Projects Just picked up a '62 SWB F100 Uni-body

**I need a hood for this pickup, PM me if you have one for sale**

Just picked this up today...I certainly didn't need it - I knew that going in. I saw it on craigslist last week and I thought to myself "Man...sure would like to have that - but I sure as hell don't need it"....lol. I even went so far as to call the guy and ask questions about how rusty it was. He was very optimistic when he told me he thought it didn't have "any" rust on it. We've all heard that tale before and so I just took it with a grain of salt and finally 'forgot' about it until today. As my luck would have it the prospect of a new job took me to Waco to submit a urine sample for a drug test and the lab where I had to go was just a few mins down the road from where this truck was. So I looked through my call logs and called the guy when I got done and arranged to go "see it". I figured what the hell - I'm already up here, might as well go look at it. I was mainly just curious to see just how rust-free this thing really was. I knew I wanted it before I even got my car parked in his driveway...lol. I can't wait to get it home now and get it cleaned up and running. It has a Y-block with a 3-speed (been converted to floor shift) and I got a clear title to it. The engine appears to be recently overhauled - the guy I got it from is just a go-between, he never did anything with it except store it briefly. It looks like someone tried tuning it up and got it cross-wired. He said he put a battery in it and it tried to start, but it was backfiring and carrying on. I don't figure it'll take much to get it running. I have owned several of these trucks over the years - this one is in amazing condition. I have never seen one this vintage with cab mounts as pristine as the ones on this truck are. I was shocked when I looked under it.

Here's a short video of it running: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Moprx1a8dBY

Edit: New video, running and driving now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eetlWLBp54o

 

Oh...the wheels that are on it in the pics are just rollers - the original wheels with original hub caps are in the bed. I figure that tailgate is probably worth nearly half what I paid for the whole truck.

 

Looks like a great start.................Ya gotta love them Y-blocks.

 

The truck does look solid,,congratulations. HRP

 

I'm excited to have it. I've been through several antique pickups in the past 3 years or so - looking for "the one" - I think this one is the one. There is no structural rust to deal with anywhere on it. My initial plan is to get it running, fix the brakes and drive it for a bit - while I decide what direction I'm going to go with it. The seat is even still in good shape. That bastard hood it has on it really distracts from the overall 'shape' of the truck.

 

A new job and uni with a rust free tailgate....... life is good!!!




.

 

Ha! And all just in time for Christmas, too!

 

Oh yea forgot that part.

Merry Christmas!!!!!




.

 

Finally got this thing home tonight and got it parked in my shop. I still cannot believe the shape its in. Upon closer inspection it does have a few very tiny 'spots' of rust on it, but really its probably less than a day's work in the body shop to fix. This is going to make a nice rod.

 

Lucky man. I found one of these sitting behind a house two doors down from me.. its been there for my whole life and I didn't realize it was there until a couple days ago.

Love these little trucks.

 

Are you going to take possession of it? lol

 

Got it running this afternoon...what a chore. Apparently the main reason it was parked 7 years ago was because the carb is stopped slam up with garbage...but that wasn't the worst part. The guy that had it briefly, before me...had the ignition timing about as screwed up as you can get one. The dist was about 200* out and it was cross-wired on top of that. Once I got that mess straightened out and poured some gas in it, it started right up. I'll prolly mess with the carb this weekend. Didn't feel like smelling like rotten gas this evening...lol.

Did some other checking also - I am confident the engine is original to the truck and its definitely been overhauled recently. Whoever did it appears to have done a good job, too. The truck was built in Dallas, TX in March of 1962 and is equipped with a 135hp 292 and a medium duty 3-speed and a 3.70 gear.

 

Got the carb straightened out today - man this thing runs good. Reach through the window and 'bump' it and it starts right up and idles perfectly. No smoke. In the process of repairing a low point rust hole in the gas tank and then I should be able to drive it. I thought it was odd that the tank was BONE dry, so I removed it to check it and sure enough it had some pin holes in one corner where there musta been some water laying.

