62 Ford F100 with different truck bed ??

Just bought a 1962 F100 and started looking around and it has a different truck bed than most out there. I was wondering if anyone knows if this was a factory option or did someone put this on aftermarket ? I noticed a few on google images with the same bed so I thought maybe this was not aftermarket.

 

They were a bit late designing the new wide bed for that truck. The unibody design apparently messed things up. Your truck is normal.

 

Looks like an earlier bed...welcome to the HAMB.

Nice shop...I'm in the Richardson area where are you located?

 

PM Chad, dead last 63 f100 he has one. He told me before something about surplus boxes from other years that were used. Here's his truck, same cab and box as your's.

 

look at 59/60 model year Fords and the have that bed.

 

yeah f-6 thats exactly how my bed looks. Glad to know it wasnt an aftermarket one.

 

TexasDart, I'm in Little Elm not to far from you.

 

Chad knows the story behind this. I love his truck. It's Silver now. You seem like a good guy, go back and do an intro before someone freaks out. Welcome aboard.

 

Must be nice to park sideway in the shop.

B.B.

 

haha.....sorry. Everyone, I'm in North Dallas area and just bought a 62 Ford F100 that I'm looking to do some level of restoration to. Currently in the research phase trying to figure everything out.

 

Was up in Little Elm / Oklahoma just last Friday...helping a friend drill some concrete.

 

bowtie...gotta de-junk the shop to give me more room. Been a couple years since I had a project so the shop became a storage bldg...haha

 

I've always thought a 58-59 Chevy or GMC fleetside bed would look good with the 61-66 Ford cab. It has the right hump at the belt line, and even has round tail lights like the 50's and early 60's Ford cars are known for. I'll bet most people wouldn't even notice it wasn't factory. On my 65 F-100 stepside, I mounted up 55-66 Chevy/GMC stepside fenders.

 

The dodge wide beds fit better than the Chevys. They look better than the 57-60 ford bed

 

The '62 Fords were "unibody" until Ford discovered that the concept didn't work -except on smooth pavement. They had to release a separate box design but hadn't tooled one to match the new styling. They had to put the old '57-'61 box back into production thus the mismatch of styling ques. By'63 (I think) they had a new separate box that was compatible with the cab styling. I've seen a box off a '03 Durango (club cab) that looked pretty good on the '62.

 

Thats the story I was talkin about. I left the durango part out on purpose

 

Actually it was 64 when they finally came out with a matching style seperate box.
Early on Ford found out the uni didn't like frame flex, I believe all 4x4s and F350s came with the early boxy box and that became optional on all trucks starting 62.
My Dad told me a lot of farmers didn't like the unibody because it was impossible to tarp a load and keep it dry. Too bad function outwieghed form, the Unibody was one of the prettiest trucks of the day imho. Not that I'd throw a 64 out of the garage however!
If your restoring the truck stock guess you'll have to live with it, I'd have to find a 64/66 bed to replace that early style one myself.

 

always just figured somebody thru an older bed on there...never new Ford did that..that was kind of goofy.

 

'Appreciate your sentiments re the Durango box but the back story: A body man friend of mine bought a hulk of a '62 short bed pickup shortly before he retired. After about 4 years of metal work and driveline updating he had it finished-including a custom treatment of the rear ends of the box side panels. It looked as good as one could make that styling mish-mash work. All painted and buffed he decided to drive it to his part time job. 20 minutes from home, some A-hole fiddling with his radio rearended him and completely destroyed the box and did some damage to the back of the cab. Larry almost gave up but dug in his heels, repaired the cab and started looking for a viable alternative to the original box-something that would not look out of place and wouldn't require months of work. The Durango was it. It may not sound right but it looks bettr than what Ford used.

 

Keep it posted brother.
B.B.

 

I have built quite a few 61-66 ford pickups. Yes that is the correct box. The 64-66 box looks nicer, but you will have to do a little redrilling to make it work. I personally like the 81- 86 Ford stepside on these trucks. The fender line matches the body line perfectly. The gas tank can be relocated out of the cab,and the fender has a nice gastank door. I will have to get my old photos, of the last showtruck I built, switched to disc. I did a lot of custom tricks to that box, and I think it looked very trick. It is interesting to note that the unibody trucks used a different frame and doors also.

 

I didn't read everyone's response but I have a 1959 and it looks a lot like mine

 

Join up at the "Slick 60's" website for all the info you will need on your truck. What you have is commonly known as a "Wrongbed" on that site. It is factory Ford for your year though!

 

I have a '62 as well but someone before me did all the hard work to find the '64 bed so I get the sweet bed with the older (in my opinion) better grille, not to mention the big sweet in cab steps!

 

......Dont beleive what these guys tell you I had a 63 and thats not the box they had,,I have owned a 59 with this box for 30 years I think they only used them from 57-61 .........

 

Kelly' Hot rod do your research. They used this bed until 1963. The 4x4 pickups used this box until 1966, mainly on the 3/4 tons. The 61 - 63 pickups used a different floor pan - they had steps. The roof on 61 - 63 pickups is flat without a rib in the middle - also a shorter roof. 64 was a transition year. Ribbed roof, but steplates and the new style box. 65- 66 new floor pan & twin I beam suspension. I was the second owner on a 63 with the old style box. I can honestly say I've owned and driven over 30 of these old Fords. Several were 63's with the old style box. they were short and long boxes, and plain and custom cabs. I've also owned several uni bodys. Please refer to any of the good Ford pickup reference guides and you will find they used this box until 1963.

 

The big difference on the long beds is the wheelbase......the 61-63 trucks have a 6" shorter wheel base than the 64-66.

 

sorry to steal your thread but....Hey blake how did you end up building this false floor, looks bitchin! pics? you can pm me if its easier

 

Unibody, flare side and that bed were all options until the Unibody went away in 1964.

 

Update....if anyone is interested. Lowered with 4.5 inch mono leafs and 6.0 inch in rear. Put a set of Coker white walls (damn they are proud of those).