I am looking at 64-66 Fords and am wondering If there is anything in particular to look for when I'm looking at trucks, like certain spots that they are known to rust and other stuff like that.

 

If should be considering disc brake, and/or power steering upgrades in future, understand with unibody construction for 61-64 it may be more involved. Whereas, 65-66 is when the I beam suspension was introduced and upgrades not as involved and parts readily available. Suggest run search on upgrade topic should find warehouse of information. If intend to remain stock, 61-66 great vintage trucks. IMHO, primary issue of concern is rust in critical areas; cab mounts, floor pans, along drip rail, radiator support. If truck is a 'flareside' where the fender meets the step tends to acquire rust. Likely, other members will be noting additional areas of interest.

dave

 

65-66 trucks will accept later model powertrains using OEM Stock parts where as the 61-64s require purchase of aftermarket parts, adapters etc or fabrication/ engineering just to put anything but an original "Y" block V8 or "I" Block-6 cyl in it.

Also the 65-66 body will Virtually bolt on to a the later chassis of the same model & Wheelbase all the way thru 1979. The 61-64 will bolt onto an earlier chassis all the way back to 1956, but who would want to do that?

So it really depends on what you have in mind & what you plan to do with your truck.

FBp

 

Some real things to also consider is the wiring that is in the truck. If there is a lot of chop and splice with wire nuts you can almost bet there is a nightmare to be found. It took me 3 weeks to remove all the house wire and nuts from my system. The previous owner was nice enough to even throw in another fuse block as well. At a future time yet to be determined I will be replacing all the wiring in the truck.

Look at the frame rails to make sure there are no cracks or rot through. Put the truck in neutral and try to move the driveshaft back and forth on the rearend. Just be careful you don't run yourself over. Brake lines are pretty cheap but you can use that as a leverage point as well to bring the overall price down. Look for wet spots on the brake backing plates. This will indicate if the wheel cylinders are leaking. Jack the front of the truck and check for loose king pins. Not an expensive item to replace but again less money to give him. Check the leaf bushings for noticable sag or missing rubber. Check the steering wheel play at all the connections. Mainly look for damage on the 64 steering box since it a one piece design that will cast $500 to replace if worn out or cracked.

Look inside the fuel tank from the gas cap. You should be able to see the bottom with a flashlight. See a lot of red, drop the price since you will need a new gas tank. Also look at the fuel lines. They are most likely original and may need to be replaced.

Another area of the body to look at not previously identified is the bed floor. These will rot out very quickly depending on what has been stored in them. There weren't any drain holes at the front of the bed. Check the window operation too.

 

Can't forget to check the radiator core support. They are prone to rusting. My 66 is essentially rust-free except for the core support.

 

Another rust-prone area is the front of the hood. If it looks perfect- start looking up underneath, or bring a magnet with you to find large areas of bondo. Hoods are hard to find in good shape. Checking other areas w/ a magnet may help you find well-concealed bondo or fiberglass.