(first posted 4/29/2012) The Ford C-Series truck was one of those vocational workhorses that labored in quiet obscurity for its entire service life. They were the vocational jack of all trades, finding work in refuse removal, construction, firefighting, food & beverage and parcel & freight delivery.
From the Model T on, Ford Motor Company has had a long and inglorious history of building a strong class-leading product, then proceeding to allow it to stagnate, as the competition passed it by. The Ford C-series was very much the Ranger pickup of medium duty commercial vehicles with a 33 year reign from 1957 until being retired in 1990. For longest heavy-duty truck production run, only the 39-year run of the Mack Model R can surpass it.
By the mid 60s, engine options covered the spectrum of Fords gas engines from the 300 CI straight 6, Y-Block 8s with the big block super duty 534 as the Big Kahuna of gasoline motors. The HD small block 8s came with stronger heads and valves to withstand the heavy use that many trucks receive.
On the compression ignition side of the house, Ford offered their own inline 4 and 6 motors, Cummins C and N series as well as a special order turbocharged 1160 V-8 Caterpillar. Later in the production run Cat would become the engine of choice for fire apparatus.
Courtesy Cragin Spring
Transmission choices included a 5 speed manual combined with a 2 speed rear end, an 8 speed Roadranger as well as a 6 speed automatic. Spring rates and axle sizes also were variable. Marmon-Herrington 4 and 6 wheel drive conversions were available too. The total possible permutations of drivetrains is only slightly smaller than your choices at Starbucks.
The C-Series also had a whole family of badge-engineered doppelgangers. In Canada it was re-tagged Mercury along with the M-Series pickup. The tooling was designed and owned by Ford but manufacturing was outsourced to Budd; other truck OEMs used both the entire cab and portions thereof with approval. Mack used the Cab for their N Model, FWD and Walther used portions of the cab for their airport fire apparatus.
While the COE went extinct as a Class 8 tractor they remain popular in the middleweight categories. In a two axle configuration placing the load in front of the steer axle creates better weight distribution and allows for a larger cargo area and heavier payloads on a given wheelbase. Placing the driver at the front also has the fortunate side effect of giving the driver much smaller blind spots. The shorter wheelbase allows the equipment to squeeze into spots where the extra 4 to 6 feet of conventional truck with a hood could not fit.
When Ford announced they were discontinuing the C-Series many long time customers grumbled. The Cargo model that was slated to replace it was a flop, with the Isuzu, Mitsubishi and Hino (Toyota) grabbing most of the middleweight tilt cab market. 
Today you can still find many C Series trucks still on the job. For a smaller roofer or landscaper they offer a lot of utility at a low price and like most vehicles of that era, are shade tree wrenching friendly. Outside of the Rust Belt they can be kept alive and working almost indefinitely.
I always felt that this was an excellent representation of the Ford Cab over. My favorite toy of the 60s!
I drove quite a few of the C-series Fords as box vans during my working years as well as the comparable International Cargostars. Shifting the Ford was like stirring soup – you never knew where the gears were going to be – but don’t miss a gear on a hill! I really can’t compare them to the Int’l because all of those were automatics. I do think the Cargostar had a better ride, though. The Fords were way too bouncy. I had the radio jump right out of the dashboard one time.
I have a C series Ford with a Cat 3208 engine. It has a TRW power steering pump, but I need to find a pulley. Can anyone please help me find a press-on pulley for a 0.802 inch shaft? Or even help me find a part number? THANK YOU EVER SO MUCH.
I am in the process of restoring a 1972 C700. This truck was used in Pulver Wi. as a Fire Rescue trick and only has 57xxx miles on it. i am looking for a pickup style box to fit the frame. I will use it to pull 30 foot long vintage wood boats. Also looking for an engine mount for a Air Conditioning compressor. I have a vintage Evaporator unit.
I’m not a truck guy and was always curious about these – they used to be everywhere, but with the obviously late-’50s styling I assumed they were 1960s or early ’70s trucks that were still in use. Had no idea Ford was still making these into the ’90s
I remember one of these garbage trucks milling around the campus of the state university I attended in Virginia around 2012-2014. By my senior year it disappeared, evidently replaced by some smaller Japanese vehicle.
I always thought these were ugly, as when I was younger you would see many of these in various tv shows of the 70s and 80s. now I reckon they’re a classic, not like todays trucks that have little or no character whatsoever. its a pity these were not built in Australia as they would have been good competition to the Aussie built International Acco, which in itself is an easy to maintain long lasting truck, and has been built here since about 1968 and continues today under the Iveco nameplate.
I have an 89 C8000 with a 3208 Cat. Looking for the rubber bellows that fits between the cab and the air filter
Please anyone… I am trying to restore a 1962 C-850 super duty ford/Hahn fire engine. It has the monster 534 engine. At some pioint, the carberator was changed out and I am having difficulty figuring out what I can replace it with. It appears to have a 1965 holley 4150 carb, but I cannot get any clarification. Any ideas? Thank you!
John
I own a ’75 – C7000 Tandem with the Cat 3208 which was rated at 175 h.p. from the factory. It has 18,000 original miles, is red with black vinyl solitary seats (one cannot really call them buckets), and has a 5 speed with 2 speed splitter. It is a grain truck with a steel side/wood floor box and has a tag axle. The black vinyl dash pad in the Custom Cab looks like new. Cab is very solid and pretty much rattle free. I will post a photo of it some day soon….. I love the old ‘gurl’. It makes me smile each time I crawl up in the cab and drink in that panoramic view
I grew up during the 90’s and I remember seeing these C-cabs quite a bit. The local BFI had a E-Z Pack front load body (Two hinged arms) fitted to these. My transit authority also had a couple of these with scissor lift bodies for servicing trolley lines. They disappeared after the city got rid of the trolley lines
Did these C series have a Detriot 2 stroke offering? I swear I remember those barking Detriot Roadway trucks as a young, young child. Swore they were Ford C series…
The Detroit 6V-53 was available some years in the C series.
