(first posted 10/12/13) Yes, as an owner of a ’66 F100, I do take notice of the other members of that family. It’s been a while since I spotted the the top dog of the clan, but here it is, the F350 Flareside, with a 132″ wheelbase, 9′ bed, big 17″ wheels, about 1½ ton capacity, the gnarly 300 CID six, and of course, the big, scary guard dog to go with it.
Here he is, the perfect watch dog to make sure no one gets any ideas about this fine old truck, which has been in the owner’s family since 1971. You don’t want to lose an heirloom gem like this.
Yes, the Peterbilt of pickups: all work and no play. I’m just imagining what this thing rides like.
It probably takes about a ton of weight in the back before the ride on that big stack of springs starts to flex a bit. The F350 was typically built in longer wheelbase version as stake and utility trucks, usually with dual rear wheels. But if you wanted a pickup, here it is, although back in the day these were quite uncommon, unlike nowadays when a you’re not taken seriously without a Super-cab F350 with smoke stacks and lift kit.
Although the fenders (from an F100) proudly proclaim “Twin I Beam”, the F350 relied on a solid beam truck axle to carry the loads. Twin I Beam first appeared in 1965; prior to that all the F-Series trucks used a solid front axle.
Here’s a little composite of the three main types of trucks/beds Ford made during the 1962-1966 era. The top is a 1962 F100 Styleside, with the “unibody” bed that was directly attached to the cab, and also referred to as a “slick”. That construction wasn’t such a hot idea, as it didn’t allow for any articulation between bed and cab, and was replaced with a more conventional construction in 1964. The middle truck is a 1965 F250, with that new style bed, and the obviously larger wheels and tires, and harsher ride. And the F350 shows off its longer wheelbase and 9′ bed.
And if you really wanted to be gnarly, you could order this pickup with even bigger 19″ wheels and a 3200 lb capacity rear axle for an extra 1/2 additional ton capacity in the rear bed. Got some gold bars to haul?
In addition to these, there were other variations too, of course, including short beds, and the 4x4s which oddly came in a shorter wheelbase and used the bed from the previous generation F Series.
1965 was the first year for Ford’s excellent new “Big Six” engines, in 240 and 300 CID versions. The 240 was very common (like in my truck), but the 300 was the one to have. And this one does have it. These pre-smog 300s put out some serious power; they were rated at 170 gross hp; that translated to 146 net hp, more than many V8s from the 70s and early eighties. And the torque curve is mighty tall. Combined with the four-speed stick with “granny” low gear, these are capable of some serious stump-pulling. Many a time I’ve wished for one of these, especially when I found myself at an uphill stop sign towing a 7000 lb mini-excavator with my 240/three-speed F100. Ah, the smell of a burning clutch, to go along with the smell of burning brakes.
Is that a downscaled Rottweiler ?
I’m pretty sure it’s a MiniPin (Miniature Pinscher).
I see. My brother has a German Pinscher.
A dog somewhere between this Min Pin and a Dober Pin.
Personally I really like Rottweilers. Sort of domesticated downscaled black bears. There’s something about those Germans, besides their cars they have also engineered some darn good dogs too.
I don’t think Min Pins are related to actual Pinschers — they’ve just bred to look like them. They’re beautiful little dogs (and remarkably clean as dogs go; they groom themselves like cats), but they’re often a real handful: aggressive, very territorial, and sometimes just plain nuts even if they’re fairly well trained. They’re the sort of dogs that will look out a third-floor window and bark at the people going by on the sidewalk for invading their territory.
Actually, all 1963 F series trucks used the solid front axle, as the Twin I Beam didn’t come out until 1964 or 65. This is the big, butch older brother of my little 63 F100 with the short flairside bed. However, a prior owner had put a bunch of extra leaves in the rear springs, so mine always drove with all of the comfort of an F250 or F350 anyway. I cannot imagine how unpleasant this one would be to drive around town. Cool find, though.
Yes, I failed to mention that the Twin I beam came along in 1965.
A small truck needs a large dog? But a large truck can get by with a small dog?
A small but probably very loud and territorial dog…
Cool find! The primer gray suits it, but I think it’d look better in red. You know that chalky red a lot of these had faded to by the ’70s?
What’s the proper name for the style of hub in that rear axle?
A welder in the small town I grew up in had an early ’70s version of this truck, complete with a huge Lincoln welder in the back. The bed was identical to the subject truck. Would the welder have used the Ford 240/300?
Full floating. The actual driven axle shaft does not carry any weight at all on its outer end, just the driving forces.
Probably Lincoln 200(?) Used ancient flathead Continental(?) engine 4-cylinder to run arc welder generator. Weight ~1500lbs
Almost picked up a styleside with a six a few years ago. Had to slap myself hard to avoid the pain of ownership. I’ve owned that 300 in a long van and think it’s the best full size truck engine that I’ve used. Probably get flack for this and don’t care what the horsepower/torque ratings are but the 4.3 is a bear in a small truck. Ijust picked up a second vehicle with that. Maybe I just like truck engines. I really like that primered one ton.
