i have a 63 f100 and was just wondering if it was true that halfway through 1963 ford discontinued the unibody and actually started putting on the older 57+ stylesides if anyone knows the history that would be great. thank you

 

Yes the uni was canceled as it was an engineering failure of huge magnitutde, The Edsel of the truck world.

57 to 60 beds were started for use mid to late 62.

Garbz

 

perfect thanks a lot. because i have owned it for about 6 months now and get a lot of looks. just kept hearing the question "is that an older bed you got on it?" and just was not sure

 

Wow Garbz!! An Edsel looks like a 2 ton vagina coming at you. There ain't nothing about my Uni that even slightly resembles an Edsel.

Please tell me it ain't so!!!

 

Yup, The UNI was considered a REAL POS FAILURE. I think it's funny to see how sought after it is today.




John

 

You beat me to it! The Edsel failed because it had a lady-garden on the front, not because of bad engineering. Or that's the reason I'd always been given.

 

The Uni is a work of art. No one has done anything to compare to it. The Camino is way cool for a ch!!y. But it is no Uni. El Camino, Ranchero, They are cars like the Edsel. My Uni is all truck. Hey John? It's my birthday today so no I aint gonna play. Okay.

 

happy birthday then hope it was a good one.

 

Yee Haaw. Ya girl friend came back for a week and is fixing an awesome BBQ dinner. Friends are coming over to eat it. And get loose. Hell anything could happen. Sept I got two young boys that got school tomorrow and that kinda puts a hamper on getting to happy. But there is talk of a game of strip poker after the kids are asleep.

Oh Ya this is a Ford site. FE's forever and all that

 

I will play,

Your uni is the same peice of engineering crap i have and love.......

Garbz

 

Now I see several one piece bodied new pickup looking things running around. So the Uni is coming back.

 

Isn't the bronco a uni?

 

Ya a Bronco would work.

 

The Edsel failed because it was launched during a recession and nobody was sure if it was an upscale Ford or a downscale Mercury. Nothing wrong with the car save for it's looks which were a touch controversial. But so were a lot of cars in those years. The Edsel looked very similar to a Pontiac. The more I hear and research about Edsels the more I want one. Why does it always work like that? As far as the Uni, i own a '62 and love it, it's like a Ranchero on steroids!

 

There's a vintage truck advertisement on YouTube that shows the Fords vs the Chevs of the early 60's (prior to the twin-I-Beams) going head to head.

They jack up a Unibody and the dern thing flexes so bad that they can't shut the door.

There's no doubt that they had some serious issues, but that having been said, they are cool looking and I guess if they're not used as hardcore workhorses, they're probably fine.

I cringe when I think back to the 80's when my dad and I bought one and made a 1/4 mile drag car out of it. It was a very solid, rust-free truck that I remember us paying something like $300 for. We loaded it full of big-block, put a shortened rearend under it, tubbed it, and went racing.

Of course, after the first race, we realized we had big problems with body flex and had to stiffen the chassis quite a bit. We played with it for one racing season, then someone wanted the engine/trans combo, so we pulled it and the thing sat on a friend's farm for a while until I went off to the military. I don't know what became of it after that.

Anyway....a link to that youtube video is below. If it doesn't work, go to youtube and type in " ford vs chevy 60s truck comparison" It's VERY entertaining....the guys do some really cool/dangerous comparison tests....stuff they would never get away with today in the pansy world we live in.

YouTube - Chevy vs. Ford 60's Truck Comparison