My '63 F100 build (pseudo-rat)

[Sam_Fear]

My real rat is gonna be my Olds, but I figured I'd put this build up here too. I'm not going anywhere fancy with it, it's my Daily in non-salt weather, and I use it as a truck. I've been kind of a 'gold-chainer' on this by buying some stuff new, well really just patch panels mostly, so maybe I'm just a Tin-Chainer'.

Anyhoo - It's a 1963 Ford F100 long bed.

Farm stock when I got it. Drove it 300 miles home hoping it would make it - it did except the exhaust.

[Sam_Fear]

This is after I painted it, found some Chrome dash trim, and ground some WWWs. Tore the rear gears out of it - rebuilt that. Rebuilt the 292: big valve heads, bigger cam, a progressive 3x2 carb set up, and headers. And a pic of where it gets stored in the winter (for you southern 'boys', that is snow I keep it covered in for protection.)

NOTE: After I covered the rust spots with left over paint, I came out after getting a beer and realized it looked like a clown car. Next day I rattle canned it all black!

[Sam_Fear]

This is where it is now. I dumped the modern mirrors for some West Coast Jr's and a few other mechanical things somewhere along the line - disk brakes (safety!), removed 300Lbs of diamond plate from the bed, rewired front to back, tach, new floor pans and front cab mounts. Had a guy put on a nice exhaust - hated it - went back to my burned out cherry bombs!

Tailgate I got off e-bay for .01$ and a 'new' '65 bed - body lines match. (original '63 factory bed lines don't match cab!)

[Sam_Fear]

My finished cutom tailgate. Cut and rewelded the letters onto the PO's custom tailgate (which I also finished). And a pic of my new suicide knob and shifter (old door knob).

[Gastrick]

Good job on the truck Sam Fear. I really like the engine.

Thanks for clearing up the photo with the white stuff in it. I was wondering what that was.

[hotrod preacher]

good lookin old ford-my first ride was a '66 f-100 i had always wondered about that 63 bed/cab thing......until i was informed about how bad the "unibody" trucks had been received and ford "threw" a 57 style bed on as a quick fix

anyway sorry about that rant and that y-block w/3 2's looks REALLY sweet!!

thanks for the pics! HRP

[culvert]

Sam, that is one kool looking PU.
I'm grabbing a 62 long box as a project to do with my daughters. Needs a new 292 block by the looks of it. Have you done anything with the suspension? Is there anything we can do to drop the ride down alittle with it being leaf springs front & rear?
Hope to keep seeing some more progress. If I grab my girls Im sure they could tell me how to add photos of there new ride.

[Sam_Fear]

Hey Culvert, welcome to RRR. Probably not gonna work to much on this one for awhile, my Olds is taking up the work area.

Yeah, you can get 3" drop beams for the front. Or a lot of guys use a Mustang II front end - better not plan on using it like a truck again though. There are other options I've heard of too.

Mine - I didn't do a thing with the front or back. I plan to try dropping the back some by flipping a leaf, but other than that I'm not going to lower it.

One big suggestion I would make is a disc brake conversion. It makes a world of difference.

[culvert]

Thanks Sam,
I tried finding all your post on this truck, so I could picture what I'd like ours to turn out like.
This is a project I want to do with my daughets who are 11 & 13, so 3 year time frame to make it safe & driveable as there first ride.
Up here in Nothern Alberta it much cheaper & easier to just buy new parts then trying to find used. But if I could get a list of whats needed and will bolt up for the brakes I can get started on it now. What did you use for a dics brake kit?
It also needs a new motor(hole punched out of block) in any input on performance parts for a 292?
If you want you can drop me PM with any info or send info to yamadeere@hotmail.com

Thanks, Mark

[timberhillbilly]

hey sam great truck. thanks for the help with mine. will put some pictures of oldblue on when i figure out how.