So I decided to start my own thread about "Lucy", my 1966, F250 Camper Special with the "Ranger" option. The previous owner called the truck "Lucky", but in honour of my dear old friend, "Lucy" fit better, and as I am not superstitious, and it's not a boat, I don't think the name change will do any harm.

Under the walnut trees in Madison Virginia, with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the far background. May 21,2024

 

So I don't know a lot about the history of this truck. Nor, do I know very much about this truck in general, but I have learned a lot on this site, thanks to all of those who have been so kind with their time and knowledge. Over time, I do hope, to fill in some of the blanks, both about the trucks history, and about this truck in general. So, a little back story, in hopes that someone else, might have some knowledge they would be willing so share, and help me in that process.

I grew up in Virginia, but my permanent home is now in Siegen Germany with my wife and two kids. My wife is from here, and we settled here back in 2010 due to the recession that effected so many, with a five year plan to regroup and later return to the States. Well, life happens, kids are born, and we are still here. I do miss the States, and it is not always easy here, but for now, this is where we are supposed to be. That said, I was doing some extended projects for some previous customers in the United States back in 2022-2024. I was borrowing a car from my brother, but as I thought my projects would likely continue into 2025 and maybe even until now, I started looking for something of my own, and after months of searching...

I found "Lucy" in Klamath Falls, Oregon during an expanded search via Facebook Marketplace back in early 2024. The truck appeared to have been listed for quit some time and after several attempts and more than a month of trying, I was able to speak with Doug, who I believe to be the third caretaker of this truck.



Photo from Facebook Marketplace that caught my eye. I was looking at several trucks, but for some reason, despite the huge distance, I kept coming back to this one. (photo taken by Doug R.)

 

As I wrote, I believe that Doug Reddell was the third caretaker of "Lucy", then known as "Lucky". When I finally tracked down and spoke with Doug, he said he bought the truck shortly after his father passed in 2022, as it reminded him of a truck his dad used to have. Doug and his family live in California, but he kept the truck in Klamath Falls, at his mother's and only drove the truck when visiting home.

As I understand it, Doug bought the truck from an estate sale, where several other slicks resided, and that the truck was known as "lucky", as I previously stated. Furthermore, it is my understanding that the 2nd caretaker of "Lucy" was also from Klamath Falls, and Doug only added the rear bumper and repaired a flat tire during his ownership.

When I finally took delivery of Lucy in May of 2024, I found paperwork in the glovebox to support what Doug told me, and it appears that the second owner bought the truck in the spring of 2020, from what I believe might have been the original owner. There was an Ammco Transmission receipt from the 1980's which listed work done to the Ford O Matic at just under 100K miles and what I think might have been the original owners name and address. All of that paperwork is still in the glovebox, and when I get back to Virginia, I will try and fill some of my own blanks from that paperwork, as it might help jog the memory of someone from the forum who might have known the original owner, or the second caretaker, and might have more back story on this truck that they would be willing to share.

In the meantime...

Photo taken by Doug's Mom, right before "Lucy" left Klamath Falls, Oregon for the last time. May, 2024


Lucy, on the 9th of May, 2024 in Rochelle Virgina, after a long, sometimes snowy trip from Oregon.

 

Matt,
Am I understanding that these are pretty rare trucks? The ranger package, bucket seats and all? My grandmothers best friend was named Lucy. Our Norwegian Forest cat is named Lucy also.
Seems to me Lucy has found the right family to give it the care needed. So your not planning to ship the white truck to Germany? Maybe she is Lucky Lucy!
Good looking truck and should be real nice coming from that area of the country too. Keep the pictures coming if you have more.
She will wait for you. Keep planning and gathering items you may need for her. You have a pretty good back story. Sometimes I wonder why we are drawn to a specific vehicle? Is it by chance or do they need a new home?
Ok what are your plans for Lucy? What are some of the specs?

 

Chris,

Actually what had me start this thread, is that I just booked a flight into Virgina for the end of May to attend my Fathers 90th birthday in early June, and will be getting Lucy out and hitting the road. Seemed like a good time to start thinking about the long game, of getting the truck over here to Germany. As a carpenter...cash is never aplenty, but with good planning, and frugal shopping, I hope to get everything I need sorted before I ship. I won't be trying to get her shipped on this trip, but I do plan to hit some junk yards, and hopefully rely on the good folks in this forum to help me source some of the parts on this trip.

