Mexican Ford Trucks

[oldcarfan]

Not sure if this is the spot for it, but I wanted to share some trucks I used to see as a kid in Texas. During Easter season, a lot of Mexican families would come to San Antonio and you'd see these family trucksters. They were badged as B-100s through B-250s depending on the weight rating. They were made in passenger and delivery styles. I don't know when they dropped this body style but I haven't seen them much in the last 20 years. From what I can tell they made them in Mexico, Colombia and maybe Argentina?  They seem to have some in various wheelbases and some tailgates and some had barn doors among other variations. They don't seem to have any connection with the Centurion trucks.

Anyway, I thought it might give someone an idea if they happen to have a box of Ford truck and van parts laying around. I think an Econoline rear section might make up the rear section of the truck.

[shoopdog]

Wow, some of them would be nice to have.

[iamsuperdan]

Don't forget the F-1000.

[FoMoCo66]

I've seen these before. There super cool and would like to have one.

[Rob Hall]

There was a green 70s one in the Phoenix area I used to see when I lived out there..neat variations.

[espo]

10 hours ago, oldcarfan said:

Not sure if this is the spot for it, but I wanted to share some trucks I used to see as a kid in Texas. During Easter season, a lot of Mexican families would come to San Antonio and you'd see these family trucksters. They were badged as B-100s through B-250s depending on the weight rating. They were made in passenger and delivery styles. I don't know when they dropped this body style but I haven't seen them much in the last 20 years. From what I can tell they made them in Mexico, Colombia and maybe Argentina?  They seem to have some in various wheelbases and some tailgates and some had barn doors among other variations. They don't seem to have any connection with the Centurion trucks.

Anyway, I thought it might give someone an idea if they happen to have a box of Ford truck and van parts laying around. I think an Econoline rear section might make up the rear section of the truck.

Check out Mecum's web site for past auctions results. I remember a few like this show up at one of their auctions in a two-door configuration. At first, I thought they may have been done by a body shop with custom paint jobs and they were lowered and had custom wheels. The description mentioned that they were built in Mexico and as I recall they were only a couple of years old, so they may still be built there today. 

[Carmak]

On 5/29/2024 at 10:31 PM, iamsuperdan said:

Don't forget the F-1000.

Dan, That looks more like a Brazilian built F-100. Ford of Brazil got the tooling for the 67-72 Ford light trucks and built them up until at least 1990.

In 1990 the University of Iowa engineering department imported a brand new 1990 Brazilian F-100 with a straight 6. At the time Brazill was trying to fuel all car with 100% ethanol and the engineering department had a group of students investigating ethanol as a fuel.

I was in engineering school at this time, and I got to see the truck up close and talk to the students on the project. The straight 6 had 14 to 1 compression and the carb was jetted with a fuel ratio of 9 to 1. A unique feature the truck had was a very small fuel tank under the hood that could be used to prime the engine was gas to start it when the engine was cold. Other than the grille the truck was essentially unchanged externally from the 67-72 Fords.

[Brian Austin]

Trucks built in Argentina and Brazil are different from each other and from those built in Mexico.  There were numerous coachbuilders that made generally similar but again different conversions.  The Mexican SUVs may well have been built by a coachbuilder a well. 

Note that the Argentina built "bumpside" Fords generally mirrored US model changes, while the Brazilian ones differed quite a bit from US models. Those could be a generation or so behind the US models, while the styling included more and more local content.

The Brazilian "bumpsides" were mentioned earlier.  Argentina built their own as well.

 

Some good pictures of a Mexican Ford.

https://www.ebay.com/motors/blog/cool-mexican-b-100-suv-based-on-f-series-pickup/

Edited June 1, 2024 by Brian Austin

[peteski]

I have to chuckle.

Every time I see the subject line of this thread my brain sees "Mexican Food Trucks". I guess I'm hungry for some good tacos. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

10 minutes ago, peteski said:

Every time I see the subject line of this thread my brain sees "Mexican Food Trucks". I guess I'm hungry for some good tacos. 

That's pretty funny. You said exactly the same thing I was going to post.  

[FoMoCo66]

36 minutes ago, peteski said:

I have to chuckle.

Every time I see the subject line of this thread my brain sees "Mexican Food Trucks". I guess I'm hungry for some good tacos. 

I read that every time I see the post. Then I read it correctly. ?

[rattle can man]

I like the concept, but the four door proportions seem off. After I finish my current builds and my F-150, I might try one.  exterior looks like a roof and upper panels from an AMT Phantom van grafted to a Super Stones F-150 might be doable.

[rattle can man]

Okay after breaking out my kits it isn't as easy I thought. The van bodyis taller than the pickups, so it will need to be sectioned and maybe a top chop too, depending on how you slice it. Plus you will have work to do on trim and maybe the lower body sides.

The SuperStones pickup is a long bed. The Phantom van roof would be too short in length. Either shortening the bed and Chassis or lengthening the roof would be needed

AMT F-150 short box (early 90's ) would work perfect lengthwise, but the van roof looks to be too wide. Careful planning might be needed to narrow it and keep the ribs looking evenly spaced. Or rework the hood/ cowl/ windshield area.

Revell Ford Ranger (kit 85-4360) looks like the most promising, but it is a 4x4 sport side. The cab is the right width, and the length of the chassis is very close.

[FoMoCo66]

44 minutes ago, rattle can man said:

The SuperStones pickup is a long bed

Not only that but it's a camper special. The wheel base is different and the wheel well is taller.

[oldcarfan]

On 6/13/2024 at 2:54 PM, rattle can man said:

Okay after breaking out my kits it isn't as easy I thought. The van bodyis taller than the pickups, so it will need to be sectioned and maybe a top chop too, depending on how you slice it. Plus you will have work to do on trim and maybe the lower body sides.

The SuperStones pickup is a long bed. The Phantom van roof would be too short in length. Either shortening the bed and Chassis or lengthening the roof would be needed

AMT F-150 short box (early 90's ) would work perfect lengthwise, but the van roof looks to be too wide. Careful planning might be needed to narrow it and keep the ribs looking evenly spaced. Or rework the hood/ cowl/ windshield area.

Revell Ford Ranger (kit 85-4360) looks like the most promising, but it is a 4x4 sport side. The cab is the right width, and the length of the chassis is very close.

I've noticed that the trucks built down there vary a lot in quality of execution. Some are better thought out than others.

You might sand the ribs off the van to start. That way you could narrow it to fit the truck and then add the ribs back later with strip stock.

Using the camper special truck might work in that it has a short length after the wheel wells. With that and shortening the bed in front of the wheels a little, I think the proportions would look good. I also wonder if the van's chassis might work under the truck.

Monogram's F-250 extra cab might also be a starting point.

I'm tied up in too many projects to even try one of these right now, but if you go on with yours, I'll anxiously follow along.

[stitchdup]

some of the grilles are available from a designer called king-3d on cults and I'm sure i've seen some other conversion parts too

[oldcarfan]

I forgot about it, but Dodge Mexico also had their version. Here is the 98-2000 something Ramcharger.

[Tabbysdaddy]

Every time this thread comes up, I think of this: