I've been looking for a 1961-1966 F series of Ford trucks, in the hope that I could find an F100 or 250 with a straight body so I could do a 390 FE engine swap.

I was inspired by a neighbor who had a really straight original truck with that combo. He'd cruise my street twice a day going to and from work and I was green with envy with the sight and sound of that beast.

I'm deployed to Afghanistan, but that didn't stop me from searching the internet, esp. in the Southwest, looking for a good deal on a straight body.

Last night, I was searching the web, where I found the exact truck for sale. Not a truck "just like" but the exact. same. truck. My neighbor has moved on to another project so the truck that inspired me, just might end up in my driveway, waiting for me when I get home on leave.

Today, a mechanic friend of mine is going to go look at it, and if it's in the condition I think it is, I will be soon joining the 1965 F250 FE powered Ford Truck family.

It's a recent engine swap, with the NP435 4 speed on the floor, so if anyone needs their house pulled off its foundations, just give me a call.


All the rubber and wear bits are new.

Some pic porn:










My plans are to find some more original looking steel wheels, add fuel, change the oil and basically drive the wheels straight off it.

Once I've driven the engine out of it, I'll stroke it to 445 ci and keep driving it. This is going to be the shop truck for my metalshaping business, so I will try to keep the finish as original as possible, as long as possible.

I'm in the process of planning an FE-powered Cobra Replica build. When I talk to the kit company about what rear axle ratio to get, they ask me about my engine; primarily the type and cam. When I research what kind of cam to put in it, everyone asks what my rear axle ratio is.

Assuming the transmission is either a Top Loader or TKO 600 RR, which have remarkably similar gear ratios, exc. the extra gear in the TKO, how do decide both, when neither is set in stone?

I live in a rural area, will probably seldom/never go on the interstate with this car; I may do some track day events, but will mainly terrorize country roads.

I am going to build a mild FE. My budget will allow either a 390 with a hotter cam, Edelbrock or Streetmaster heads, or a stroker with stock heads.

So what I want to do is to figure out my cam and rear gear for both engine builds, and think about which I really want before pulling the trigger. Would love to get help/advice from this informed body of people.