I want to put my 63 f100 cab on to my 66 f100 frame and use the 66 bed. What will i have to besides make cabmounts? are the frames wider/narrower? Is there anything i should know?

Thanx JJ

 

You will need to add a section from a 65 66 cab for the steering collum to exit the firewall and fill in the floor opening. Additionally you must add the center secton of a 65-66 dash to the lower part for the steering collum. Level the frame and set the cab level centred on the rear mounts then place the custom fabbed mounts in place on the front mounts.


Preformed this swap using a 66 F250 4x4 Crew Cab cab on to a 79 F150 Trailer Towing Special frame and running gear. Everything lines up right with the power steering box and my shortened 65 automatic collum.

which bed are you using the 57 to 60 carried over till 63 or a 64 to 66 bed?

Garbz

 

Oops Missed the 66 bed in there>The dimension of the back of the cab relative to the rear mount for the cab has not changed from 63 to 66 so the rear of the cab in relation to the bed would remain constant. the 66 bed should bolt right on in the stock location as long as they are the same wheel base.

Garbz:

 

Everything Garbz2 says is right Except he forgot to mention front cab mounts must be relocated on a 66 frame, or refabricated on 63 cab because 63 is an "early' type single I beam, 2 spring front end chassis while 66 twin I beam is later style [as in 65 thru 79] . It's a whole different Kick in frame rails up, at firewall, between 65 or later and 64-63-62-61- 60 etc etc all the way back to the 1948 F-1.

Also floor pan, door sills, and front core support are different on a 63, actually 64 and earlier and a 1965 tjrough 79, 66 is in that 2nd genre. I've no Idea how to tell you to resolve that problem?

Putting a 64 or earlier body, regardless of it's style or "look" is like trying to put 48 F-1 body on 66 frame. Possible? yes!. . . Easy? Not at all! . . . . . . Virtual "Bolt On" like a 65 on a mid to late 70s? No Way!

I took my 66 F100 off its' OEM chassis and put it on later chassis to get "new Tech, Late Model goodies" I took a few "hens teeth" off it and sent it to crusher with it's itty bitty Dana 6 Cyl rear & all, for $1.35 or something like that.

FWIW I'd tell you swapping 64/ earlier body to 66 chassis is like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. I mean what's the point or gain of such an exercise? You're gonna bust your butt adapting all you need to adapt to accomplish what you want. Why not use a chassis that offers substantial upgrades for all your time and effort, like Power Steering, Power Disc Front Brakes, Place/way for anti sway bars, Better and different shock moiunts, and all that?

There is a good post on front cab mount change over from 64 & earlier to 65 & later style. Use FTEs site search function upper R/H Menu of this page to locate that thread.

I don't mean to discourage you, I want you to understand what you are getting into with what you are asking about/ proposing to attempt. Anybody can swap a 65 onto a 75 ot 79 late frame as it's all bolt up. But swapping 64-back to 65-up style frame means a welder, some fabrication, some laying out & design work some metal cutting & grinding, making things, and so forth. Plus figuring out what will interchange & what will not. Much more will not interchange, than will, I promise you that.

TALK TO ME jj292 I'm tryin to help ya here...........

FBp

 

FBP

I clearly noted the need for custom front mounts?....

65 66 inner fenders are a bitch to attach to the 63 cab as the correct mounts are not there i assumed that he would also be transfering over all the 63 front end sheet metal. The dimensions from the front rad support mount to the rear cab mount do not change from 61 to 66 this is a given dimension regulated by the front fender and core supports irregardless of the frame dip in the later 65 66 frame. the firewall is Still dimensionallly the same from the front of the cab to rear. All being in the same reltive position, later 70 frames have the additional stretch in the rear of the cab hence the need to relocate this mount on a 78 79 frame and subesequent bed redrilling needs.

I agree it is not for the un mechanical or ethnically engineering challenged to attempt but i have done this and it works. Less than a days work for me to modify all that i need to place a 66 crew cab on a 128" wheel base 79 frame.