The mis-matched cargo bed reminds me of the Studebaker Champ and its odd Dodge sourced cargo bed. I’m wondering if that bed is a leftover from a previous generation Ford pickup?
Yes, the 9′ bed with its extra tall sides was only used on F350s, and I do believe it was the same as used in both the previous generation (or two) as well as the next generation too.
The beds varied by length and weight class, but those fenders were used on Ford Flaresides from 1953-1979 spanning five generations of trucks.
Giant economy size I like it, you could actually ‘work’ that one without it falling to pieces, and tow heavy stuff with a proper crawler gear, I know 7000 pounds sounds like a lot but its actually less than modern Japanese pickups will pull with a 4 banger diesel.
Bryce, these things are practically unkillable. The 300 Six is strongest motor I have ever experienced. In my shop days, I NEVER ONCE did ANYTHING to one other than a starter or something like that. The block, head, timing gears, manifolds are all bulletproof. The carb is the most low tech thing on the planet. All the oil grasshoppers in North America use this engine on LPG or CNG and loads of over commercial stuff, too.
And of one were to really need to haul with this truck, they could add a two speed rear end.
The damned fiber camshaft gears crumble…ask me how I know!
Lotsa Ford engines used the wooden timing gears. Metal gears available, makes it sound like it has supercharger. Good/Bad – You decide
A couple of pickup truck questions that have been kicking around in my head, not necessarily related to the subject of this post:
1) It is my understanding that, up until the 1950s, American pickup truck manufacturers generally built their ½-ton models with a shorter cargo box and wheelbase than their ¾- and 1-ton models. In the mid-to-late ’50s, they began offering ½-ton models with a choice of the traditional shorter ½-ton box or the longer box used on the heavier-duty models. To distinguish the two, they were often referred to as shortbed and longbed models. The longbed models quickly became the more popular of the two. Consumers seemed to like the extra space of the longbed, even if it didn’t have extra weight capacity. Over time the longbed came to be thought of as the standard (people largely stopped calling them longbeds, they were just thought of as “regular” pickups), but shortbeds continued to be available as well.
How long did GM, Ford and Dodge (or anyone else) continue to make shortbeds in their fullsize pickup lines? Did they ever stop? Are they still being made today?
2) Up until the 1950s, American pickups generally had cargo boxes with what might be called “pontoon fenders”, like the pickup that is the subject of this post. In the mid-to-late ’50s, they began offering pickups with a choice of either “pontoon fenders”, or with what might be called “slab-sided fenders”. Each manufacturer had their own trade names for each style. Chevrolet called the pontoon style Stepside, and the slab style Fleetside. GMC initially called the pontoon style Fenderside, and the slab style Wideside, but I think later adopted the Chevrolet terminology. Ford called the pontoon style Flareside, and the slab style Styleside. Dodge called the pontoon style Utiline, and the slab style Sweptline. I don’t know what terminology, if any, was used by other manufacturers (International, Jeep, Studebaker).
The slab fendered models quickly became the more popular of the two. Consumers seemed to like like the clean, car-like styling. But the pontoon fendered models continued to be available as well. They seemed to be more popular with shortbeds, and may have lasted longer in that size than in the longer standard-sized box. At a certain point, maybe in the 1990s, the pontoon fenders made a comeback, albeit in a modernized form that was more of cross between the two styles than a true old-fashioned pontoon fender.
How long did GM, Ford and Dodge (or anyone else) continue to offer the pontoon style fenders in their fullsize pickup lines? Did anyone build old-style pontoon fenders continuously up to the point when the “modernized pontoon” first appeared?
On Fords, that Flairside short bed seemed to go back to the 1953 F100. The same bed was on my 63, and Ford continued its use through the 79 models. The only change I ever saw was at some point Ford revised the tops of the side rails to make them flat on the top.
A new Flairside bed with modern fenders came out on 80 and I presume that one went thru 96.
1953 F100 4’x6.5′ bed same 1950-1972
Previous 1/2-ton bed, 4’x6.5′ went from 1939-1950
Big change of 1972 was aforementioned flat bedside tops.
1. 6′ boxes with regular cabs are still available from all three, albeit heavily outsold by extended cab/6′ box models which are the default spec for the retail/personal end of the market.
2. GM transitioned directly from the traditional Stepside in 1987 to the “modernized pontoon” Sportside for 1988. Ford dropped the traditional Flareside after 1986 and added an updated version sometime in the early ’90s – the ’80-96 Ford is the only cab style to have gotten both versions (after having new Flareside fenders AND tailgate for ’80 – someone at Ford saw a market for ’em!).
Dodge dropped the Utiline sometime in the early ’80s and I can’t remember if they ever offered a neo-retro version but it wouldn’t have been until the mid ’90s new model – they were just hanging on in the pickup market with the ’81 updates to the ’72 cab until then.
