Parts Reference · body
F-100 Body Styles: Styleside vs Flareside & More
Ford F-100 body styles explained -- Styleside, Flareside, panel delivery, chassis-cab, and SuperCab. Differences, years offered, and which fits your build.
fordf100s.com · Updated
F-100 Body Style Overview
Bed style, cab type, and chassis configuration describe different things. A regular-cab truck can have either a Styleside or Flareside box; a SuperCab describes the extended passenger compartment. Equipment offered elsewhere in the F-Series range was not automatically offered on the F-100.
| Term | What it describes |
|---|---|
| Styleside | Wide pickup box with wheelhouses inside the bed and no separate exterior rear fenders |
| Flareside | Narrower pickup box with separate exterior rear fenders and side steps |
| Regular cab | Conventional single-row passenger compartment |
| SuperCab | Extended cab with space behind the front seat; seating depends on equipment |
| Panel delivery | Enclosed cargo body rather than an open pickup box |
| Chassis-cab | Cab and chassis supplied for a separate cargo body or other upfit |
Use the model-year references to establish availability for a particular truck. Earlier F-1s, later F-100s, and heavier F-Series trucks should not share one undifferentiated specification table.
Styleside
A Styleside box places the wheelhouses inside a wide cargo body. Its outer sides extend toward the width of the cab, producing a flush-sided appearance. The space between the wheelhouses is narrower than the maximum interior width, so distinguish those measurements when planning a load.
The Integral Styleside, often called Unibody, is a separate construction distinction: the cab and box form a joined body mounted on a frame. Do not order bed or cab repair panels on the Styleside name alone. Confirm the year and whether the truck has an integral or separate box.
Flareside and Stepside
A Flareside has separate rear fenders outside a narrower box, with steps between the cab and rear fenders. “Stepside” is also used informally for this appearance, but parts should be selected by the actual Ford year and box configuration.
Do not assume every year offered both short and long Flareside boxes. For example, the 1983 U.S. brochure lists the F-100 Flareside on the short wheelbase only.
Panel Delivery
A panel delivery has an enclosed cargo compartment instead of an open pickup box. It should be identified from its own body and model records, rather than treated as a pickup with a cap. Inspect the cargo floor, roof seams, doors, and mounting structure, and check availability of body-specific repair panels before buying.
Chassis-Cab
A chassis-cab provides a starting point for a separately installed body. A surviving flatbed may be an original commercial upfit, a later replacement, or a conversion from a pickup. Check its original configuration, frame dimensions, body mounts, and weight ratings; appearance alone does not establish how Ford supplied it.
SuperCab: Check the Model Year
The SuperCab is an extended cab, distinct from a four-door crew cab. Ford’s 1974 SuperCab brochure lists F-100 SuperCabs with 139- or 155-inch wheelbases and 6¾- or 8-foot Styleside boxes.
Availability changed. The 1983 U.S. pickup brochure lists regular cabs for the F-100 and starts the SuperCab configurations with the F-150. Do not apply the full F-Series cab range to a 1983 F-100.
Seating and Storage
The 1974 brochure offers two facing rear jump seats or a full-width rear bench. With a three-person front seat, those arrangements provide five or six seats respectively. The brochure describes 44 cubic feet of rear cargo space with the rear seating folded away. Inspect the actual seats, belts, and mountings on a surviving truck; a cab name alone does not establish its seating capacity.
Dimensions and Configurations
The 1974 brochure gives overall lengths of 217 and 233 inches, before the optional rear bumper. The longer example is therefore under 20 feet, contrary to a blanket claim that every long-bed SuperCab exceeds that length. Other years and equipment need their own dimensions.
Crew Cab Is a Different Body
The same brochure assigns its four-door crew cab to the F-250 and F-350, not the F-100. Verify any purported factory F-100 crew cab against market-specific documents and its full identity; custom conversions exist.
Short Bed vs Long Bed
Compare usable box length, width between the wheelhouses, overall length, and wheelbase separately. A nominal eight-foot box is not evidence that every eight-foot truck has the same frame or rear overhang.
For a long load, measure the actual bed and decide whether the tailgate must close. For garage clearance, measure the whole truck, including bumpers and any hitch. Replacement beds and chassis swaps can invalidate dimensions inferred from the badge.
A Verified 1983 F-100 Example
Ford’s 1983 dimensions table distinguishes three regular-cab configurations:
| Box | Nominal box length | Wheelbase |
|---|---|---|
| Short Styleside | 6¾ feet | 116.8 inches |
| Long Styleside | 8 feet | 133 inches |
| Flareside | 6½ feet | 116.8 inches |
Those figures describe the listed 1983 U.S. trucks. Use the specific generation and model year for other applications rather than extending this table across the entire F-100 run.
Which Body Style Is Right for Your Build?
- Styleside: compare cargo space and the appearance of the wider box.
- Flareside: choose the separate-fender appearance after checking cargo width and body-specific parts.
- Long bed: prioritize load length, while measuring parking and garage clearance.
- SuperCab: verify model-year availability, fitted seats, belts, and rear storage needs.
- Panel delivery: evaluate enclosed cargo access and the condition of body-specific sheet metal.
- Chassis-cab: establish an engineered mounting and load plan for the intended body.
None of these choices establishes a fixed resale premium. Compare completed sales of similarly equipped trucks in comparable condition before assigning a value difference.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a Styleside and a Flareside on an F-100?
A Styleside uses a wider box with wheelhouses inside it. A Flareside has separate rear fenders outside a narrower box and side steps. Compare the exact year’s dimensions before choosing for cargo use or ordering replacement parts.
Did the Ford F-100 ever come as a crew cab?
The U.S. F-100 was not offered as a factory four-door crew cab. A SuperCab is a different cab design, and its availability still needs a model-year check: Ford’s 1983 U.S. brochure lists F-100 regular cabs, with SuperCabs beginning at the F-150. Verify modified trucks and non-U.S. examples against their own documentation.
What year did Ford introduce the SuperCab on the F-100?
Ford’s 1974 SuperCab brochure documents the new cab on the F-100. It offers two rear jump seats or a full-width rear bench and two Styleside box lengths. That does not establish continuous F-100 availability through 1983; the 1983 U.S. brochure lists F-100 regular cabs only.
Is a short bed or long bed F-100 more valuable?
This guide does not establish a universal premium or percentage difference. Condition, originality, equipment, modifications, and comparable completed sales matter. Select bed length for your intended use, then compare prices for that configuration.
What is a Ford F-100 panel delivery truck?
It has an enclosed cargo body rather than an open pickup box. Verify its year and identity separately from a pickup, and inspect the enclosed floor and body structure before planning a restoration.