Looking at a 62 F100...tons of questions.

I am looking at a 62 F100 to buy. It is a straight six and three on the tree. The owner tells me it is a 300, is that right? It is pretty straight from what I could see, but it was dark. They want $1000 dollars, but I am willing to bet I could get it cheaper. It needs paint and it is supposed to run. The story is that it was parked because of a bad U joint. I know it is a straight axle truck and these are a pain to lower. Are there disk brake kits available? Is there an overdrive, manual transmission that bots in pretty easy? What should I pay special attention to? What are the trouble spots? I am planning on spraying in black primer for now if I get it just to make it one color. I am just looking for a truck I can make reliable and use to haul stuff.

 

kinda sounds like the same place i was at 2 months ago when i bought mind

look closely at the floors, bed to cab (torque box) floor braces, all those are bad rust spots.

 

Thanks. I will check them out. It has some hideous aluminum turbines on it that I plan on trading off at once. Did these come with 300s? I thought those came out later. I have been looking at pics online to see what this truck could look like. I think it has a lot of potential. I am going to try and talk the owner down on the price. I want to keep it simple and just make it safe. I want to improve the brakes first.

 

It's possible a 300 six was swapped in, but I think it would've originally come with a 223. Easy way to tell the difference is the valve cover bolts; 223 has two center bolts and the 300 valve cover is bolted at the base (not sure how many bolts).



Malcolm

 

If the 6cyl is original, it is a 223 as Malcolm said. It would also be mounted at the front and bell housing. The 300 would have to have fabricated side and trans mounts. both are good motors, although there are more hop up parts for the 300.
Dropping the truck can be done with springs and dropped axles, but, you have about a 4-5 inch maximum. And yes, you can get disc brake adapters for these trucks.
Also check the cab corners and roof drip rails / seam for rust. Good luck!

 

Thanks guys. I am taking notes and I will be going over it with a fine toothed comb. I know it has been sitting for at least a year. Maybe that will work to my advantage. I am hoping to find a simple truck that I can do a little to and make it a reliable driver. By the way, it is a step side.

 

Well that was a waste of time. Upon further inspection it is a lot rougher and they won't budge on the price. The floor is gone, the bad U joint is a wore out pinion bearing, the engine will not turn, the carb has mud in it and the driver's side fender is shot. I will continue my search.

 

For a $1000 you should be able to buy a running and driving Slick.

 

That's what I thought. The more I looked at this one, the more I wanted to stay away from it. I know where a 64 C10 is that is rough, but running. I know I can buy it, but I don't know a price. I have bought things from him before and he is usually fair. It is a 6 cylinder with a 3 speed. I know it is a running truck that can be driven. I worked all the brakes last year, so I know those are new. I am going to look into it tomorrow.

 

That's a better truck than a Ford from that era and parts are easier to get.

 

i would respectfuly dissagree with the above statement

 

Well, I wanted a Ford, but those are harder to come by around here. I can find parts for that era Chevy very easily. Tomorrow I am going to look at the Chevy and a few others.

 

The reason there are more parts for these trucks is they all got parked and redone while the Fords were still on the road working...

Of course that is my $.02 worth...not that I'm partial or anything...

 

to bad your so far away... i would sell ya one of mine

 

Guys disagree if you like but I haven't seen a 60-66 GM truck in a self service wrecking yard for at least 25 years while I can still find Slicks even now. That says something. People will still scrap the Fords while the GM's are worth fixing. It's my opinion but the GM trucks are also better looking. I'd still own either truck though.

 

how tall are you Domino? i opted for a 65-66, they have more leg room than the 61-64. im not real tall 6'-02", but it was enough to make me feel uncomfortable in my 63..after that thought i got real stupid, i had to find me a crewcab...

 

I am not quite 6'. I like the ford until 1966 and then they just don't appeal to me. I would love to find a truck with a Y block, but that is going to be out of my price range.

 

the 223 that was in my 63 did not have center bolts. The one in my 60 did. Did this change with the body styles? Not certain myself. But certain that the 3oo was not in there originally. Especially NOT with a 3 on the tree. Rear cab corners, all hat channels are bad rust spots. Same with the bed front bracing. Rots pretty badly. Look at the truck from the side. If the door gap looks real tight at the toop and HUGE at the bottom, most likely those front cab mounts are rotted to hell. Also, check for the VIN on the frame on the pass side right above the axle. Should match the glove box and or the driver's door. I have had one of these trucks since I was 13. I know a LOT about those. If you need anything, PM me.

 

I have a 62 with a 223 it runs great it's dropped try send u a pick it's a work in progress but I like it

 

Sorry. Did not read that you found other issues till after I posted. My apologies.

 

No worries. Added information will help me when I find another one.