just how many of these trucks where actually made with this ranger spec,would you like to see photo of spec plate,i will look for the signs of the previous colour,it still has the original carpet,i was thinking of throwing it away but will keep it now, ,should it say ranger anywhere on the truck,it just has F250 camper special on the fender badges.i will think about putting it back to the original colour and trim, i think it deserves it,i may need a bit of help from you my friends in the states,such as part numbers and where to buy the seat riser from in the usa,i will try to crawl through ebay and craig list for seats ,i find that most people will not sell out of the usa,but hey will give it a try,i will also look in aussie, to post the seats will be a killer from usa,i will not get rid of the brakes though, i have never liked drums,and i think with this amount of weight in todays traffic its a safety issue,plus easier to service, also i have just spent 1000nzd on new disc/brake hoses and pads and caliper pistons(most was on postage from rock auto, what a great company and service )boy was those vented 8 stud disc heavy, the twin piston calipers sure stop this old girl,i am looking for a key to open the petrol flap thats feed the side tank behind the drivers door under the tray this is a massive tank and look to hold quite a amount, also one for the other side built in tool locker are these special they seem smaller than the ignition/door key i will buy new barrels if i have too,can anyone point me in the direction of a new fuel selector valve thats on the drivers side floor mine looks ok but it may need new seals/and i would like a drawing of the pipework layout so i can connect the two tanks together,it looks like it may have had a third tank connection also but no signs on third tank,any way if anyone see any mustang seats out there that will suit my purpose ( dont mind buying new covers/seat bases etc)please think of me,i do have a contact for a shipper in long beach california,anyway thanks again for all your help,ps if anyone needs any parts from new zealand or great britain let me know,( my home town is is nottingham in the uk and still have lots of mates there) gary,auckland,nz

 

Gary (of Auckland,NZ):
-- If I'm recalling correctly, I don't think there was an auxillary/optional/second fuel tank offered for any '65 F250 truck. I think there was only one tank offered and that was a single 17-gallon tank located inside the cab, behind the seat with the fill being on the edge of the cab, adjacent the driver's door handle. So, if the above is true - then what you've described earlier sounds like an home-grown or aftermarket-fabricated multi-tank fuel storage system of some sort.

I'm also not sure if the fender badges on a Ranger-optioned, Camper Special-equipped '65 F250 would have the badge red insert reading, "Camper Special" or "Ranger"..... But I know there are others here - much smarter than me - that may be able to tell you what insert would be correct for your truck.

Bill / aka ND:
-- Does your information say anything about any air-conditioning units that may have been available in Gary's '65 F250 Ranger/CS truck?

BarnieTrk

 

A pal of mine, (Bo, an ex-Ford partsman) owns Mustang Service Center (fordmustangparts.com) in North Hollywood CA.

Suggest you contact Bo for the bucket seats, seat upholstery and the foam cushions (if the used seats need them). Bo is aware, since I just called him and gave him the info (818-765-9266).
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The truck is a Ranger, but is it also a Camper Special (C/S)? It has C/S emblems, but those could have been added. Two possible reasons:

1) A previous owner removed and sold the Ranger emblems to someone, then stuck C/S emblems on. No one reproduces 1965 emblems of any kind. The originals are obsolete and very hard to find.

The repro sellers are repopping 1966 emblems which are different than 1965, but their catalogs do not say that. 1965 emblems have FORD F250 above. 1966's have FORD above and F250 below encompassed within the emblem.

The repro sellers are repoppng the emblems plastic inserts, but Ford never offered these by themselves. The tabs on the inner side of emblem need to be bent outwards to install the inserts, which IMO, don't fit worth a hoot.

2) The fenders were replaced, and were from a C/S.

C/S's came with oil & amp gauges that were optional on all other models. C/S's all came from the factory with a pigtailed wire harness/plug that was used with camper lights.

It plugs into the C/S only taillamp wiring harness that had a feed wire/plug for this purpose.

There are no VIN or Warranty Plate codes that decode to a C/S. The only way to prove if it's a real Camper Special...or not is by the taillamp harness.
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There are no production figures available for how many Rangers were assembled. Ford threw away all the data years ago for all 1966 and earlier FoMoCo vehicles.

1965: There are some production figures available (from R.L. Polk & Co) for the total number of F250's of each body type, but Ford lumped 2WD/4WD's together. So: 42,055 F250 Styleside pickups were assembled.

The only A/C available was dealer installed, all were "hang-on" units that bolt to the bottom of the dash, are not integral with the heater like later trucks were. There were three types.

The 'el cheapo' hang-on A/C has a white plastic case, marked Polar-Aire.

One type of deluxe hang-on A/C uses the exact bezel used on 1965 Mustang's. Has four round registers with the two A/C switches in the center, mounted vertically. The bezel is chrome, the center section is painted argent.

Above the switches is a Ford emblem (Ford coat of arms).

