Slick 60's

Hello gentlemen,

I've been lurking here for some time, and finally got my '65 near the same county I'm living in so it's time start asking questions and getting a build going one direction or another..

I've got a '65 250 camper special custom cab 2x4 with 352 and 4 spd.. After it sat for the last 10 years or so, I drag it up, change the oil, fill the radiator, give it a squirt of gas and it starts right up. A few hours of brake work and clean up later, I'm driving it to the gas station for some fresh gas. Running great as it always has... I had swapped the autolite manual choke for a later electric choke version that I just rebuilt, so I left it overnight with plans to start it in the AM to make sure the choke was working properly. AM rolls around and it doesn't want to start, when it finally does it's running like crap, burping, popping, farting.. That afternoon with customer cars out of the way I pull it into the shop and start trying to figure things out. While idling for 10 minutes or so it starts this ticking that get progressively louder, then I notice oil dripping out of the manifold/exhaust pipe connection. Pulled plugs on drivers side and find the back one dripping with oil... Pulled valve cover to find a nice L shaped intake pushrod.... Needles to say I'm a bit bummed... Thinking maybe sticky valve, and obviously a need for seals. Scope showed no piston damage that I could see, luckily.

Somewhat fortuitously, my boss gets a call the next day, someone wants to unload their '73 f250 4x4, for a steal... I'm praying it's a 390, but when it gets there it's a 360, with a loud knock to boot... Works out I buy the truck instead thinking it's parts value to me will be great for the motor stuff alone.. After looking the truck over, I see it has an in cab tank, so I'm thinking this should be a '72 not a '73, but I haven't seen the title yet.

Got me thinking, is it basically bolt on and go to swap the 65 body to the 72 chassis? I've read about changes in the 73 chassis, and the only dimensional drawings I can find all list 67-72 as the chassis grouped years. I can't seem to find a drawings of the 65 to compare too.

I had planned on keeping it 2wd and lowering slightly, but the possible ease of making it a 4x4 now has me tempted. I'd keep my 352, and maybe work on turning the 360 into a 390 or larger for the future...

Sorry for the long-winded post, I've got a thousand ideas for this thing, but the first step will dictate how many of those I can actually use...


Thanks
Brad

I've never made this swap, but it is my understanding that the frames were the same 65-72. You can id the trucks easily as the 72 is a bumpside and the 73 a dentside. The trim line on the earlier trucks is extended beyond the body line and indented on the later. Either frame can be used but the dentside frames are wider in the back. You may need some work at the radiator support mounts as well.

Welcome, this might help you a bit

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1705

My little brother put his 63 on a 80's model frame with little fabrication. When the weather clears I will add pictures