How to Decode a VIN in a 1965 Ford 600 Truck
by Linda RichardUpdated November 07, 2017
The vehicle identification number identifies more than just the vehicle. It also tells where the vehicle was made and when, the kind of engine and the weight, the model number and the assembly sequence. It was not until the early 1980s that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration required that all vehicles have a 17-digit VIN. The first known VIN was on the 1953 Chevrolet Corvette according to the Kerry Wilson website. The 1965 Ford 600 truck does not have a 17-digit standard VIN, but decoding is possible with the information available today.
Locate the VIN on the inside of the driver’s door. Write out the VIN from the vehicle so you can refer to it while decoding.
Confirm the VIN by checking for another VIN or warranty number, since replacement doors are common. Look for a number on the topside of the right frame rail--below the alternator on 2-wheel-drive pickups or behind the front axle on 4-wheel-drive pickups, according to the Fordification website. The same number is under the seat area and is more difficult to locate.
Read the first position of the VIN on a 1965 as the maker. This should be an F for Ford.
Read the second and third letters as the series. F60 was the Ford 600 series.
Check the fourth letter or number. This is the engine size. A and M are 330 engines, common in this model year. Ford M was 330 HD engine; A was the 330 2V engine.
Look at position 5 as the assembly plant. Additional numbers are the unit number. Below the warranty number, the wheel base, color code, model, body, transmission and axle numbers are noted. See the Fordification website to decode these as the coding is extensive. You can determine the interior trim codes, the rear axle ratio and the front axle capacity, too.
Tips
Parts on the 1965 Ford Truck had numbers, but these are part numbers--not warranty code numbers.
References
Writer Bio
Linda Richard has been a legal writer and antiques appraiser for more than 25 years, and has been writing online for more than 12 years. Richard holds a bachelor's degree in English and business administration. She has operated a small business for more than 20 years. She and her husband enjoy remodeling old houses and are currently working on a 1970s home.
