1963 International Harvester Metro Van for Sale
Detailed Information
Type: Private
Price: $6,500
Location: Omaha, NE
Condition: Used
Year: 1963
Mileage: 63962
Transmission: Manual
Extras: Power Brakes
I don't know for sure, but the mileage of 63,962 is probably original.
This truck has a solid body that is mostly straight and has no rust. The metro has what looks to be the original six cylinder, with four speed manual transmission. The motor starts up and runs nice. It doesn't smoke, knock or tick. It runs cool. No water in the oil, or oil
in the water. No dripping leaks. It has the usual slow gasket seepage of a 52- year old vehicle, but nothing that I see that needs repaired. No blowby. The motor is in really good condition. The transmission works great and the clutch is good with no problems.
I did not drive this on the highway. Just fast enough to check all gears. The frontend feels tight and no clunking and steering feels tight. It's hard to tell for sure on the frontend, but I think it's fine. I knew even if I drove it on pavement, I wouldn't be able to tell for sure because the tires are aged and I think they are bias ply. The brakes work but feel like the need bled maybe. This has manual brakes and steering. It's
easy to steer, but I would convert to power brakes if you'll be driving it much. If your in a small town or rural area, the manual brakes would be fine. No gauges appear to work except the speedometer.
Headlights work but tailights don't. It most likely just needs bulbs. Turn signals act like they may work with some tinkering. The tires are 17" heavy duty but are weathered. They would probably be ok for low speed driving but should be replaced at some point if you'll be driving it much or putting weight in it. These do not look to be split rims. The fuel tank was bad when I bought it, so it's running on a temporary tank. The old tank is included, for a template. It will be easy for
a fabricator to build a new tank. It's basically just a metal rectangle.
The motor runs very nice but I would recommend a basic tuneup and new plug wires, fluids checked/flushed, brakes bled/adjusted, and just the basic stuff. There doesn't appear anything wrong with the wires, and it doesn't miss, but they get brittle over time. It runs and drives but is not a daily driver right now until those things are checked and lights fixed. The ignition points are new. Fuel pump is new also. I put those items on myself. Antifreeze is good. Depending on how much your driving this, and where, you can convert these vans to a more modern suspension with auto transmission.
The body on the metro van is very nice for an unrestored project this old. Easy to restore, or drive as-is. It is nearly rust free. The only rust is on the small rocker area, below the side entrance doors. This is a normal spot of rust for these vans, and will be easy for a bodyman to repair. It does not extend behind the doors. The floors, roof, floor supports, fenders, inner fenders/wheelhouses, quarters, frame, driprails. Are nice with no rust. You can see in the pictures that the paint is chipped off on each rear corner, showing bare metal. When I bought this van, it had dents there that had been repaired right and had bondo.
I pushed the dents out and removed the bad bondo. The corners will still need a little work, but they are relatively straight now. No other filler/bondo anywhere except the rear corners. I have a digital paint thickness tool that I have checked the van out with. Normally filler that is old will crack anyways, if it's overly thick, but I checked it with the gauge anyways. The orange paint is probably at least 30 years old, and wearing thin. If there was anything hiding under it, I'd be able to see it. I can see " Air force" in one spot on the original blue paint.
The drivers side has the sideswipe damage you can see in the pic. This is a straight forward repair for a bodyman. The interior panels are removable also, making bodywork easier than normal. Besides the sideswipe, the van is pretty straight overall. No dents in the roof. The grille is pretty nice. Grille shell has been bent up a bit but is easily fixable for a bodyman. The pics pretty much tell the story, but email if you have questions. If you think you see rust in the pics but it's not listed, it not rust. It's either surface rust, or just where the paint has peeled off. I have a lot of experience with classic vehicles, and I know how to do bodywork/rust repair myself.
I know it's humanly possible for anyone to make a mistake, but it's unlikely that I missed anything. I went over it thoroughly, and also went back over the pics a couple times. The passenger door does latch but the handle needs work because it's locked so someone removed it. It is included. The gas filler door is not included. It's just a flat piece of metal, so one could be fabricated easily. I know of three of these vans at salvage yards. When I can, I'll be checking to see if they have one. If they do, I'll either include it with the van or mail it to you.
Overall, the body is in very solid and dry condition. Not much to say here. The pics tell the story. The interior is pretty much original. Keys are in it. The seat needs recovered. It's easy to find another seat at a salvage yard to put on the passenger side if you wish. The floors and interior are fairly clean. This has an overhead compartment above the windshield. The vin tag is mounted on the interior, and does match the title, which is clear.
Used 1963 63,962 miles
1963 in Nebraska
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