Vehicle Description
For a lot of guys, trucks are a fun, inexpensive, and surprisingly
practical way to get their muscle car fix. With a big block V8,
rear-wheel-drive, and a sinister black paint job, this 1971 Ford
F100 Ranger XLT certainly has the personality of the Mustang's
muscle-bound cousin.
We like these trucks. They have an honest, hard-working look, and
if you grew up in the '70s and '80s, they were everywhere. However,
times have changed and just finding one is a tough challenge, let
alone locating one this straight and equipped with factory A/C. The
muscle car angle is apt, given that someone has chosen to fit this
pickup with a hood scoop, and it actually looks right at home on
the long hood. The black paint certainly helps, and it is extremely
nice, particularly for a pickup. Obviously someone spent the time
and effort to get it there - it doesn't just happen by itself - but
the base stock had to be pretty good for it to turn out this nice.
The black paint on this truck is simply amazing, it has been buffed
out to an extremely high standard and it's like looking at a
mirror. The Ranger XLT was the top-of-the-line, so it got all kinds
of bright trim, including the stainless trim running down the sides
and a flashy set of chrome bumpers, which are brand new. The
woodgrained insert on the tailgate is a definite throwback to the
era that'll bring a smile to your face, and the bed itself is
protected by a thick rubber mat and a set of shiny bed rails on
top. This truck sure ain't subtle.
Upscale is not a word often associated with pickup trucks of this
vintage, but the new black interior of this F-100 looks comfortable
enough for a cross-country drive. A correct seat cover has a
comfortable woven fabric and the Grant woodgrained wheel adds a
touch of warmth to the otherwise monochromatic interior. The
original instruments are housed in an interesting wrap-around gauge
panel, with a single auxiliary dial tucked down low for the
driver's eyes only. As I mentioned, this truck was fitted with A/C
under the dash, which is a very nice benefit to living down south
all its life, and there's an AM/FM/cassette stereo to entertain you
as you drive. A few woodgrained appliques look far nicer than their
age would suggest, and thanks to heavy-duty rubber floor mats, the
carpets remain in good shape.
For all-out torque, it's hard to beat Ford's thundering 429 cubic
inch V8. It's an easy fit in the F-100's engine bay, which could
take the biggest engines in Ford's arsenal, and thanks to a
4-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust, it runs like you would
expect. Start it up and it idles with a muscle-car-like burble from
the twin tailpipes, while out on the road it has the most fantastic
soundtrack this side of a Mach 1. A few chrome dress-up items and
that trick open-element air cleaner are not-so-subtle reminders
that this isn't your average hauler, and there's plenty of evidence
that maintenance was a priority. The A/C has been upgraded to
R-134a refrigerant, there's a new power brake booster, and the Ford
Blue paint on the block looks bright. Underneath there are other
obvious signs of clean southern living, plus a C6 3-speed automatic
transmission, plus those handsome 15-inch alloy wheels with fat
255/70/15 BFG radials.
We seem to have a knack for finding nice pickups, and when they're
packed with power and luxury in equal measure, they never last
long, so call today!
