There is a 1963 ford f250 for sale 2 hours from my place.
The owner had the engine rebuilt and the transmission works great.
The problems
Seat is usable but should be repaired, rust on the bottom edge of the door eaten all along the bottom of both doors, small 1 inch rust hole behind the seat. Tailgate is missing and the bed is still very sturdy but is starting to sag.
The floor is really solid and the frame is good, the front bumper is bent a little and the whole truck should have a new paint job. It’s not bad, little spot Rust except for in the bed. Also the doors open and close really solidly. It’s a 3 SPD tranny with creeper gear,bullet proof. The guy wants 750 for it Cuzz the front right tire is bad. It does run and drive perfectly though, and it’s sturdy enough that it’s not going to fall apart anytime soon
Is there a question here?
So you are saying I should get it?
Lets see, we can’t see it or hear it run. You said 2 hours away so I think you have not actually seen it either. This a decision only you can make.
Which engine? Which transmission? Do you know a good mechanic who is familar with older Ford trucks who can thoroughly check out the truck from end to end?
Ever heard of “a pig in a poke?” You could soon find out just how disappointing it is to find out that’s what you have bought. I can only imagine that the truck will wander from shoulder to center line, lurch when stopping and starting, require a great deal of pedal pumping to start cold, have a significant delay before moving when shifted into gear if it’s automatic and if it’s a manual it will crunch into second and jump out of high. But that’s what you normally get for $750. If you find something better please post so I can recalculate my standings.
I actually have seen it and inspected it . I took a video for a friend who used to work on old trucks and he said the body looks pretty good for its age. The engine is a 3.7 liter and when I was there to check it out, their was some miscommunication between when I got there and it was actually at his parents house,and he was not there. we went when it was about 28 degrees and the lady that let us look at it said we could start it up. We did and didn’t even need to use the choke. It ran beautifully. The tranny is the stock t-18 3 speed Manuel with reverse and creeper gear, and since we didn’t drive it I’m not sure about how it goes. All I know is that the guy said that it shifts through all gears smoothly. Not sure if I can take his word on that or not, although I will drive it before buying it.
This is an antique rusty truck. It may run ok. How much do you plan to use it? Not for a daily driver, I hope. It’ll need lots of continual work. 3.7 l = 225 CID. That’s a SMALL engine for a truck.
It’s 55 years old, both doors are rotten along the bottom edge, there’s at least one hole eaten through the cab,
the tailgate’s gone and the bed / frame is sagging. It’s already starting to fall apart.
This is a project for somebody that already knows how to do this kind of work. If you have to ask, you’re already in way over your head. It’ll suck up all your time and money until you give up and sell it to the next guy. At a loss.
[quote=“kyledeanmiller, post:6, topic:99852”]
28 degrees and the lady that let us look at it said we could start it up. We did and didn’t even need to use the choke. It ran beautifully.
Did not need choke ? I would suspect that it was started and ran a little while you were on your way to look at it. That is an old used car trick.
This should keep you busy for years, if that is what you are interested in.
Beside the obvious body problems there will be suspension, brake, electrical and body hardware idems in need of improvement.
The 223 6 cylinder engine is rated at 145 gross HP, almost as much as a modern 4 cylinder engine, vehicles like this are a chore to drive in city traffic.
In your first post you claim it runs and drives perfectly and later you state you have not driven it. Why do you want this thing anyway? There is not a collector value and if you do the body work right it will be really expensive.
If you can SEE rust, then there is FAR MORE that you are not seeing. At least the truck has a frame and a following. Ther are sources for patch panels for rust repair. Rockers, fenders and lots more. Which you will need. Not to mention the mechanical bits that will need replacing. Trucks were NOT very reliable 50 years ago not matter what any gray-haired farmer says.
If you are just looking for a cheap run-around truck, this is not it. Find a newer truck. If you want a vintage truck project, then by all means buy it.
I really like the style of the truck and am planning on restoring it. As far as hidden rust there isn’t much. I looked at the bottom last time I checked it out and took a video for an older guy that has done some work like this. Also I checked all around the engine with a temperature gun and it was the same temp as the ground otherwise I wouldn’t have started it til it cooled down to ground temp. I only have a part time job and have a whole summer for me and some if my buddies to fix it up. As far as how much is drive it, it would be a daily driver, but I live 2 miles from work and 3 miles from school. Also I would have it in a heated garage usually 50° so going somewhere would be easy it’s just coming home. I did take one of the spark plugs out and put an endoscope type thing in it and there is no carbon buildup if that helps…
Also I can email the rust problems…On the doors it’s only about a 1/4 inch line and most of it is not rusted all the way through
Congratulations on finding such a great truck @kyledeanmiller. I hope you enjoy it for many years and miles.
I guess I’m confused. Any engine with a carb would need the choke for a cold start in cold weather. Is it a manual choke? You saw that it was not closed by looking in the carb?
Six cylinder Ford trucks had manual chokes with a manual throttle well into the 60s.
I am surprised to find a 223 Falcon series engine in a F250, are you sure of the engine size?
223 isn’t a Falcon, they were 144/170/200/250, right?
edit - yep, the 223 was part of the 2nd generation of Ford I-6 engines including the 215/223/262 CID versions:
(ignore the photo, that’s the 3rd generation).
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