About 10 minutes away from where I live, just a bit out in the country, there’s a forlorn little Jeep FC-150 sitting in the corner of someone’s yard. It’s clearly rusted into oblivion, and the snowplow hanging from its front end tells you how it got its battle scars, but I can never drive by without coming up with a plan of how I’d save it. Luckily, this 1963 FC-150 here on eBay in Petaluma, California, doesn’t need as much saving. It’s about as rust-free as an original Jeep Forward Control truck can be (but it does have a little rust…read on), and although it will need some mechanical ministering to awaken it from its 54-year slumber, it will be a fun project for anyone who has a soft spot for these cute little trucks. The high bid is currently $2,025.
The FC-150 was the smaller of the Forward Control models, and as such came with the 134-cubic-inch “Hurricane” F-Head four, which produced about 75 horsepower. For those who are unfamiliar with the F-Head design, the intake valves are located in the cylinder head, while the exhaust valves are located in the block as they would be in an L-Head design.
The seller says that the truck has been sitting in a barn since 1972, and being that the barn was ready to fall down and take the truck with it, the FC has been extricated from its long-time home. The seller says that a borescope scan of a couple of the Hurricane’s cylinders reveals little rust; however, they do recommend a rebuild.
If that’s the case, it might be an easy hone-and-re-ring job, as the truck was parked with only 61,732 miles on the clock. The interior may look just fine with a little cleaning, and this is certainly one of those cases where a buyer could get away with leaving the truck’s appearance mostly as is.
Unfortunately, all FCs have a propensity to rust, and the seller says that the bed rusted where a bale of straw was sitting. There’s also some rust in the passenger cab corner (near the battery compartment). Other projects include one broken quarter glass pane and a minor dent or two (that I would probably leave alone), and finding a replacement for the missing tailgate.
The cute little Jeep Forward Control trucks were never a big hit for Willys Motors (later Kaiser Jeep); with only 30,000 or so being built, and rust having its way with most of them, it’s rare to see one anywhere. Finding an original fixer-upper like this one would make any FC fan happy, even if they just putter around the yard with it. Hey, it may even be tempting to slap a snowplow on the front to make every snowstorm a little more fun.
:), not sure what tickles me more, old trucks or Jeeps. I always thought FC or Forward Control, had something to do with the front drive axle, but it literally means, sitting on the front axle. The short turning radius made them ideal for municipal work. I remember as a kid, the Milwaukee County Park system had a bunch of these with brooms, clearing ice skating rinks. The brainchild, if you will, of Brooks Stevens, to mimic cab over semi trucks, just gaining steam then. The biggest nemesis, rust. Since these were used primarily in winter, few survived. These actually have an interesting history, like the CJ, could be had with a host of attachments, even a dually mid-engine V8, ( a 272 Ford, I believe) that never made it to production, or very few. They do excellent “stoppies” too. Great find, not many of these babys left.
A buddy of mine had one of these and I accompanied him on a trip from Harrisburg, PA to Vermont. We had issues with overheating and electrical gremlins, it took us three days. I’ve never been so happy to end a trip.
I would think there are few cars that would be less well-suited for that task, Todd! :)
Ha! My buddy was giving it to a friend of his in Vermont and we were tasked with delivering it. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into!
Decided to deliver a Prius and dog to a friend in Knoxville area from our home in Northern Nevada. Little did we know that the car was infested with mice. About 1.5 days into trip we found out. Drove the rest of the way with all the windows open in the rain! Because of the dog, we had to stay in less than stellar motels. The last morning of the trip we came out to 8 cats circled around the car in the rain. Had to fight off the cats to get into the car! When we got to the endpoint, they were waiting for us with “stickey paper” 7 mice met their match that night. After we left, they took the car to the recommended insurance body shop where once they pulled down the headliner and inspected the high voltage wiring. The car was totaled. The drive from hell!
What does this do with the Jeep story?
Love these things. They’re just so friendly looking! I may be wrong but I seem to remember a tow truck version from my childhood.
