Been back lurking around here for a few weeks now; used to be quite a bit more active back in the later 90s/early 2k’s with a ‘65 F-250. Lost that truck in 2010, and then found this ‘66 F-100 factory 4wd short box in 2012. 390/NP-435/NP-205/Dana 44 front/Ford 9” rear… pretty standard. Just found the Cardo camper shell for it last December for $100 bucks. It was a Custom Cab from the factory, but I turned it into a Ranger cab with all correct parts, salvaged from a ‘66 F-250 factory Ranger, including the Mustang seats, ‘64/‘65 Falcon center console with correct mounting brackets, and original gas tank cover. I had the seats recovered, but I went with the Mustang Pony interior seat covers instead of the standard Mustang covers… not correct for a true Ranger... Just a personal touch. I like the horses!. The dash is refinished with all new NOS gauges in a refinished dash insert, and a ‘66 Mustang rally pac. Power steering is in along with power brakes, but still all drum… have the front disc conversion yet to do.



Still got some things in the works that I’m going to be doing, but it’s running, registered and insured, and a lot of fun!
Norm

 

that's a cool truck. and great color. Welcome!

 

Sweet looking truck! You made some great improvements so far. Keep the pictures coming. What are the loop tabs between the cab and bed? I vaguely remember something like them on my brother's old truck.

 

Welcome back, Norm! Love your truck and everything you've done to it. It looks great! For sure, one can tell you've spent quite a bit of time getting all the little parts necessary to detail it out, and pride of ownership shows. Well done!

 

Thanks guys… appreciated. The Caribbean turquoise is my favorite color on these old trucks… this is my third one in this color. In fact, now that it’s starting to warm up a little, within the next month or so I’m going to get a modest splash or two of the turquoise onto the shell. I’ll post back here when that happens.

The loops between the cab and the bed are camper anchors I found several years ago. They’re off a ‘75 F-350 Super Camper Special. It was one of those random “what the hell” add-ons for me. Who knows… maybe someday.

I’ve been fortunate enough to find several NOS small parts for it, like both gear shift *****, a set of the “glider steps” from the ‘73-‘79 trucks, the set of dash gauges, and a bunch of other small stuff. Plus tons of used parts. Hard to fathom how much prices have risen on this stuff over the last 15 years or so. But I guess it’s just like everything else these days.

 

The NP205 is a nice upgrade. The original single range Dana 21 transfer cases were seen as a weak spot in these 1966 F100s but the NP205 is one of the stouter transfer cases. And dual range which is really nice to have.

While Ford did offer the Ranger package in the 1966 F100 4x4 they didn't offer the center console. I always assumed it was because of interference with the transfer case shift lever but you seem to have made it all fit fine.

 

You are right about the Dana transfer case. Twice my father in law broke the shaft in his 66 while out in the middle of nowhere. And when that shaft breaks you walk to the nearest ranch house for help.

 

You’ve got my favorite truck there, looks great and with some nice options.
I’m still looking for a grill guard for mine, might have to build one to match the Ford guard but at my current rate of progress I might be retired before it happens.

 

Agreed on the NP205. When I first drove the truck, I figured it had the Dana 21 in it since it had 8-ball shift ***** on both shifters, so I had the transfer case stick shoved all the way forward for what I thought was “2wd”. And thought DANG this thing is geared low! Of course, turns out I was actually in 4wd low.

I’d never heard that the center consoles weren’t offered in the 4wd trucks, but sure enough, that’s what it says in the literature there. But it fits fine; properly installed on the correct mounting brackets and no clearance issues. One of the many things Ford did back then that is not meant to be understood, I guess.

Norm

 

53deere:
Apparently there are two- and four-wheel drive versions of the grille guards; my guess is because of the steering boxes. I have a 2wd version on mine and the right mounting arm bolts right into pre-drilled hole in the frame. The left arm, however, runs into the steering box. So I have the arm mounted there on the guard and going through the radiator support, but it’s not bracing anything. It’s still bolted to the bumper in 6 places, and that, with the right arm, holds the guard pretty firmly. I’ll have to attach the left arm some other way.

What running gear did you use for your conversion?

Norm

 

. ‘78 F150 parts mounted to the ‘66 frame so I have power steering and front disc brakes. The link to my build is below. I figured the drivers side brace would need to be different than all of the 2wd’s that I’ve seen. Will need to figure that out when I get there.

 

All the photos of 4WD trucks having the guard that I’ve seen show short spacers between bottom of the guard , and top of bumper, probably about 1 1/2” in length. I’m fairly sure that the arms would also be different, in both length and curvature. Aren’t the “frame horns “ different on 4WD vs 2WD? I have a complete restored guard for my 66 2WD awaiting installation, including support arms and the bezels that hide the holes cut through the core support. I am nervous about cutting the holes through my good condition original core support, though I have good info as to location to cut them.

 

1961-1965 F100/250 4x4, 1966 F250 4x4 and 1961-1966 F350 used the 6 metal spacers. The 1965-66 2WD and 1966 F100 4x4 didn't use the spacers.

C1TT-8A420-A - SPACER - RADIATOR GRILLE GUARD TO BUMPER - 6 ea.

The brace arms changed more frequently. I'll just list 1966 here.

1966 F100/250 2WD
C6TZ-8302-B - R.H. *
C6TZ-8303-C - L.H.

1966 F100 4x4
C6TZ-8302-B - R.H. *
C6TZ-8303-B - L.H.

1966 F250 4x4, B-F350/750
C6TZ-8302-A - R.H.
C6TZ-8303-A - L.H.

* - same part number

 

I read through your entire build post… awesome work! Man that was quite the undertaking. The end result looks amazing!

 

Really good info…. So apparently then, I am actually running the correct guard for my truck but just didn’t have the correct left support arm. Which makes sense… my guard originally came from a 2wd Mercury 250 from a good friend and member here. I did try to utilize some (incorrect) spacers when I was installing mine because I had thought, being a 4x4, that it needed them. But I couldn’t get it mounted properly sitting on the spacers so I just set it on the bumper and it worked great. Glad to learn that’s how it’s supposed to be.

-Norm