I just made a deal on a 64 that's been sitting for 20+ years. It looks like it's in pretty good shape but it's a little gard to gauge as it's packed in a little garage.

Precious owner past away sp I just ha e a few notes he took back in 2001. There's a 302 bored .030 with an RV cam that has 15k miles on it. 3 spd manual. Looks like stock 9" and front suspension is all original. The bed is off and I can see the rear was c-notched. He has a CV front cross member that came with the truck but not installed.

All the sheetmetal is straight, chrome bumpers are fairly nice, I'm pretty sure it is original paint, which for it's age is really good.

It definitely needs some interior parts as plastic has cracked and is brittle.

I don't have a firm plan yet, this is my first F100... I currently have a 70 Torino 4dr hard top, a 2002 F150 Lightning and a 2017 F350. I've had a couple other Torinos and my first ride was a 72 LTD convertible. I mistakenly got I to square body Chevy trucks for a couple decades, but ove sold all that junk to guys who wanted to pay way too much for it.

As for build, since I've got other projects, I want to keep it simple. The CV swap doesn't look bad, but is the handling really worth the expense and work? I'm fine with manual steering. I think a disc brake upgrade isn't out of the question. Speedway has some kits that are reasonable. I'm sure the 302/3spd will be enough to get me around.

So really, I just need to put everything back together...

I'll be looking for help on fitment, adjustments, wiring, all that since I have barely been around this generation truck. I'm also I terested in hearing what I need to do to get the front end lower to match the rear. Without the bed, it looks like the axle is an inch or two away from the frame rails...

I don't see a lot of rust besides rhe drovers floorpan. Where is it most likely to show up?

 

If you just want it for a local cruiser for fun, and not lots of daily driving, I would put the right springs back to the rear axle, weld up the notched part, put it together, and enjoy it. Much quicker than doing custom work, as the previous owner found out. For 20 plus years he never got to enjoy the truck. Now he can't. Time doesn't wait on you.

I had a '64 as my only vehicle for a while. Having front leaf springs, It won't ride like a twin I beam, but won't ride terrible either. Good shocks and radial tires will make the ride much better.

Those door panels are no problem to either make something yourself, or order repos online. I put thin laminate woodgrain in mine. It fit great and looked good.

Looks like a good solid truck.

Welcome Aboard. There are lots of people here that will know your truck from one end to the other, and where to find parts you may need. Just ask!

 

Spent a couple hours getting the bed back on the truck and pulling it out of the garage.

My chainfall and straps wouldn't go high enough to cleat the rear tires, but that worked out ok since the tires are big and I wouldn't have been able to get them of without taking the bed off agaim becaise of ride height and a wide axle. Im assumimg this is an acle flip? Are the spring hanger and shackle brackets stock with the axle over the spring instead of under?





littlw more rust than i saw originally, but still, looks good after a 5 minute bath to knock 20 years of dust off.







I need a new set of motor mount bushings, I see the kit available for putting a 302 in a 64, but not the individual rubber mounts.

 

Looking good. Those would appear to be stock hangars with possibly longer shackles. I replaced the hangars and shackles on my 62 and used Posie 2" drop springs for a total of a 5" drop. No axle flip and keeping the bed floor where its at. I have flipped axles... not a big fan for mostly cosmetic reasons. I did notch the frame in case I want to go lower in the future. My 62 was Holly Green like yours, love it. I have kept the y blocks on my 61-64 trucks. I have a friend that did a 302 in his 64. He had issues finding headers that worked and ended up swapping the aftermarket crossmember to one that provided him better placement and more clearance. I can get you more info if needed. Keeping the straight axle in mine. I used drop axle and Posie springs to get the front of mine down 5" as well. www.droppedaxles.com
I see you are in OR... There is an almost identical 64 for sale outside Eugene... Where are you at? Im in Grants Pass. Great project. Looking forward to your progress.


62 5" drop.

64 F250 3" drop

 

I'm in West Linn. This truck was out in Hillsboro, tucked away in a garage.
Seems there's an issue getting wide tires on when you've got a stock width axle and it's lowered a certain amount... it van be hard to unwind somebody else's work, even though everything looks to be well executed on this one so far. I bought a 2002 Lightning that had dropped spring hangers, extended shackles but also had a 2" lift block. Pinion angle was a disaster and brake lines and cables were wrapped around the wrong way.

I don't mind using stock exhaust manifolds, i dont need to worry about leaky header flanges and an extra 10hp.. like I said, I have a Lightning that handles the zippy drives, and it has airbags, good brakes and all that.

