I noticed a long box 69 stepside on my local classifieds, and although I’ve never liked the short box stepside bed look, I’ll admit I’m very interested in this one, it’s a long box f100 4x4 and apparently 1 of 732.

Is this the actual original box style? I can’t recall ever seeing the step side long bed before in the wild, it looks so much taller than the short bed, like it doesn’t fit the cab. Was it reused from an older body style the way some of the early 60s trucks did, or is this just how they came?

(neither of these are the truck, I just wanted to get a decent side shot to fully describe what I was seeing.)

 

Your technical info here:
https://www.fordification.com/tech/images/bb70/p144.jpg

 

Uh-Oh You called it a "stepside". There are certain members here that really don't like that. For me I don't care one way or another. At least it's not a "chevy". We would like to see pictures of the truck if you end up getting it. As far as it being 1 of 732 a Marti Report will tell all.

 

flareside? Whatever is called when the fenders go outside the box and the box is narrower. I’ve always found them very odd looking, and can’t tell for sure if it’s the factory box or not, but seems like it is. It’s an unusual truck and could be interesting to own for sure.

 

If you look up a side shot of a short box flare side you can then see if it is just as high to the cab.
From the 2 pictures I would say it is the right box.
Look at the roof line to cab corner and the bed top lips look the same to me.

BTW after 1980 Ford no longer made the long bed flare side.
I am not sure if they made the long bed flare side for the 1973 to 1979 trucks?
Dave ----

 

Not sure either, I don’t recall ever seeing one but I wasn’t really looking. It does look the same height as the short bed and seems original. Needs brakes and floor pans but is 4x4 snd apparently runs.

 

just saw a 73 f250 for sale, maybe I should buy them both

 

I used to not care for the flareside beds, but lately they have grown on me, especially the longbeds, which are less common (ironic, since the shortbed is less common on the stylesides). I love the fact there is plenty of room to mount a spare behind the driver's door, without it sticking way up.

Probably a decent chance it's a former government truck, as they typically bought longbeds via sealed bid where the specs usually didn't specify a "style". Since Flaresides were cheaper, dealers would submit bids for a Flareside to increase their odds of winning the bid. I've seen several former fire department brush trucks that were Flareside highboys, usually fairly low mileage and in great condition for their age. I'd love to own one of those!

 

Yup, that's the one. This is basically a picture of my truck from factory except the wheels are aftermarket. Flareside beds were exactly the same from 53-72 in either 6 1/2 or 8 ft. F350s had a 9 ft option.

I think these pictures are a bit deceptive because of the angle the pictures are taken and the 8' beds normally have a stake pocket about 1/3 down above the wheel well and this was removed on that blue 8' bed.

The 9' beds are a foot longer behind the wheelwells look even more unique:


I like the flareside look best on the 64 and 65 but I got a 69 that I love and continue to work on. After 72, the frame widened so those are pretty much the same but wider. Then there was a period in the later 70s when the tops of them were flat instead of sloped inward. Take some pictures of the one you're looking at if you need more feedback. I think they look great, classic and timeless. Almost like you get the uniqueness of earlier trucks but you get the better suspension on 4x2s from 64 on up. The 4x4s still had leaf springs up front so they don't hug quite as good.

I think many of the flareside beds were removed and replaced with aftermarket flat stake beds or spare styleside (the typical beds) as soon as the wood bed floors rotted out of them so they do seem more rare. Also, although some the government truck sectors probably babied them bit more, the other side of the coin were the trades trucks that were abused so of the few that remain, they are either in really rough shape or really good.