I had a 65 Thunderbird with a 390. Rock Solid engine.
Is that original to the truck? Seems like a big engine for a short bed.
The 390 is a great engine but it’s not the original. I purchased a 1969 F-250 Camper Special at about the same time I purchased this truck. It was a great truck until a Triumph Spitfire drove under the rear of it causing a fire. So I cannibalized it for its engine, C-6 tranny and 8-lug, ¾ ton axles. The truck you see in the photo is essentially a short-bed ¾ ton, though the title says F-150. I had it painted in 1994 and redid the interior at that time. I found a new bench seat from a ’94 Lariat (it was still wrapped in plastic) and was surprised to discover it bolted right in and I didn’t have to drill a single hole. Also at that time I found a beautiful 1968 Galaxie 500 that had been junked. I tried to purchase the entire vehicle but they would only sell parts. Ford made these parts interchangeable so the arm rests and many other parts on this truck are from that car.
This truck is no race car but with the shift kit in the C-6 it’ll chirp the tires in 2nd gear. I’ve had many offers but it’s going nowhere. My real worries are living as close to the Mexican border as I do. These old Fords aren’t very difficult to steal so I keep it garaged. Did I mention it only gets about 10 mpg? A rebuild would probably help that but why fix what ain't broke?