiting factor, in my opinion, would be weight distribution, both of the bed and the load. The shorter the cab/axle length, the more rearward the load bias. A secondary consideration is overhang of the rear of the bed for ground clearance when entering/exiting sloped roadways.

 

It would be great to see you keep that original lettering on the doors.

 

That is the Plan! The paint is so wonderful it would be a shame to mess with it.

Started a major cleanup today.

Removed seat and floor mat and gave them a bath . .

A few before and after pics.

Original upholstery looking good after 48yrs .

 

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Should you decide to do your own, put a regulator on the air line feeding the tire chuck set to the pressure you want in the tire. That keeps from over inflating. Be not afraid, the info I got in the 80's was mismatched rings and rims were the safety culprit. I never had a ring come.

 

Wow that thing is mint, what is in it for a power plant?

This should be a cool build!

 

Probably a great big Y block. Low compression, lots of cubes.

Glad to see another ramp truck under construction. I'll be starting on my '54 Chev COE ramp truck this summer. My will have an 18' deck.

My '27 T Roadster build: www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t= 734383

 

66 is likely an FT block.

 

8:25X20 truck tires are still made,you need to find a tire shop that deals in truck tires not Costco or Sears,if you have a Les Schwab there they will be able to get them,do not attempt to work on them your self,lock ring wheels have been used for a lot of years and used safely if you know how to mount and demount them,stick with a bias ply tire they will last longer time wise than a radial, the 4 tires you have as extras would most likely be fine on the rear axle if someone will mount them, most tire shops anymore use some bullshit excuse of this tire is too old to mount even if it still, has the casting nubs on it,lot of crap about liability,and just as a ramp truck your not going to get 20,000 #'s on the rear axle so you'll be fine, as was suggested before a new set of tires up front would be a good idea, but here again your not going to be loaded to the max up there either, but if they are older for piece of mind you may want to,but here again a rag tire will last longer than a radial before seperating and blowing.

Nice truck kind a hard to imaging that it looks this good after all this time that department must have really taken care of it. Nice score.

 

I'll bet you're right.

My '27 T Roadster build: www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t= 734383

 

Looks like that truck has never been used. Great find.

 

for foreign tires stay away from double coin ( thats the name ) they make a lousy class 6-8 tire , as for mounting , chain thru the eye of the rim will keep the rim from becoming dangerous in case of seperation when inflating ( use a clevis with a bolt and nut or self threaded clevis to lock the chain together not a hook ) . on the older trucks we have a 24" 3/8 chain we wrap thru the eye if a cage is not available and also cover it with a piece of heavy canvas ( we used a old steel haulers tarp doubled up over the top of it ) if the rim unlocks it will throw the rim not the tire and try to keep the supplyline at the rated pressure on the side wall or lower . and lube the snot out of the inside with soap and water as you want the tube to be able to slide a little as its inflating otherwise it rips them apart , any heavy truck tire place should mount these . like said do not waste your time taking it to a automotive tire dealer .

you can also see if a 10x20 rim and tire will fit , as long as the inner sidewalls have 1 inch between them your safe to use them . as a 10x20 is a more common size and the rims are of the newer designs for the dayton hub..

oh and most important do not loosen the lugs and keeper without de airing the tires . its is a precautionary measure we used with every dayton rim . because the spacer applys pressure to the inner rim of the inside tire .

 

Largest engine avail in a 1966 F-600 a 361 cu in FT

5 spd Clark Transmission

2 spd Eaton Rear 5.57~7.75 Great Highway gearing

I will be out at GoodGuys Scottsdale this weekend. Stop by and say hi

Just finished a 4 day thrash to get it cleaned up.

 

very nice

 

Well you won't be using much PBlaster....................

 

wow that truck is in amazing shape , we all dream of finding vehicles in this good of condition ,will make a great ramp truck

 

If any forum members are out at GoodGuys today stop by and say HI.

 

A few better Interior pics

Turning into a daily driver!

Took it to Costco to get some groceries.

now I can call it my Grocery getter!

20 Mile trip to nearest Costco . .

 

Boy, you're really racking up the miles. May have to think about an oil change

 

Cut it up, cut it up, cut it up, cut it up

 

Beautiful truck,I have a soft spot for this style truck.

No doubt about it,,,Fireman keep their trucks in excellent condition. HRP