I believe they sure did…..
I know mine has a “Made for Ford” diesel by CAT (as read on the engine tag), a V8 – four stroke model 3208. But I am nearly positive the local Roadway trucks had the 2 strokers made by the General.
They were much more rancorous in their odor and sound, bellering that wail so familiar to the world awaiting at downtown crosswalks. Smelling that smell only a 2 cycle diesel emits.
(if you ever hear the sound of a v/8 CAT 3208, and smell those exhaust fumes peculiar to that engine, you will never forget. Just as in those Detroiters….. which always seem to have the downdraft, underframe routing of the pipe to give passersby a good wiff. Both have a very ‘individualistic’ aroma which permeates the breathing apparatus of a human and lingers in the nostrils declaring their skull and crossbones presence
I remember the former GFox department store in Hartford Conn. had a delivery fleet of these in blue. Seems like with so many things being ordered online these days I wonder if we’ll see larger stores going back to their own fleets.
I used to drive one of these as an airport fuel truck and thought it was kinda a junky rattletrap. It wasn’t really that old and, being an airport truck, didn’t have a lot of miles on it. I also drove a Cargostar as a youngster, and IMHO it was a nicer truck. Admittedly, it was brand new at the time.
But there’s no denying it’s a classic.
I think very last C-cabs were bought by the federal government (GSA). I work on a military base and I remember seeing a brand-new C-800 stake bed with the 429 V-8 operated by the haz-mat guys in 1990. Was kind of amazed – didn’t think they were still making them then
They also used to use C-cab tractors (along with Chevy COE’s) to haul passenger trailers for Catalina Island tours into the early 2000’s.
Out here on the west coast, where they don’t rust out, these trucks are incredibly long lived. I was amazed to see a compressed gas company in Ventura using C’s as delivery trucks as late as 2017! And a friend who works for a major LA utility said they had a specialized C-8000 utility truck until just a few years ago.
I just acquired a 69 Ford Cabover C Series. But can not get the cab to flip open. Can anyone give some advice.
It maybe just needs a gentle tug to and fro and up and down while pulling that little handle. On mine, there is a second handle to release the safety catch after the main handle lets it up a couple inches; a double handle and double catch system
On the rear passenger side of the cab, just underneath the corner is a rod with a sort of loop formed in the end of it near you ~ pull this and look for the cab tilt pump, it looks like a hydraulic bottle jack, close the little valve on it’s base and insert a properly shaped snug fit handle, pump it up and down in full strokes as you keep the latch release rod pulled out ~ in time the cab will slowly begin to lift it’s rear edge .
There are two huge coil springs to assist this movement .
-Nate
I acquired a 1969 Ford Cabover Series C 6000. I can not get the cab to hinge forward. The two smaller latch handles won’t budge. Then there is a larger longer one that doesn’t do anything either. Someone told me to look for a built in jack to pump the cab up. But there is not one. So I tried to jack it up with my own jack, but it would not budge. Can someone give me any advice. I am out of ideas. It looks like the picture attached.
The long lever, of tube construction, needs to raised to release the primary latch
The two “bent rod” loop handles are secondary latch and safety latch. Those aren’t in play until the cab begins to raise and unseats from its saddle. It takes an up and down jog of the cab to clear both latches.
It may take a bit of prying with a bar at the top center of saddle to get things started. Nothing too radical, just a pinch from something like a 24″ pry bar.
Open both doors to help counterweight the cab for raising.
Thank,
Thank you, JimDandy. I will try that.
Looks like an ex – fire truck .
I’m sure there’s an affordable factory shop manual out there, it should give detailed instructions and cautions if any….
-Nate
CAN NOT GET THE CAB TO TILT FORWARD ON A 1969 FORD SERIES C.
THERE IS NO PUMP. IT ALL LOOKS MANUAL.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY IDEAS. THER
The early ones were spring counter balanced and lifted easily.
These used to be in regular use as furniture and appliance delivery trucks here.
I drove many Ford C Cabs for Superior Propane in the late 80’s and through the 90’s.
When I started they still had a couple mid 80’s trucks with the big gas engine running on propane of course. Most were the CAT V8’s. For delivering around Toronto the C Cab couldn’t be beat. With the 20’ (jk) of shift linkage they had their individual unique characteristics but if it was your regular truck the 10 spd Eaton Fuller transmission was a very smooth transmission.
Once Ford stopped making the C Cab they gave us a Brazilian Cargo that was very difficult to shift because you had to roll your wrist when the shifter moved left/right. The newer Louisville built Cargos were better and the engines were more reliable as well.
Once you’ve driven a C Cab they’ll always hold a special spot in your memories.
It’s been over 23 years since I’ve driven one and I still miss those trucks.
I have a 89 C8000, 2 axle, 8208 Cat with a 10 speed. Does anyone know what power steering fluid to use ?? Pretty its ATF, but need to be sure. Don’t want to ruin seals.
Thanks
I just traded a 2004 Saturn Vue for two 1985 c600’s
I’m wondering if anyone knows how to tow these units as these were airport units and never were registered for use on the street they only have 7,000kms and 1,100kms (yes that’s the correct mileage.)
I’d drive them home if I could but I don’t want to risk having them impounded by driving them illegally.
I worked for Hertz truck rental in 1970, they had a ton of c model box trucks, one came in off rental, on the front of the box, above the cab was written “here comes the turtle”, from that point we referred to them as “Turtles”