Toying with an Idea - help wanted

I am having trouble finding specs for F250/350 or similarly-sized vehicles on the internet. Can find engine sizes etc ok the problem comes when trying to workout body lengths or widths and carrying capacity. I was also trying to look up Inter/Chev/Dodge equivalents

I am not wedded to ford &250/F350 they just happen to be something common enough for most people to know the sort of thing I am referring to. The idea is to get a vehicle the wife can also drive so we can share the driving on long trips or if something happens to me she can drive home. It will be going on Victorian CPS

The actual requirements are
- able to be driven on a car licence
- able to cruise at 100 - 110 kmh
- automatic
-power steering
- right hand drive
- banana back or ute body
- able to tow a small caravan as well
- preferably V8 or otherwise a 6
- age - probably late 70's to 90's to be eligible for Club Plates.

The reason for the F350 size is I have seen them used to carry vehicles so I could put the XP Ute or Grey Fergie on the back, hook up the van and head to shows. It would also enable us to attend more runs as often it's a couple of hundred km just to get to the starting line for a day trip. This is where the ability to share the driving would be an advantage - as in my Inter it's 3 hours to Melbourne to get to the start of the run and the same again to get home. The long day sort of takes the fun out of it somewhat. I am not sure if they are drivable on the car licence

I am only tyre-kicking at the moment, don't have the money to do anything yet but trying to put together a plan in case I see a piece that fits the puzzle. Any ideas?

Hi Bruce,
The problem with the Ford F250/350 route is that every hot-rodder, and old car enthusiast is sitting at home drawing up plans for exactly the same thing for the same reasons. Meaning demand is outstripping supply and you will be handing over more cash than you can afford to get something that needs a lot of work. If I were you I'd be looking at something like a Hino (sorry, don't know what model) that will be dismissed by two third of the competition as being Jap Crap and therefore not in contention, it will have the benefit of modern economical diesel that you can afford to run and buy. I'm no expert though and others may have a different opinion

I had a C30 for a bit. The IFS front end makes them comfy and the 14 bolt corporate rear end is bullet proof. They're rated as a 30 CWT so 3000lb payload.

If you want to carry a car you have to go F350 which drives like a truck and will not legally carry as much as you think. An old Ambulance might be the go - the QLD ones were at all-up-weight just with the body, crew and equipment and I was told a patient actually put them over. Means a bit of modification to convert to a tray.

If you do not want to carry a car but just tow, go for an F150 which is a delight to drive and very suitable whether the earlier 6 cylinder up to V8 which should be easy to find already on gas. A gas 351 will blow any modern 4x4 ute off at the lights while giving a running cost much the same as a Commodore. What is better many of them are auto and the C6 can cope with any legal load without a problem.

An F250 of that era is neither your arse nor your elbow with little more carrying capacity than an F150 and a harsher ride.

I have had several pre-80 F100's and four F150's both 2 and 4 wheel drive and two similar Chevs all of 80-95 vintage. The Chev 6 was gutless and the rarer V8 had good power but neither was as nice to drive as the Ford . Recently sold a 2001 F150 4x4 which was a pretty truck and a delight to drive but totally untrustworthy for desert use with electric everything including axle selection and a new warning light every week. The small modern engine had nowhere near the power of the old 351.

Lang

I have an 86 F350, it is 4535 KG which puts it over the car license. Guess there are a lot out there driving with the wrong class of license. The later models are no lighter.
Not registered yet but had it out last week on permit to get to the engineer to sign off on. Drives fine and just as comfortable as any other light truck
Cheers Steve
Sorry should have added it is dual cab , dual rear wheels so a single cab, single rear should be fine weight wise.
The dual rear takes it to around 2400 mm wide and over all length is around 6 metres.
Very hard to find tare weight on these, this one with Cummins 5.9 and RTO610 trans is right on 3000 KG.

thanks everyone for their help. Isuzu is a good idea but I prefer bonneted vehicles and my wife can't get into cab-over trucks. At least eitha bonneted truck there's usually space under the step to add another step (or caravan step) if needed for easier access.

Maybe an old transit cab/chassis or similar could do the trick. I have seen them used as car carriers too.

I really only need to carry up to 1500kg on the back. The XP and Fergie both weigh in around the 1200kg mark so that gives 300kg for tools, clothes etc. If I went F250 sized ute/tray I could probably still put the little Howard 2000 in the back with it's scoop on. It fits in a 6x4 with the front tailgate down as it's about 7ft long. It won't quite fit in my BA as it's too long (and won't fit under the canopy). (it may also be a fraction wide for between the wheel arches)

I think you would need at least a 14' ( 4,2 metre) tray to fit your XP aboard. In practical terms you can overhang a bit but remember the 60% rule.

Bparo.... If you can wait until the weekend I will have a look through all the Ford dealer kits I was recently given..... There's a whole folder on the F series and Trader series.... Never really looked through it when I got them as I like thing a little bit bigger than those models

Truck and bus specs 1975 lists GVM of 4536KG ( 6kg over a car licence) and a wheelbase of 3480mm - which I think would barely give you a 3.6 metre tray.

I can't get the XP on the Inter now. The wheels just fit if the front bumper is touching the headboard but the overhang of ute added to the overhang on the truck looks excessive and it looks like it wouldn't have to bounce far to fall off.

Fitting the XP is one of the least critical criteria - it's a nice to be able to do not a must be able to do.

The XP is 4.6 metres long and weighs around 1200 kg (unladen but full of fuel)