Once again, reader Clark B. has supplied us with a great find in northern Wisconsin! In all honesty, I love this truck. This body-style of Fords is one of my favorites in their whole line of trucks. That, combined with what the owner calls a “Coleman 4WD” conversion, makes for an incredibly unique and useful truck. The tires were supposedly just replaced along with many 4×4 components. Find it here on craigslist with a $6,500 asking price.
I agree with the owner- I definitely think this was a military truck, most likely Air-Force based on the color of the dash and stencil reading “MAX FLIGHT LINE SPEED 10 M.P.H.” With this knowledge, combined with a claim of only 27,000 miles and 2,000 added since its purchase, I would have to venture that this truck has about 29,000 original miles. I’m not entirely sure what the purpose of the flat bed was in the Air-Force, but I could definitely see myself using it for all kinds of yard work.
The interior presents well- about as well as a 1962 Ford truck can. The upholstery seems good enough for a work truck. I think I also spot the massive original heater core under the dash as well. I’m curious which shifter does which for the 4×4 system, but I have a feeling the owner will be glad to give you a demo before you drive away. I have to imagine that the really long shifter is in charge of changing gears on the 5-speed- no short throw to be found here!
The dash is pretty cool looking, too. A speedometer and sizable oil pressure gauge cleanly inform the driver of most things going on in the engine. The switches all seem to match, and I believe that the silver button at the left is the start button. The steering wheel has seen better days, but the Coleman horn button seems to be in good condition.
Another beast! Here’s the link I found. http://northernwi.craigslist.org/cto/5966029636.html
It is in St. Joseph, Wis. which is right across the river from the cities. The blue interior pretty much gives it away as an AF truck. I’m guessing, they used this to pull aircraft around, perhaps why the 10 mph warning. I’d bet Dave Wright would know. Just a few corrections, if I may. That big gauge next to the speedo, is an air pressure gauge, and the thunderbolt and gear on the horn button was Ford’s trademark for years. Since it doesn’t appear to have a bed hoist, the 4 wheel drive must those 2 handles with the bicycle grips on ( I’d guess Hi-Lo and in/out) I’m sure she’s geared pretty low, the only thing I can think of, is put a block of cement on the back, and use it as a plow truck.
Oops, old fart moment, LIGHTNING bolt and gear. duh.( go ahead and laugh, it’ll happen to you)
Howard, thanks for the tip! I’m always glad to learn more about anything!
Can I ask what the purpose of the air pressure gauge would be?
My bad with the horn button- I had never seen one like it.
James
Hi James, this truck is equipped with air brakes. Too bad there’s no engine pics as you’d see an air compressor on the motor. That’s what’s great about this site, is someone usually knows something about anything. Great find.
Lettering on the truck may have said xxxxxx Rural Fire Dist so this truck looks to have been used for a fire (Brush) truck for some time.
The bed may have been changed for its used during that time.
As a 4X4 conversion Howard is probably correct about the shifter handles. This most likely has a divorced transfer case.
The parking brake would be on the rear of the transmission.
FYI, It’s an F-700 NOT an F-100. Here’s the original ad for the truck from back in 2011 asking $1800, now new owner wants $9K ?
http://www.slick60s.com/viewtopic.php?p=200231
Thanks MrBlueOval. When I first saw the ‘teaser’ pic my first thought was “That’s a 100!!???”
He’s got 9k in it, wants $6500. I’d buy this just to drive around the back roads on Sunday.
He’s got 9k in it, wants $6500. I’d buy this just to drive around the back roads on Sunday, Home Depot.
That’s one of those beasts a person would love to have but wouldn’t know what to do with it when he got it. It wouldn’t be much of a cruiser unless you wanted 35 mph worth of bone-jarring ride. Quite a selection of levers in that cab. Interesting that 4x4s back then not only had a control for the transfer case but they had to engage the front axle as well. Well, maybe I could see that on larger trucks like this one. Binder used that feature on its light trucks until well into the 60s before it decided that the transfer case shifter could do the job.
My special-ordered original ’79 F-250 4×4 has Warn brand (Dana) manual locking free-wheelin’ hubs on the factory installed Dana 60 front axle. Ford used the free-wheelin hubs all thru the 80’s until they finally offered electronic engaging hubs which were just basically electro-magnetic. They had a lot of problems with them and moisture so the aftermarket offered the manual replacements for them. A lot of people switched over back to the manual hubs until Ford finally figured it out and updated them in the 90’s. If I remember correctly, I believe the early Ford Explorers had those electronic engaging front hubs and had issues with them not engaging when they were supposed to.
Hi MrBlueOval. I don’t think it mattered if you ran auto-lock hubs or free-running hubs or ran the front axle all the time; they all seemed to get moisture into the hubs. I had a lot of customers who ran 4x4s. Some freely crossed the rivers and streams and those front axles would inhale a lot of water. Some years they really helped to put groceries on the table….
Think about this you drive down the highway for a hundred miles and get everything nicely warmed up ( this includes rear axles ) with heat there is expansion. Than you reach your favorite trail and the first thing you do is cross the river, the cold water quickly cools down your axle assemble which causes a negative pressure inside and the water is pulled past the seals, not a lot but some. Repeat this sinario over and over and the next thing you know the axles filled with water. I think they should have double seals one facing lip in to keep the oil in and one facing lip out to keep the water out . But wait a second than look at all that repair work that us mechanics would have missed out on. I take it back they only need one seal.
Auto locking front 4×4 assemblies have been engaged and disengaged by a solinoid on the centre gear assemble pretty much since 1994 on dodge trucks and even earlier on gm trucks the axle shaft is turning all the time with the front wheels and a callar is engaged and disengaged by the solinoid the engagement switch is activated by the shift arm on the transfer case. Thus we have shift on the fly. This is a very reliable system often going years without needing service.
I like that “Oil Pressure Gauge”. Not even a ford can make that kind of pressure. Glad someone noted it as “Air Pressure”. Just add a blast tank on that flat bed and go mobile….GRINS To All.
Pretty good chance that during it’s time in the AF it was a service/tug vehicle. The compressor would be used to fill ACFT tires out on the flight line. If you were gonna tow say a B-52 you would need something this big. It would be over kill for say a Phantom. Also it could have been used to transport bombs and rockets to load onto ACFT via special warehouse trailers or a special bed attachment. 10MPH for flight line is normal speed for towing ACFT.