Jamboree Driver Goes Extra Long and Tall

Impressive Direction

Bucking the current trend of short box conversions, this 1959 F-350 heads the opposite direction—in more ways than one. Horizontally, the F-350 sports a curiously long bed. Going vertical, the sheet metal rides on a lifted 1976 Highboy chassis. Spotted at the 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, the big rig was built for everyday use—despite putting on an impressive show!

Photos courtesy of Diesel Army.

Different Option

Owner Tim Fritz confirmed, “I actually have a show truck and this is just my daily driver.” He elaborated on its details, “The bed is off of a 1958 F-350, and it is nine feet long. Believe it or not, this was a factory option back then to have the nine-foot beds. I couldn’t believe that because it really was different.”

Monster Fair

Now into its thirty-seventh year, the 4-Wheel Jamboree fills the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds with 4x4 vehicles of all types. The annual event ranges from mild to wild, with the aerial antics of the monster truck Freestyle Competition, mega truck mud bog racing, a burnout contest, monster truck rides and a Show-n-Shine. The family-friendly series has been described as a “State Fair for 4-Wheelers.”

Relocated Choice

The bed was not the only thing Fritz swapped. The truck's mix-and-match sheet metal was relocated onto a 1976 Ford 'Highboy' chassis. A Dana 60 Kingpin straight axle was then fitted to the frontend. Manufactured by the Dana Holding Corporation, the Dana/Spicer 60 was the axle of choice for most American light truck manufacturers starting in the mid-1970s. It is still in production.

Employed Axle

The rear end of the converted F-350 received a late-model Sterling 10.25 axle from a 1992 F-250. The axle earns its name from Ford's Sterling Axle Plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan. It was introduced in 1985, when the Motor Company decided to replace the previously employed Dana 60 and 70 rear axles. An updated Sterling 10.5 full floating axle was subsequently released in 1999.

Integrated Nickname

While tall Ford trucks popularized the usage, the term 'Highboy' is not a factory designation. Mostly applied to 1967 to 1977 F-series pickups, the nickname came about because the F-250 sat a touch higher due to a divorced transfer case, which necessitated a suspension lift for clearance. In 1977, Ford began using an integrated transfer case and the 'Lowboy' nickname was applied.

Power Adjustments

The mix-and-match continues under the hood. Fritz pulled a 12-valve Cummins 6BT Series diesel engine out of a 1993 Dodge RAM. He noted that a few adjustments were made for added power. “We did a few things to it to make it run a little better. We did the fuel pin, governor spring, turned the injection pump up and added an Hx35 turbo to it.”

Mock Equation

The interior is mostly stock, with Dodge Dakota seats fitted for a touch of comfort. Nailing the extra long and tall equation, Fritz related that the 1959 F-350 build was somewhat effortless. “Everything on this truck just works together. I feel like it was meant to be. When I tried to mock something up, it literally just fell into place.”

>>Join the conversation about this F-350 right here in the forum.

For help with your maintenance and repair projects, please visit our how-to section of Ford-trucks.com.