Mike,

I am no mechanic and I do not play one on TV, so ignore the rest of this post.

I think the '65 Ford solenoids have just three posts, two large ones and a small one. One of the two larger ones comes from the battery and is always hot and the other large one goes to the starter. It should only be hot when you turn the ignition switch to the start position. The small one, to my memory, will have a white and pink wire going to it. This wire comes from the ignition switch to trigger the solenoid.

You might disconnect the large wire going from the solenoid to the battery (the other large wire goes to the battery leave that alone) and disconnect the small white and pink wire. Then reconnect the battery cable that you said you disconnected when you stopped the car earlier. Then take a cheap volt ohm meter and place the positive lead on the starter terminal of the solenoid and the negative lead to any good ground. If the meter shows that there is voltage i.e. 12 volts going through that side of the solenoid then you have found your problem. It is the solenoid. If that is not the problem then put the positive lead of the volt meter on the end of the pink and white wire. Have a friend turn the ignition switch first to run then to start. The volt meter should only show voltage when the switch is in the start position and none in the run position. If it shows voltage in the run position then I would guess that the problem is in the ignition switch or the wiring going to it. You could do the same test with a simple tester light too, but I just like the volt meter better.

If you are uncomfortable with the above, then you might just replace the solenoid empirically. My first guess from your description is that is the problem.

I hope you solve your porblem. Let us know how you fare.

Ricky

P. S. Unfortunately for both of us I did not sleep in a Holiday Inn last night but the other day there was this sleazy little motel on the edge of¡XUh, never mind ƒº