I just picked up my new to me 73 scs last Friday. It has a long background that I will be posting in my own build thread along with lots of pictures as well. I just figured I would check in here, u am slowly trying to read through this entire thread but it will probably be a couple of days.

Thanks

 

Congrats on the "New" truck, I advise you have pen and paper handy for technical information, I didn't do that and am due for Re-reading the thread.

 

Uploading pictures to photobucket now, should be up in a few min. Haven't really had a chance to work on the truck to much yet. But here is the background. Oh and I can be long winded so bear with me....

73 Ford F350
Super Camper Special
390 FE w/ 2 Barrel
4 Speed Manual (not sure which one it is yet) Maybe Bill knows what these came with, Manual SCS seem pretty rare....and I know this one was never automatic. Before you jump on me and say decode the vin I will tell you the truck was stolen in 1993 and the door sticker was destroyed and vin plate was removed, I have not had time to get to fin the other vin yet, it's on a long list....
Factory AC
Ranger XLT trim

Truck was made in San Jose and then sold some where around LA. Original owner purchased it new and the truck spent its entire life until last Friday in Long Beach CA. The truck was daily driven locally and the total mileage is 135k. Part of the reason it is so low for a 41 year old truck is because the truck was stolen in 1993. The gentleman who sold it to me (original owners son) said that he himself had left the passenger door unlocked when he was a young boy and that was how the truck was stolen. Luckily the truck was recovered before too much damage was done. The thieves had stripped the side trim off, and removed the frame mounted camper mounts. It was on blocks and being prepared to be stripped. This was all in Long Beach in a warehouse chop shop. The police recovered the truck and it spent about 6 months in an impound lot as evidence and then it was returned to the original owner. In the 6 month span the insurance paid out on the stolen truck and the owner bought a newer truck to replace the stolen scs. When he got the stolen truck back it was parked in a storage unit and forgotten about for 20 years. The original owner died and the truck was willed to his youngest son who didn't do anything with it until he sold it to me last Friday. He was trying to sell it to someone who would fix it and use it and not part it out. As much as I would like to use the Front Beams for another project I am going to rehab this truck to get it driving, I promised the son that I would let him drive it since it was his fathers first truck and he was too young to drive it before it got stolen. I plan on using it as a work truck to pick up and deliver engines and run parts and stuff. I build race engines and support sponsored racers at various events and this truck will be perfect in the summer when I don't require 4wd. It has been on non op since 1993, I have the title from the original owner when it was retitled as salvage in 1993 after being stolen.

As far as plans I went to the local yard and was lucky enough to find some ranger trim off a 1979 F350 4x4 (The front axle was gone already! Damn!) to replace the missing trim. I have a grille from a friend that will fit and is straight (Sadly It's not a ranger grille and doesn't have the red emblem in the center, I would like to replace that someday) When I picked up the truck it had 3 16.5 rims on it plus one spare in the bed and 1 16 inch rim on it, two of the tires on it were flat and rotten. I brought 3 16 rims/tires to move the truck onto my trailer. The 16 inch rims would not fit over the rear Dana 70 hub so I moved one 16.5 to the rear since it cleared the hub and put two of my 16 inch rims on the front since they fit over the hubs, unfortunately due to the back spacing the 16 inch rims rubbed on the outside of the front calipers, even though it was just barely there was enough friction to not let the front tires spin easily. After using an electric winch and a 2 ton jack and some man power we loaded the truck in a whopping 2 hours! Normally when I pick up a car or truck that doesn't run it takes 15 to 20 min maybe 30 min if i have to go slow, so this was a huge headache, but we got it loaded and i went home. Before I unloaded the truck i decided to get a new set of rims and tires that would hopefully not interfere with the brakes and fit over the rear hubs. I found a set of Mickey Thompson alloys with BFG AT's on them for 200 bucks on Craigslist. Luckily the back spacing meant it was a super tight fit on the front but no contact! and they easily fit over the rear hubs. I liked the stock look but there rims and tires are growing on me. (Reminds me of my 73 F250 4x4) The one 16 inch rim that I had from the purchase that DID fit over the rear hub will get re tired with a nice spare and then placed in the spare compartment. As for exterior I will replace the trim and wash the truck but won't paint it. I like it just the way it is. The inside will get taken down to metal and get new carpet and at the very least a seat cover, if not re upholstered. it's a very pukey green color but it suits the truck. The dash has ZERO cracks in it and the door panels are dirty but I think they can be salvaged. The rear window is missing trim and will be fixed. Most of my attention will go to the engine. If this engine will run again I will drive it as is while I build a new engine on the side (390 + more stroke maybe?) if this engine won't run without being pulled then it will get a rebuild and a cam + intake and maybe some head work. It needs a new AC compressor and the usual stuff from sitting, belts, wires, cap, rotor, points, plugs, carb rebuild, oil change, replace rubber, flush radiator, check wiring, new brake booster/master cylinder. etc... I would bet that this engine will fire up withut too much work, my last FE did after sitting almost 20 years outside.

Anyway I will be making a build thread for this truck in a day or two and will try to update it often. I can't wait to drive it.

Cheers

 

More Pics

 

Congrats on the truck Mako! Same as mine but reversed, same pukey green interior, switching mine to all black inside. I think I may have met you before if you're in Big Bear and had a F250 4x4 for sale and a 1970ish Datsun pickup in the driveway. Anyways I'll be looking to get rid of my huge factory mirrors in the near future if you're interested.

Also anyone know why some of these dents have a 4 screw tail light lens and most are 2 screw? That's always bugged me...

 

G-man, the tail lights were redesigned in '74, if I recall. The original lights (in '73) had a removable lens to get to the bulbs inside. The later lights you removed the entire assembly and unplugged the pigtails to remove the bulbs.

 

Yes sir I believe you were there with your girlfriend right?

And yes I would like your mirrors when you get rid of them, just let me know maybe we can meet up.

Cheers!

 

Picked this up a year ago or so, its my wife's summer toy and my tow rig. 1977 F350 CS 140" WB 460 with C6, Cruise, AM/FM, A/C (working!) all with 60k original miles. Body and interior are all original and MINT! Just replaced the tires with BFG A/Ts and will be upgrading the engine with Edelbrock cam and intake

We will be driving it out to Carlisle, Pa for the All-Ford Nationals in June. Really don't plan on doing much else to it, minor things like new window weatherstrips and such. But otherwise, its a solid summer toy and my wife really enjoys driving it.

Planning to read through this thread here soon, 60+ pages is a bunch!

 

Also, I have the 16.5" tires for sale on here. The rears were the super single 12" wide tires.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...r-special.html

 

Looks like a great find!

 

Im curious as to how the truck handled with the bias 16.5 tires before you swapped them out for radials? Too bad you weren'tcloser to Colorado, I'd maybe take those off your hands.

 

 

 

Finally! That's just one of those things thats been bugging me forever. The trucks been in the family since the late '80s (with a broken lens) and everyone looks at me like I'm crazy when I say the truck has a 4 screw lens. My '73 (parts truck) and '74 both have 4 screws and I thought it was a wild coincidence I scored a replacement. Thanks!

 

That would be me! I wondered before if you were on here, I remember talking to you and you had a great knowledge of these dents. I'll get with you when I start to part with some goods. I'm making one truck out of two and will have a handful of stuff to get rid of.