1962 Ford Falcon Ranchero W/ 302 V8 Conversion - Low Reserve - Runs Great! on 2040-cars

You are looking at a 1962 Ford Ranchero with a V8 conversion.  I purchased this truck a few months ago as a project for my sons to work with me on.  I bought it from an old timer who was in the process of bringing it back to life but who lost interest in the project once his wife died.  My kids have had a blast working on it with me and have really learned from the experience.  Unfortunately I am 6’7” tall and, while I am able to drive this truck, it is a tight squeeze for me so I’d like to find a larger vehicle for us to work on – a 60s or 70s Ford or Chevrolet pickup or a later model Ranchero.

I’ll apologize ahead of time if the description is long-winded but I figure if you are going to consider spending thousands of dollars on a vehicle you should have as much information as possible including text, pictures and videos. 

The truck has a rat rod/old school hot rod feel to it with the primer and the Hillborn style scoop sticking out of the hood.  While it isn’t a rat rod by most definitions, that is the overall vibe of the car and how many see it.  It gets attention wherever it goes – seems that people always want to talk about it.  You just don’t see too many of these around.

Here are some of its features:

Motor:

Originally a 6 cylinder manual transmission vehicle, the truck is now powered by a Summit Racing 302 short block that was put in 4 years ago and has less than 2K miles on it.  It is as fresh as the day it was put in, has a very mild cam that allows for a great sound while still remaining completely streetable.  It starts right up without any smoke and has great compression and oil pressure.  It has 1966 302 heads (the previous owner said they were out of a Mustang), an Edelbrock 1405 Performer 600 CFM 4 barrel carb with a manual choke, an Edelbrock performer intake and Headman headers.  This motor was done right and is turn-key.

You can hear a bit of idle and revving here: http://youtu.be/OSo4NQxx6BI

I also shot a video of it going down the road in a mix of back road and highway conditions so that you can hear it run.  Don’t mind the bouncing – it’s my phone mount not the car’s suspension.  You can find the video here: http://youtu.be/7cWjuZFm2PA

Exhaust:

The truck has brand new exhaust on it from the headers back.  It features Cherry Bombs and it dumps out right in front of the rear wheels.  The side exit exhaust really adds to the hot rod feel of the truck.  It sounds great and there is no drone to it.

Body:

The body is straight with a few bubbles visible very low on the car but nothing significant at all.  Some rust underneath but the fame is solid as are the passenger and driver floor pans (it appears that the driver’s side has been replaced, perhaps the passenger side as well).  Rust through the bottom of what would be the passenger foot wells had this been a station wagon (if you are familiar with these you know what I am talking about) but these are under the bed of the truck and are not used.  They can be fixed from above easily by removing the forward panel in the truck bed.  The bed itself is solid and the tailgate works as it should.  The tails have blue dots in them.  All signals and lights work.  The gas tank has been replaced with one from a 67 Falcon and the filler has been relocated to the bed area for a sleeker look along the sides of the vehicle.  The opening that was cut into the hood is rough.  It has some molding around it and looks OK from 10’ away but it leaves a little to be desired.  If I were going to keep it I would replace the hood with an aftermarket fiberglass hood (which are plentiful thanks to it sharing hood specifications with the Falcon of that year).  Or you can leave it as is (everybody seems to love seeing a car with something sticking out of the hood!) or massage that opening a bit to give it a more polished appearance.  Original Falcon hoods show up on eBay regularly and will normally run you less than $250 if you want to go that route.  You’ll just need a lower profile air cleaner to make that work.

Transmission and Rear:

The transmission is a 2spd and the rear is a Ford 8” unit.  It has 3.21 gears in it and was overhauled (including u-joints) in 2010. The transmission shifts smoothly and has no issues.  The shifter is a brand new Hurst V-Matic 3.

Interior:

The interior has been completely gone over and features brand new seats and carpets.  There is subtle red LED lighting in the footwells.  It has a new Grant leather steering wheel with a horn button (not hooked up).  There is a Sun tach on the dash and gauges mounted where the factory radio once sat.  If I were going to keep it I’d move them down to the bottom edge of the dash and either install a radio or a radio delete plate to cover the hole.  The instrument panel is out of a 1962 Comet.  I have a correct bezel that comes with the car should you wish to replace it.  The headliner is in good shape.  There are nice billet pulls in place for the control knobs.

Brakes:

It has manual brakes with drums in the rear but the fronts have been converted to disc brakes by way of a Scarebird conversion kit.  They stop perfectly with no noise or other issues.  Emergency brake is not hooked up.

Wheels/Tires:

Vintage 14” slotted wheels all the way around.  4 lugs on the front and 5 on the back.  Not sure of the manufacturer but “made in the U.S.A.” is cast on the rear of each wheel.  Tires are is decent shape and are holding air.

Miscellaneous:

The truck goes down the road straight and true and has none of the loose steering issues I saw in so many of these trucks when I was looking to purchase one.  It has new chrome Lakewood traction bars.  The tails have blue dots in them.  All signals and lights work.  There is a horn in the car but it isn’t hooked up.

Extra Parts/Items:

Shop manual including wiring diagram insert.  Some receipts and misc. documentation for previous owner.  Some spare parts that I will dig through and pass on to the new owner if they want them.

As it sits right now, this is a great truck for what we had intended it for – i.e. running errands, going to local cruise-ins, hauling things around, etc.  The 2spd transmission is a very tough and well-built piece but which limits its usefulness as a long-haul highway vehicle – particularly with 3.21 gears hanging in the rear.  That’s not to say that it can’t travel great distances but it’s more of a back road truck that can cruise comfortably at 55mph anywhere.  For example, I purchased the truck in Cincinnati which is 5+ hours at 75mph via the major highways.  I drove it home using the back roads for 8 hours straight at around 55mph on average with no issues whatsoever.  If you are interested in taking this truck on longer highway trips you could either put some numerically lower gears in the back or swap out the transmission.

Please know that I do not have to sell this truck (in fact, my kids are quite attached to it) but will do so at the right price point in order to put the money toward a larger vehicle.  This isn’t a $10K truck but it isn’t a $3K truck either so please be reasonable in your offers.  My reserve is set at my break-even point which is less than 1/2 of the NADA low retail value for this vehicle.  If it doesn’t sell I’ll just keep driving it and working on it until it does.  It is for sale locally and I reserve the right to cancel the auction and all bids if it sells first on this end.

The truck is being sold as-is and where-is without warranty of any kind.  I have done my best to describe it accurately but it is a 52 year old truck.  I encourage an in-person inspection prior to bidding and I will do whatever I can to facilitate that.  I will help with delivery and will even consider driving it a couple of hundred miles in one direction or the other.  As I stated previously, I’d be confident driving it anywhere as long as I can avoid any extended 70mph driving on major highways.

The truck has a clear (i.e. not salvage, not rebuilt) Ohio title.  There is a note that “mileage exceeds mechanical limits” as it is impossible to tell how many miles are on the truck with the replacement instrument panel in place.  I guessed at 122,000 based upon history from the previous owner but who knows.

Finally, I am looking for a later model Ranchero or a vintage pick-up so if you have a 1967-77 Ranchero or a 60s or 70s (or earlier) Ford or Chevy pickup let’s talk…

Good luck and please feel free to ask any questions you might have.