Also by sharing the back story, I hope to learn more about the truck, with the best scenario being that someone out there knows my truck and more about it than I do. Maybe someone here bought one of the other slicks that Doug said was at the estate sale and can help point me in the right direction.

As it is, Doug knew very little about the truck. He added the rear bumper, mainly so he could pull a little trailer, and only drove it to the local dump, and hardware store. When I asked him if the FE 105 mirror block engine was a 360 or 390? He didn't know. When I asked if it had a 2 barrel or 4 barrel carb? He didn't know, and as he was in California and not near the truck, and I really couldn't ask his mother to check for me. I did have a local shop do a PPI, and Lee's Automotive of Klamath Falls, was great. I mainly wanted to ensure that it was a working, driving truck with no serious problems on the horizon. They told me about a minor exhaust leak, the speedometer cable being broken off at the transmission, a few oil leaks, and some weak shocks on the back, and that the seatbelts were missing, but otherwise said everything else appeared to be in amazing shape for the trucks age... so I pulled the trigger, bought the truck and found a shipping agent to arrange transport to Virginia.

I was pleasantly surprised when right after I took possession of the truck I discovered it had a four barrel and the motor had been rebuilt .20 over. I don't know when or by whom. I still don't know if it is a 360 or a 390, nor anything about the cam. The speedometer cable wasn't broken, it was coiled up in the engine bay as the transmission is a C6 and not the original Cruise O Matic. I also discovered that the small exhaust leak was because someone had used the wrong bolts on the passenger manifold and they bottomed out before fully clamping down the gasket. The old girl leaks more oil than the ill fated Exxon Valdez, but some off that appear to be due to a high pressure oil pump and some gaskets that were either not properly installed or not fully seated.

What I suspect is that the truck was partially dismantled and in a state of refurbishment when the owner might have passed. Doug had said he bought the truck from an estate and I suspect it was quickly put back together for a quick sale. The carpeting is new, but the seatbelts never made it back into the truck. I have yet to confirm, but I suspect it originally had a center console, as I kind of remember some holes I saw from underneath that had nothing to do with the seatbelts I bought off marketplace to get the truck legal.

Again, I am hoping that the scenario I have peaced together will sound familiar to someone in the forum and that I will be able to confirm some of the history or learn more about what was being done before Doug brought the truck.

As for now, I will post a few more photos...

Lucky Lucy sitting at Lee's automotive in Klamath Falls Oregon, April 20th 2024 (Photo from mechanic)


Broken off speedometer cable, actually cut to keep gear in place. Ordered new cable and used existing gear drive...not 100% accurate, but only about 10 % off.

FE 105 mirror block, appears to be bored .20 over.

Rear bumper added by Doug Reddell. Note the original Camper brackets bolted to the top rails.

 

Your initial photo of this truck sitting in a field in Virginia should be on a calendar. Really a great shot.

 

Very nice truck. Maybe you should sell it instead of shipping to Germany 😁

 

Thanks, I was blessed to be working on a project on a farm in Rochelle Virginia, and staying in the farmhouse that dated back before our nations independence. At one point, the land probably was part of James Madisons estate. Anyway, the view from the kitchen window was amazing, and the sunsets would often be breathtaking. Sometimes it felt as if Katharine Lee Bates could have been standing on this same hill when she wrote "America the Beautiful" Especially when the Blue Ridge mountains fell into layered shadow "For purple mountain majesties."


Under the walnut trees in Madison county Virginia June 4th 2024.

 

@It's been a minute since I last drove Lucy. In fact, it was December 18th 2024, when I put her in the garage, closed the door and caught a flight home. Eighteen months is a long time, and much longer than I thought it would be. Had I realised it would be so long I think I would have at least topped off the tank and added some fuel stabiliser, but I didn't. That, and the first winter from '24-'25, the garage was heated, but this past winter they decided to turn off the heat. I know it got cold, but I hope it didn't get too cold in a closed up garage.

When I first got the truck, I noticed that the antifreeze looked as if it wasn't diluted, so the few times on really warm days I got a little bubble over when sitting in traffic, yes, I need a fan shroud, I only added a bit of straight water, but again, being that the garage was heated, I didn't worry....hope that wasn't a mistake.

