Looking at an Econoline Pickup

I have finally found something new to begin courting, and it's a 1961 Ford Econoline pickup (3 window). I am excited because while it has a few dents/fills, it has very little rust other than the bed, and that's hard to find here. Also, it seems very mechanically sound. It has a recently rebuilt 200 engine, and I had some questions that I can't seem to find the answers to online.

1) What sort of mileage can I expect out of the stock engine/gears?

2) What sort of top speed can I expect out of that same combo?

3) Are there any innate mechanical issues I should be wary of with these trucks?

4) Is there a good place for me to order new window/door gaskets for the truck?

5) Is there a good place to get a cheap wood kit for the bed? Or would it be better to just buy the rails and fashion one myself?

And finally, how difficult is this vehicle to learn on for someone who hasn't driven stick since that 77 midget they had 10 years ago? haha

Hello Sully

All good questions.

Should get somewhere between 16 and 19 MPG as long as it's in good tune. It also depends and the rear axle gear ratio.

Top speed is also dependent on the rear gear. 4:00 should do about 60-65. A 3:50 gear might due a little more. Top speed also depends on the tune, cooling system, and tire size. The 200 is the biggest engine that will bolt into a 61 Econoline. It should be strong enough to pull a better gear. A 3:25 would give you a better top speed.

Econolines are very simple in construction. Very tough. I drive the wheels off mine.

Weather stripping is kinda tough. You can get all of it. Dennis Carpenter sells door gaskets, and vent seals but they don't fit very well at all. They also sell window gaskets and they are fine. Restoration specialties sells Anti rattle kits that cover all the window tracks. They also sell door seals. You can buy them through Ti Brogan. He's a member here. You can also use generic weather stripping if you want to save some money.

A wood bed is a bad idea. The Econoline is a unibody design. The bed floor is part of the structure. A wood floor needs to be open under the wood so it can breathe. Putting wood over the stock metal floor will rot the metal very quickly. A better plan would be to fix the metal floor. You can find good donor metal in vans. They are protected so the are usually in good shape. If you can't find any donor metal you can use other donors. I've seen people use metal from regular pickups. JC Whitney sells patch metal in sheets for pickup beds. I also know a gut that replaced his floor with a roof from a later model van. Looked pretty good.

Anybody can learn to drive a three on the tree. I did. If I can, anybody can.

Good luck with your project.

Duane in Tennessee

Thanks for all the answers, Duane! Very informative and helpful.

Luckily, I don't think the stripping on this truck is in dire need of replacement yet, but I just wanted to cover all of my bases.

That's really sad to hear about the wood bed. It's something that I just absolutely love to see in an old pickup. But I'll try to do some research on simply fixing/replacing what's there. My welding skills are limited, but hopefully it won't be too bad.