Identity crisis?
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Identity crisis?
Okay, maybe not anymore. I think I have my 1963 f-100 figured out.
For a while I have been trying to find a picture of an f-100 that looks like mine. The only pictures that come close are the pictures of a 4X4. Mine is not a 4X4. At least it isn't anymore. Apparently a previous owner has converted the truck from a 4X4 to a 2wd, and did a pretty good job.
I have never seen a 4X4 from this era and the only source of information about the truck I have is this site and the internet.
Can someone tell me where I might find information on the 4X4 and maybe pictures of the underside? Also, the truck still sits a bit higher than the 2WD. Is the suspension different on the 4X4? If so, how?
This may seem pretty obvious to many of you here, but I am fairly new to these old trucks. I am wanting to know how much of the truck has been changed to determine what it would take to restore it to origional. The truck has always been a Texas truck so rust is not an issue and it is about as solid as it was 40 years ago.
Thanks in advance for your help!
For a while I have been trying to find a picture of an f-100 that looks like mine. The only pictures that come close are the pictures of a 4X4. Mine is not a 4X4. At least it isn't anymore. Apparently a previous owner has converted the truck from a 4X4 to a 2wd, and did a pretty good job.
I have never seen a 4X4 from this era and the only source of information about the truck I have is this site and the internet.
Can someone tell me where I might find information on the 4X4 and maybe pictures of the underside? Also, the truck still sits a bit higher than the 2WD. Is the suspension different on the 4X4? If so, how?
This may seem pretty obvious to many of you here, but I am fairly new to these old trucks. I am wanting to know how much of the truck has been changed to determine what it would take to restore it to origional. The truck has always been a Texas truck so rust is not an issue and it is about as solid as it was 40 years ago.
Thanks in advance for your help!
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Serial number on the door is: F10CR380581. The body number is: 81A, trans: A, Axel: 12, G.V.W: 5000lbs. WB: 122"
This is from the plate on the door and assuming the door is origional to the truck.
Thanks for the reply!
This is from the plate on the door and assuming the door is origional to the truck.
Thanks for the reply!
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Joined: Sep 2004
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From: Texas
That and add some pictures of it to your Gallery! 
Not only Do we encurage showing off your truck, but it will help identify it. You say you think it was converted from 4x4? Anything can be done, but the 4x4's steering was in front of the axle, the 2x4's is behind it. The oil pan of the 4x4 would have its sump in the back to clear the 4x4 axle, and that would be in the way of 2x4's steering (unless it's lifted higher to clear that?)
Not only Do we encurage showing off your truck, but it will help identify it. You say you think it was converted from 4x4? Anything can be done, but the 4x4's steering was in front of the axle, the 2x4's is behind it. The oil pan of the 4x4 would have its sump in the back to clear the 4x4 axle, and that would be in the way of 2x4's steering (unless it's lifted higher to clear that?)
Posting Guru
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From: Davenport, IA
G.V.W: 5000lbs. WB: 122"
F10=F100
C=292 2v
R=San Hose (assembly plant)
380581=Feb.1963 (born on date)
81A=standard cab
A=Ford Standard Duty 3 speed
12=3.89 rear gear
The 4x4 would have F11 instead of F10. Also the GVW would not be 5000. I think you would also have 2 axle codes. Front springs are 45" long and 2" wide on 2wd and 48" and 2.5" on 4x4's.
It would be alot of work to replace front axle, front suspension, steering system, drivers side door, gear box, floor pan, etc. To the point where there would be no trace of 4x4. Seems to me, this thing was always 2wd. May simply have heavier springs - never know what was put on at the dealer or by previous owners.
Is there more than a 2 digit DSO# on your door tag? If there are more digits, it was a factory special order.
How many leaves on the springs? F100s came standard with 6, but 7 was optional.
F10=F100
C=292 2v
R=San Hose (assembly plant)
380581=Feb.1963 (born on date)
81A=standard cab
A=Ford Standard Duty 3 speed
12=3.89 rear gear
The 4x4 would have F11 instead of F10. Also the GVW would not be 5000. I think you would also have 2 axle codes. Front springs are 45" long and 2" wide on 2wd and 48" and 2.5" on 4x4's.
It would be alot of work to replace front axle, front suspension, steering system, drivers side door, gear box, floor pan, etc. To the point where there would be no trace of 4x4. Seems to me, this thing was always 2wd. May simply have heavier springs - never know what was put on at the dealer or by previous owners.
Is there more than a 2 digit DSO# on your door tag? If there are more digits, it was a factory special order.
How many leaves on the springs? F100s came standard with 6, but 7 was optional.
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I'm assuming you think it looks like it was a 4x4 due to the 57 to 63 styleside bed. If that is the case, it is easy to do. The 1962 and 1963 non-unibody stylesides used the 57 to 60 styleside bed in both the 4x4 and 4x2. I believe all 1961 stylesides were unibodies, but could be wrong. Ford was trying to figure out what their buyers wanted in the very early 60s. The flareside bed was thought to be the most in demand, but as the years went on, buyers wanted the styleside more than the flareside. In 1964, Ford came out with the styleside that matched the cab and carried it through 1966 in the 4x2s. Your VIN shows it to be a 4x2. The bed, if it is the 57 to 60 styleside, is correct.
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From: Harlingen Tx
I seem to recall that the 61's had both a step side, style side, the only difference was the step between the cab and fender. Or am I just imaging it?
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I remeber the topic of 61 stylesides came up here before. The general consensus was that the only 61 stylesides were unibodies. Maybe someone here has a dealer's brochure that would give us a photo. I saw a styleside on ebay recently that the owner said was a 61, but by vin, it was a 62. His title said it was a 61, but it was the old issue of some states titling vehicles in the year they were licensed and not necessarily the manufacturer's model year. The red one in Sam_Fear's third picture looks like a 63. The flareside looks like a 63 or 64.
Posting Guru
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From: Davenport, IA
Well, there weren't enough 61's in the galleries to grab from so I had to cheat. The Uni is a 61. The flareside is a 61. And the styless-side on the bottom is my 63. The 61-63 detached bed f100 came with the mismatched 60 styleside bed. Any 61-63 with a matching stylside bed is not OEM - someone has changed it over. Unibodies were made from 61-63. The Uni was discontinued for 64, but the bed style was used for the 64-66 styleside bed. The F250 used the 60 bed from 61-66.
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Thanks Barry, 66, Tom and Sam for the replies! I misread another post and thought it said that only 4X4s from this era had the mismatched bed. That and the fact that mine sits high in the rear due to the 8 leaf springs, heavy duty spring loaded shocks and the large tires (285's). I don't care much for the look of the raised rear end, but I imagine a previous owner wanted them for the camper that the truck had at one time. I put 800 lbs of Quickrete in the bed a few weeks ago and the bed hardly moved!
The pictures helped, Sam. My truck is like your red 63. I see that you are repainting it. Are you going back with red and was red an option for it that year? Also, are those the original wheels?
Thanks again for the information. I now need to get the truck running again. I was curious about the condition of the engine so I did a compression test. Compression was good but now the truck won't start...doh! I'll have to start another thread on that.
The pictures helped, Sam. My truck is like your red 63. I see that you are repainting it. Are you going back with red and was red an option for it that year? Also, are those the original wheels?
Thanks again for the information. I now need to get the truck running again. I was curious about the condition of the engine so I did a compression test. Compression was good but now the truck won't start...doh! I'll have to start another thread on that.
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