Anyway, I am not sure what to expect when I get back, dust her off and want to hit the road. I have thought about pulling the plugs, spraying a bit of lubricant into the holes and let it sit over night. The turn over the motor by hand to ensure that everything is moving easily. My brother also suggested a few short cranks with the starter to get the lubrication to the cam before trying putting the plugs back in and trying to start the motor. However, I am open to suggestions as I am relatively new to FE motors and don't want to do any unnecessary damage hurrying things.

As to the fuel in the tank, and lines...again, I am open to suggestions from the mountain of experience here in the forum.

@53deere , thank you, but no thank you...My original plan had been to buy a vehicle, drive it during my project and then resell, hopefully without taking a loss. What I didn't expect was how much pure joy this old truck would bring me. How many conversations with complete strangers I would have, and how nice it was to have everything slow down...and not care. Then again, life happens, I am trying to build a new workshop here in Germany, and it ain't cheap. That, and my wife and I want to buy a house. If you had told me 14 years ago we would be in this apartment 14 years later, I would never have believed it.

@Effies 56 , When I found Lucy, I didn't know anything about those first trucks with the Ranger option or the more elusive XL's. I did know that this truck had the bucket seats originally as it was on the build plate, as I was just learning to decode all the various trucks I was looking at, using the FORDification.info website. Everything I have learned since has been from the good people here in this forum, both young and old, some with us now, and some who have sadly passed the torch on to others. There may be others, but Chad @TA455HO , is probably the most knowledgeable regarding statistics and in general, knowledge about the '65, '66 Ranger optioned trucks and the more rare '64 XL's.

For now, I will add the a photo of the build plate

Under "BODY" the V81, designates this as having the bucket seats as part of the "Ranger" Option.


Photo from before I bought the truck showing the interior. Photo Doug R.

 

2 years really isn’t that long for it to sit, especially in a garage. Hopefully there was still enough antifreeze in it. Not really sure it’s necessary but pulling the plus, squirt in some oil and crank it over certainly won’t hurt. Draining the gas tank might not be a bad idea, at least get most of the old gas out and dilute the rest with fresh gas.

 

Te older I get the shorter two years seems. I mean yesterday, I was living in Atlanta...opps, that was 2010. Well certainly, it has only been a few years since I got married.... wrong agin, that was 2007. Can someone tell me how it is possible that my son is taller than I am....well, he is 14, and I am short, or at least getting shorter...

Yes @53deere , in the scheme of things, 2 years is a blink of the eye. That reminds me, this getting old pooh, is not for the faint of heart.

 

Making a list of the "upgrades" that I would like to do, and while I am in the States next month, I thought I would try to track down some of the more elusive parts visiting boneyards in and around Virginia and Maryland. I know that some of those parts are on other model Ford cars and trucks from different years, what I don't know, is how to narrow down my search.

For example, I know I want to add power steering, and while I have been searching through old forgotten threads, most folks seem to bite the bullet and put in the later Saginaw power steering, as it is reputed as being better quality, and more readily available than the Bendix. However, I wish to retain my existing automatic steering column and wheel, and read that this can be a challenge with the longer Saginaw steering box. Also been reading that the Bendix is a direct bolt in, so that seems to be the best direction for me. Question is, can anyone tell me a specific part number I need to be on the lookout for, and what other Ford cars and trucks and years that might have the correct Bendix system? Also, do I need to use a Bendix pump, or will other brand pumps also work? I assume I will be looking or a mounting bracket for the pump, but as my motor is a later 105 mirror block with a double pulley set off the main harmonic balancer driving the water pump, and alternator, I am wondering if anyone might know what I should be on the look out for as I expect the offset from the earlier 352 might be different from the later mirror block.

Another "upgrade" I am considering is disk brake conversion on the front. I know I have the correct spindles already, as I was able to confirm that information when I as still in the States back in 2024. So presumably I would only need to find the dust shields, callipers and their mounting brackets, hubs and any parts relating to securing the brake lines. The callipers I will use only as cores and then install only remanufactured callipers and new disks. Am I missing anything? Any help here would be invaluable, but as I am reading more threads about disk upgrades, I realise the MC will be a critical element, and any help narrowing down the right part numbers would be appreciated. As to being able to cross reference other model trucks, can anyone help out there? Would a later F150 or even an F350 share some of the parts I am in search of?