I also like the oddball looks. The style (or lack of) makes me think a stoppie is possible with one.
When I was a kid, a guy on the edge of town had one. Homemade bows and a tarp, looked like a Conestoga Wagon!
Love the looks! Leave it as is! And… I would soooo keep the MOSS in the bed! :-D
Petaluma was famous for something, in the 60’s, I think. What was it?
Arm wrestling championship on Wide World of Sports.
Chickens and Pot….pls don’t ask me how I know….
Was there a movie shot in Petaluma or a drive in theatre or both? Something in my head but can’t remember.
American Grafiti…but my first answer was more fun and still accurate!
Yes, American Graffiti shot in Petaluma, but change around to “A chicken in every pot”.
My Grandfather had one for a while and my Dad borrowed to carry supplies (cement bags and form boards) for a patio project. I was about 7 or 8 and remember riding on the engine cover. Luckily we didn’t try any “stoppies.”
I have always thought that these were cool looking. But impractical and unsafe unless you have a load. And yes you can get the back wheels off the ground even with the dismal brakes these had. And with a snow plow on the front it is best not to drive over 35 MPH. Because stopping even moderately quickly will bury the blade into the pavement. (Don’t ask me how I know) If plowing snow with one of these. It needs about 800lbs in the back of the bed by the tail gate. At Hot August Nights one year at the burn-out contest. One of these showed up with a very potent big block Chevy. He smoked all 4 wheels for a long time. Very fun and impressive! Jeep should have made a delivery van out of these. (G series GM, Econoline style)
In fact, there was a van version of the FC. VERY rare.
Back in the 90`s in Keene, N.H. there was an auction of Ted Williams memorabilia and Ted owned one. He lived in the Westminster, Vt. area for a while. I don`t know what it went for but it was this model [cabover?]
When I landed at Cam Ranh Bay in ’69, I saw dozens of these in Navy dark blue flitting around doing various things. My final destination was close to the DMZ at Camp Evans, where the Navy had a SeeBee outpost, quite a few of these and a lot of Mitsubishi pickups. Being an RTO with the 101st, I ended up humping a PRC 77, so not so much time in the rear.
Please translate for us that have not been in the Armed Forces. 101st. Airborne was my Dad’s unit.
(ended up humping a PRC 77, so not so much time in the rear)
Thank you for your service, Malcolm.
PRC 77 was a “portable” radio in the military. Portable if you’re used to carrying cinder blocks.
Thank you for your explanation AND your service!
Back in the ’60s when I was stationed outside Ankara, Turkey, there were quite a few busses built on the LWB FC Jeeps. They were used to get around in the mountains on the lesser- or un-improved roads.
Back then, Turks were quite ingenious when it came to cobbling up stuff to fill a need as importation tariffs were astronomical. Example: the Turk who bought my 3 year old car for the equivalent of $1,450 paid customs of an identical amount in tax. The theory was to stimulate local production. It worked. A few years later cars and trucks were being built there under license.
I love those things. If Father Time had not outpaced both my ambition and physical stamina I would put in a good bid and start researching reasonably priced trans-continental transport.
Land Rover made a couple of forward control trucks as well. They made the Series IIA/B forward control which was sold to civilians and they made the military-only 101 forward control which was used as a gun tractor and an ambulance.
The prototype Land-Rover of 1948 was built on a Jeep frame and axles. Twelve year old me saw a production model at the NY Auto Show of ’48 at the now long gone Grand Central Palace. Saw the also brand new Morris Minor. Everything else’s no longer a memory. Well, the Austin “Devon” A40 impressed me as a mini-Buick, in-line OHV engine and all, albeit a quat-pdt
What a cool story! The original Jeep-based Land Rover prototype no longer exists but there are a few replicas. The most accurate replica was built and owned by High Meadow Farm Rovers in Vermont. I’ve seen it in person a couple times at the British Invasion in Stowe, VT
SOLD for $4,650.
26 bids.