Our 1965 Ford F-100, aka “The Orange Ford F-100” is going through some changes.
We recently got a 1965 Ford F-100 “the Orange Ford” as a project truck, which is a rare four-wheel-drive model. Among all of the project vehicles we have purchased over the years, this is a bit of a passion project. It has led an interesting past.
In this video, Tommy answers the question, “what the heck happened to the Orange Ford F-100”? The simple answer is – wheels and tires, but there’s a lot more to it. You see, this 1965 Ford F-100 is a mix of components from different old Ford trucks. That includes the frame and axles, which are off an old F-250 4×4.
The tires are completely shot – and the wheels are 16.5-inch, which is nearly impossible to find the appropriate tires for. This is a shame because Tommy liked the style and patina of the current set of mag wheels on the Ford.
This meant that Tommy had to source the right type of eight-lug wheels that would work on this truck. On top of that, he had to find a tire and wheel package that would not strain the old I6 too much. The Orange Ford has a 150 horsepower, 300 CID, straight six-cylinder, that’s mated to a four-speed manual transmission. It has an old, but functional two-speed low-range transfer case as well.
It’s already heavier from the beefy frame and axles, so he opted to keep the tire size UNDER 37-inches and purchased fairly lightweight wheels.
These are 17-inch wheels that are 12.5 inches wide. These beefy tires are built for serious off-road life, and the whole truck will take on a totally different driving personality – when the tires are installed. Kase actually shows us a similar wheel on his heavy-duty Ram 2500 truck.
Check out this video and let us what you think you would do to this beast.
