Howdy guys! Got a 65 F100 I’m going to be stripping down this week and rebuilding. Have tons of questions. I’ll post pics for you to follow along any advice is appreciated. First order of business: finding out what exactly the drivetrain is (years) so I can start ordering parts. Here are some pics...
What is your location? You didn't complete your profile. What are your plans? We have tons of questions too. Engine appears to be a 302, could be a 289. Date code will be cast behind the starter, underneath by the oil pan rail.
I just joined but I’m from New England and I bought the truck in South Carolina when I was 19, I had it shipped north. I did a 1000 mile trip south with it 3 years ago and it was a blast. Now that I’m 25 I want to go through it top to bottom, make it more enjoyable to drive and sell it when it’s done. I believe it’s a 302 as well I will have to post the codes once I find them I guess
If the engine is original to the truck it's a 352 and rated at 208 HP from the factory. You do realize you have a 66 grille don't you? HRP
The engine and transmission have been swapped, it came with a I-6/3 on the tree I believe from vin decoding. The grill I’ve been told is a 66, yes. Others have said their late productions 65’s had this grill but I don’t know the accuracy on it. Either way I kinda like the grill it has
I finished up my dad's 3 years ago. Google is your friend. There's a great site and group just for F100's. Slick 60's is the forum I think .I got lots of great info there. Sent from my SM-G900R4 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Day 1: Diss***embly Here are before pics as it sat this morning. Need to widen the wood bed a board or two. Figure out what to do in the engine bay (I hate flat black)...? Pull the motor and transmission to go over them. Try to make some extra ponies from this ole 302. Re clear/polish the patina. Do something with the seat probably re foam and cover it. Undercoat the cab, paint the frame. Upgrade the brakes with either front disks or just a booster/master upgrade. Contemplate power steering. Also contemplate putting a trac loc in the 9”. And fix some smalls like leaking rear axle seal, ebrake, reverse lights, and window seals. I need help and suggestions tho I don’t have any manuals or help just me and my tools
Your motor looks like a mid-late 70s version judging from the carb, ignition and alternator bracket. I'd highly recommend the discs, as the pre-68 trucks had truly ****py brakes even when in good shape. Power discs/steering is as close as the nearest rusted-out '73-79 F100/150; get the complete axles/spindles/brakes for a bolt-on swap. The SBF V8 wasn't a popular choice in the early trucks as it just didn't deliver enough torque to do the job if seriously used as a truck; the 300 six had more torque. A 351W will be a big improvement and will be pretty much a bolt-in.
All 1965s had the egg crate grille. Late productions 65s.....were 1966's The changeover was August. The 1966 grille was the standard replacement grille for the series and was produced as a official replacement part for body shops. That's why these grilles show up as NOS in the box. Too, many times these trucks were ***led or tagged the year they were bought instead of manufacture. The VIN tells the tale. Be careful with the door number as this is just an info plate and not the official VIN as the doors are easily swapped. 1969 was the first year for a 302 in a Ford truck. The 302 makes a very good engine for these. The curb weight is only about 400 lbs heavier than a 69-70 Mustang. It looks like you have a C4...another good piece worth rebuilding if need be. If you do disk brakes stay with 73-9 parts as Crazy Steve says. Stay with 73-79 factory stuff....it's an easy bolt on swap. Aftermarket can be problematic. Stay with the factory stuff for these as it"s available and fits. Crown Vic.....that kills the truck in my opinion and we do not discuss that here. BTW....if you go front disk....remember me. I am interested in your 65 front drum and hub ***emblies. I will pay and pay shipping if they are in good shape. Be patient removing the front clip....if you must. You have two bolts on the bottom under the wheel well. One on each side. Two more accessed through the square holes in the kick panel.....two more on the inner fender through pieces of rubber. There are more but these are kind of hidden. All of these bolts use captive Nuts. Breaker fluid is your friend. You can almost count on the bottom bolts breaking.....you may have to grind them. These easily accessed. The hidden cowl bolts....hopefully these will loosen. Try your best to soak the captive Nuts with breaker from the bottom and through the hole. Be patient. It may be best to use some light hammer blows on your socket to get the bolts going. If they are rusted, raw steady torque can break the nuts. Tapping sometimes works. I would really try to find a good step or styleside bed for that truck.....Flashback F100s in NC has used body parts for these. He goes all over the country for parts. Maybe he has a good bed for you. It would be worth the trip in my opinion. How is the floor and most importantly the Cab mounts especially the front? Good Luck.
I should have mentioned that you want the rear brakes from a '73-79 donor too. It bears mentioning also that the C4 is too light-duty for 'real' truck use. If you're just building a cruiser it'll be OK, but it won't like heavy hauling/towing. Starting in '66, Ford went to the C6 in all trucks but the downside is these consume a lot of power and will kill your gas mileage.
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