Lastly, the only other "upgrade" I am considering is changing out my C6 for an AOD, I know that it does not directly bolt up to the Ford FE, but I suspect that the difference in the 1st-3rd gear ratio will not be noticeable and the :67 overdrive will make it far more comfortable on the highway, and hopefully save some fuel. Again, what years should I be looking for and what models, or is this a terrible idea?

I have a long list of other parts I am in search of, but those are just parts that are hopefully in better shape than what I have. Again, any help would be appreciated in pointing me in the right direction.

- A proper middle console...I am pretty sure I saw evidence of previous mounting brackets and suspect that like the seatbelts, it was forgotten when the carpet was replaced. Naturally I would be happy with any color, just to get my hands on one, but Red would be preferred...I know it was originally from the Falcon, but what years?

- Both front fenders are a bit tatty. Not rusty, just banged up, so a set of originial front fenders seems like a good idea if in reasonable shape.

- My rock guard and front bumper have seen better days. The front bumper is from a later model, and has a kink. The rock guard (hope that is the correct term) is showing some bondo cracks, so I suspect that it too needs work, and might be more practical to simply replace. Not sure if I can get a good painted one and then have it chromed. While I have not looked into it specifically, there are plenty of places that specialise in metal finishes locally so that is more a question of what differences the bumpers would likely have and if anyone else has ever taken a standard paint grade bumper and chromed it?

- I would really like to find an original oil bath filter setup. While I am not a purest, and really can't afford to be one since the original motor and transmission are already gone, I do want things to look somewhat original at first glance. That and the oil bath filter rebuild that @AZSCAWPION did a few years ago, was pretty slick, so...

- I would like to find a different rear bumper, I personally like the wrap around style, but I would like to find one that extends to the rear edge of the wheel arch, and is a full with step bumper below the tailgate.

- Original Ford jack and mounting hardware would be practical...

- If I found a left side tool box, I wouldn't be amiss, but that is only a thought and very low on the priority list.

Ok, that is my list of questions and wishes for today....likely different next week, but it's a start.

Any help would be appreciated and thanks in advance.


Lucy's tatty right front fender, also if you look closely, you can see the rock guard too.



This is an example of the style of rear bumper I would like to find. This particular one appears to be on a short bed.

 

I'll start with responding to the Bendix gear. First available October 1965 for the 1966 trucks. 1966/68 F100/250 2WD & 1969 F100/250 2WD before serial number D96,001. No other vehicles. The boxes are not too hard to find. The pitman arm can be a bit tougher. You may still have issues with steering column length as the power steering shafts were just a little shorter than the manual shafts. Same outer column tubes across the board. Usually possible to fudge it enough using the column adjustments or you could have your manual shaft shortened some. Recommendation is not to cut it in the middle and weld it together but instead take some off the lower end. Hopefully not needed as that's a real pain.

Part number for 1966 was C6TZ-3504-J. ID tag HCE-E. In 1967 they changed to part number C7TZ-3504-E. ID tag HCE-G.

Not sure if the pump was actually made by Bendix but it was also used on some of the cars first. C5AZ-3A674-ERM. Same as 1965/66 Galaxie/LTD 352/390 & Thunderbird 390. The brackets come from those cars as well.

The pumps were fat necked and did not play well with the dealer add-on A/C. Does your truck have any A/C at all or plans for it?



In 1967 they changed to a pencil neck pump that angled backwards toward the firewall some degrees to help clear brackets for factory AC. Same internal just a modification they made to the housing.

All FE blocks are the same external dimensions so no issues with a 105 mirror block and the brackets, etc. beyond the norm. Pulleys and to a lesser extent the belts are quite the topic in themselves.

One of the front brackets here.



Just to touch briefly on another topic the original jacks are not really practical. They make a unique visual statement if mounted on the inner fender under the hood like later models did but for actually lifting the truck up to change a tire - they can work in a pinch on hard flat surfaces if you are very careful and if they extend high enough. They are very short even fully extended.

Now I am going to go out and work on some of my own stuff.

 

Chad, as always, thank you, I think I will start an excel spreadsheet and start putting some of these items in it so I can print off a few copies before I head to the States. And to answer your question about A/C, I do not have any plans to add it. This will a truck for nice days, and nice days here usually only need the side windows open.

 

Had to come back in for a minute and I thought I'd make sure you know about these. Priceless, yet free!

Diagrams - Charp Industries