Out of the 6 ford trucks (65-66), one is a mercury 4x4 M-100. All that I could fine was the serial number, 1831020L4-246182A. M-100 120 W.B. and the engine is listed as SS-4spd.
Is this a 66 short box? I have all the Ford information but no Mercury info.

Thanks, Frank

 

Newest it would be is '65
2 reasons, the wheelbase is 120"
Choices for a'66 of 115" for a shortbox or 128" for a longbox NO 120"
and the VIN is the Canadian numbering system, they went to the American one in '66
so your breakdown goes like this
1-Mercury V8
83-truck.. would be that body style pickup (guessing slabside)
10- means M-100
20-120" wheelbase
L-left hand drive
4-unknown, I would guess it means 4WD
246182-consecutive serial number
A-gross vehicle weight code (1/2 ton)

Not sure of the SS engine code, if it was a '64 it would be RR for a 292
Maybe SS is a 352 in a '65


This all comes from here
http://mercurypickup.com/1964canadianfordvin.htm



What other 6 trucks are you talking about?

 

Thanks Ringo, I searched the net and could not find the info, I will be sure to add to my favorites list.
I have a 65 f-100 that I drive on weekends, was given the M-100 4x4 last year and recently purchased 2 65 F-250 and 2 66 F-100 from a guy who never got around to starting his project, all for $1000 bucks. Not to bad a buy considing all the parts that I have to work with.

Thanks again, Frank

 

Where are you in BC?

the Ford 4x4's in the Slick era (61-66) were still using the original frame Ford designed for the '59 model (when they started making Factory 4x4's).
That is why they have the wheelbase and the box to match that wheelbase from a '59. As far as I know they never made a shortbox 4x4 before '66, at least not a styleside. They all had 8' boxes.

A 2wd from '64 on would have a box that matched the body lines on a styleside, and the 2 wheelbase choices, 115" for a shorty and 128/129"for a long box

By '66 they were gearing up for the change in body style in '67 and they finally decided to update the 1/2 ton 4x4 frame so that they could use the stepless cabs,and matching boxes, short and long. A 66 4x4 also has coil spring front suspension. A '66 is the only Slick year you could get a shortbox 4x4.

All this stuff still does not apply to the '66 F250 (3/4 ton) and bigger, they continued to use the '59 frame. And the boxes are still the oddballs off a '57-60, even in 66, but only for the bigger trucks.
So a '66 1/2 ton 4x4 is the only Slick 4x4 that the box matches the body lines.

'65's are special in that they have the older style cab, with the steps, and the rounded inner fenders, but were updated that year to newer generation engines, 240-6 , 300-6 and 352 FE.
The setup for the 352 4x4 still has the single front mount and the transmission case mounts to mount the engine, where as the 2wd has towers off the twin I cross member to the side of the block, and a rear transmission mount, like they still use.

This makes the tranny and engine out of a 4x4 '65 swapable all the way back to a '57... the only FE engine swap that you can do without surgery on a pre-65 2wd truck.

RF

 

Ringo, born and raised in Port Alberni Vancouver Island B.C.
Thanks for the info, knew some of it but not all

Frank

 

Ringo...I've seen Unibody SWB 4x4's. One in the wrecker at Borden, and one driving around S'toon. They're both pretty rough, I doubt anyone wasted time building them , they must be stockers.

 

There are rumours of 4x4 unibodies at the very beginning of 1961, but no one seems to be able to confirm or deny that the factory ever built 4x4 Uni's , because the bodys were not able to flex enough for a 4x4 use.

So they may be put-together jobs, the only way to confirm would be to see if the VIN on the frames and bodies match. They would indeed be rare beasts if someone could prove they were factory.