Borrowing a truck to move is so time-honored that it’s a cliche; buying a truck to move is a power play. That’s apparently what the greater-Denver-area owner of this ’65 Ford did, and now he no longer needs it (apparently, the move went well). The ad on craigslist (brought to us by Mike F.) is filled with angled pictures, but we’ll assume the truck is level in real life, and it might be a good option if you’re looking for a fun old truck to help you move (or simply for the fun of having an old truck).
Although its body was little changed, the 1965 Ford F-100 had several major mechanical updates, the most obvious (thanks to prolific advertising and super-sized fender callouts) being Ford’s new “Twin I Beam” suspension, which is about as honest as you can get in advertising. Instead of one giant, heavy I-Beam axle, Ford gave you two smaller ones. They advertised that since each wheel moved independently, the truck’s ride was improved. It must have worked, because Ford apparently still uses it on some of their trucks! The downside of the system is its natural camber change when articulating through its travel, and I’ve anecdotally heard that front-end alignments can be challenging.
While we’re here, we can also address the fender; the seller says that the truck is generally solid but does have some rust; there are more pictures available if you’re interested. The bed itself has been covered by diamond-pattern steel, so we must assume that the bed floor is rusty.
The other big news for 1965 was a brand new six-cylinder engine in two displacements, 240 and 300 cubic inches. The 300 has an outstanding reputation for toughness and torque, even today. The seller doesn’t mention which version this is, but they were both based on the same design and should serve the new owner well. Just for the sake of knowing it, the 240 made 234 lb.-ft. of torque at 2200 rpm, and the 300 made 283 lb.-ft. from 1400-2400 rpm.
It looks like power brakes and a dual-circuit master cylinder have been added for extra safety, although you’ll be working out those biceps at the wheel with no power steering. You’ll also be giving your left leg some exercise; a four-speed with granny low backs up the “Big Six.”
This is the only interior picture in the ad, but we can see that it might need some upholstery work. It also needs front brakes, but there are no leaks and it’s “mechanically pretty sound,” according to the seller. Everyone I know has been complaining about the price of new trucks, and this ’65 Ford may be the antidote. Priced at $8,000, it may not have the convenience features of a new Sierra Denali, but it will haul your stuff all the same.
From what I found, I believe this is a 240, as the 300 didn’t have a fuel filter on the pump. Twin I beam, boy, there was an advertising blitz if we ever saw one. While it did isolate the front wheels, it was a poor design. Many older Ford pickups I drove were all over the road. Tire wear was extreme, but many just “put up with it”. GMs car like front suspension was a much better design. Cab mounts are the biggie with these, as these look okay, a huge plus. Before my ’77 GMC, I looked at a truck just like this, not near as pretty, 2wd, 6, 3 on the tree, no rust, both trucks were $1400 5 years ago. The seller will be lucky to get half what they are asking, I bet.
To go with what you said Howard. I remember any of my Dads friends that had Ford trucks, the front tires would get chewed up. They all would say it eas cheaper to just keep throwing feont tires on than messing with the front end. I dont know if its true, but I remember as a kid hearing that if you had them aligned it would weaken them and they’d bend and go out of alignment easier. ( Again Im not sure how true this is so if any Ford experts reading this ( Where’s Bob???) I’M hoping they can give some insight on that. The 300 has been around for decades and I always thought they had great torque and was a great truck engine. It looks like the rust may not have been adressed properly before the paint was applied. Who knows how much more there is. But if its not too bad, this looks like it would be a great buy.
“Hello, bump-steer!”
I purchased a 1966 F-100 five years ago the same time as I was selling my 1953 F-100 panel delivery. I wanted a better ride and one with an automatic trans. I sold the 53 panel truck which had some rust, not too bad, for $6500 and bought the 66 pickup for $9500. Since then I think I could have gotten more money for the older truck but it had a strange sound in the flat 8 engine, maybe an exhaust leak, maybe worse. I think the 66 was a good deal though it needed work. Less rust than this one, I did some patching to the body. I took it to a truck front end specialist and had some new bushing installed. It is very comfortable compared to the older ride. I had to put in all new brake parts including some better used backing plates. It came with a Mustang HO 302 engine that replaced the original 240 6 cylinder as well as a Ford AOD trans. The engine needed slightly longer pushrods and shims to fine tune the pre load. It was a learning experience. At 76 I’m still puttering around. The truck has hauled many loads of firewood since.
I had one like Howard described. On the positive side, with a proper amount of weight in the bed and snow treads this guy would go anywhere you wanted. A small negative, if you have to replace the oil pump check out your Chilton’s for the info denoted by an asterisk. It says what I learned the hard way: You have to loosen the motor mounts for the oil pan to to be removed. Easy if you know when you start.
I purchased a 1966 F-100 five years ago in the rolling hills of Berks County north of Philadelphia. The 65 listed here is the first year of independent twin I beam suspension. I read that some things are unique to that year, but I am glad at 76 years to have one like this, also with the automatic trans, in my case with a newer AOD behind a Mustang HO 302 that a previous owner put in replacing the 240 6 cylinder. Mine required all new brake parts including some better used backing plates, as well as some rust patching. The 302 wanted some slightly longer push rods and assorted shims to fine tune the preload. Nothing required much money in the following years, just my labor. I have hauled numerous loads of firewood and taken it to flea markets and shows.
Who buys a 60 year old classic truck (at todays prices) for “some moving”?
Me, see above. Best of both worlds, antique work horse or show. I paid $9.500 in 2019, thought it was a good deal, maybe $1,500 more in parts plus my labor. Not original with what I mentioned, looks good in BMW color from previous owner “Valencia orange”, though I would have preferred the original light blue.
That “everything works” comes with a hefty price. Same as I paid for my fully loaded 01 RAM that I had trucked over from the Idaho dealer who got it out of California. And mine’s a can’t be beat autom. with the largest V8. Learned my lesson on older Ford PU’s with granny gears and you can have them. If the seller gets his asking price, consider himself lucky. Not me.
I recently purchased a 1990 RAM half ton, short bed, V-6, auto, PS/PB, AC, one tiny rust spot, good paint, good interior, a few dents, runs great, 87K miles: $6,500. I love it- perfect for around town, trips to the hardware store, etc. At 71, it is likely the last truck that I will purchase.
Look at that big hunk of body filler that fell out of the fender as the rust progressed. Same on the other side as well as the cab corners. The rust through was not patched properly before the repaint. I can imagine all the dents just paved over. This can be what you get when you buy one with fresh paint, if you’re not very careful to inspect the truck. Many guys on here would do well to remember this when they say “The least he could do is paint it”!
CT Dave
I’ve got a 1993 F-150 Long Bed with the 300 cu in 6. I bought it for $750 back in 2012. It’s a Nevada truck so no rust and it’s now got 285,000 miles. Like a Timex.