Ford’s Unibody, or integrated body, pickups stole the thunder for 1963 as they were discontinued halfway through that model year due to reports of body flexing. Ford still offered its regular cab-and-bed pickups right through that three-year experiment, such as this 1963 Ford F-100. The seller has this slight restomod listed here on eBay in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona and the current bid is $3,550.
With a new cab design but a carryover bed design from the previous-generation, this truck has a bit of a Studebaker what-were-they-thinking look to it. It’s not as sleek as the later versions would be starting in 1964. Ford made the fourth-generation F-Series pickups from late-1960 for the 1961 model year until the end of the 1966 model year. This generation of Ford pickup hasn’t quite caught on with collectors yet, but given the value of the bumpside (fifth-gen) pickups lately, it’s not hard to predict what’ll happen with the value of these trucks in the future.
If a person were looking for a 60-year-old pickup with plenty of “patina”, look no further. We don’t know whether this truck has lived in the desert southwest since new, but it sure looks straight and solid, and appropriately sunburnt, paint-wise. The bed looks good inside, just as used and bare as the truck appears to be everywhere else. The seller refers to this as “a patina original style paint” and I’m not sure if that means this is a natural patina or was recreated.
From this angle, the steering wheel looks like something Ralph Cramden would have in his bus (there’s an old reference for ya). I don’t remember my brother’s 1964 Ford F-100 having such an upright steering wheel but it must have. The interior looks good and the seller mentions having redone parts of it but leaving it original for the most part. Are those vents below the rock-hard steel dash? Yes, this truck has ice-cold air conditioning!
This is not your average 1963 Ford Y-block 292-cu.in. OHV V8 engine, which would have had 160 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque. This is a restomod that I can get behind. I’m normally an original spec guy but this truck has a Holley Sniper EFI conversion, something our own Todd Fitch has tackled and conquered, and I’m sure many of you have, too. Also, that huge twin-fan radiator helps in Arizona summers. The engine sends power through a “refreshed”, upgraded C4 automatic to the rear wheels. Any thoughts on this upgraded and good-looking F-100?
“To the moon Alice…and POW, right in the kisser!”
Yeah, today Ralph would be doing time for battery for his slanderous remarks against women. It should be noted, Alice Kramden( Audrey Meadows) was the 1st gal to stand up to remarks like Ralphs. In case some don’t know, the steering wheel was in response to Ralphs job as a bus driver, as mentioned.
I was surprised to see a Y block, and I know better than to question the author, but Ford did indeed offer it through ’64 for trucks. I, for one, can’t wait until this patina fad blows over, and we can get back to sharp looking vehicles, yep, even a rattly door old Ford pickup would look better than this painted. Keeping in mind, this was pre-I beam,( not that it was anything special) and a straight front axle and king pins may be a bit more than accustomed to.
Ha, you should always question things, Howard, but good call on the Y-block. It went away for cars by then (’62ish) but hung around for trucks for a couple of years.
Happy New Year, all!
Cudo’s to everything but the”PATINA” paint. If it’s not original then someone did a real good job but a waste of time when they could’ve actually painted it. Looks to me like it was wet sanded until the sealer was showing. Still not a fan. “PAINT IT”!!!
Ten grand in CA for a decent paint job. I’d do it if I wasn’t old and poor!
Scotty – the reason that steering column looks more vertical than you remembered is because it’s a tilt column.
Arrgh, I didn’t notice the extra stalk on the left side, sorry about that. Thanks, Todd!
Ford kept the ’57-’60 Styleside bed for the F250 until ’66, and F350 until ’67.
Yep, a genuine ‘Wrongbed’.
“Genuine Wrongbed”? Check the image if it loaded. My dad’s first F100 4×4. I always liked the high wheel wells on these trucks. Hate the others. I have been told these were Canadian built but not Mercury’s. In very limited numbers. I haven’t spent the money or time on reliable research but this a very real unmodified Ford. Dad bought it at 2 or three years old. And there are other ones like it. Came with the 352. The biggest problem was the 5 bolt rims kept splitting on the bead. Very hard to find in a junk yard as I grew up saying…..Bovey
Definitely something strange about that one, if it was a 352, it had to be a 65 or 66. In 65 and 66, only the F250 4x4s used the 57-60 style bed, the F100 4x4s used the new styleside bed. Very strange. Maybe it was Canadian. I’ll have to research that one, got me curious now
Through 66 for F250 4×4 only
Good truck. Hate the Sniper. Few of your Ford facts are off .
Where is the a/c compressor?
Below the alternator on the pass side. If you look through the Ebay pics, you can catch a glimpse of it.
Thanks Todd. Not much drive belt coverage for the a/c clutch at that location.
Wrong bed or not, I like it. The 292 with the upgrades is also a plus.
Not a wrong bed. Look at my dad’s truck pictured in this post. Some came with it factory in 1965.
I really like this. I don’t mind the patina. I was doing the “patina” thing before it was a thing. I’ve mechanically restored many vehicles. I don’t do body or paint. I’m too poor to pay someone else to do body and paint. So, yeah, this looks like something I’d do. Clean it up, get it mechanically sound, have the seat recovered, and just drive it. The AC and EFI are an added bonus that I probably wouldn’t have done, but I really like as they make it actually usable.
Auction update: this one ended at $10,100 and didn’t meet the seller’s reserve.