I have a 1971 3/4 ton sport custom. What is the difference between the custom and ranger models. My neighbor also has a 71 3/4 ton camper special 2 wd, sport custom similar to mine but he has drum brakes in the front I have disks.....i'm confused any reasonable explanations?

 

The difference were trim packages or options between them. Rangers were the top of the line. Sport Customs were in between the base custom and the Ranger. If you check the build dates between the trucks, you will see the one with drum brakes is probably a earlier production. Disc brakes were not a standard item until 1973. The one with discs probably ordered them as a option and the other did not.

 

In 1971, the "top of the line" was the Ranger XLT. The line went Custom, Sport Custom, Ranger, and Ranger XLT. But these were all "trim" packages (i.e. upholstery and body molding upgrades mainly), they did not include mechanical upgrades like disc brakes. Discs were an option on 3/4 ton trucks since, I think, 1968. They were not even available on the 1/2 ton trucks until years later. I had a parts truck that was a '72 XLT and it had front drums so I know that discs were not a part of any of the trim packages.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 19-May-02 AT 09:17 AM (EST)]Thats odd about the brakes. I thought the disks were part of the camper special upgrade. Both of mine had'em (70 and 71 camper specials, 71 had a/c).

I wish I still had my 71 but it had too much cancer and I had no time. Maybe if I lived in your neibourhood it could've been diffrent my current neibours complained too much.

 

Well, now, the "Camper Special" package is a different animal. This was ONLY mechanical upgrades and trim was not part of the deal. In other words, you could have the C/S package in ANY of the 4 trim levels. I have a 1970 brochure that shows that disc brakes were an option on F-250 and F-350 but NOT part of the C/S package. Not sure about 1971-72.

 

Disk brakes were an option at least back to 1970, as my 1970 Camper special had them(before I converted it to 4wd)It also came with power assist steering, Air conditioning, and automatic transmission, and power brakes. I have the original factory option sheet that came with the truck new.

 

Just a little clarification, the disc brake option was first available in '68 on the F250/350 models. The F100 didn't get them until '73. The disc brake option had nothing to do with the Camper Special package. Disc brakes were only mandatory when you ordered the 390. You could get a Camper Special an any of the trim levels.

Barry

 

hey thanks for the info. I went from being throughly confused to only slightly. I see that a lot has to do with trim, where mine is a 390 truck with disks and my neighbors is a 360 truck with drums. Not to add confusion to this debate but on the glove compartment on my truck says there is a placad that says "Explorer".

 

Well, yeah, that does add a level of confusion to the mix. The "Explorer" packages were the precursor to what was later called "Preferred Equipment Packages" or some such. The Explorer packages put together the most popular options like A/C, radio, etc. in a single package. They had different levels, Package A, Package B, Package C. Each one had more and more equipment. Part of the packages would also be a certain trim level, i.e., Sport Custom or Ranger trim. But the truck would be badged an Explorer. All the content and combinations changed somewhat each year so I cannot go much beyond what I said here without getting specific as to model year. Ford produced Explorer trucks from about 1968 or 1969 (the first year or so they weren't even called "Explorers", they were called "White Sale Trucks") on thru the mid-80s when the name was dropped and they applied the package concept to the regular trim levels (XL, XLT, XLT Lariat). The name was of course later used on the wildly popular SUV.

 

I have a '69 F100 Ranger that appears to have one or the first "Explorer" packages. The only badging is the "Explorer" insignia on the glove box door. The rear bedsides have the red, white & blue Ranger badges. The truck is well equipped, with factory A/C, radio, cargo light, 360, C6, etc.

 

Heres one, I have a 1972 3/4 ton Camper Special Sport Custom, With a 390, Dana 60 posi and Drum brakes. Interesting also is that it has a factory 4brl carb and cast iron intake. This was all on the build sheet. I wish i still had the paper, but it has long since fell apart.

 

I'm currently looking for a '67 to 72 F series so I can retire my '68 Cougar from daily driver duty.

I recently found a 1971 Ford Exporer Camper Special that I have yet to see in person. The ad says it has PS, PB, and a 390.

Is there anything else I should look for or be aware of when looking at Camper Specials?

 

My '71 Camper Special is a Ranger. It says Ranger on the glove box, but not on the bed sides. They may have been removed. I think the bed may have been changed, because there is no secondary gas tank. Didn't all Camper Specials come with a second gas tank? Mine has the 12x2.5 drums all around. How much better stopping would I get from disk brakes? I am debating changing them because they seem to work REALLY well. Also, the tires on mine are 16's, but somebody told me that the wheels might be 16.5's. Will 16" tires even fit on 16.5" rims? Finally, the truck has the full trim down the sides and it has a brushed aluminum panel on the tailgate that says FORD. Was this the stock tailgate?

John

 

Roy,
I was under the impression discs were available as option until the 73 frame change.
My 69 has discs in the front. Must have been special order.
Trim levels are confusing. From what I remember Rangers were full deck until the xlt came out in 70/71. Sport customs used some ranger trim options on the exterior but the interior was custom. Then the customs were just plain old customs.
Camper specials were comprised of a dual battery setup in the engine compartment and I think wiring to the tail. Not much else. Someone correct me if I am wrong with either of these.

69 Ford F-250 Ranger Camper Special. 428 Cobra Jet, C-6, 4.11 LS, AC, Power Disc, Power Steering Dual Batteries. Royal Maroon/White interior. 120,000 miles on the truck 40,000 on engine, 700 miles on Trans. Available to appreciative would-be owner.

 

another diference I noticed ( at least between the 100 and 250 CS I bought) was that the camper special had 8 lug wheels as opposed to the 5 on the F100. Whether this is part of the CS option though I don't know.


N3