 

When I first opened the thread I thought it might have been a retired Coca cola truck.

 

lol...I wondered how long it would be before someone brought that up. The original colors are Monte Carlo Red and Wimbledon White.

I haven't found any evidence that it was ever a fleet vehicle. I would like to research the title history though.

 

Cool rig, lots of potential. Have one of those myself.

 

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it just yet. I like the idea of a full restoration - original type - and I also always wanted to build a gasser out of one of these trucks too...

Its almost ready to take for a drive. Going to bleed the brakes today and hopefully get the gas tank back in it and then it'll be ready to head down the road.

 

Short video of it running

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Moprx1a8dBY

 

Very cool truck i like to restore them back to original, but also like full customs and Rat Rods! So Either way you go I'm with you. I just bought a real nice original 64 F-100 standard pick up, original paint 292 4 spd, sounds the same as yours carb gunked up and timing all messed up! Mine is a 3/4 ton long box, last week end I cut the box & frame down to be a 7 box improved the look a bunch, now plan to install Lincoln, Mark VIII drive train & ID rear suspension, since I happen to have 3 wrecked ones here at my shop. keep us posted on progress I'll post some of mine.

 

Would like to see some pics of your cut down bed. Sounds interesting.

 

Very cool truck, I like the uni bodies, I also like to restore them back to original, but also like full customs and Rat Rods! So Either way you go I'm with you.

I just bought a real nice original 64 F-100 standard pick up, original paint 292 4 spd, sounds the same as yours carb gunked up and timing all messed up! Mine is a 3/4 ton long box, last week end i hosted a weekend workshop on how to shorten a long box. I had these three guys to run through the process we cut the box & frame down to be a 7 box improved the look a bunch. Now I'll plan to install Lincoln, Mark VIII drive train & ID rear suspension, since I happen to have 3 wrecked ones here at my shop. keep us posted on progress I'll post some of mine.

 

You are a true craftsman - very nice work. That's going to make a neat little pickup when you get done with it.

 

What are your plans for the truck?

Auto Doug - nice work.

 

For right now I'm just planning to make it road worthy so I can drive it a little bit. I am leaning towards a correct restoration.

 

Welp - I finally got this thing on the road yesterday. Its been a long time since I drove one of these old Fords. In retrospect - it's a wonder Ford was actually able to sell these trucks in competition with the GMs of the time. There's really no comparison in how they drive. The GM trucks with the IFS and coil springs were a 10 times better driving truck. This thing drives like an ox cart. lol

My death-defying experience while driving this thing yesterday has helped me decide what I am going to do with this truck...I reckon it is going to get a 'body off' restoration along with an air ride/ifs conversion. I figure I will probably also put a late model 32V ford engine in it with an automatic transmission. I can already picture it in my head. I can't wait!

 

this is a great find you would have been crazy to pass it up !

 

Nice find and good luck.

 

Drove this thing again this morning - just to confirm. It has been confirmed - these old Fords drive and handle about like a large slate pool table on hard metal casters. Sheesh!

 

sounds like the front end needs rebuilt. not saying they ever were lap of luxury drivers but sounds like yours may be on the far end of in good service.

great reasoning to replace with ifs or dropped axle and a rebuild.

i'm hoping to have my 62 uni big back window with jag ifs and explorer rear to roller status by the end of the year....ken...

 

Actually, it's pretty tight. I was surprised to discover that. The odometer shows about 67,000 miles and I'm starting to suspect its probably the original mileage.

Doesn't matter though, I'm droppin it. I'm not interested in risking my life everytime I take it for a drive. lol

I started going through the brakes today - it appears someone put new brakes all the way around it - except they put them together backwards and used the e-brake cable to adjust the rear brakes. It was a mess. I also discovered the front brakes only have single piston wheel cylinders on them - I have never seen this before and I'm wondering if its correct or not. A standard dual piston type cylinder will fit...it just doesn't have em. When I drove it before the brakes just didn't feel 'strong' at all. The pedal would pump up plenty tight, it just didn't give you the sensation that it had any braking power.