The other type of deluxe A/C is a Rotunda unit. The bezel is similar to what Mustang's used, but the registers are a different diameter, the switches are mounted in a different location.

The A/C may not even be Ford, it could be an aftermarket.

When I bought my '65 in March 1965, I looked at what the Ford unit cost, then added an aftermarket Climactic Air A/C that cost over 100 bucks less than the deluxe Ford unit cost...and that was installed.

The dealer (I worked there) wanted an additional 75 bucks for the installation.

Air Cold Sales made the Climactic A/C, similar units were made by Sears, Mark IV and others.
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The auxillary fuel tank is an aftermarket. Ford did not offer any auxillary tank until 1967, and then only on the drivers side.

If this truck was sold new in CA, the Fey Bumper Co. was the largest suppliers of auxillary fuel tanks and step bumpers-since Ford didn't offer them until 1968.

The VIN and Warranty Plate were decoded (posts #117 & 120), but the DSO code was omitted. If it's 71 or 72, the truck was sold new in CA.

 

if you look at the photos of my truck (under my profile) you can just see the tank fuel door built into the wing,who ever fitted it it looks really good ,also the tank looks like a factory type tank, i dont think i will be ever be able to fill it up with the price of gas here in new zealand.thanks again for info on the seats ND and will hook up with prices on the seats,the truck does have the extra loom at the rear for the camper/towbar i was checking to see if still had power at the terminals last week and still does,,i will try to get better photos of the second tank installation at a later date ,the dash does have the extra oil/amp gauges also has the 4 way emergency flasher which works great,whats is involved to change from the COM to the c6 does anyone have a list/number of the correct one and do i need propshaft upgrades/yokes/mountings/oil cooler etc,i quite like the way the com drives ,its just the oil leak on my driveway thats my wife annoyed with ,typical woman.thanks bill and barnie,i will also get aphoto of the camper special badges on the side to see if they are 65,do you two have email address so i can send you a couple of photos,reply to me if you dont mind to garymartin@vodafone.co.nz,
thanks
gary

 

Gary,
I just looked at your truck pictures and from what my old eyes could see it appears to me that the fender emblems are the 1965 style, as Bill described, with 'Ford F250' cast on the top of the emblem.

It looks to me to be the originally-issued tailgate as well. Very Nice!

I also noticed that the rear bumper is also from some newer model truck. No biggie, as the bumpers from the day weren't much in my opinion. I think that one looks good on there!

Sounds like the wiring harness indicates the only confirming clue that it truly is a 1965 Ranger/Camper Special F250!!!!
Which - needless to say - is truly a VERY nicely optioned & highly desirable truck by many!

Lastly, as Bill indicated, you never told us what the DSO was on the Warranty Data Plate..... Please take another look at the plate and see what, if anything, is stamped there. Then report back here with your findings.....

BarnieTrk

 

There si no such thing as a factory installed auxillary tank until 1967. The type you have has the cap behind a fuel door (it's prolly aluminum and riveted to the quarter panel). Ford didn't offer fuel tanks behind doors until 1977.

1967/76, the fuel cap was exposed.

Styleside pickups have quarter panels, also known as bed sides. The only fenders (wings) are the fronts, adjacent to the bonnet.

I've owned a few British cars in the past, so I'm an expert at repairing oil leaks that all these cars have. The other thing I learned after owning a Cloud II was, the Brits use 8 bolts when 2 would suffice.

btw: I typed the part number for the front seal (post 120), and even though obsolete, 100's are available from Ford Dealers/obsolete parts vendors.

Edit: I just looked at the pictures. The truck seems to be sitting quite high for a 2WD. I couldn't make out the auxillary fuel tank, as my peepers are 66 year old.

 

Bill,
I was thinking that it sat higher than normal too.
Maybe it is an optical illusion due to the angle the photos were taken or maybe the rear suspension has also been reworked in some fashion causing it to sit higher than most other '65 F250s with 2WD.

The wheels look to be NON-split rim wheels and 'outie' style at that (Interesting, 'cause I'd guess that MOST '65 F250s equipped with the Camper Special package would have came with the split rim style wheels. They were also likely changed since '65. Were the "outie" style (hubcap securement nubs) wheels already being issued in '65?


Gary,
Regarding switching out theMXCruise-O-Matic for a C6 automatic transmission, I'd suggest you try doing an information search on the subject and/or start a new thread for that.

What diameter wheels are on the truck now, 15", 16" or ??

