I'm really considering building one of these. I'm trying to figure out how I can retro
this thing, and make it look cool. I've never chopped anything. But this thing could
be made to look better.IMO
This one looks like it has been leveled. I think drop it a little, some sheet metal
up front.
Engine swap seems to be a big challenge also.
so this looks like a ground up rebuild, which for me would take several years.
I'm wondering after I were to finish, could it be made into an awwwer?
I'm really wanting do do something different than the Little Red Wagon look.

Any ideas floating around out there??

 

get you an E150, and put an 8' bed on it, do a modern version of it

 

When I was in airframe/powerplant school they had a 1963 one of those.. It only had about 40,000 miles on it... ex air force. What you do is move the engine back and put a big block in it. That is what I always dreamed it could be. I wanted one of those for the longest time. But realize that is a falcon pickup... not an econoline. The engine fit will be a problem.. but that is why they make press brakes and sheet metal tools. A small block could fit there with some work.

 

I once saw an econoline van with the Falcon on it. I just guessed someone added them at the time. Is there a difference?
The two I can get my hands on are actually Econoline. I've been watching them for a while. One of them has rust in the bottom of the doors, the other has been better proctected. They are also form the south, so they've not seen any salt.

 

I need to start with a cheap project, that gets expensive.
I can't afford an expensive project, that just gets more expensive.

 

im sure you can find a crappy E150 work van, cut it up, throw a back window in it, find an 8' bed, weld on some bed mounts, cut frame if necessary for under 10k

then just paint, and interior at your leisure. atleast youve got a functioning rolling vehcile

 

I always thought thoes things were pretty unstable.

What about a Ranchero?

 

I was surprised to see Falcon on it too. Canadian Econoline? Raoul, any input?

 

This link has a few articles on how to drop a small block Ford into one, as well as much other info. The 2nd engine swap article is excellent.

http://www.wingsisp.com/emboss/econo.htm

 

Thanks, I'll check that out.

 

They just look odd, The ones{very few} I've been in, rode OK. They are balanced pretty well because the engine is moved just a little farther back than a conventional set up.

 

My dad was in the Air Force in the 1960's and said that they would take them out on the flight line and spin them out.

 

The Ranchero debut was 1957 based on the fullsize Ford Custom.
In 1960 the Ranchero was put on the smaller Falcon platform until '66 when it went to the larger Fairlane.
In 1961 the Econoline debut both the van and pickup.(prod. 14,893)for the pickup.
It's official name was 1961 Ford Falcon 1/2 Ton E-100 Econoline Pickup Truck.
at some point, Ford continued to call the Econoline window van(with seats) a Falcon Club Wagon but the pickup and closed panel van was just Econoline.

1967 was the last year for the Econoline pickup (prod. 1,697)

In 1968 there was a UAW strike and no real '68 vans were built, just some '67 carryovers.

1969 brought in a whole new Econoline and cab forward/sitting on the front wheel was gone.

 

I wonder, was there ever a flatbed version made. I've seen something similar,
at some time or another, but may have been Mercedes or something similar.

 

Showed my dad this thread and he said he remembers the Falcon lettering on the US versions, too.

BTW, he had an old Fairlane with a 221 V8 (precursor to the 260/289/302/351W), which he said was a complete dog. I think the exact words were "Too weak to pull a greased string out of a cat's ***."