I am the new owner of a 1960 Ford F350 flatbed. It's an interesting truck, it was used as a car hauler for a guy in Seattle back and forth to the race track, the frame is extended about 3 feet, as far as I can tell it looks like it was done correctly, stagger cuts and fishplates welded on the inside. Its got a 292 with the 5.14 Rockwell rear end, holley 4 barrel, headers and thunderbird heads (maybe just valve covers). I don't need to go fast, use back roads where I am going.

On the first day home, I was looking over the truck and I had pulled a shop manual and a mac pickup parts book out of the truck and set it on the rear dually. There is no wooden bed at this time. I put my keys on the manuals. After a bit I went back to the manuals and the mac book was about 6 feet from the original place on the ground. No wind, it was a calm day. Keys are gone.

So for me to get this going, the first thing is an ignition switch with new keys. I see I can get it from Macs. Second is to remove the gas cap, its a locking one. Any suggestions on picking this lock? My neighbor for which I got the truck has filled it up with gas. which revealed a leak around the sending unit. The unit appears to be a new one and gas is leaking around the gasket and screws. Aside from a new gasket, is there any goop I should put on it? Gas gauge is not working and I have not followed it back to the gauge yet.

After I get this thing running again, I want to finish the wood for the flatbed and I will need lots of suggestions here. I will post some pics so you can see what I am up against in attaching the wood.

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Buy a magnet and find the keys maybe. My truck came to me with a universal ignition switch that I just replaced with another one. You can pull the filler tube out really easily if you have to destroy the locking cap. Then you could drill the lock out.

 

I was working on my ignition switch. I wanted to order the cylinders and keys from Macs but I had to remove the cylinder. Youtube showed a video removing the cylinder, easy but you had to put the switch in the on position to push the pin to release the cylinder. With no keys, I could not do this. I tried picking the lock with no luck. Finally I drill a small hole where the tumblers were, basically chewing up the tumblers. this allowed me to turn the switch to the on position, push the pin in and release the cylinder. Also was able to get the gas cap off so parts are order and all set. Maybe I can get this thing running again. Next job is the bed.

 

I deleted the pictures as they were duplicates.

 

To get the ignition switch cylinder out without a key, I drilled a small hole into the cylinder where the lock pins would be. Basically destroyed the lock pins This allowed me to turn the cylinder to the on position and then I could push in the little pin and remove the cylinder. I guess I got lucky. Anyway new cylinder and keys on order.

 

Looks nice anyway. Good luck.

 

Envious of those cool T-Bird valve covers!

 

Yes, they look pretty cool. According to the guy I got the truck from the 292 is suppose to have T-bird heads as well. I do not know what benefit that would add to the engine, more horse power? And I do not know how to tell a T-bird head from a cabbage head.

 

if they are thunderbird heads they should have smaller chambers which would bump up the compression resulting in more horsepower. by the way cool truck! and what's on it for headers?

 

Unless it was a super charged engine the heads are the same as all passenger car heads..

I like the headers but I would run the plug wire under the exhaust like the originals rather then over the top.Looks like thhey are subject to burning on the headers.

 

what is on it for headers?

 

I looked on the headers for a stamp or part number without any success. I have no idea what the previous owner installed. I there some way to identify the headers?

I see you have a similar version of the 1950 truck, does yours have a flatbed? I need to finish my flatbed in order to use the truck, but I am not real sure how to tackle this task. Any suggestions?

 

mine does have a flatbed on it but it is an original ford script bed. yours looks to be homemade and mine is missing the decking so i'm going to replace it with white oak, not sure how you could do yours

 

What are your plans for the truck? I've seen pretty wood on flatbeds. you could bolt down 2x lumber like trailer deck. If you want factory look you would be better off finding a used bed where sides are enclosed with metal channels and usually stake pockets.

 

My plans for the truck is to do kind of a frame on restoration, slowly over time, replace rust, window glass etc. I want to use it as a firewood hauling truck. We burn wood for winter heat and I am constantly scrounging downed trees to cut up for firewood. There is a winch on the front end of the truck that at one time was used to haul a car up on the deck. I thought I would either remove that or perhaps I could utilize it to haul a log onto the deck. I don't need to go fast with this truck, back road is just fine.

The truck came with car decking, it is in my neighbors shop, i think it is either fir or hemlock. I just have not figured out how to attach it. One thing I noticed is that if I just bolt the wood onto the frame, the tire clearance is only a couple inches, maybe three at the max. To bottom out the truck would be over five inches. I am not sure how much those big old springs move. I wanted more of a finished look to the truck so I would like to have angle iron on the edges.

Also another project is tires. 16 inch split rims. Too bad, tires have good tread but they are old and cracked. How were the old trucks equipped with spare and jack?