Hi everyone,

After many years of driving a mini van and safely blending into suburban surroundings of my town, I have had enough! For as long as I can remember I have wanted a vintage Ford truck as a daily driver.

I drive about 100-200 miles a week depending on work schedule. I need the advice of those wiser than I am on what year truck I should buy. This will be my daily driver so I need something reliable. I just don't know where to start other than looks, and I like the mid 60's on up to about 72.

MPG is important so what size engine should I get? Are there modern engines that I should replace the original engine with? Someone said something about a "plug and play" efi engine, but is there a certain size engine that works with best or a best year of truck?

I have about $5000 to spend for something that fits the bill and can go anywhere in teh US to pick it up, but I live just north of New Orleans. I want my truck to look original inside and out but it doesn't have to be perfect by any means, but it must run like a top. Cosmetics are secondary to me as long as it is straight and pretty much rust free.

If you were starting out with limited mechanical ability and time, what year would you get for a daily driver? Does it really matter?

For the last week I have driven around my town with eyes peeled to see how many vintage trucks were on the road, and I honestly saw 2 in the whole 7 days. I appreciate the way things were made once and want to make that tradition part of my every day life. I am 35 and starting a family soon, so any advice you can give me on what truck to start with would be greatly appreciated. I hope that it becomes something that I can bond with my future kids over, so I have to start somewhere. I just don't want to buy a money pit if there is a year to totally avoid. Thanks a lot for any assistance.


Chris

 

Welcome to FTE!

Daily driver? I'd look for a 70-72 F100 2WD shortbed with a 302/C4 or 300/C4 combination - decent power, reasonable gas mileage, and easy to manuever.

I'd try to find one with disc brakes, power steering, and power disc brakes. However, any one of those features are easy enough to retrofit or update given the plethora of swappability among the Bumps and Dents and the tech help available here and another site (Fordification.com).

In 'Nawlins eh? Then AC might be a worthy pursuit but a kit is available through Aftermarket Air Conditioning For Automobiles and AC parts

Welcome aboard!!

 

hmm.
HIO has a good point- with the amount of $$ you have available, you can get one that has already had all the highly-desireable swaps done to it (ie- power steering and disc brakes).

i also agree with him on the engine choices- the 300 or 302 (or even a 240) would be better on gas than the others.

a friend of mine just bought a '65. its in desperate need of paint and interior, but the power steering & brake swaps were already in place. it cost him $2000.

i think once you get into the $4000 range, you should be able to buy a LOT of truck.

since you're starting out with limited mechanical ability, just be patient- wait until you find one that already has everything you want.

 

Chris, Not to disagree with these guys, but you find the truck 65 up that appeals to you. There isn't $.50 worth of difference between 65 & 72 except eye appeal. I like bumps but my choice is a Slick. My truck is a 66 F100, because that is what I like best.

Don't know how handy you are, or if you have a shop & tools. Find one with the best finish that you can find, and go from there.

I would also suggest that you keep a gas sipper for a daily driver & enjoy the truck on weekends.





John

 

I've heard a lot of folks say that the car engines aren't enough oomph for these big trucks, but my Crown Vic police interceptor weighs in around 4000 pounds, about the same as these trucks, unless I am mistaken, and it has plenty of power. I realize that my bump is shaped like a brick, but my CV will get 30mpg on the highway, so I would imagine you should be able to get close to 20 if you throw that mod motor and tranny in a truck with the right gearing. From what I've gathered, it's a pretty easy swap, especially with the CV front end/cradle. Someday, I hope to prove myself right.

 

I believe at this point the above bolded statement is paramount. Let's not get into the deep end with CV mods since there appears to be limited mechanical ability and time. Chris wants something he can start driving and enjoying.

Seventyonef250: Your CV likely has a 4R70W - automatic 4-speed with overdrive. The mod motors (as others these days) are really efficient (HP/torque) due to the vast array of sensors and computer controlled processes. Back in the day a 400 HP smog legal engine was rare but with the advent of modern controls (and overdrives) 25 to 30 mpg (like the Corvette) is attainable.

.. and "easy" is a relative term. Easy if you have the money, ability, time, and space.

 

All good points. I need to be sure to read what I read, of you get my drift. And yes, easy is relative. As I have none of the above, I like to live vicariously through others.

 

Just for giggles, what do you suppose a shop would charge to do the swap? In certain areas of the country, you can get a very nice truck for well less than a couple of grand. He's got a $5k budget. I haven't been to a mechanic in years, so I have no idea what shop rates are. Just curious.

 

I'm in the SF Bay Area and the typical repair rate is around $75 to $90 an hour. Shops typically refer to industry standard times when providing quotes. However, A mod engine or CV suspension swap would be all custom work so there is also the "custom" premium at a custom shop.

For example, due to a lack of time on my part, I had in-tank fuel pump replaced in my SuperCrew replaced last summer and cost me $600 to replace a $200 pump. C'est l've sometimes.

 

Ouch. Even so, with limited mechanical ability, these old trucks are a good place to start. They are tough, and if they do break down you don't need a computer to fix them. Well, except to get on this forum...

 

I am going to have to chime in with the same advice. I came across a very clean original Ranger for $5500 a few years back. It was a '70-'72. I would imagine you can find a nice truck for $5000. Just take your time and wait until you get what you want. Personally I would not really worry about mpg. With nothing less than a complete drive train swap you aren't going to do much better than 15 no matter what engine/trans combo you go with. Just swap out the rear gears for something a little milder. She won't come off the line as fast but it will cause the engine to run at lower rpms translating into lower fuel consumption.

 

Thank you all for your input. These are all the great starting points that I will use to build on. I'm very much looking forward to joining the Ford family. What are your favorite books that you recommend reading or does it just depend on the year i get. Thanks!

 

Hey Dobber if you don't mind making a long drive there always seem to be a few for sale in Nebraska and the mid-west, Right now i have a clean 67 f100 that needs an engine and new seat close to 68869

 

Books? Do you mean repair manual? Or for general information?

I started out with magazine subscriptions (in 1980!) to Hot Rod, CarCraft, and Mustangs Monthly. n fact, I'm still a subscriber to those but have added to list with 4Wheel & Offroad, Modified Mustangs & Fords, and Offroad. On TV, I watch Speed's how-to lineups and Spike TV's Powerblock (Horsepower, Xtreme 4x4, Trucks, and MuscleCar). However, nothing compares to "Learn By Doing".

Repair manuals... The factory manuals are really good but I do have Haynes and Chiltons too. More information is better.

 

You have lots of good advise here but I thought I would just throw my two bits in too. I own a 74 f-100 Custom with front disk brakes and a 302/C4 combination. I paid $1300 for it and has needed very little work. The price was low because of the paint and exterior...a few rust spots in the usual areas but you can find body and paint relatively cheap, Maaco for one. I've had a couple vehicles done there and it's not show quality, but in ain't bad either. Not like the old day's of Earl Schieb $ 39.95 to put some kind of paint like color substance on the outside of your vehicle. I am putting the complete drive train and engine out of a Crown Victoria police interceptor into mine as mentioned , but I'm doing it not only for the gas mileage but because I want to make a custom truck and do the work myself. This is a great truck overall because of it's handling ability and quite a bit lighter (I think around 1,500lbs) than the F-250. The 302 is fine if you aren't hauling or towing heavy loads and the gas mileage is noticeably better than my 68 F-250 camper special with a 390 in it. If you prefer bump sides over dent side's, I'd look for those years in an F-100 with a 302. I think "Customs" come with disk brakes up front like mine.