New San Diego, CA Member

[Heirloom]

Hello all!I am the happy new owner of a 68 f250 camper special I bought last night for only $1200. Body is fairly straight. Previous owner(s) have clearly been doing some body work. It's fully primered and the front bumper, grill and tailgate FORD trim piece are black. The bed cargo compartment is all there and in great shape. Previous owner changed door locks and replace window regulators, they work great. It has the classic slotted aluminum mag wheels that were popular. I still like the look myself. It's not lifted or lowered thankfully. The bed is drilled and brackets installed on the frame for a 5th wheel set up. Front disk brakes, manual steering. It has a mystery FE motor in it and an NP-435. The previous owner said it was a 351 but didn't know which. He sent me a link to a video walk around and it was hard to tell what the motor was (poor quality), but because the head/exhaust mani areas on FE and Cleveland heads look sorta similar, I thought I had found a nice F250 with a 351C. Nope, I was wrong, he was wrong and so was the owner before him. I am GUESSING that it has a 352 (originally had a 390 but has been swapped) and that somewhere along the ownership line 352 got morphed into 351. Everyone has heard of the 351, mention 352 and the blank stares begin...unless you are REALLY a Ford/Merc person. So who knows what the CID is, but it's an FE and runs fairly well. It does have a little steady throttle, no load freeway stumble...well not a stumble but I can feel it ever so slightly. Tune up and carb setup are most likely needed. Manual choke Motorcraft 2bbl carb....I'm guessing a 2100 (1.14 for those that care). It looks rebuilt with in the last 2 years. I think the rear end is a 3.73...RPM's on the freeway sound like it anyhow. The exhaust is fairly new, but dumps in front of the rear end with no turn downs or anything. It just empties straight out of the mufflers and onto the rear end. I will be extending them back over the axle and exit passenger side behind the tire. Bonus of all bonuses the heater works awesome, so does the fan. Some one put an excellent condition automatic column in it, so half the work to convert to auto is done if I ever want to go that route. The bad about it....the turn signal switch is shot, tail lights need work, I need to buy side marker and front marker lights. It needs seat foam (who would have thought??). The drivers side radius arm bushing is blown out. The brake booster is shot and the aux saddle tank is missing.

It's my first classic Ford truck and I'm loving it already!

[lennyp]

from Massachusetts. Good Luck.

[Heirloom]

from Massachusetts. Good Luck.

Thank you lennyp, Good luck to you in the storm! Stay safe!

[1970FordTK]

Welcome from North Carolina.

[fireguywtc]

from Texas!

[sargentrs]

from Georgia!

[GHOST]

to the family, we love to see pictures, so please post some... on a side note 360 and I believe 390 have 352 stamped on the engine block, if that is what you are basin your engine size on... check out this info"

http://www.fordification.com/tech/casti ... Eblock.htm

[Heirloom]

Thank you everybody! I hope all our NE members are well this morning.

Ghost, thanks for the info. I have shyed away from FE most of my life, so I have some learning and catching up to do. When the weather subsides I will be getting to work. If there is an easy way to ID a 360/390 as opposed to a 352 that would be great. Then I just measure stroke and I will know for sure.

I'll get some pics sometime today and get some up.

I popped the dizzy to look inside because there were two wires entering it. Sure enough, it has a pertronix. The wiring looks like an AC electrician was working on this, not and auto electrician. It's a project, and that's fine with me.

[Heirloom]

The one casting # I can read is on a head and is C8AE-H. The block does not appear to have casting #'s which as I have read is not uncommon. It does have 352 cast in it, but that's not important. The passenger side boss that would have the casting # is blank. I did barely make out some, maybe all of the hand stamped code on the ear above the oil filter, not that it really helps, and I found the date/time stamp as well. I measured stroke and it is 3.5". So, at least I know displacement within 8 or so cubic inches, well, depending on over bore that is.

I don't know why this didn't jump out at me earlier, but it has a 70-72 bed on it. It's a FrankenFord. That's OK, I like the side marker placement on the later bed.

Here are some pics.

[Heirloom]

$1200 might be a lot for a truck in some areas of the country, but here it's hard to find something that runs AND has a reasonably decent body for less than 4-5k. So for here, it was a steal.

[flyboy2610]

The C8 in the casting designates 1968, so it is most likely not a 352, as they were only used up until 1967. You probably have a 360 or 390. Measuring the stroke would be the best way to tell.

[Mancar1]

Welcome aboard from Gerber Ca. I spent a lot of years in the San Dog area during my Navy career. I also have a 68 C.S.

[popeyes71]

from California!

[feefie]

Welcome to the fold! Since this is your first vintage bump, you will develop a quick fondness of these old rides for sure. This site will serve as your daily therapy session for sure. You bought a Good looking truck and the money seems about right. This group/site is an awesome resource!! Enjoy!!
Stu

[Heirloom]

Thanks guys! I do love it. I also like dents, but the overall simplicity of a 67-72 compared to 73 on is amazing. Not that dents are all that complex, but my 68 has that spartan feel to it. No fancy trim, less molded plastic stuff. It epitomizes what I am all about. K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Silly (or Stupid). Since I posted the pics above have done the following:

Changed oil and filter
Topped up the NP435
Replaced the whole air cleaner assembly with a basic Edelbrock chromed one
Fixed the PCV so it draws filtered air. What a novel idea huh?
Found and fixed a vacuum leak or two
Installed a radiator over flow tank kit
Installed a 2 3/4" column mount tach
Sorted out about 80% of 40+ years of electrical abuse by previous owners
Replaced the turn signal flasher
Fixed the turn signal switch
Replaced the master cylinder and power booster
Went junk yarding and got a decent enough pair of front signal lenses
Also got a cast FE P/S mount bracket assembly for future use
Also got a pair of good hood hinge springs. My head thanks me
Adjusted the passenger door so it closes easy, like the drivers door already was. Nice to not have to lift and slam
Installed (because all but one were missing) rear shock mount bushings. Pretty nice to have
Replaced both radius arm bushings
And one of my favorite mods.....Welded tabs on the front of the I-beams and dual shocked the front. It does wonders for tire wear and handling, both on and off road

All super easy stuff (well, except maybe the dual shock install) and what a difference! It's a whole new truck and I have not even gotten to tuning it.

Next, obviously, is a tune up. Also I have a frame mounted hitch receiver to go on. The scary abomination that is on there is relying on the bumper (which it's welded to) because the retarded C-channel mount that someone thought was a good idea is cracked in multiple spots and simply a really poor design. U-joints and carrier bearing will make this truck super smooth and quiet. Also, LMC will be getting an order for weather stripping very soon. I intend to paint this thing in the next couple months, time permitting. I will have to get more pictures and start a project thread. Actually a couple project thread. Currently I am working on my Uncles 79 f100 which is about to receive a 90 5.0 GT motor and C6 (both built by me). I am day or two away from putting that in. When that truck is done and gone it's on to a 68 short frame meets a dent stepside and gets 1 ton suspension build. It's going to be a stout little tug. It may get the motor and tranny (freshened) from my my new 68 F250, and the 68 F250 will get a hot little 351W and C6 when I squirt the paint.

I'm swimming in Ford over here. I've also agreed to tackle a neighbors Gran Torino. He had a 400M built a decade ago and let it go to waste. Never put a carb on it. It's been dragged all over the country, parked with hood up and down (either rats nests or weather). But.... it is in good enough condition that I can do something about it. Hopefully the inside of the motor is not wasted.