Hi all, Just thought I would introduce myself. My name is Lammo & I have just purchased a 1965 Ranchero. Running a 289 which I am lead to believe is a K-Code engine & a three speed auto. I bought it from Daz at DC's Hotrod & Race Shop in Middlesbrough here in the UK. Daz replaced the engine from the old smoker that was in it & worked his magic on the brakes, steering, suspension etc. He then used it for 18 months or so as his shop truck. After a little deal including a Harley XR & a bit of cash Daz's way the car wound its way to me in the South West. Only had it for a few days but I absolutely love it. The noise is addictive & I seem to spend a lot of my talking to people who are inquisitive & sometimes knowledgeable about the V8 lump. I've babbled a bit. Hope to see fellow Ranchero owners (although they seem rare in the UK at least!) along the way. Drive safe & thanks for letting me join the 'cool' crowd...!!
Welcome on board. Are you going to keep the paint scheme, along with the ad for the race shop, or are you planning on something else? Also, couldn't help but notice that you're in the UK, but you have old California plates on her? Joseph
Thanks for the welcome gents. Colnago I have no plans yet except maybe some new door seals (you can see daylight on both sides!) & maybe a new carpet at some point. I love the way the Californian sun has burnt it, I think it shows a working history over the last 54 years. The race shop is my mates place & the first owner this side of the pond. The man does great work. His niece did the lettering & aged it quite nicely to be fair. Daz must have ordered the plates from the US once he had the reg number issued. The car doesn't need an MOT (yearly road worthiness check) because of its age. The law could get a bit shitty about the 'non-standard' plates but hopefully not. I know he searched for a while & managed to get an original surround for the rear plate, Villa Ford in Orange County who he believes sold it originally.
I think you'll find that your Ranchero is a more reasonable size for your roads vs. the newer, larger ones. And I encourage you to drive it as often as you can.
I have to agree Beerbelly. It doesn't feel massive & fits in our parking bays which is good news. That said they seem to be getting smaller these days! One question is how do you tell the 'Standard' from the 'Deluxe'? My data plate has almost disappeared with age!
Here's some info that may be valuable to you and other early Ranchero owners: Original factory (not reproduced) literature from Troxel's Auto Literature; they have a huge collection. Here's a brochure I got from them a couple of years ago, followed by a couple of books I'd recommend to any classic Ranchero owner:
Hi Lammo, cool truck, and another in the UK. Deluxe id is easy, they have single side trim and sill trim, and a full dash trim, standards have an instrument cluster only and an all steel dash.