Wrong Bed?
Lead Gopher
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 10,015
Likes: 1,566
From: Seattle
As the unibody trucks were being phased out they also offered a separate styleside bed using the older 3rd generation bed. It's technically not "wrong" since it is correct for a truck like this.
Looks like a fairly clean truck, but no match for your Ranger as far as cool factor. This truck is a Standard Cab instead of a Custom Cab, too.
F10 - F100 5,000 G.V.W Rating
J - 223 6 cylinder
R - San Jose, CA assembly plant
363879 - 1963 model year - built December 1962
114" Wheelbase.
J - Rangoon Red Color code
F100 - F100 2x4 5,000 Lbs GVWR
81A - Standard Cab
G - 3 speed C/M
12 - Ford 9" 3.89 (3.3M) Non-Limited Slip
5,000 lbs. Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
114 net HP @ 3,600 RPM
74 - District Sales Office - Seattle, WA
Looks like a fairly clean truck, but no match for your Ranger as far as cool factor. This truck is a Standard Cab instead of a Custom Cab, too.
F10 - F100 5,000 G.V.W Rating
J - 223 6 cylinder
R - San Jose, CA assembly plant
363879 - 1963 model year - built December 1962
114" Wheelbase.
J - Rangoon Red Color code
F100 - F100 2x4 5,000 Lbs GVWR
81A - Standard Cab
G - 3 speed C/M
12 - Ford 9" 3.89 (3.3M) Non-Limited Slip
5,000 lbs. Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
114 net HP @ 3,600 RPM
74 - District Sales Office - Seattle, WA
Tuned
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 373
Likes: 18
From: N.W. Indiana
Here's an article talking about the wrong bed. Pretty interesting, enjoy...~Pat
FORDification.info - The '61-'66 Ford Pickup Resource
FORDification.info - The '61-'66 Ford Pickup Resource
Save the old ones
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 666
Likes: 4
From: Boyne Mich
Yep, I’ve stepped in this mud hole before too.
I have a 1965 F-250 4x4. 20 years ago I was with a buddy out in South Dakota at a junk yard. We found a 58 ford truck with an unbelievably clean bed. Same style as my F-250 4x4. So we brought it back to Michigan. Went to put it on my 65. And the darn thing didn’t fit. It hit the cab before the wheel lined up with the wheel well. Turns out it was a 9’ bed and my 65 had an 8’ bed.
Not wanting to waste the bed and thinking I’d never find another, we stretched the frame 14” and relocated the rear axle.
As far as I know I’m the only guy with a 65 F-250 4x4 w/ a 9’ bed.
I have a 1965 F-250 4x4. 20 years ago I was with a buddy out in South Dakota at a junk yard. We found a 58 ford truck with an unbelievably clean bed. Same style as my F-250 4x4. So we brought it back to Michigan. Went to put it on my 65. And the darn thing didn’t fit. It hit the cab before the wheel lined up with the wheel well. Turns out it was a 9’ bed and my 65 had an 8’ bed.
Not wanting to waste the bed and thinking I’d never find another, we stretched the frame 14” and relocated the rear axle.
As far as I know I’m the only guy with a 65 F-250 4x4 w/ a 9’ bed.
Tuned
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 401
Likes: 39
From: Wallyworld, VT
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Lead Gopher
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 10,015
Likes: 1,566
From: Seattle
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,838
Likes: 421
From: Lehigh Valley, Penna.
There were other improvements on the new '64 styleside bed. Better tailgate and double wall sides. Plus I'm sure they just wanted a new look.
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,210
Likes: 637
Pride and investment in the unibody for light duties ( aka the heavy duty Ranchero concept ) by management was so great in the initial stages, they thought they had a style and loadspace winner.. Separating the bodies like they did in the South American market would have admitted to failure in North America, where the large majority of their sales were. Not good timing since it was immediately after the Edsel failure. Ford decided to offer the older style separate styleside as a option without any new investment, but soon after they discovered they badly needed to stretch the wheelbases and strengthen their beds, mainly for the camper boom, which would require new tooling, so Ford just decided to wait it out for when the completely new redesigned bed was ready.. Ford was aware of the short comings of the unibody in severe service and never offered it on the F 350 and 4x4 during '61 thru '63, South America got a few interesting vehicles during this time, somebody should be checking the craigslist ads in Argentina. How about a '66 with divorced unibody bed, twin I beam and 292?
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,838
Likes: 421
From: Lehigh Valley, Penna.
Pride and investment in the unibody for light duties ( aka the heavy duty Ranchero concept ) by management was so great in the initial stages, they thought they had a style and loadspace winner.. Separating the bodies like they did in the South American market would have admitted to failure in North America, where the large majority of their sales were. Not good timing since it was immediately after the Edsel failure. Ford decided to offer the older style separate styleside as a option without any new investment, but soon after they discovered they badly needed to stretch the wheelbases and strengthen their beds, mainly for the camper boom, which would require new tooling, so Ford just decided to wait it out for when the completely new redesigned bed was ready.. Ford was aware of the short comings of the unibody in severe service and never offered it on the F 350 and 4x4 during '61 thru '63, South America got a few interesting vehicles during this time, somebody should be checking the craigslist ads in Argentina. How about a '66 with divorced unibody bed, twin I beam and 292?
Ford Parts Specialist
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 88,826
Likes: 783
From: Simi Valley, CA
It's not a Uni-body, because the bed is separate from the cab.
Uni's are 1961/63 F100/250 2WD's. The bed is welded to the cab.
Uni's are 1961/63 F100/250 2WD's. The bed is welded to the cab.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,838
Likes: 421
From: Lehigh Valley, Penna.
I understand that but is has the Uni style bed on the back and the other South American trucks with that bed used the Uni doors so that the body line flows smooth front to back.