Vehicle Description
Why spend $50,000 on a new truck when awesome haulers like this
1979 Ford F-100 Ranger are still around? Not quite a full-fledged
collectable, it nonetheless remains a stylish, handsome truck in
great colors that can still earn its keep around the homestead.
While the other guys drive around in cookie-cutter pickups, you
could have something interesting for a fraction of the price.
Everything looks better in black, including working-class hardware
like this Ranger. It's obviously had a good life, and as a lifelong
southern truck, it shows no signs of rust or abuse underneath. The
black paint is newer than the truck, of course, and looks pretty
good with a great gloss and no signs of botched bodywork
underneath. Yes, it's got some age on it, which is impossible to
hide with black paint, but the overall look is pretty impressive.
And yes, black is the truck's original color, so you don't have to
worry about mis-matched door jambs and underhood areas, because
it's all equally nice. It's also not afraid to wear a lot of bright
chrome trim, including the beefy bumpers, egg crate grille, and
side trim that fits neatly into the groove running the length of
the body. The bed has a brand new drop-in bed liner so it's not
afraid to work on weekends and a soft tonneau cover seals it up and
gives the truck a clean overall look.
If you do take to driving this Ford every day, the interior is a
great place to do it. Freshly upholstered with a matching black
seat cover that looks right in the vintage F-100, plus black
carpets to help control noise and heat, it is ready to go
immediately. There's some ersatz wood trim that actually helps with
the ambience, and Ford's familiar square gauges show crisp, bright
markings, although they're only watching the basics. There's a
modern AM/FM/CD radio in the dash and door panels that have a very
upscale look to them with faux quilted surfaces. A sliding rear
window provides just the right ventilation, even on warm days and
Ford trucks still used vent windows in the door which also help
keep it cool inside.
The torquey 302 cubic inch V8 topped by a 4-barrel carburetor is
the right combination of power and efficiency that you'd look for
today. It is a transplant but looks right, offering fresh ignition
components and new hoses and other signs of having been properly
maintained over the years. A bit of chrome in the usual places
dresses things up a bit and with power steering, it's easy to drive
no matter the load. Ford's rugged "twin I-beam" suspension isn't
the most precise setup ever devised, but it rides nicely and you'll
never break it. Out back, there's a 9-inch, which is equally rugged
and according to the door tag, it carries 3.73 gears, which are a
nice compromise between towing power and relative efficiency.
Long-tube headers feed a dual exhaust system with high-performance
mufflers so it's got a great rumble out on the road, and while it's
not detailed for show, the chassis really is quite clean. Flashy
17-inch wheels look awesome on a black truck and use 245/70/17
performance radials to keep them off the ground.
Clean old pickups like this still represent great value, and one
that can double as a hobby vehicle on weekends while still working
for a living is a bargain in anyone's book. Call today!