I plan to visit a couple of older salvage yards early next week. I have a few questions in case they don't have exactly what I need for my 65.... Is the 65-66 bed panel trim the same on both driver and passenger sides?

One of the yards has a few 64 trucks. Is 64 custom cab door panel trim the same as 65-66? Are the 63-64 headlight bezels anodized aluminum or are they chrome plated steel?

Thanks for your time, Jason

 

The door trim panel mouldings are the same: 1964/66 Custom Cabs & 1965/66 Rangers.

The original 1961/66 Custom Cab, 1965/66 Ranger headlamp doors were chromed steel.

1965/66 F100/250's with anodized aluminum side mouldings:

Hood and cowl panel mouldings are the same R/L / Door, cab corner and bed mouldings are R/L specific.

 

NumberDummy, thanks for the reply. The trim can be found around here in my area and it helps to know what trim can be switched from from year to year and driver side to passenger side.

The seatbelts in my 65 are missing. Does anybody know what make and color seatbelts would be correct for a 65 Ranger with red interior? It looks like none in pictures are the same.

 

It's interesting how the 4x4 trucks differed in this area. Both of my San Jose plant 1966 F250 4x4 Custom Cab trucks (and one friend who has owned his since new) have no exterior side molding. This makes sense because of the "wrong bed".

But all three of these trucks also have no door trim panel moldings nor the big "L" shaped piece over the door that would hold the headliner in place along the edges and no holes were drilled for any of them. They have their original perforated headliners that haven't been replaced in any of them.

Yet, a very decent sounding and looking blue truck that was for sale some time ago very near Devils Tower in WY that was built in the Kansas assembly plant appeared that it might have come with those interior bits. I probably have pictures of that truck on my work computer and I'm home today. I nearly bought that truck so I'd have a Red, White and Blue set. Talked to the guy, Neil, for hours. Probably drove him crazy. Had him climb all over it and test everything.

Probably just a case of different assembly plants doing their thing. I've been reading "Echoes of Norwood" about the Norwood, OH assembly plant that was half Fisher Body plant and half GM assembly each growing to three floors and very cramped conditions. Opened in 192,3 it was where later they built Camaros and Firebirds. Fascinating story, even if the editing leaves something to be desired.

 

1919, GM prexy Billy Durant bought 60% of the Fisher Body Co. and in 1926, GM prexy Alfred Sloan bought the other 40%.

Durant founded GM in 1908, but was ousted in 1910. He then started a new company...Chevrolet and due to its immediate success...by swapping stock, regained control of GM in 1916. Chevrolet became a division of GM.

Durant was ousted a second time in 1920, then founded Durant Motors which due to the Depression, folded in 1931.

Durant, an autobiz pioneer, visionary and a wheeler-dealer par excellance, spent his last years operating a bowling alley in Flint MI, dying in 1948.

btw: Durant planned to purchase FoMoCo and fold it into GM. Henry agreed to sell, with one condition...he wanted all cash.

The banks refused to lend Billy the money, so the deal fell thru.

 

No, its usually a case of the previous owner customizing. There were rules when these trucks were built. As for head bezels on Custom Cab pickups: Chromed steel for '61 and '62, Anodized aluminum for '63 thru '66.

 

Custom Cab/Ranger headlamp doors are the same part numbers 1961/66 F100/750 and when I added new doors to my '65 in 1983, when I converted it to a Custom Cab, the ones I ordered from Ford came chromed steel.

It's possible that the originals were aluminum, the Ford "service part replacements" were chromed steel.
Is there an indication the truck came with them? AFAIK, seat belts were an extra cost option in 1965. My '65 Standard Cab didn't come with them, I added them after the fact.

The holes in the floor were there, but had rubber plugs in them. The only belts listed for 1965/66 are black, came w/a black plastic buckle.

Since Rangers came with '65/66 Mustang bucket seats, I would assume that Mustang "color keyed" seat belts could used.

These have a chrome buckle with a vinyl insert that matches the seat color...and have been repro'd.

 

I hear what you are saying there TripleFrame...there were rules. There were specifications. There were humans. Oh, sorry that slipped in there.

I never believe anything I read on the Internet. Hahaha!!

Here's similar info that seems to indicate the headliner retainer molding and horn ring were on the F250 4x4 but I believe the horn ring is not correct, that they instead came with a horn button. I see your documentation also says horn ring. Maybe horn ring meant ring or button??? So was headliner retainer molding supposed to be there? Both pieces of documentation says they should be there. And what Ford documentation can be trusted if any one piece is shown to have errors? Philosophically speaking, of course... cheers!

 

Here's roughly the same page for F250 2x4.

Under Ranger Package it does say "Ranger Emblem (when not used on Camper Special)" which confirms what others have said, too.



Says seat belts were standard in 1966, if I read that correctly, and my Ranger with Parchment interior has black 1-66 dated seat belts so I actually sort of suspect they didn't color code them but I think that would look awesome.



I can't say what they did for 1965.

Braun Hopke's truck. Also U-81 Parchment seats, black seat belts from what it looks like. Not positive.

http://www.michellesfords.com/RangerInt.JPG

One with red interior and black belts.

http://www.michellesfords.com/F10YE818982.jpg

A (probably) restored example here owned by one Ira Stephens as of Michelle's last update.

http://www.michellesfords.com/F10YL821440.jpg

Michelle's truck was red seats and if it came with the seat belts seen in her pictures then maybe they color-keyed them in 1965.

http://www.michellesfords.com/RangerPage.html

 

A few things of note...in Ford lingo...car truck or whatever...'bright finish' usually means aluminum..the headlight doors on bright finish grille equipped trucks are aluminum on 62-66...chrome steel on 61 as this was the same offering with its grille...chrome plated steel..

Seat belts were standard on 1965 pickup trucks..it might have differed in the senior series but given the floor pan was so similar I doubt it. Its been an oft debated topic, but ive never seen a set of seat belts in a 64-66 Ford truck of any color other then black with the large black plastic lift up release female portion. These halves are month and year stamped for you purists out there and on some there may possibly be a month/year ink stencil on the white fabric portion sewn on the webbing in some instances.

Bedside moldings are unique left to right..the angled end is the rear end of the molding and as you look at the truck with it installed it will be angled slightly towards the front of the truck. the top edge of the molding will be shorter then the bottom...to make it clearer :-)

The door trim inside is the same 64-6 however on some early 64's its possible that the upper trim on either side will be without the single screw hole commonly seen...Ive got some of the early 64 uppers too..



- cs65

 

Interesting........my '62 F100 4x4 has the head liner chrome and a chrome dash bezel, but nothing else. Maybe dealer installed?

 

It sounds like the Rangers used whatever color seatbelts were available or just black! I will be getting in touch with the (2) prior owners soon. I believe my trucks last owners were the ones that pulled the carpet. They managed to remove a few things and then just let it set up. I hope they still have the seatbelts saved somewhere.

 

They may bolt in and look nice but don't expect to be able to use them on anyone besides a 5 year old because they will be too short (the extra height of the Ranger seat bracket is the reason). Already tried using some Mustang seat belts that I had laying around.

 

Is your 1965 F250 Camper Special a Custom Cab?

My purchased new in March (assembled in January) 1965 F100 Standard Cab did not come with seat belts.

 

yup...Its fully loaded sans automatic trans, radio and Ltd. Slip rear end...blue interior and black seat belts...


- cs65