The Ford F-series was born when Ford asked – what if we made a pickup for the Average Driver, instead of for commercial or farm use? Make it more comfortable (at least a little), pay attention to safety, and scale it down. Give the customer some motor and interior options… While we are used to thinking about pickups as everyday commuter vehicles today, that was a radical concept in the 1940s, until the F-series was conceived. The first of the line was produced in 1948, called the Ford Bonus-Built. Various sizes were offered, to accommodate a variety of clientele. Refreshed in the 1950s and issued a new nomenclature, the F-series became more identifiable: the F100 was a half-ton, the F250 was a three-quarter ton, and so on. Here on eBay is a wonderful original 1965 Ford F100 short bed pickup for sale, currently bid to $12,900. It is located in Martinsburg, West Virginia, and all signs point to “drive it home!”
Equipped with the 240 cu. in. inline six-cylinder and a three-speed manual on the column, the truck is said to run very well. The mileage is listed at 107,000. The gauges work as they should, but the seller indicates the original AM radio needs an antenna. The engine bay could use a good cleaning to match the spiffy exterior, and I’d replace that radiator cap.
The interior is really clean with a great dash, and not even any dirt smudges on the door panels or around the switches. The seller indicates that the original rubber mat was breaking up from dry rot, so he recently installed a blue carpet. The dog is not included in the sale!
This year marked the first use of the “Twin I-Beam” frame on two-wheel drive trucks, replacing the straight axle in the front with independent suspension using coil springs. Trucks of this vintage received a front fender badge that declared “Twin I-Beam” to all and sundry. Handling was much improved and sales popped over 20% as a result. The underside of this truck is very clean and dry given its age. We aren’t told about the tires, but they don’t look used up (look for the date code and change them out if they’re older than about seven years). The only significant rust is in the bed, but that’s easy – if slightly time-consuming – to fix. The condition of this F100 is in the sweet spot for me – not too nice, but clearly well cared for. If only the bed were longer and it had a V8!
Nice write-up, but “if only the bed were longer” – really? You are in the minority there!
Not in my neighborhood. Living on a farm, hauling half ton of hay every three weeks plus lumber, gravel, bark, etc. And then there’s the swap meets – for the last one in April the bed was FULL. Mine is a ’74 F250….. Can’t do without it.
I’m with Michelle. Everyone prefers short beds, even going to the extent of chopping sections of a long bed’s frame out to shorten it and put a short bed on. I think that’s a shame. I always preferred the look of the long bed, and the extra capacity doesn’t hurt. Having said that, I love this truck!
On a side note, Awwww what a good aussie cattle dog : )
Dog hair no extra charge.
Looks like a nice truck. Someone will be happy with it.
If I can’t lay a 6’6″ fishing rod in the bed it is too short. Fisherman mentality.
Lay it diagonally……
Sheet of plywood doesn’t fit = it’s not a real truck.
Alot more people NOT in your neighborhood then are. Be tolerant. Different strokes for different folks 😁
Just leave the tailgate down. It’ll fit fine.
Nice truck.
My Kid brother bought one of these for $2w50.00 and after repainting it with the Starsky & Hutch stripe had a guy talk him out of it for $1K. Kid made out like a bandit.
I really like these trucks. Had a 65 once 352 three speed with overdrive, long bed, which I think looks better on these trucks. That little 6 wouldn’t make the grade for me though. One of my brothers had a 61 a long time ago, it sounded like it was going to fly to pieces at highway speeds. Best to all.
God Bless America
Is the Unibody preferred in these years?