I think it was 1984 that was the last year for Dodge’s “Utiline” narrow box, with exactly the same rear fenders that debuted in 1953.
Here’s all the info I could find regarding brand names:
Chevrolet: Fleetside and Stepside, until 1988, then Sportside.
GMC: Wideside and Fenderside, until 1988, then Sportside.
Ford: Styleside and Flareside, until 2009.
Dodge: Sweptline and Utiline, until 1985.
International: Bonus-Load and standard.
Jeep: Townside and Thriftside on Gladiator (Sportside on J-10).
Studebaker: Spaceside and …standard? I couldn’t find much info on this.
As more and more buyers made the switch from narrow to wide-side beds in the ’60s, the Big Three and International marketed the narrow beds as economy workhorses (like Jeep’s moniker of “Thriftside”). Pretty soon, though, even the workingman preferred a straight-sided bed over a stepside. The 9′ bed was dropped on one-tons in the early 70’s, and the 8′ stepside didn’t last too long after. With only short stepsides left, the Big Three then marketed them, as they did in the 90’s and 00’s, as sporty lifestyle vehicles, such as the Dodge Lil’ Red Express, Ford’s “Free Wheeling” line, or Jeep’s new moniker of “Sportside.”
Chevy/GMC were the last ones to drop the 8′ Stepside in 1987, with the last of the ’73 body style. ’88 brought a new short-bed Sportside, with steel bed and fiberglass sides.
Ford actually made the old-style Flareside, with wooden bed and steel sides, with the new 1987 body style–all that was different from the 80-86’s was the fenders (round vs. arched). I’m assuming they only produced these for as long as they could with any leftover beds, then they just stopped. The modern Flareside was introduced around ’92 due to Chevy’s success with the fiberglass Sportside. This version carried all the way until 2008, the last year of the 11th-generation model. Then for 2009, the first year of the current generation, all remaining Flareside beds were rebadged with new F-150 decals and emblems and sold until they were gone, just like in 1987.
Dodge dropped their “Utiline” bed in 1985 and never made a modern fiberglass version on any of their newer models.
“Medium” beds of around 6.5′ (“short” beds are the 5.5′ ones) are still being made today, but the configuration of regular cab with a medium-sized bed is pretty uncommon and may eventually be dropped due to EPA requirements (new regs are based on footprint; a smaller footprint will have to get better MPG even if it’s technically the same model as an extended or crew cab).
An interesting dynamic exists regarding the most popular configuration of pickup trucks: until the mid-60’s, it was regular cab/6.5′ bed, then it was regular cab/8′ bed until about 1990. What took over was extended cab/6.5′ bed, then crew cab/5.5′ bed in the early- to mid-2000’s. Now, in the early 2010’s, it seems that it’s becoming a toss-up between crew cab/5.5′ bed and crew cab/6.5′ bed. All manufacturers except Toyota offer a larger-than-5.5′ bed on their full-size crew cabs.
Love it, and bless the 300 Big Six. Another “Forever Motor.”
Thanks Paul,
I didn’t know Ford offered a 9′ bed in those years. I knew GM offered a 9′ on the advanced design trucks.
I like the 9′ box idea. Too bad that went away.
I recently acquired a 1965 F-350 step-side bed. It is missing the tail gate, but I haven’t seen a picture of one that includes a tail gate. The one sold by Dennis Carpenter is too narrow. Any information a replacement or even a picture so I could attempt to fab one that would be close to original would be greatly appreciated.
i know it an old thread but the first 6.5 flair/step side was to mimic a traditional farm wagon then they made 8 foot and later a larger 9 foot on 1 ton around 72 chev had a slightly longer 1 ton camper special and still the 1 ton 9 foot 67 to 72 . the reason i read for the square box and outboard fenders was so grain and other things farmers hauled could be easily shoveled and swept out where inboard wheel wells complicates and makes loading loose things harder
Hi there
may be my sharing is too late,
in my country Saudi Arabia this model is very famous F-350 step side v8
if you are interested I can find you one tail gate.
also if you have more pictures for this truck pls send me at : azizsv@gmail.com
best regards.
I can’t wait until I finish mine!
Thank you Paul, I really appreciate “REAL” pickups.
And thank you Paul for the short description of a full floating axle. I’ve seen several pickups on the side of the road with the wheel and axle sticking out a foot from the fender. I’m guessing that a full floater doesn’t have that problem.
The orange dash seemingly indicates that this was a power company, or public works truck. No Joe Average drove a truck like this in 1965. That stack of leaf springs would have felt like no springs for the drive it empty crowd.
Funny that F-350 does not appear to have the larger radiused front fenders you usually see on F-250’s and 350’s with the larger wheels. I came close to buying a 1966 F-250 8 foot Flareside that had the 17.5 wheels with the radiused fenders. It also had a 352 with a 3 speed, and I regret not buying it. That F-350 was those odd ball 6 stud wheels, only other trucks I remember seeing those on were old Internationals.