The short answer is no.
The conventional wisdom quite a few folks live by tells you the pre 64 Winchesters are the better guns but really the post 64s are not that shabby either. Winchester changed production methods in '63. Among other things they streamlined the process to save money. True, they did cut some corners in the details like getting rid of cut checkering and the like. The Model 70 is the rifle that people got really emotional over. They got rid of controlled round feed and generally cheapened the overall product.
Something to consider though is that in '63 when Winchester changed some things around, they did not just do it willy nilly to save a few bucks. Their old machinery and tooling were wearing out to the point of producing rifles out of spec. If you want a pre 64 Winchester, you might as well get a pre 60 as there are numerous quality concerns that can be had with the later pre 64s. A problem which the early post 64s remedied quite well. With a post 64 you will get a rifle that will shoot tight groups with an action that cycles smoothly and last but not least, that rifle will in fact "hold up."
In a practical sense these days, owning a pre 64 can be an unnecessary luxury or even a novelty in a sense but it is no more a rifle for what a rifle is made for than a post 64. There are some details and a little finer craftsmanship with the pre 64s such as the cut checkering, nicer wood, and nicer appearance in general that makes these rifles more expensive. I think that expense is justified but once again, not necessary.
