1965 Ford E100 Truck - OG Paint! Cancer Free! True Survivor! Spring Special!

The classic car market has recently begun to embrace the collection of "original" and/or "survivor" cars that wear their original paint and the inevitable marks that come with time and use. The instant Ford Econoline E100 Truck is one of these special breeds of cars and it proudly shows all 55 years of use on top of its original coat of paint. After surviving for 55 years, the truck runs great, is NOT infested with cancerous rot and is a truly classic, collectible truck.

Produced from 1961 to 1967, Ford developed the Econoline E100 truck to compete directly with VW's single and double cab transporters. Borrowing heavily from the reliable Ford Falcon, Ford was able to economically develop quite a unique truck which included a mid-engine, cab forward, uni-body design which required the placement of a 165 pound weight in the rear of the truck to "balance" the chassis. Ford's decision to develop a light, economical truck proved to be a wise one as the E100 was an instant success with farmers, telephone service providers and urban delivery services.

Ford's marketing department touted the Econoline truck as a more affordable alternative to the E100's VW competition (and Ford's F-Series trucks) saying that it cost less, had a longer service interval (6,000 miles as opposed to 3,000 miles) and got better gas mileage (24 - 26 mpg!). The Econoline also had a huge bed (measuring 7 feet long, 5 feet wide and 2 feet deep) which could carry a 1/2 ton payload. Best of all, Ford galvanized the truck's unibody to prevent the invasion of corrosive rust (lucky us, right?).

From 1962 forward, the Econoline was optioned with two engine choices: a 170 Cubic Inch ("CI"), 6 cylinder which was standard for the truck and a 240 CI, 6 cylinder which was an optional upgrade. The 170 CI produced 105 hp at 4400 rpm and had 158 ft lbs of torque while the 240 CI produced 150 hp at 4000 RPM and had 234 ft lbs of torque. These power plants could be mated to either an automatic or a manual transmission with the manual being operated using a "three on the tree" pattern. The Econoline truck came in 87A (3 window) and 87B (5 window) variants with the 87B version being the more limited version. Production numbers for the 87B trucks were as follows:

1961 3,000

1962 8,140 (includes 87A and 87B numbers)

1963 1,022

1964 988

1965 3,065

1966 512

1967 318

TOTAL 87B Production: 13,980 (these numbers exclude production in Canada and include 87A production for 1962).

In 1965, Ford introduced a "Spring Special" which allowed consumers to upgrade the looks of their truck by purchasing a chrome trim package. It is believed that Ford produced less than 2,000 "Spring Special" trucks which is roughly 1/7th of total production. These numbers make the "Spring Special" the rarest variant of the entire series.

I acquired this Econoline at a swap meet in Conroe, Texas from Mr. John B. who had owned the truck since 1989. According to the vehicle's title, he acquired it from the Estate of M.O. Brady. The vehicle's title is a clean, blue Texas title issued on March 21, 1989, and the vehicle will be sold under this title. The truck came with its original owner's manual which indicates that the car was sold by Eaton Ford in Emmett, Idaho to Mr. Sam H., Jr. Based on the VIN (it can be decoded) and the owner's manual, the truck was originally equipped as a "Spring Special" with a 170 CI engine. However, according to a handwritten note in the owner's manual, Mr. B. installed a 240 CI engine in March 1989. This engine is believed to remain in the truck to this day. According to verbal report, Mr. B. kept the truck in a barn on his property in Texas with the intent of restoring it. As commonly happens, he never got around to it and, after 30 years, the truck was sold to me.

After I purchased it, a mechanical refurbishment was undertaken with the goal of keeping the truck as original as possible while making it safe and reliable to daily drive. In order to meet this goal, the following parts were installed and/or mechanical work was performed:

New Tires;

New Battery;

Powder coated rims;

New Ford Hubcaps (not original but close!);

New starter;

New gas tank;

New front and rear brake hoses;

New master cylinder;

New brake wheel cylinders;

Brake system flushed;

Carburetor rebuilt;

All fluids replaced (engine, transmission, rear differential, coolant);

New oil filter;

New spark plugs and wires;

Fresh tune up;

Repaired radiator.

Based on the following work, this truck is ready to drive anywhere and is in true "buy it, drive it, enjoy it" condition. The brakes work great, the shift linkage easily shifts all gears, the engine will power the car up to 55+ mph, it does not overheat and it runs and drives dependably. Best of all it is NOT a rust bucket and does NOT have cancerous rust of any kind. If you would like to see a video of me driving the truck then please go to my YouTube channel - thebavarianmotors.

Taking all things into consideration, this truck represents a unique investment opportunity for the discriminating collector because it has all of the hallmarks of a collectable: low production numbers, mostly original condition, unique design and the "wow! that's cool!" factor. Given these hallmarks, I believe that I have priced the fairly (especially in comparison to VW single and double cabs).

If you are interested in owning this timeless classic then please contact Mark Counts at 713-320-3059.

Looks & runs great.

Records available.

Never seen snow.

New tires.

Very clean interior.

Well maintained.