Bridgeport, California, is a little town in the Eastern Sierras. Our family has enjoyed spending time at the house in there for many years. This old pickup has been sitting behind an empty house a couple of doors down for as long as I can remember. It hasn’t been registered in almost 20 years. Luckily, it’s very dry in Bridgeport, so the truck looks to be in pretty solid condition overall. The bondo laden hood seems to be the worst of it. Someone seems to work on the house occasionally, but they’re never in town when I’m there. Travelers sometimes stop by and ask about the pickup and even leave notes at the house.
The interior is complete except for the missing horn button and radio. The keys are even hanging in the ignition. The floors look solid.
The bed is solid with only surface rust. Clearly, it saw a decent amount of use. I wonder what those wheels were installed on prior to ending up in the bed.
There’s lots of surface rust underneath but everything looks solid. The body mounts and other rubber bits are weary of course.
When I’ve asked around town, the only rumor I heard was that the owner would be happy to have someone haul it away. It’s held up pretty well so far, but someone broke out the driver’s side window recently. There will be melting snow in there next spring. And someone started doing a little body work at some point. Somehow, the tires are still inflated.
It’s a beat-up old truck but it would be a great driver, even leaving the body just as it is. We won’t be back over there until spring. If I see the owner, I’d like to buy it for a reasonable price and just move it into the backyard of our place, 2 houses away (it’s the white two-story). If that happens, I will be sure to let everyone know in hopes of finding a good home for it. This old pickup definitely looks worth saving, but it’s hard to say for how much longer that that will be the case.
Sounds like a road trip is on the cards, David…
Windshield’s badly cracked, visible in the interior shot.
Looks like some of the hubcaps even match!
What’s that thing with a steering wheel behind the truck in the first pic?
And what’s up with the razor wire in the next-to-last pic?
It’s the fancy-trimmed one too! Chrome bumper, grille, and window surrounds, and a padded dash. Our old ’64 Ford pickup didn’t have any of those amenities. White bumper and grille, just black rubber around the windows, and a lovely solid steel dash that was the same color as the truck, inside and out. The vinyl seats were the same color too. Kind of a doctor’s scrubs green that grew on you over the years.
The owners aren’t around and they leave the key in it, …safe community, or it doesn’t work! I do hope they give it to you, nothing better than free.
It’s a safe community, just don’t continue on the highway up to North San Juan!
Make for a cool parts runner!!!
There’s a lot to like in this series truck. Though I must admit that I thought that these were quite ugly for a long time. The styling has some nice touches: The rounded hood, the front fender bulges that mimic earlier separate fenders. The rear wheel “raised” skirt area that flows to the end of the bed. Best of all, that little ducktail at the trailing edge of the roof. I had a ’66 F250 and I found that the cab was more spacious than my Dad’s ’75 Chevy 1/2 ton shorty. The ’66s had the twin I beam which Ford used for years. I think that what has kept these less popular over the years is that the original Y block 352 and 390 motors became obsolete by the beginning of the 70’s and finding a good junkyard motor to swap in became difficult. Chevy had their small and big block V8s which were plentiful into the 1980’s My ’66 was just a great looking truck that always got friendly comments whenever I drove it.
I have always liked these, but that’s probably because my mom drove one when I was a kid. One of my earliest automotive memories is my dad swapping the bed with another, less rusty, one. In the driveway with a bunch of his buddies.
BTW, the 352 and 390 are not Y blocks. They are FE series.
– John
As is the 360ci
Side view showing the roof.
Me, I’d pull it over to my house and park it in the driveway in plain sight. At least it will be better protected.
When the owner shows up, explain why you did what you did, then make an offer.
This would be the last year for the 292 y block in trucks. 1962 in cars.
Drove a 62 short bed unibody till the cab mounts got so bad the clutch linkage barely worked and the windshield tried to fall out.
Pulled this 64 shortbed out of a junkyard in PA, Arizona cab and Nose. Paint and bodywork done, 302 auto.Disc brakes. For my grandson!
I can be a grandson……
Speaking of Bridgeport, I was just watching a great film noir from the forties..’.Out of The Past ‘ with Robert Mitchum as a retired private eye/gangster and Kirk Douglas as his former Boss. Of course theres a woman involved. Terrific movie with shots of the County court house in Independence I think.
I need to go skiing!!
Nicely done!
Brother inlaw bought one of these in the 80’s and I did all the mechanical work on it for him, great truck, he’s over 70 now and it’s just sitting on the side of a one car garage I heard. He lives way out in the boonies in northern Illinois so no one sees it, I figure it’s totally rust by now.
Hood badge indicates it’s a six cylinder. Would be the 223 if there. I also see a clutch pedal and three on t h e tree. Great commuter truck in the cards. Hope it makes it to a nice home.
Dad had a 63, but a UniBody one. Green, 6 & 3 on the tree. Wish I had it, and it was in the same shape it was in the late 70’s. Thanks for the memory, hope you grab it
352 & 390 were FE engines not Y-block, those were earlier 272,292& 312. I had a 62 f-100 with a straight front axle and 292 many years ago.