new guy from SoCal with a question

manimal · Post by **manimal** » October 25, 2011, 6:58 pm

Hey all my name is Lance. I am a new guy here and have a question for ya.
I am in the market for a classic truck to pull my BBQ smoker trailer. I have an opportunity to trade my daily driver-1993 Jeep Cherokee for a 65 F250 Custom Cab w/352 ,auto (C.O.M.?). If I do this then it will too become my daily driver. I have 2 kids,1) 5 in a booster seat, and the other is 3 and will always be in some type of special seat as he has cerebral palsy. My question is do you think that this is a wise move? I do want to take both of my boys to car shows.
the Jeep has 242k on the odometer,but runs awesome. The F250 supposedly has a rebuilt engine and very straight no rust body.
Thank You for your help
Lance

Uncle Skip · Post by **Uncle Skip** » October 25, 2011, 7:31 pm

First.
Lance.
Welcome from the great State of Texas
Second.
You're asking for a value judgement from people who've never seen the truck you're talking about.
There really isn't a good way for anyone to advise you without seeing the truck in question because there are so many variables.
Rust?
Mechanical condition?
Unknown?
What are you going to plan to do with the truck in the future.
And finally, trust me, you CAN NOT restore your daily driver.
If you have the Slick sickness like the rest of us do, you have to make a choice.
These trucks are over 40 years old, but they are pretty much bullet proof, cheap and easy to fix. But maybe not so reliable if bought as is.
Can you afford to be left stranded by your daily driver?
Probably not.
There are some incredible trucks available in SoCal (and members that will help you find one). Look around before you jump in.
Like the hooker said, pay a little more, pay less often.
My suggestion is get something incredibly cheap for a daily driver, find a good truck to start your plan with, and work from there.
Just my dos centavos worth.
Again, glad to have you in the family.
Tio Skip

TonyC · Post by **TonyC** » October 25, 2011, 7:32 pm

I just wanted to say

Good luck.

factorystock · Post by **factorystock** » October 25, 2011, 7:59 pm

Welcome! To be honest, I think you be better off finding another Jeep Cherokee but with low miles. The F 250 is not a high speed freeway type vehicle that your used to, won't have power steering, power disc brakes and high speed rear axle ratio and would be expensive to add this. It probably doesnt have seat belts either and other safety equipment found typically in late model cars. The fuel mileage is another story on a daily driver 4500lb vehicle, about 11 mpg. Don't get me wrong, IMO the '65 F 250 V8 auto would be a great choice for a classic weekend cruiser- chore type vehicle ,but not a everday family vehicle.

Paul Merrell · Post by **Paul Merrell** » October 25, 2011, 8:00 pm

Welcome to the show. Body may look okay but check the underside of cab. Front cab mount for rust, look at the front and back of the rear of cab. Look at the radiator support and battery tray and last look at the bottom of tailgate. And you will problaly have to add seat belts.

manimal · Post by **manimal** » October 25, 2011, 8:15 pm

Thanks for the welcome.
Yes I do have a very fond spot for slicks. Maybe I should have given more info. I also have a 1989 Suburban,1977 F250 Supercab that I was going to use for the disc brakes/power steering,and my wife has her '99 corolla for economy. I also have a 1959 F250 that is a project for my boys and I when the time comes.
Another thing I would like to get away from is the smog nazis in Kalifornia. I will see if I can post pics of both, then you will see what I see.Thanks
Lance

manimal · Post by **manimal** » October 25, 2011, 8:20 pm

65 F250

93 Jeep

unibody madness · Post by **unibody madness** » October 25, 2011, 8:35 pm

Lance,
Welcome to the site. Nice looking truck!
There are lots of these slicks around in various state of repair.
How much is being asked, and how comfortable are you at checking/ fixing/updating the truck?
There are a lot of 'do it yourself' upgrades that qualify as fairly inexpensive. Basically, the front end can be upgraded with discs to power steering from trucks up to I believe '77 as a straight swap in.
The 352 has more than enough power to pull your trailer but it is NOT gas friendly.
Seatbelts and shoulder harnesses can be a fun project as well ,with parts from your pick and pull, but you will have a hard time putting four across the front seat. Gone are the days that the P.D. will allow it without seatbelts, as well it should be.
John

Post by **Greg D** » October 25, 2011, 8:56 pm

The cab of that truck holds 3 - period.
Likely doesn't have seat belts in it.
I also have an XJ and like it almost as well as the truck.
I'd keep the Jeep and buy the truck.
Be prepared though, next will come #2 then #3.....................
Welcome to Sick 60s!

manimal · Post by **manimal** » October 25, 2011, 9:24 pm

The asking price on the truck is $2500. I have yet to see the truck in person,but according to the owner,his sister has owned it since new. It was originally red/white and they had it repainted years ago. "Supposedly" there is no bondo or cancerous rust and the 352 was rebuilt. Brakes were replaced along with the master,but they say it needs a booster now.
As for repairing myself, I am very mechanically inclined and have worked in machine shops building stock,performance and race engines for many years. And for the seating, my wife is NOT gonna ride in an old truck anymore. For one she doesnt like Fords and another she is too prissy for the older stuff now that we are married and she became a dental hygentist(an image to uphold)

I do love my XJ(jeep) as I currently get 21-23 mpg with it and the entire family can go in it. Maybe I will just keep looking.......

slickmainer · Post by **slickmainer** » October 25, 2011, 9:40 pm

my 2 cents without knowing all the details is keep the jeep.