BarnieTrk

 

hi the truck sits quite level, its pointing downhill in a couple of photos,but when i first bought it to nz it had to go through our inspection process ,and it failed on having a extra set of helper springs on top of the the normal spings !from memory there where about 6 leaves in this set very short with the longest being about 12 inches long,the u bolts where also extra long about 16inches they made me remove these saying they where not factory items,i argued with them as i bought up a original ford part drawing showing these helper springs ,they also failed it on front brake thickness they where wrong on that too,the truck did not seem to go down on the back end when they where removed but when i went over sleeping policemen it seems to bounce more,the rear shocks has coil over spings these look quite old, buy hey the thing is 45year old so it may have had a few mods over the years, the wheels are 16 inch and i think one piece will check when i get home from work ,what colour should the dashboard steering column/wheel be its all white with black wheel with nice horn ring,it has two horns high and low(high just packed up so looking for new one)i am getting to love this truck its great to drive ,i have the original california plates can i get any info from the previous owners with these plates,i think the dso was blank but will check that also,thanks for the info,

 

Gary,
I did notice the black California license plates. So, you think they are original to the truck or from some other vehicle? Yep, knowing the DSO code would help.

Your description of the OEM rear auxiliary spring packs sounds about right. Were you able to keep the auxiliary springs after having to remove them?

If possible, it would be nice to see some more pictures of your truck posted here. Such as the dash & steering wheel, interior side of the doors, an engine view from under the hood, of the Warranty Data Plate, front grill view, etc.

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]-->I'm also thinking that the side tool box, the body trim side moldings, the interior door zippered pockets and the emergency flashers would still have been added options, as I don't recall them being any part of the Ranger, Camper Special or Custom Cab packages.

Is there any signs that there may have been a center console between the two original bucket seats?
How about a right side arm rest?
Is the headliner perforated or smooth?
Did I understand you correctly that it has a padded dash?

BarnieTrk

 

ok i have put some more photos up,yes its 16inch wheels not split rims,its got padded dash,yes to both arm rest,where is the warrenty plate located,included vin plate,no to dso numbers,yes to camper plug sorry about photo best i could get will try if not good enough,photos of top dash doors toolbox and fuel cap,

 

You just posted a pic of the Warranty Plate, located on the left door face below the latch. All the codes were previously decoded except the DSO

Your truck was ordered from the Los Angeles Ford District Sales Office, because the DSO code is 71.

The DSO code of 71 is there, it's just stamped a little to the left of where it's supposed to be.

The riveted on to the quarter panel aftermarket aluminum fuel filler door has been painted body color

What year is the Jensen Interceptor? Looks similar to the 1976 Interceptor II I owned in the 1980's.

 

bill its a 1976, 2nd to last convertible made its a mk3 and quite rare with some unique features,do you remember the chassis number of yours,it should read something like mine 2311/1992 ,this is another california car so no rust and only done 27000miles from new,but i need to do some work on it, it hasnt been used since the mid 1980s and the rack started to leak its no major problem its xj6/12 jag, i keep meaning to get stuck into getting on the road, but i want to look after the truck first, people say i am crazy but hey i just love this truck,my 19 year old son is itching to take the 440 out for a run but at the minute i have told him to concentrate on the truck problems,he is studying at uni for auto electronics and is getting some real old time stuff working with me, all his mates have never seen a set of points and got no idea how they work, he also runs a rover 220 turbo tomcat which he loves just as much as i do the truck and the jensen and being british built always needs mending, must be in the blood,have you got any photos of your old jensen i am a bit of nut with these and collect all the info i can especially on the last 1976 models,did you see anything in the photos of the truck that might be of use to me,is that the right plug under the rear that the camper specials have,and are the camper special badges correct for 65,sorry i thought that was the vin plate not the warranty plate,the bulkhead does look more beige coloured that white so it must have been that colour,will contact your friend about the seats as soon as i get some time,thanks again,gary

 

Hasn't been used since the mid 1980's? I wonder if this is the same car?

I sold mine (don't recall the mileage, it was around 20K or the chassis number, but it had the wood dash) to a friend in the mid 1980's. He parked in the garage and rarely drove it, because the damn electric fans never worked properly.

He sold it to another fellow when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor about 10 years ago.

The car was originally leased for 4 years from Thomas (Cadillac) Leasing (7th & Bixel in downtown LA) in 1976 by a musician. He turned it in when the lease ran out, the dealer ran an ad in the LA Times asking 10 grand for it.

I was there at 5 AM the next morning...and when they opened, I bought it.

 

Gary,
The new pictures you added yesterday were very helpful. I can see now that the rear does seem to sit normally. By removing the auxiliary springs would not have effected how the truck sat empty, rather it would just effect how it sat & carried a substantial load.

Your truck looks GREAT! Many Yanks would say it was, "fully loaded" with the available factory options when it was ordered back in 1965.

A few of your pictures look as though it had a third brake light (center of back window @ top of seat), while other pictures don't show it.

I hope you keep us all posted on your progress with that beautiful truck - Good Luck!
BarnieTrk

 

The new pics tell me this truck did not have any of the three types of Ford Dealer installed A/C.

When the A/C bezel was bolted to the bottom of the dash, the two heater cables had to be re-located, as they interfered with the bezel.

Dealers drilled two holes in the dash, to the left of the radio, and re-mounted the cables there, one cable above the other.