Hi all, I just purchased a 1966 F250 Camper Special and would like some help, I know it has a 1964 grille on the front and I would like to make it stock for 1966, how much would this cost to get a new grille installed? I also want to reupholster the interior in a roll and tuck seat in blue and white, along with the door panels, and have the steering wheel "painted" in the blue body color. An additional question, I have seen other 1966 F250's and the cab top is painted to contrast with the body color in this case the light blue, is this the factory standard for 1966? or is it original the way it is painted now with a white cab top? I would like to make it as close to original stock as feasible. Finally, I am in San Diego does anyone know of reliable and quality shops I can get this done at and an estimate in how much each item should cost. Thanks for all your help!

 

I posted photos in the album 1966 F 250 Camper Special

 

Welcome to FTE

The grille is not only in-correct, but...so is the upper grille panel.

1965/66's have the parking lights mounted in the upper grille panel, not in the grille like 1964 (1961/64's) do.

How much will a 1966 anodized aluminum grille cost? How much are you willing to pay?

There are next to no NOS (New Old Stock) '66 anodized aluminum grilles available, and then usually only from private sellers. Plan on spending $500.00/$1000.00 or who knows, if you find one.

The grille was reproduced several years ago by Dennis Carpenter, but has been out of production recently. When you contact Carpenter and ask, you only get a vague answer...of when it will be available again.

IMO, your best bet will be to contact FTE member Gangstakr (he posts in this forum and lives in Hemet). He will have the correct grille, upper grille panel, parking lights and etc available used. He also sells grilles he has had polished.

1965/66 trucks were available with tu-tone paint as an option, If your truck was originally tu-toned, the COLOR code on the Warranty Plate will have two digits.

This truck has been repainted, but the scheme is partially in-correct. The roof should be painted blue, the rest of the tu-tone scheme is correct.

The Warranty Plate is located on the left door face below the latch and will have the VIN, codes for the wheelbase (W.B.), COLOR, MODEL, BODY, TRANS, AXLE, GVW, HP @ RPM and the DSO.

If you post all of this jazz, someone will decode it for you.

If you want your truck to be as close to original as feasible, forget the tuck & roll interior, because it will not be correct.

The original seat upholstery is available from smsautofabrics.com (located in Canby OR). It will not be cheap, but it will be correct.

Something else I noticed. Your truck appears to be a Custom Cab, but it has the painted steel Standard Cab instrument cluster with a round speedometer.

The correct instrument cluster would be chromed plastic, have a sweep speedometer, separate round fuel and temperature gauges, and since it's a Camper Special, separate round oil and amp guages which were an option on everything else.

 

ocbp1981...I have an EXCELLENT 66 grille...not perfect...the finish is the main problem but shows quite well..and I have a correct header panel as well...the grilles finish is oxidized...but nowhere near as bad as some Ive seen in the past...Let me know if interested..Im up the street from ya..so to speak...post email addy if interested as you need 25 posts to send private messages(PM's) to other members as well as email through the forum itself.


- cs65

 

I figured you had the parts, but I suggested Gangstakr because he lives 30 miles north of San Diego.

This way, the OP can look at the parts in person, and if he buys them, will not have to concern himself with shipping charges...and other fall-der-all.

 

Thank you for all the feedback. I guess I should have said that I am an old Willis Truck guy and that I bought this truck for a number of reasons, one being the round speedo. It is akin to the Willis which I have always liked so that part will just have to stay nonconforming to the model trim. The other nonconforming item "I" would like is the tuck and roll upholstery, the Misses wants it a little "fancy" inside and you know we all have to listen to them "sometimes." I would like to get this redone and the top of the cab painted Blue, does anyone have any shop recommendations in Southern California? I will post a picture of the Warranty Plate soon. And finally, what about the steering wheel? Were they the color of the dash blue in this case or black? If I want it Blue where can I get this done?

Thanks again you all are a wealth of knowledge!

 

Automotive paint supply stores sell a special steering wheel paint that doesn't wear off.

If a '65/66 F100/250 Custom Cab had a blue seat, the steering wheel/steering column was blue, as was the rubber floor mat.

With a blue interior, the door trim panels were white with blue armrests. Ford didn't offer blue door trim panels, just white, red and black (edit-NO BLACK).

I do not recommend paint & body shops. I did that once 40 years ago...never again.

