hey guys, i have a 77 f100 4x4 that has a pretty rough body that im wanting to do a swap on, and ive been lurking around here for a little while, needless to say i like the way these trucks slightly lifted look. so im in the market for a donor vehicle to do a body swap. ive seen a few posts on here where it was done and it seems to be a fairly straight forward swap.

i was digging around on craigslist for a new project(like i needed one) when i realized what i really needed to be doing was asking the guys with a lot experience( yall) for some pointers.

1. are there any particular years to look for or stay away from?im leaning towards a 66 but im open to suggestions.

2. any options i should be on the look out for?

3. are there any paricular parts i should make sure are good because they are difficult or impossible to replace? body parts? trim? interior?

4. are after market parts very availible for these trucks?

5. how much can i reasonably expect to pay for a truck with a decent body? motor and drivetrain are unimportant to me. how will i know a good deal if i see one?

i have a 72 bronco already so i know what it can be like dealing with these older trucks, and i learned alot of hard lessons dealing with it (pre internet days lol) so i was hoping i could get some heads up and some pointers before i even buy one.

thanks a bunch guys!
kevin

 

1966 F100 was the first 4WD to have coil spring front suspension. All other 1961/65 F100 4WD's have leaf spring front suspension.

The engines in 1961/64 F100 4WD's & 1965 F100 4WD's mount completely different than 1966 and later F100 4WD's.

 

thanks nd, ive read some of your info on other posts and have a question.

it seems the cab of a 66 is a straight bolt on to a 77 frame, but what im not quite sure about is what the differences are with the bed? a short bed to be more exact.

thanks

 

1961/72 F100/350: The width between the inner frame rails behind the cab is 33 1/2."

Beginning in 1973: The width between the inner frame rails behind the cab is 37 1/2" for F100/150 2WD/4WD & F250 2WD

P/S & A/T not available with 4WD until 1973. Disc brakes not available in F100/250 4WD until 1976.

1973/75 F100 4WD & 1975 F100 4WD have Garrison Power Assist P/S

 

thanks number dummy.

just thought I would bring this back to top for any other advice. I thought I would have more replies, maybe everyone is a purist and considers body swaps sacrilege. lol. I know im that way with my old bronco.

 

4x4man514, A 65/66 cab front clip should be bolt hole compatible with your 77 chassis. As Bill noted, changes were made in 73. The rear axle was lengthened to make the rear track match the front that was widened in 65. Ford also added 4in to the cab for extra room, but did so behind the rear cab mounts.

So if you want to deal with the different wheel base lengths, rear wheel seen in the openings a 65/66 can be made to fit that chassis with cab/clip direct bolt on.

My O


John

 

In my neck of the woods, $2500 gets you a decent running truck. Unless you are a fabrication wizard, I would get a donor that has minimal rust. Years ago, I lived in Georgia and purchased a '73 Sedan DeVille that had two big rust holes between the trunk lid and the back window. When it rained, which seemed like every day in the summer, the trunk would fill up with water.

I would do some research on the cost of body and interior trim, so you can better judge which donor is right for you.

 

So if you want to deal with the different wheel base lengths, rear wheel seen in the openings a 65/66 can be made to fit that chassis with cab/clip direct bolt on.

thanks john, im not sure im completely following you on that last part,

youre saying a 65 or a 66 cab will bolt right up , but what will I have to do with the bed? move the axle forward or backward?

thanks again
kevin

 

thanks ko, are there many aftermarket parts available for these trucks(interior and exterior) or do I need to make sure the one I get is almost perfect? im not bad at fabbing but I am far from capable on body work

thanks again!

 

Kevin, In 65 Ford changed 2wd trucks to Twin I-beam front axle that widened the front track. The cab & front clip are bolt hole exchange from 65 to 79.

In 73 Ford added 4in in length to the rear of the cab. This was done behind the rear cab mount, so the chassis didn't change at that point, but it does add the the total length of the truck pushing the rear axle further down line changing the wheel base. Ya gotta have bigger pants and a longer belt even though you are wearing the same shoes.

I have not done this myself so I don't know if it's better to cut the chassis or try moving the rear axle forward to fit to opening of the bed. You can make it ride on the chassis but the rear tires will appear too far back in openings.

Hope I got it a bit better. Maybe someone that has done this will chime in.



John

 

You should have a pretty good selection of cabs to choose from. Any 1965-1966 F100 or F250 2WD plus any 1966 F100 4x4. I would only recommend using a 1966 F100 4x4 if you can't find something else since the 4x4 trucks are rare enough to probably warrant worth saving on their own.

You'll want to skip the 1965 F100/F250 4x4 and 1966 F250 4x4 and any F350 since they use the cabs with the larger step in the doorway and the cab mounts are enough different to not make it worth starting off on the wrong foot.

Otherwise, Ford made something around 605,820 with cabs that should fit your want Lots of them left.

There is also a good selection of reproduction parts for these trucks. Not everything, but not too bad. Dennis Carpenter, Carolina Classics, Macs, NPD, etc. and some NOS stuff still around.

.

 

thanks a bunch guys! that does seem to clear it up a lot. it sounds like I need to stick with a 66 f100 and plan on relocating the rear axle. right?

one more question, are there any parts that I need to make sure are good on a donor truck because they are not replacable? thanks

kevin

 

hey guys, i still have no truck,lol but im looking at a 63. is it much differnt or any more difficult to swap the 63 body to the 77 frame?

thanks a bunch!

 

63 cab as long as it isn't unibody is the one TA455HO was talking about, its the same from 61 to 64 on all models (except unibody), 65 is when they went to twin Ibeam and the 100 series got a different cab, they used the old body on 65 250 and 350 4x4s and even later big trucks, probably not what you want, like he said:
"Any 1965-1966 F100 or F250 2WD plus any 1966 F100 4x4." Keep looking…

Since you aren't keeping anything else but the body drivetrain condition means nothing. Is your 77 a short bed? Maybe you could get an old long bed and cut it down to match the wheelbase, I think 64 - 66 100 series styleside beds have the same body lines.

 

65+ will fit onto a 77 frame. 64 and older wont w/o modification.