This 1972 Ford F350 Camper Special has been awaiting restoration for quite some time, and has even seen some significant strides made in its rejuvenation in the not-too-distant past. However, life and some setbacks in the current owner’s efforts to restore this classic camper have put it on the auction block, and it’s now sitting here on eBay with an opening bid of $4,500 and no reserve. The truck comes with a recently rebuilt 390 and under 70,000 original miles, and no bidding activity at the moment.
The New Year is almost upon us, so perhaps one of our readers will see this as a way to start off on the right foot, by buying a truck that isn’t rusty and has had some serious money already spent on it. The seller acquired the truck with a cracked head and parked it in his own barn while he waited to find time to work on it. That day finally came, and he started with the 390 V8, which included new heads, headgaskets, a points elimination kit, plugs / wires, and a Holley four barrel carb, among other fixes. The truck is said to now run well with a smooth-shifting three-speed automatic.
The interior looks quite tidy, with nicely preserved bucket seats, clean floor coverings, and door panels in decent shape. All glass is said to be in good shape and the lights and gauges all work with the exception of the fuel gauge. Most of the time, the Camper Specials – if used as intended – were pleasure cruisers, used for road trips or seasonal excursions, so their mileage stayed low and the interiors fairly clean since they weren’t traditionally put out to work in the fields. Though they were heavy duty and came equipped as such, this one clearly didn’t have a hard life.
However, that brings us to why the seller is letting this one go. While the engine was being rebuilt, he began sketching out his plans for the camper shell. Unfortunately, upon jacking it up off the chassis to begin the redesign, he discovered significant water damage in the floors and walls and made the decision to scrap the camper shell, which effectively killed off any remaining motivation he may have had for the project. Worth a look – especially if you have a spare shell taking up space in your backyard!
That 390 is gonna be THIRSTY, which is gonna limit interest in this vintage workhorse.
But it might be a good candidate to make into a short-distance car hauler?
I’d be tempted to put a flat bed on the thing & call it a day.
(MAYBE include a small “extra cab” storage box on the back of the cab?)
Sounds like it is going to need 6 new tires before it is suitable/safe to carry any heavy loads though, & after sitting for so long there’s a good chance that some other items (seals, brakes, etc.) might need some attention, so bidders will need to factor those considerations into their max bid calculations.
It is certainly a unique project, & one that will likely require a unique bidder.
So it wouldn’t surprise me to see this one reach the auction end with zero bidders, be relisted a few times, & then suddenly disappear due to an off-line negotiation between an interested party & the seller.
Put a sleeper box and a short bed on it..its got potential. That double pumper will feed the beast but you’re gonna pay to play. I’d love to have it but I already got a Dakota project going on. HAPPY NEW YEAR peeps 🍾🍻
I learned years ago to do the hard ugly stuff first, and tackle the driveline last.
Yeah, right foot is right, that right foot gonna cost ya’, and inoperative fuel gauge? That, on this vehicle, is the most important one. I don’t get why people don’t fix these old fuel gauges, it’s not like the tank has to come out, like new cars. Great truck, sky’s the limit. Begs for a camper on the back. It’s a lot of work, though. I was going to make a motorhome out of my last truck, a ’85 Peterbilt day cab. I took the 5th wheel off, but never did find a good cheap camper except for those poker shacks in the woods that will stay there forever, and I scrapped the project too. If you have access to a cheap camper, be a reasonable way to travel, except the gas, of course, but there’s no free ride in these deals.
http://giantclassiccars.com/ford/345451-1971-ford-f350-camper-special-ranger-xlt.html
Here is a beautiful example I just stumbled on of how nice these can be with a camper back there. These people did a fabulous job of re-finishing an already cool, roomy layout in a well designed and constructed box.
http://cindycreighton.blogspot.com/2013/03/our-rv-1971-ford-scamper.html
Nice truck, nice project but there will be plenty of time and money involved no matter which way you go.
God bless America