Six Decade Old F-250 Ford Pickup Gets New Life

Six Decade Old F-250 Ford Pickup Gets New Life TRACTORS Antiques “Over the years I’ve appraised several rare vehicles including a one-off Ford GT prototype Shelby Mustangs a custom Cadillac V-12 roadster made for the CEO of General Motors and a 1963 split-window Corvette that sat in a barn for more than 40 years ” says Greg Prince “Even with all those special vehicles a 62-year-old F-250 is my true ‘once in a lifetime’ find because now I own it ” Prince says he could hardly believe his eyes when he gazed at the original-condition 1962 Ford F-250 pickup under a cluttered metal carport As an independent collector car appraiser Prince found the pickup covered with debris dust and old kayaks The vehicle was part of a deceased family member’s vintage collection that he was asked to appraise Prince and his wife cleaned all the vehicles and helped sell them but the F-250 ironically for Prince was left behind Having just sold a vintage Ford pickup of his own Prince bought the vehicle with the understanding that he’d keep it in original condition and preserve the truck’s history which the seller’s father had so diligently maintained The original sales invoice service records and every license plate sticker from when it was new were included with the sale Service dates had been scribbled on the door jambs inside the glove box and several places in the engine compartment “The pickup was ordered by Stan Tombs a retired pilot who wanted a very special ‘lifetime’ pickup ” Prince says “He specified an industrial grade 6-cyl engine a 5-speed transmission with overdrive and 17 1/2-in one-piece steel wheels Even though those items were beyond Ford’s options list Tombs bargained long and hard with the dealer and eventually got them all included ” Many features on the goldenrod yellow non-unibody style side were all “heavy-duty ” Those included the vinyl bench seat a 4 56:1 locking rear axle progressive rear springs an 11 1/2-in clutch a 70-amp battery and a “substantial” rear bumper The list price new was $2 787 20 Prince says Tombs requested the “heavy-duty” features because he was passionate about reliability He added several gauges to the instrument panel installed auxiliary oil filters in the powertrain and even replaced the standard horn with long pipe air horns When Prince acquired the pickup it had been idled in the carport for 15 years Inside the dusty metal box topper Prince found a collection of junk a thick sheet of plywood covering the bed and a 55-gal steel drum serving as an auxiliary gas tank “The tank was definitely a safety hazard because it was only bolted to the plywood not the floor so I took it out right away ” Prince says Though the truck was 6 decades old the body and box were rust-free However Prince says the exterior paint was oxidized and looked like a giant corn chip He removed the topper and went to work Since he promised to keep the F-250 in its factory-original condition Prince spent hours cleaning polishing buffing and sanding Steam cleaning showed the underbody in excellent condition Scouring pads with CLR removed some of the exterior body blemishes He followed that with wet sanding using 2 000 and 3 000-grit paper Eventually he used six different products to bring back a semblance of the original finish Prince says his prized F-250 which he named Sunny D is likely “one-of-a-kind ” Its 262ci 6-cyl engine was normally used in dump trucks tug boats and other commercial vehicles Records show the engine always had fluids changed regularly and was never overhauled The dealership installed a Clark 5-speed transmission with overdrive and a new driveshaft The long shift lever is easy for the driver to reach The larger wheels with 17 5 x 6 tires weren’t specified for the standard F-250 so the truck had 4-WD fenders installed on its 2-WD body “Sunny D is indeed a unicorn ” Prince says “The engine has never been apart fluids were changed regularly and it starts quickly every time Steering is tight; everything is original except for a new battery and heater hoses It was well cared for by Tombs and will be a cherished part of my collection to make many memories in the coming years ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Greg Prince Greenbank Wash prestigecca@hotmail com

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