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1966 F100 Camper Special, short bed and 4x4 conversion

Posted: February 13, 2018, 8:27 pm
by 04sd
Thought I would start a build thread on my truck. Starting point is a 1966 F100 Camper Special, 352, automatic, 8’ bed. End goal is a short bed, 4x4, mostly original looking but with power steering, better brakes, a newer fuel injected engine, and maybe an automatic with overdrive. The plan is a truck I will drive and use but since I have a company work truck, even my current daily driver isn’t really a daily driver, more of a weekend driver. This will be a long term project likely spanning several years but I figure I may as well start somewhere with pictures and progress.

A little background on me. My dad bought a 1966 F100, swb, CC, when I was five years old. I grew up with that truck, it was the first pickup I drove and I drove it in HS. Over the years I’ve had Ford pickups from 1960 up to my current 2005 F150, Rangers to F350s, 460s, Power Stroke. You could sorta say I like Ford trucks. So any way here is the starting point….

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Re: 1966 F100 Camper Special, short bed and 4x4 conversion

Posted: February 13, 2018, 8:39 pm
by 04sd
Some more history on the truck. Was told it spent most of it's life in the CA high desert, the only body rot are the cab corners and the cab center braces, both were filled up with dirt. Certainly not a North East truck. I bought it in Ohio in December of 2016 and hauled it home to Pennsylvania. The guy I bought it from drove it from the West coast to Ohio.

The day I picked it up:

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Door tag:

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Re: 1966 F100 Camper Special, short bed and 4x4 conversion

Posted: February 13, 2018, 10:28 pm
by 9Fingers
Nice looking truck. I will be following your build up of the short bed 4x4.

Bradshaw

Re: 1966 F100 Camper Special, short bed and 4x4 conversion

Posted: February 14, 2018, 7:20 am
by Blanger
Bill,

Nice truck, looking forward to watching your build progress.

Jon

Re: 1966 F100 Camper Special, short bed and 4x4 conversion

Posted: February 14, 2018, 9:44 am
by 64 f100
I have a shortbed 66 with a 4 speed and now as 390. Way more motor than it needs and have thought about automatic and 351w . Most of the setups I've seen in later broncos and such, the transmission and transfer case are far to long. I would say, that your looking at a C4 transmission and transfer case out of an early Bronco to make something that will fit into a short truck. Problem with that is the C4 does not hold up real well from what I've heard. As is, I am presently buying a 78 Bronco frame with front and rear ends plus power steering box, to do my conversion to power steering. My only problem, I'm worried about is gear ratio to match the one in my truck as it sits. This only concerns me as I want to retain the original Dana 60.2 rear axle. You might want to rethink your plan to include buying a complete bronco or truck frame with what you want, and swap the body to it.

Re: 1966 F100 Camper Special, short bed and 4x4 conversion

Posted: February 14, 2018, 7:23 pm
by 04sd
64 f100 wrote:I have a shortbed 66 with a 4 speed and now as 390. Way more motor than it needs and have thought about automatic and 351w . Most of the setups I've seen in later broncos and such, the transmission and transfer case are far to long. I would say, that your looking at a C4 transmission and transfer case out of an early Bronco to make something that will fit into a short truck. Problem with that is the C4 does not hold up real well from what I've heard. As is, I am presently buying a 78 Bronco frame with front and rear ends plus power steering box, to do my conversion to power steering. My only problem, I'm worried about is gear ratio to match the one in my truck as it sits. This only concerns me as I want to retain the original Dana 60.2 rear axle. You might want to rethink your plan to include buying a complete bronco or truck frame with what you want, and swap the body to it.
The 78 Bronco used a C6 and a NP205 transfer case in a much shorter wheelbase than a short bed pickup. I've actually already got a 78 F150 4x4 that's donating it's 4x4 system. I've got the complete truck but have never been a fan of the 351M engine that it has and would kind of like to go with EFI. Gear ratio in my truck is 3.50 and the same in the 78 so I can use either rear axle but kind of thinking I'll keep the narrow 66 rear but we'll see. I actually converted a 60 short bed to 4x4 years ago. 460, C6, and a divorced transfer case; all fit into the shortbed wheelbase.

