7 Things You May Not Know About the F-Series
Think you know everything there is to know about the F-Series? We bet we can give you a run for your money with F-Series facts in this article.
1. Ford built a "unibody" F-Series pickup
Fans of 1960's Ford trucks undoubtedly know about the failed "unibody" experiment that took place between 1961 and 1963. Ford's one-piece body design used a cab and bed that were one continuous piece with no gap between them. With bed sides spot welded directly to the door sills and a front bed portion that shared sheet metal with the back of the cab, Ford promised a number of advantages with the design. Indeed, the integrated cab truck had a longer wheelbase and 16% more capacity than the regular F-Series, but it also had a number of problems. Owners reported that the body structure twisted with heavy loads in the bed, and the doors could even pop open or get stuck when shut. Thus, the experiment proved to be short lived.
2. Ford offered the first independent front suspension on a domestic pickup
Ford's Twin I-Beam front suspension was truly revolutionary when it debuted in 1965 - offering a setup that resulted in a much smoother ride, better handling, improved wheel alignment, and reduced tire wear over a traditional leaf spring setup. Ford credits the suspension with changing the perception of pickup trucks back in the 60's and making them more appealing to folks who didn't work on a farm for a living. And it worked so well, in fact, that they used it on the F-Series pickup all the way until 1996.
3. The Ranger name debuted on an Edsel
Most folks associate the Ranger name with either Ford's compact/mid-size pickup or as a trim level for the F-Series. But the Ranger name actually debuted on an Edsel and was used to designate the brand's entry-level offering from 1958-1960. Oddly enough, the Ranger name reappeared in 1965, signifying the highest trim level for the F-Series. It remained in use there through 1982, and in 1983 the Ranger became its own pickup truck.
4. The Brazilian F-Series remained unchanged for 21 years
From 1971 to 1992 in Brazil, you really didn't have a reason to go check out the latest and greatest F-Series truck at your local dealership. That's because the 5th generation of the truck remained on sale there, mostly unchanged, for 21 years. But Brazilian F-Series trucks had some interesting options over that time period, including a four-cylinder diesel with and without a turbocharger and an ethanol burning 2.3-liter four banger.
5. Canadians could buy a Mercury version of the F-Series
The Mercury M-Series was produced mainly for Canada between 1946 and 1968. Because towns and cities in the Great White North are often rural and so far apart, many towns had either a Ford or Mercury dealership, but not both. Ford didn't want to miss out on any truck sales, so they offered the M-Series as an alternative to the F-Series. The rebadged Mercury trucks featured a few differences such as the grille, badging, and trim, and they're a relatively rare but cool sight today.
6. Ferrari also made an F150
Ferrari rolled out its latest F1 car in 2011, dubbed the F150. The intention was to celebrate 150 years of Italian unification, but obviously Ford didn't take too kindly to sharing a trademarked nameplate with another automaker. So to clear up that little legal mess, Ferrari renamed the car F150º Italia.
7. Ford didn't build a four wheel drive F-100 until 1959
Prior to 1959, if you wanted a four wheel drive F-Series truck, you got one that wasn't built by Ford. That's because Ford outsourced the conversion to third party companies like Napco, American-Coleman, and Marmon-Herrington. That all changed in 1959, and obviously Ford never looked back after that.
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