Econoline road tractor

I was noting in the post on the new Ford F150 aluminum body thread that only time would tell if it worked or was a flop--like the notable flop of the F100 unibody trucks sold cira 1962.

That made me think of one unibody truck I would love to have. The Econoline pickup. I'd like it all original just fine but I also love what they've done to this one.
econolinetractor_zps20b80ae7.jpg

More pics.
 
I can't take the trailer rims they put on it, otherwise its so awkward it looks cool!

Paul
 
What a strange contraption! There was quite a few around here years ago. Friend of mine build one a few years ago that drove backwards, did a beautiful job on it, won trophy's where ever he showed it.
 
its a cool looking toy, i cant tell how they set up the rear suspension from the photo, a lot of tandem conversions make the mistake of adding the extra axle without placing it on a rocker withthe driving axle these get stuck when the dead axle encounters something like a dip, or hump which then lifts the powered axle off the ground, other thing is its all 1/2 ton componets does 2, 1/2 ton axles make a 1 ton?? might still be fun to use to pull a smaller rv
 
On the page with all the pictures they have 2 pics from the bottom where you can see the rear axles. I'm pretty sure it has a rocker. I agree it's a toy but it's cute. I'd think it'd be a neat 1/2 ton truck for like you say an RV or 7000lb trailer with small tractor. I think it'd look just a cute with the 5th wheel removed and a box van body on the back and it would make a lot of space for a business to advertise while they were delivering stuff.

One thing it'd need for me--an air conditioning unit on the top the cab like some old semis had--for functionality.
 
I have a 63 in the process of being restored back to original.Have close to $4000.00 in NOS parts. This one is cute,but when they put that dang Cheby engine and tranny in it,that killed it for me.
 
Why didn't they finish off the underside to the same standard as the top?

In the 1960's, the Players Cigarette company had an Econoline panel van,painted white, totally anonymous.When the lights turned from red to green,in the city centre traffic, the driver would show off that he had a Formula 1 engine and transmission, top speed about 150mph. They had to load the rear with weights to get traction.
 
Friend and self looked at/test drove a unibody Ford P/U back in the late 70's. Could have bought it for less than $500......Oops?
 
Yea, well for me it needs a diesel. Don't care the make. I think a nice little turbo 4 cylinder diesel with a 5 speed manual would be sweet.
 
My Dad bought a 62 Econoline PU from someone.The timing gears had stripped. He replaced the timing gears but was never able to get it to run, I think he ay have had the wrong damper pulley on the front. I was going to buy it from him, but the neighbors kid shot out the windshield and rear glass, Dad didn't make them pay for it, so I let it pass. Dang it!
 
Just a few years ago there was one of those sitting in a field less than ten miles from me. I didn't have any excess funds at the time, so never inquired about it. You know how it is, you can only do so much with what you have. The field has been cleaned up now, Guess it went to the crusher.
 
There is one running around the Flint-Owosso area of Michigan right now. Bums me out that the guy is getting it all covered in salt. Looks like a very nice shaped original truck.

Rick
 
I remember those Econoline vans with the PU bed. They had a side loading gate on some of them. Seemed like the bed was only a foot of so off the ground. Real easy to load and unload. Always appealed to me for stuff like appliances, barrels, etc.

Read a report on that series from an old Popular Mechanics or something many years back. Their observed fuel mileage was pretty close to 30 mpg IIRC!

I had a C800 fire truck. Loved driving it but it was a gas engine that couldn't go past a pump!
 

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