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Re: 1966 F100 Camper Special, short bed and 4x4 conversion

Posted: February 14, 2018, 7:37 pm
by 04sd
The truck sat for about a year after I got it until a few months ago. I pulled the bed off to shorten it. To go from an 8' bed to a short bed requires 14" out of the front and 6" in the back. Also needed to take 14" out of the toolbox. All cut and welded back together, when the weather gets better I'll sand blast it and give it a coat of epoxy primer before filler over the welds and a few minor dents. Pictures are in no special order.
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Re: 1966 F100 Camper Special, short bed and 4x4 conversion

Posted: February 14, 2018, 7:40 pm
by 04sd
some more of the bed...

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Re: 1966 F100 Camper Special, short bed and 4x4 conversion

Posted: February 14, 2018, 7:42 pm
by 04sd
and some more...


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Re: 1966 F100 Camper Special, short bed and 4x4 conversion

Posted: February 15, 2018, 8:48 am
by 64 f100
Nice work .

Re: 1966 F100 Camper Special, short bed and 4x4 conversion

Posted: February 15, 2018, 7:23 pm
by 04sd
64 f100 wrote:Nice work .
Thanks.

Re: 1966 F100 Camper Special, short bed and 4x4 conversion

Posted: March 4, 2018, 9:03 pm
by mac
Incredibly solid truck, good work on the bed. Did you save what you cut out? I could use some patches!

Re: 1966 F100 Camper Special, short bed and 4x4 conversion

Posted: March 5, 2018, 7:54 pm
by 04sd
mac wrote:Incredibly solid truck, good work on the bed. Did you save what you cut out? I could use some patches!
It's all laying in my garage yet. What are you looking for? Really, except for the piece from the floor which is about 10" long I guess, most of it could be made easily from a flat piece of sheetmetal. I was planning on using the big flat pieces from the bed side for some minor rust repair on the cab just because it's original thickness and grade steel. Where in NJ are you located?

Re: 1966 F100 Camper Special, short bed and 4x4 conversion

Posted: April 8, 2018, 5:04 pm
by 04sd
Not a lot of progress lately, at least nothing exiciting. I sold the engine and trans, it's going to find a new home in a '56 pickup. I pulled the front clip apart in pieces to remove, made getting the engine and trans out a lot easier. I also pulled the cab so I could take the chassis out side for a few months and make room for other work in the shop. Between the house, lawn, garden, graduation, etc., there won't be much progress on the truck for a while. :(

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Re: 1966 F100 Camper Special, short bed and 4x4 conversion

Posted: April 8, 2018, 5:23 pm
by grump
You do nice work.

Re: 1966 F100 Camper Special, short bed and 4x4 conversion

Posted: August 18, 2018, 6:25 pm
by 04sd
Started working on the frame.

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Had already cut the extra 6" off of the back end of the frame some time ago.

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This 4x4 crossmember will need to find it's way onto my 2wd frame along with all the required bolts holes.

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Re: 1966 F100 Camper Special, short bed and 4x4 conversion

Posted: August 31, 2018, 6:14 pm
by 04sd
some more pictures of frame progress...

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Re: 1966 F100 Camper Special, short bed and 4x4 conversion

Posted: September 10, 2018, 6:47 pm
by 04sd
F150 4x4 crossmember install
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Re: 1966 F100 Camper Special, short bed and 4x4 conversion

Posted: September 10, 2018, 10:46 pm
by Gravemetal
You do some really nice work for sure!

Re: 1966 F100 Camper Special, short bed and 4x4 conversion

Posted: September 25, 2018, 9:55 pm
by aenohe
Great work Bill. :cheers:
I did a very similar mod to my '61 f100 unibody.

I tried to upload some photos but i got an error saying the board attachment quota has been reached.