1961 Ford Econoline pick up truck 4x4 camper rock crawler vintage van

1961 Ford Other Pickups Description

This is a 1961 Ford 5 window Econoline truck. Its a 4x4 project that I have simply lost interest in. My original plan was to build a rock crawling capable machine that could be topped with a vintage camper for offroad adventures. (It's got a full size 8 foot bed.) The forward control design on the econoline will allow a bird's eye view of the road.....no hood blocking your view when going up/down steep obstacles.
A full length tubular steel frame was built to mate via multiple bolted connections with the existing unibody structure of the truck. (The body is just sitting in place with no fasteners yet installed, so pulling the body off the new frame will be an easy job at this point.) The rear axle is a full width Ford 9" with 31 spline shafts and the front is a high pinion Dana 44 with disk brakes. Both have 3.50:1 gears. The front is set up for coilovers but is currently supported by simple solid struts. Early bronco style radius arms, track bar and 78/79 Ford power steering box round out the front end. The rear uses leaf springs and shackles are set for Jeep Wrangler leafs, but the wrong springs are on there which puts the ride height higher than I had intended. The frame was painted with a two part epoxy primer and then POR-15 black top coat.
The body has been trimmed to allow for good ground clearance and approach/departure angles as well as room for 35" tires. (One of the pictures shows the truck with a 35" tire installed on the front for fitment during the build process.) The front wheel arch was extended forward and up then the door was altered to match; window still goes all the way down. (See the pictures to compare the current configuration vs the original.) In the rear, the wheel arch was enlarged and moved rearward to minimize rear overhang. The stock wheel base on the truck was 90 inches and the modifications has extended that to 98". The bottom of the truck and underside of the bed had some damage, but no serious rust. It was cleaned and prepped with metal prep then painted with POR-15 prior to setting the body on the frame.
The frame has removable motor mount towers which I designed for a Ford 240 inline-6 with sbf bellhousing, but they can be modified to accept the drivetrain of your choice......no engine/trans/t-case included. The 98" wheel base means the drive train must be pretty short. I had originally planned to use a Ford 240/C-4 automatic/Dana 20 combo.
There is still metal work to be done in the cab to cover the shock mounts and finish tying the new wheel wells to the originals as well as to the floor. There is a roll hoop in the cab that was the start of a full cage that was planned to tie into the frame and provide additional support to the wheel wells which is where the seats were originally mounted. The dash is dusty, but was reworked with a nice early Bronco speedometer and jocky box lid and the ends have a notch to accommodate the roll cage tubing.
The windshield is cracked, but the rest of the glass is good. The original Steering wheel is included as well as a pair of vintage 1961 Utah license plates and a clear Utah title.
Truck is located in Providence Utah, (Near Logan) $500 deposit is expected within 3 days of auction close; remainder in cash at time of pickup.I have room to keep it for a while if you need time to come pick it up (weeks not months). Please ask if you have other needs, I'll help if I can.