Vehicle Description
In 1973, when this Ford F100 Explorer was built, the F-series was
already on its way to becoming the best-selling vehicle in the
world. Of course, that's easy to understand when they were as
handsome and rugged as this long bed/regular cab example, which
offers an unusual yet appealing color combination, options like
power steering and brakes, and a great-running, freshly built 429
cubic inch V8.
This vintage hauler offers just the right combination of
functionality and flash, and the current condition is a good
testament to someone's rather large investment in its care,
something not often found in a long bed truck. The pretty Bright
Lime paint accentuates the truck's square-jawed look, and it looks
like there's no project it can't handle. It also appears that this
has always been a super clean original truck, because there's no
evidence of panel replacements or significant metal surgery under
the paint, and as a Texas truck, rust is not really an issue. All
the trim is in decent original condition, including the cool
stainless side molding that stretches the entire length of the
truck, accentuating the length of the 8-foot bed. The front bumper
is chrome and in pretty nice shape and the grille with its
trademark high-mounted parking lights is instantly recognizable as
a Ford from a mile away. In back, there's a heavy-duty painted
bumper and the solid bed was painted to match the bodywork. Oh, and
a cargo net takes the place of a rear tailgate and helps keep it
functional.
The handsome black vinyl and gray tweed interior isn't original,
but it's newer, looks fantastic, and really balances out the
high-impact paint finish. The bench seat wears a cool black vinyl
with gray tweed insert upholstery and shows that even a working
class truck can have some style. The seat cover, door panels, and
dash pad are new, while the gauges and instrument panel are likely
original and in very good condition, and the factory gauges are
supplemented with a triple set of aftermarket units attached under
the dash that keep a close eye on the engine's vitals. Ford gave
F100 buyers a few options to choose from, but in 1973, things like
factory A/C and an automatic transmission were expensive options
and fortunately, this truck came with both, although the A/C needs
several components to be a working system again. There's an
OE-style AM/FM/Cassette stereo in the center of the dash that
provides the tunes, and the aftermarket sporty steering wheel looks
slick and is very comfortable for the driver thanks to that fat
leather-wrapped rim. The tidy cabin was finished with a heavy-duty
vinyl mat that covers the floors, and not only is easy to clean
off, but it looks pretty darn good too.
429 cubic inches is more than sufficient to get this truck moving
in a hurry, and the engine bay itself is extremely clean and nicely
detailed for a stock look. The powerful big block was rebuilt,
machined, and balanced approximately 1,000 miles ago and block is
very clean and detailed, including nice Ford Blue paint on the
block and valve covers, a shiny Edelbrock air cleaner, and basic
black engine accessories like the brake booster and brackets. Newer
hoses, plugs, wires and an Edelbrock 600CFM 4-barrel carburetor
were installed at the time of the build, so it runs and drives
beautifully, and there's a big stock-style radiator up front
keeping the whole show nice and cool. A full dual exhaust system
offers a great V8 rumble, which comes complements of Flowmaster
mufflers out back. The C6 3-speed automatic is virtually
bulletproof and the chassis is proof enough that this is a clean
truck from down south, one that's had a good amount of cash poured
into it. American Racing wheels add a bit of flash and carry
255/70/15 front and 275/60/15 rear Cooper Cobra white-letter
radials to complete the look.
If you're of a certain age, you grew up when these trucks were
everywhere, but today nice ones are hard to find. Beautifully
finished, surprisingly powerful, and totally practical, this is an
awesome truck at an awesome price. Call today!
