My 65 F250

ccain · Post by **ccain** » August 16, 2009, 2:25 pm

Hi everyone! Great site you have here!

Here are a few pics of my 65 F250 that the wife and I call Grace. The truck has a 352 / 4spd.

According to the PO, the truck had set for several years in a garage.

The PO had many issues trying to get it to run and fiddled with this truck for a while.
So I set out to figure out what was going on. Under the hood I found a fuel pressure regulator (I scratched my head at this one because with the factory style fuel pump putting out less than 6 psi I couldn't understand why he had put it on there) and 3 fuel filters. The amount of filters (I found out later) was because the tank had so much rust ans scale in it.

So, I started taking things off and put it back together stock. Well as soon as I did gas came rolling over the top of the carb. I thought "stuck float". So I pulled the carb and opened it up. Somewhere along the line the clip that hold the float had came loose. I cleaned the carb up, snapped in the clip, put it back together and tiny put it back on.

We started it up and it idles freakin awesome. And once I adjusted the fuel/air mixture the power, idle and rich running issues the truck had were all solved.

Also, the PO had told me he had issues with gas in the oil. and now I know why. The vacuum line for the advance was stuck on the metal line coming out the back of the carb at the top. When the float would stick, the fuel would go down this line, fill up the vacuum chamber of the advance (which needs replaced) and down into the distributor and into the crank case. All problems solved thanks to a clip. My wife quoted Stephen King "for the want of a nail, the kingdom was lost".

This is what she looked like when I brought her home:

This is her today:

Still needs a lot of work but she is a great daily driver.

65_Slick · Post by **65_Slick** » August 16, 2009, 3:31 pm

Cool looking truck! I saw you are looking for a front bumper in the wanted section. Up to 79 should fit, I ran the 74 from a parts truck while I painted my original. No it won't be factory original but 90% of the people won't know.

Have Fun!
Marty

Obsa · Post by **Obsa** » August 16, 2009, 4:10 pm

Very nice truck. What is the color you painted it? Is it two toned with a white roff or is that just the way the light is showing it?

Post by **Greg D** » August 16, 2009, 4:51 pm

I LOVE those hubcaps in those chrome wheels! Nice looking truck!

dotcentral · Post by **dotcentral** » August 16, 2009, 5:27 pm

Good deal. Looks like you have 1 or 2 aux fuel tanks. I see a falcon wagon in the background also.

ccain · Post by **ccain** » August 16, 2009, 5:48 pm

Thanks everyone. And Greg, I sure was surprised by the overall look of the caps. I'm tickled.

And dot, yes, it has two saddle tanks but they are currently inop. They are 25 gal each. I guess the old guy that originally owned it used it as a camper hauler and was gearing for the long hauls. And the wagon in the background is a 64 Fairlane 500 Ranch Wagon. My on going project. And, at this rate, it should be on the road right about the same time my granddaughter is elected President.

Obsa, it's code W, Marlin blue and nah, it's all one color. I had the guys down at the paint shop mix me a quart to match the factory color (It's what I used to paint the hood) and it was almost dead on. It's had a repaint sometime in it's life so I guess I was lucky they used the right color. But over all it don't look bad from 10 feet.

65_Slick, thanks for the info. That should broaden the search a bit. :thumright:

Anthony · Post by **Anthony** » August 16, 2009, 5:56 pm

Welcome to the group from West Virginia!!! Nice looking ride. I'm shooting for a daily driver with mine when its done also. Nothing beats driving a Classic Ford. I agree with Greg D on the wheel set up, looks "Slick".
Anthony

thenephilm · Post by **thenephilm** » August 16, 2009, 7:51 pm

thats a nice looking f250 for sure

don morris II · Post by **don morris II** » August 16, 2009, 9:19 pm

HI from michigan

deviant1 · Post by **deviant1** » August 16, 2009, 9:33 pm

Hello from Alabama. Nice truck!

bluebolt · Post by **bluebolt** » August 17, 2009, 12:09 am

65_Slick wrote:Cool looking truck! I saw you are looking for a front bumper in the wanted section. Up to 79 should fit, I ran the 74 from a parts truck while I painted my original. No it won't be factory original but 90% of the people won't know.

Have Fun!
Marty

The 1978 1979 bumpers will fit but are very square, you want 1977 and earlier.

