1965 ford busette

d_codebreaker · 04-24-2006, 08:15 PM

hello everyone.
i am a car restorer and recently got into the bus conversion. this weekend i just recieved a 1965 ford busette because a lot of people in the area know i enjoy automotives. the bus was converted to a hippie-mobile in the 70s and has been rotting in someone's back yard for the last 15 years. the people who gave it to me thought it had a 358 cleveland v8 2bbl under the hood with a manual 5 speed transmission.
some members from the club say this busette, or minibus is pretty rare as it has or had 8 seats in it and a rounded roof and back end. i do not want to totally convert it to camper because of space and the fact that i was hoping to use it for shorter trips and shows, etc.
i was google'in the bus to see if i could find pictures of it but i found this site. you'll be seein more of my bus soon when i put the pictures on the site in the gallery. if you know of anyone with the same bus or have pictures of it, keep me posted!

d_codebreaker · 05-01-2006, 08:38 PM

it's a 1961 busette.... i left some pictures in the gallery. This is going to be a really big project. It is day 2 and i have just finished ripping out half of the junk, including 5 layers of carpet, one layer of tar paper, and one layer of newspaper. all the shelves and closets are screwed into the walls and into eachother.

Steve · 05-01-2006, 08:41 PM

Can you post a link to your gallery?

d_codebreaker · 05-02-2006, 10:21 AM

yeah, i can't get it to work steve

westport_wayne · 05-03-2006, 09:16 AM

dan, couldnt find your pitures of the 65 bussette in the gallery and would really like to see it. i got a 64 international / wayne shorty i am working on. has your ford got a wayne body ??? wayne did make some weird (and very rare i am told) looking little buses called the bussette. if you want pictures there is a wayne bus site on yahoo. the web address is a mile long but, GO TO ( YAHOO SEARCH ENGINE- THEN PUT YAHOO WAYNE BUS IN THE SEARCH) it will take you right to the wayne bus enthusiusts forum. these guys know waynes. some use to work for them. it sounds to me that your ford bussette could be a wayne bodied rig. if it is a real bussette they are rare as hens teeth. there are pictures on that site of the bussette. just a little help. my 64 is a wayne but not a bussette. GOOD LUCK JOHN

d_codebreaker · 05-03-2006, 09:55 AM

Yeah its a Wayne. and yes it is rare but most of the parts are ford f350 parts. i have now finished stripping the insides and i am going to hotwire it on friday when i can get a hold of my dad's car battery. I will probably have the pictures posted tonight with a special thanks to steve who sorted out my gallery problems.

d_codebreaker · 05-03-2006, 09:28 PM

here they are:
http://www.skoolie.net/gallery2/v/Skooli ... fordwayne/

Steve · 05-03-2006, 10:23 PM

That thing so cool! I am glad someone is going to fix her up and crush her.

westport_wayne · 05-04-2006, 08:52 AM

say, that is a SHORT bus. not many of those around. the body looks just about like my 1964 ihc / wayne shorty. mine has one more window than yours. ill try to figure out how to put a pic of it on here.

the_experience03 · 05-04-2006, 12:31 PM

Cool find! That thing has a very classic-retro type look to it.

As best as I can tell from here that is an FE motor, but I have no clue the displacement. What is it if you know? Also, what tranny and axle does that thing have? I've never been under a Ford that old, but I would imagine it must be pretty stout considering how heavy that body looks.

Check out this group (the one that was referenced earlier)

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/...usEnthusiasts/

westport_wayne · 05-04-2006, 04:40 PM

that is either a 292 ford or a 312 motor. i am pretty sure its a 292. all you got to do is figure out what ford trucks of that year were running.

the_experience03 · 05-04-2006, 05:02 PM

That would make it a Y-block

The reason I ask is because I know 1958 was the last year of the Y-blocks in Ford cars, but I honestly have no idea for the trucks, especially the later model one. Automakers always seem slow to change over their heavier duty vehicles. Point and case would be AM General (General Motors) still running the 6.5 liter diesel in the H1's (with the duramax as an option) or the availability of the 350 in medium duty trucks well past the 1999 introduction of the LS-1 derived 4.8, 5.3, and 6.0 small blocks in the lighter trucks

westport_wayne · 05-04-2006, 07:25 PM

my dad had a 61 or a 63 ( i dont remember) ford truck that had one of those uni body pick-ups and it had a motor just like that little ford/ wayne busette. looks like good material for a 427 ford side oiler or one of the other big motor beasts ford made.

