Did only farmers have these trucks or normal suburban families had them too?

 

Certainly not only farmers bought them. I'd say anyone who wanted or needed a truck bought one.

 

My father bought one in 1966. Short bed F100, Custom Cab, V8, two tone, not to many other options. We lived in the country, not farming at the time. He used it to commute to his job during the week and was always hauling stuff on the weekends.

 

Not regular suburban families. I know that when we got a truck in the early '70s, (a '62 unibody short bed), our relatives from the St. Louis area were kind of shocked, when they came to visit.

 

My father in law bought a 64 2wd and 66 4wd both new. He and his family lived in town but both father and mother in law were from ranching backgrounds and would go to one or the other ranches most every weekend. County roads in Montana in the 60's as well as still today are mostly gravel and dirt and when wet or snowy require 4wd or 2wd with a posi and chains. My grandfather also lived in town and had a pickup as far back as I can remember but also came from an Ag background. As a matter of fact I can't think of any of my grandparents or aunts and uncles who did not have a pickup in their stable whether they lived in town or on the ranch.

 

Of the 3 I own all are CC CS 1 is a Ranger V8's 4spd 1 is a COM. The 66's were one owners that were used strictly for camping, touring, not used for work. My 65 Ranger I don't have much info on but condition is very good and does have a 58 Alaskan Pop-up still on it.

 

Exactly the same kinda people that buy them today we just packed 4 in the front and 2 in the bed

 

I tend to think most folks buying pickups in the 60's were using them in someway to make money. Even the "Custom" trucks were fairly spartan. Seems like it was the 60's that pickups started catering to other customers...particularly recreational customers with their camper specials. Gradually more and more people started buying pickups for fun activities. Today the sky is the limit for creature comforts as well as other features that are borderline silly for anyone wanting a truck to make money. If you include F150's and rangers, I wouldn't be surprised if half of today's pickup sales were for people using them for reasons other than making money...i.e. recreational and mostly transportation.

 

My dad bought a 63 F100 long bed wrong box 2 wheel drive 292 4 speed used in 66. Still have some of it, has been wrecked couple times and rebuilt. Someone special ordered it, Only thing have figured out they got snapring wheels on it. It was used as farm truck then I used as daily driver, Hauled hay,cows pigs,manure,and tons and tons of scrap iron.

 

1991 was the first year that more Ford pickups were sold to the general public than as fleet vehicles.

March 1965: I bought a new 1965 F100 8' Styleside Pickup, I was a Ford parts guy and wanted something dependable to drive.

Standard Cab, 352 with Warner 3 speed overdrive, radio, deluxe heater, Western Junior mirrors. Per my request, the dealer (Stockton Quincy Ford in Westwood) added an aftermarket step bumper and A/C

I owned the truck until 11/2009.

 

My dad bought a new 1966 F100 October 10th 1965 as his to work transportation and to haul us kids and our bikes and scooter to the camp on summer weekends. It never left the local area. In family until late 1985 when I sold it for gas money to move to Phoenix.

i now own 6 1966 F100/250’s. None of those were used hauling for business.
the 1966 F100 Ranger was used as long distance travel. 352 with tall gears & a overdrive.

the 1966 F250 Deluxe CamperSpecial Ranger was bought new by a lady in Hemet CA and used as a Camper. In 1968 she installed a 1968 GT 390 to better tow the large Airstream she pulled behind it. Barely a scratch in box floor.

 

Grandpaw bought his/mine new in Dec.63, drove it for one month, pulled the Y block and put the FE that's in it now. Used it for towing a boat. Then dad got it and raced some on the weekends with it, now I drive it everyday..

 

Well, I'm not old enough to have bought one when new, but I've seen plenty of family photos over the years... My mom at her grandparents' ranch, my dad and his parents with a camper on the back. I remember my grandpa had one when I was a kid in the 80s. Barely remember riding in it. We've always had trucks, but never a slick. I grew up with dentsides and bullnose trucks mostly. Did have a '52 Chivvy for a while.... that cured me.

 

The original owner of my '65 custom cab used it to tow his boat and he also installed a shell camper and sold it in '89. It came with the 352, BW 3spdOD. deluxe heater and custom cab. He also paid extra for the front chrome bumper, dealer installed "farmer" rear bumper and the jr west coast mirrors. It's marlin blue and as far as I know has only had one respray. I'm the third owner of this truck and I have the original owner card, owners manual and original dealer insignia.
rx

 

I've had at least one pickup in my driveway since about 1971. And nobody I knew had a farm. Although I did have a friend that owned some cranberry bogs, so that's farming I guess, but I don't remember him ever having a pickup, he had a couple of box trucks and stake bodies over the years but mostly over 1 ton. I feel naked without a pickup in the driveway.

Eric