I know about Mac/Ecklers, CPP, speedway, inlinetube, NPD, Classic Industries... what are the best places to shop for quality, but not overpriced replacement parts. I havemt looked yet, but Im guessing all the basic parts are still over the counter at local stores or summit/Rock Auto etc?

 

I know there are a lot of options on a 302 crossmember. I will reach out to my friend that did it and let you know which he ended up going with. All those places you mentioned are good sources. Macs/Ecklers seem to have backed off the truck scene somewhat, they were my go to source. A few others... Napa, Dennis Carpenter, C&G Ford Parts(if they have it in stock, they ship same day and are usually cheaper). For used OE parts Brian Morrison is the man in OR. www.slicktruckparts.com He has a great inventory and is just outside Eugene. He is the one who has that other Holly green truck for sale. I use Wilwood for brake parts when possible. Great fit and finish. Slightly more $$ but well worth it.

 

True blue
I have the metal door panels and have a 63 and a 64 parts truck in the yard right now if you find you need anything.
Ben

 

Amazing that I have room in my shop right now... rolled the 64 in this morning and reversed the axle flip and put the two leafs that were removed back in and put the matching 31's back on.

I'm pretty sure the rest of the chassis is stock now.

I don't want to do anything custom right now, im solely focused on putting it back together so it was just like it was when it was parked 20 years ago.

my budget is tiny, I'm torn on upgrading the brakes with disc up front vs stock replacement parts. I'm leaning towards stock replacement, let's me drive it quickly, and doesn't waste money on upgrades that might need to be upgraded again later when I understand what I really want to do with it.

If all goes well, I should have the motor back in and running by next weekend.

 

Nice job! Looks good. Since that c notch that the PO put in is a pretty large/deep one, I would bolt a piece of 1/4" plate across the inside just to be sure... Especially since it's easy to get to right now. Enjoy the project, great start.

 

Faster progress that I expected.

Motor/trans are in. Shifter, clutch linkage, throttle controls all are dine. Driveshaft will slide in once I replace universal joint later today. I am missing one little bracket for the ebrake cable, I might go back out and dig through the pike of metal to find it in the garage on Monday.


I pulled a ton of wire out... he replaced gauges and had some creative wiring solutions for fan controls and . Lots of but connectors, T taps and electrical tape, not too many fuses. I'm guessing the stock gauge cluster stopped working or he just preferred aftermarket gauges. Either way. I unraveled the mess and as long as there are no surprises it should be pretty simple to get power to motor.



The trick has an external voltage regulator, im familiar with checy systems using the 10si internally regulated alternators, I need to do a little reading on what to do since I don't know exactly what's going with the charging setup.

front brake parts get here early next week, bybthe time they get here, it should be running amd i should be able to take a test drive within a week.

 

Ibwent to an auction amd bought two pressure washers, a tiller and a wood chipper, kinda got sidetracked while waiting for parts to arrive from rock auto..

Bed and bumper went back on without much fuss.

I'm trying to sort through the crap wiring job the previous owner left me. Lots of electrical tape and some really sketchy splices. giess its karma from the stereo installs I did when I was 17.





I'm pretty sure I have all the wires sorted for the external regulator, im going to go back and rework the harness and put some proper unrelated and properly fused wires in later...

On the passenger side firewall i have these two plugs. What would they go to? Im pretty sire I dont have whatever it is, but before i trim them out, figured id ask.




A question I have now is the reassemble of the front clip. I read somewhere that the grill is impossible to install last, that maybe I should get the clip together first and then hang it? Or do i just need to put radiator support together with grill mounted and install the fenders with inner fenders? I didn't take apart so I don't know the easiest path...

 

You can definitely install the grill last. Since its already apart you won't have to fight rusted bolts... I have had my grille off and on with the clip in place a few times... It's the other parts of the front clip that require the whole thing off to disassemble easier....

 

so, do you assemble the fenders first, then the radiator support, ot other way around?

 

If it's all in pieces, I would assemble the front clip as a unit first. Inner fenders to core then fenders then font valances keeping them all somewhat loose until together as one and then adjust and tighten. Grill last. I actually have 2 front clips off right now.... my 62 and my 64. I haven't taken either all the way apart at this point but looking at them, that would be the sequence I would use.

 

I haven't done drum brakes since I don't know when. Now that I've done one, the passenger side will take about 4 minutes.

fingers crossed that i can break the hardline free from the hose tomorrow...