d_codebreaker · 05-04-2006, 08:08 PM

Yeah, i looked it up on the canadian tire computers at my part time job and i looked under F350. It says it has 2 smaller sixes or an optional 351ohv. i looked under the hood and it had the V8 in it. next i looked under the hood at the carburetor. it has a holley 2bbl. there were 3 carbs that came out for the f350 that yr. 1bbl, 2bbl, and optional 2bbl holley. This is the biggest engine for an F350 with the optional carburetor. it has a 4 spd manual tranny but i don't know what kind of back end. the leaf springs in the back are 10 leafs thick and it has 4 wheels on the back axel. the tires in the back are 7.00-17 class D and the fronts are 7.00-16 class C. if anyone you know can sell me a set of these tires or compatible, let me know

d_codebreaker · 05-08-2006, 07:28 AM

*352ohv V8

the_experience03 · 05-08-2006, 12:35 PM

So we've gone from a Y-block to a Winsor and back to the FE motor

I thought it looked FE-like originally...

From Wiki:

The FE and FT engines are Y-block designsâ€”so-called because the cylinder block casting extends below the crankshaft center line, giving great strength at the cost of weight. In these engines, the casting extends 35â„8 in (92 mm) below the crankshaft center, which is more than an inch below the bottom of the crank journals.

All FE and FT engines have a bore spacing (distance between cylinder centers) of 4.63 in (118 mm), and a deck height (distance from crank center to top of block) of 10.17 in (258 mm). The main journal (crankshaft bearing) diameter is 2.749 in (69.8 mm).

Introduced in 1958, the Ford 352 (of 351.9 inÂ³ or 5.77 L displacement) was the replacement for the Y-block series. It was simply a stroked (to 3.5 in or 88.9 mm) version of the 332. Rated from 208 hp (155 kW) (2-barrel carb) to over 300 hp (224 kW) (4-barrel police interceptor models). This series of engines were all known for excellent torque and durability. These engines usually weighed over 750 lb (340 kg). Bore of this version was 4 in (102 mm), with a 3.5 in (89 mm) stroke.

Applications:

1958 Ford Police Interceptor (375 HP)
1959-1960 Ford Thunderbird
1959-1966 Ford cars (optional)
1959-1960 Edsel
1961-1962 Mercury cars
1958-1960 Ford Courier
1965-1967 Ford F-Series

d_codebreaker · 06-10-2006, 10:26 PM

k: new news: i have been working on the engine and i have learned that the bus is a 1964 with a 292 yblock truck block. i have replaced the water pump, plugs, points, condenser, cap, rotor and it still doesn't run. it could but it is going to take $$$. the engine now only has 26000 miles because it was rebuilt and the block was replaced. i now have the block and the 4 spd tranny for sale including everything. name your price. my boss is giving me a new 1995 4.3L v8 out of a caprice with an automatic transmission and im going to buy a wiring harness. i have a friend who has also found me some radials and chrome bus rims so im getting them. this is my giant update on the project because i haven't touched the site in a while.

the_experience03 · 06-11-2006, 12:39 AM

vortec 4.3 and a 4L60E

That should be a good, reliable, efficient combination in that vehicle. I would recommend making sure your rear end ratio is kosher with the 4L60E though because the version found behind the 4.3 is adequate in everyway....that is until you do something it wasn't designed for. Glad to hear an update and congrats!

d_codebreaker · 06-12-2006, 10:42 AM

today i talked to my friends, the engine rebuilders and they suggested that i keep that engine and get it rebuilt at the most because the grooves in the back of the transmission will not line up. i may buy a painless wiring harness and a new coil and valve cover gaskets. the engine is the same as ones used in thunderbirds. if you know anyone with parts, let me know.

d_codebreaker · 10-30-2006, 02:18 PM

so we have now decided to keep the original 292 y block in the bus but we are rebuilding it. our goal is to have the bus done for march29th so we can make it to a meet in guelph, ontario. the bus has some kind of clutch in it and it has a t98 transmission. im also rebuilding them when i take the engine out. we are now doing the body work to it and the bus is completely stripped down to the metal. the bus is now up on cynder blocks because we have the wheels off. the wheels are 16" and 17" lock ring wheels with tubed tires but the wheels are too rusty so we are getting custom made wheels from california. the rear axle and brakes and the front is all getting rebuilt. the brakes are coming from Carlson Brakes and they are single servo single piston brakes. we will probably finish the body work before the snow and have the engine, tranny, and clutch out and in the garage for a rebuild.

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