ICEMAN6166 · Post by **ICEMAN6166** » August 17, 2009, 1:00 am

welcome from Alaska.
very nice truck and i like those wagons too.

64Ranger · Post by **64Ranger** » August 18, 2009, 12:51 pm

Welcome to the site...as said, great looking truck. My first truck was a 63 F250. It was a great truck until it got stolen.

Nice to see another So Cal member here...I am just up the road in Riverside.

Welcome again...

ccain · Post by **ccain** » August 29, 2009, 9:27 pm

64Ranger wrote:Welcome to the site...as said, great looking truck. My first truck was a 63 F250. It was a great truck until it got stolen.

Nice to see another So Cal member here...I am just up the road in Riverside.

Welcome again...

Awesome! Maybe I'll see ya out and about sometime.

Well... For the second time since I've had her, she had to be towed home. Back when I was getting her together and road-worthy (ha-ha) I had to remove the tank and clean it out. It seems as though I didn't get the tank as clean as I thought. Drove to the mall to pick up a new lawn mower and she died on me right there in the Sears parking lot. I had a sneaking suspicion as to what the problem was so I popped the line off the carb and, sure enough, dry as a popcorn fart.

Once I got her home I clamped off the fuel line and unscrewed the filter in the pump and it was half buried in red/brown sand. The damn tank just seems to keep rusting. So, I've got to suck it up, admit defeat and order a new tank from LMC. But rather than just the tank, I'm gonna get all the associated parts. This kinda sucks too because I'm now dipping into my Fairlane fund and will have to hold off on that cars restoration for a while.

All this just a day after I installed a new Flex-a-lite fan (WOW what a difference over the crappy electric the PO stuck in there) and ordering her new bumper.

ccain · Post by **ccain** » August 31, 2009, 1:02 pm

Change of plan...

Well as apposed to buying a new tank, I've cleaned it again and this time I took apart and freed up the selector valve, ran all new steel and rubber lines and hooked up the saddle tanks. On Sunday, I inspected the saddle tanks and found them to be in great condition. They are made of a heavy steel and seem to have been drained prior to the truck setting for all those years. I also cleaned the entire fuel system and installed a new fuel pump filter and put a pre-filter just after the valve. So, I'm gonna drive it and see how it goes. Wish me luck. Oh and I also signed up for triple A so the next tow is free.

ccain · Post by **ccain** » September 1, 2009, 5:19 pm

She got her new bumper today:

dotcentral · Post by **dotcentral** » September 1, 2009, 8:57 pm

That bumper looks good.

Did your hood come off a 63 or 64? Just noticing the F250 badge on it. Looks like it has good chrome on it as well.

Obsa · Post by **Obsa** » September 1, 2009, 9:18 pm

The bumper looks great. When I found my 66 it is just a basic truck white bumper and grille. I went for years with the "keep it stock" attitude. Since the son got the truck he added a Black Primer Black of course and a chrome bumper and grille.

ccain · Post by **ccain** » September 2, 2009, 12:32 am

dotcentral wrote:That bumper looks good.

Did your hood come off a 63 or 64? Just noticing the F250 badge on it. Looks like it has good chrome on it as well.

Well, here's where I'm a little confused. The fenders never had holes drilled in them (I've seen them from the back) and these badges were in the truck when I got her. The hood has been replaced and I had to drill holes for them. I did a little research and (I may be WAY off here) I've found that these may have been used on a 65 F250 if it didn't have chrome trim on the body. I even found a reference to it on the LMC website.

Also, I have a production date of 7-65. My truck has a 66 grille on it. Does anyone know if Ford had updated the late production 65's with this grille?

Thanks for the comments BTW!!!

ccain · Post by **ccain** » October 4, 2009, 2:38 pm

So, after months of dealing with the nasty old fuel system and having to be towed home a couple of times, I decided enough was enough and ripped everything out. I cleaned and sealed the tank with Bill Hirsch tank sealer, replaced all the fuel filters and rebuilt the carburetor.
Today, I took her for an extended test drive and I have to say, she ran great. After about 3 miles I settled in and it was the first time I've ever driven this truck without my sphincter firmly clutching the seat.

I hate to fudge with the originality of the truck but, I sure would like to find an automatic trans for it.

My 65 F250

My 65 F250

78-79

She's finally running the way she should.