A pal of mine wanted to have his 1956 Jaguar XK140 painted British Racing Green. The shop I recommended painted it English Racing Green, the wrong color.

If you need mechanical work done, I will recommend a shop.

 

Round speedometers were only equipped in the base model 2WD trucks in 1965-66..All 65-66 Custom Cab 2WD trucks had the sweep speedo....
The dash was almost always off white...Wimdeldon White ...the dash pad was always black and a new requirement for 1966 model year trucks(NHTSA said so)
The steering wheel was whatever the trucks contrasting interior color was...either blue,green,red or beige on Custom Cab trucks. The only colors Ive seen on trucks regarding the door panels are red and white...I looked through my literature I have here and didnt see anything about black being an originally offered door panel color. the floor mat,steering column and armrests as well as the seat are the other color keyed parts on Custom Cab 2WD trucks.


On tutone trucks the roof color was the contrasting exterior color of the truck...red, blue, etc...


- cs65

 

100% correctamundo...I've seen trucks with black door trim panels, but I never checked my literature to see if black was correct.

It ain't. If the panels are black, someone painted them that color.

 

I figured as much...my dad did that to mine...along with the grill Ive come to learn...gotta love the 70s...some of the paint is still lingering...LOL

I mentioned the black as thats one of the colors being sold by Carpenter and the other parts vendors...


- cs65

 

I have two highly polished grilles with headlight bezels also polished. Call me at 951-306-7805 or email me at robert.regina@verizon.net

 

F11YR789780
129/H/F110/M81/A/A9
05600/172/4000/71

Help: bought this truck in 2007 with all straight metal. Drove it every day, and in the first year it got hit-n-run three times, and broken into once. The hit-n-runs ruined the passenger door, but it still works. They also dented the cab between the door and the bed... on both sides. They also dented the driver's side fender and ripped the bumper forward. The bumper broke at the hinge, but not all the way. So I drove it against a light pole and it bent back nicely. Also, floor is rusted through. Big hole on passenger side.

Anyway, interior is nice. Runs great. 4x4 is awesome. What should I do about the metal? Get a whole other truck with straight metal and harvest? Go to a body shop? Sell the truck and get one with straight metal?

And another thing: why is it so impossible to find 4x4 in these models?

 

Welcome to FTE.

Where do you live?

I was looking for a Ford 4x4 in central Florida last year and found it to be slim pickings.

 

I just moved from Salt Lake City, Utah to Seattle. Sort of, anyway. I really moved from Boston, and towed the truck from where I last left it in Salt Lake, to Seattle. I posted it for sale at the craigslist link below, but in the end I couldn't part with it.

Best offer I got was for $250. Someone from CO told me later that I shouldn't sell it for <$1000, bec the 4wd is so rare. I dunno what it's worth, but now that I've towed it to Seattle I'm all the more emotionally involved in it, and I would love to fix it up. I don't want it to be pristine, like new. Just straight, painted, and original (within reason).

Any advice/insight would be appreciated.


Thanks,
Alex


1966 Ford F100 4x4

 

Welcome to FTE

There were exactly 5,477 1966 F100 4WD's assembled. 145 Cab & Chassis, 839 Flareside Pickups, 4,493 Styleside Pickups.

Prolly less than 500 survive today, with the majority being Stylesides.

F11 = F100 4WD

Y = 352 2V

R = San Jose CA Assembly Plant.

789780 = 1966, assembled December 1965.

129" wheelbase.

H = Sahara Beige.

F110 = F100 4WD, 5,600 lbs. GVWR

M81: M = Medium Beige Crush Vinyl & Medium Beige Cody Pattern Woven Plastic // 81 = 81A Standard Cab.

A = New Process 435 4 Speed Manual Transmission.

A9 = Dana 60.2 Rear Axle / 3.54-1 / Limited Slip / 3,300 lb. Rear Axle Capacity.

5,600 lbs. Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.

172 net HP @ 4,000 RPM

71 = Los Angeles (SoCal) Ford District Sales Office, where the original selling dealer ordered the truck from.

1966 F100 4WD's were the first to have coil spring front suspension. The 352 V8, 4 speed and Dana 60.2 were optional at additional cost.

If you need sheet metal, suggest you contact camperspecial65 (lives in Seattle), he should be able to help you out.