Alan Mclennan · Post by **Alan Mclennan** » October 25, 2011, 10:27 pm

G`day Lance!, welcome to the site!, I think I`d go with the Slick and can the `59!, those boys have a few years of growing before you can do it any way! and not knowing a lot about Jeeps!, I`d go with the other guy`s advice and keep it and don`t forget to "Floss"!

unibody madness · Post by **unibody madness** » October 25, 2011, 11:18 pm

banjopicker66 · Post by **banjopicker66** » October 26, 2011, 7:36 am

Welcome from South Carolina!

I would not rely on the truck as a daily driver, or as a family vehicle. I have had mine for more than 30 years now. Our firstborn rode in it in a car seat all the way across the US, but it never made a good family car.
$2500 seems too much for the truck, unless it is in very very nice condition.
The COM can be expensive to rebuild, should it need work. There are not many transmission shops that know how to rebuild them correctly anymore. You might want to consider a swap to a C6 automatic, as it is a heavy duty and near bullet proof one.
If it needs a brake booster, I would suspect it needs the 3 rubber brake lines and new rubber components for the brake system, such as wheel cylinders. And maybe a lot else like brake drums.
Your driving style will have to change. This has been discussed here before, in other threads. Essentially, you will need some more room to stop, so you will learn to keep a longer following distance from the car ahead of you - but others will leap into that space and slam on their brakes, and you will have a lot of panic stops. At least until you convert to front disc brakes.

A nearly 50 year old truck will have a lot of minor problems until you get things all sorted out, so it will be very frustrating as a daily driver for about a year or so. Things like radiators failing due to metal fatigue, steering column shift components, all those little nitnoids that cost more time, and which nickel and dime you to death.

Having said all that, don't pass on the truck just yet, just take a measured look at your situation. Until you drive it for a few months, you really won't know how it will stand up to daily driving - and how the wife will handle the constant fix-it-again-Sam incidents that keep repeating themselves.

Best of luck however you go, and again, Welcome from South Carolina!

banjopicker66 · Post by **banjopicker66** » October 26, 2011, 7:38 am

64 f100 · Post by **64 f100** » October 26, 2011, 8:02 am

Biggest drawback will be fuel mileage. As to the transmission, there isn't a big problem as the C6 will bolt right in, but there is no transmission cooler in the radiator nor cooling lines , if it has an original radiator. The original tranny had a strange setup for cooling. This is not insurmountable but would have to be addressed if tranny is switched. Fuel mileage will be roughly 10mpg so it is important but only if you do a lot of driving. Motor was overhauled? Doesn't look it from what I can see. For an everyday driver, it is costly in fuel. My advice is don't trade, from usage standpoint that is. I have three of these transmissions and I'm sure at least one is good, but I have no idea which one. Shiping from Illinois would cost more than it's worth. Foir usage and some fuel mileage, I would look for a truck with a 240/300 six and granny four speed for pulling and all around usage.

Rich

manimal · Post by **manimal** » October 26, 2011, 9:18 am

I know the mileage is going to suck. I do however have a 300 in the 'building' stage along with a t18. If I could squeeze 15mpg out of the truck, I would be happy. I LOVE my Jeep, but I too like these trucks.
As for the little gremlins that pop up, my plan was to pull the truck down, go through the wiring, add headlight relays, a 3G alternator, DSII/HEI hybrid ignition. As for the mechanical, disc brakes all the way around, power steering,T18 trans, and eventually my 300. I have eveything to make all this happen.
I have a friend telling me "they made 2.8 million Jeep Cherokees"....how many 65 fords did they make? In other words, get the truck and if you want another Jeep, go buy one. They are a low buy-in price.....so confused

manimal · Post by **manimal** » October 26, 2011, 9:21 am

BTW slickmainer, I LOVE your truck, so does my 5yr old son. I have seen some very nice trucks here.

MadMaxetc · Post by **MadMaxetc** » October 26, 2011, 9:44 am

Hard for us to say what you should do.

I use my 67 as a DD, but it came at a price.

Truck = $1400
94 Bench Seat = $100
Refurbished Rearend = $300
Disk Brake Conversion = $500
300 Rebuild = $2550
t-5 & Rebuild = $400
Misc stuff = $300
New Tires = $450

TOTAL = $6000

For $6k I could have got a nice newer truck that could haul the family, but I wanted an old truck.

(FYI: I get 15-18mpg in town and 20 on the hwy.)

manimal · Post by **manimal** » October 26, 2011, 9:50 am

I paid $400 for my Jeep and have a total investment of less than $1000 in it, I have a '77 F250 for the trans(t18),power steering, and disc brakes. front and rear sway bars then after that, I will have the "rest of the truck " to scrap/part out.
This is what I'll be towing....