Photos of the four door cab on the frame can be viewed over at slick 60s in the mid atlantic chapter album i think on page three. since the photos were taken i have completed the front cab mounts and roughed the front sheet metal in place.

Albeit the rear cab mounts are no wheres near a stock location on mine as this was a longbed tuck and i now have a short bed custom uni bed fabricated for it.

The best bet is to just locate a 66 cab and use that with a 63 grill and upper valance and a 66 core support.... beats the heck out of all the extra work and who cares unless you are doing a concorse resto?

Garbz

 

Garbz, They don't call you the tin man for nutten, huh?
You have picked up some speed in the last couple o years, hope jr. is paying attention. Yall would make a great fabricating team.

John

 

you guys don't understand my intentions. I have not chosen specificaly these trucks. although I did know that I wanted to build a 60's f100 the year is not important because it is going to be highly customized, i already have the engine and the 63 has the single I beam, y-block engine mounts, and the 57-63 bed all of which i do not want. The reason I wanted to use the cab from it is that aside from faided paint and some minor dents it is perfect. Also I did not choose the 66 I just have, it the cab and engine are toast so I was going to use the frame. But if you think that my better option would be to get a newer frame than help me weigh the advantages/disadvantages of the 66 vs. a newer one for my situation.

Thanx JJ

 

JJ,

As you can see by the gist of our converstaion it is possible to use your early style cab, providing you make the appropriate modifications we discussed. As long as you are aware that your proposal is not a direct "bolt on" and you will have to Fit & Fab the project accordingly, and have the capacities to do it,. . . do it!

You'll have a " Big Deal" when fitting nose/ front sheet metal clip between early cab & later frames. Besides support core mounting where/ how fender assys (inner-outer) attach to cab firewalls is different between early/late. It can be done tho. If you go that route maybe you ought to keep a journal & take digital Pix so you can post the information on how you did it to share with others in the future. Something like that would be a big help to you right now, wouldn't it? I'll bet.

All we're saying is it's harder using earlly (61 -64) than later (65-66) bodies on a 65 & up frame. My comment about the 66 frame is altho it does have twin I beams, does accept later engines, it has older technology (usually) Like Drum Brakes, Manual Steering early position shock mounts, no provision for in frame fuel tank, no anti sway bar mount provisions & so forth. Many even have the tiny, "itty bitty", useless, 6 Cyl Dana Integral Rearend assys. Generally most 75/ later F Series have the upgrades & a 9" Rear.

73-up all have some form of 9" FoMoCo rear end system. Here's a little tip. As a rule, nearly all 75 & later LWB F100 & F150's & SWB F100-F150/ Trailer Special Pkg, or Towing Pkg, and a FEW w/ Big Engines came with 31 spline 9" FoMoCo rear ends. The rears with number ID are non traction device and rears w/ Letter ID's were traction devices when OEM, originally.

You could use 63 Cab, 66 bed as well as get stuff from 66 as a donor. For example(a personal pref' on my part only)66s will have forged steel radius rods, which soon became stamped steel in 67-72 models. So all 73-79s have stamped ones. To me forged steel has much more "class, style, & character" than stamped steel. So I use forged ones every chance I get. It's a touch of class, a small detail, that looks super neat to me & makeds a subtle difference.

Also repairing gaping strg column hole in 63 firewall with the section of 66 cab firewall would be class too. As would be using 66 dash bracket. You may even be able to get away with using front cab mounts off 66 cab to make 63 bolt up right. I don't know that as a fact, maybe others do, but I would look into it myself.

So JJ, as you see, and as we've intimated, anything is possible with right resources, capabilities & efforts. Anything can be done if someone wants it bad enough. Hell they captured the Desert Rat last night, hiding in a Rat Hole in the ground, so as I contend anything can be done, and apparently One Was Done Last Night!
On that note,HATS OFF TO OUR US BOYS IN CAMO' , Come On Home Guys, and THANX "Hooo WHAaaah ! !

Keep in touch JJ, we'll be here.

FBp