Vehicle Description
Being down south as we are, it seems that there are a few
extraordinary trucks still running around that haven't been worked
to death or parted out for their rusty cousins up north. Take this
absolutely dialed-in 1978 Ford F-150 4x4 for instance. Someone
spent years giving it a thorough makeover, and today it's one of
the nicest we've seen. How much fun is a practical ride like this,
especially if you're virtually guaranteed to be the only one at the
show with a rig this clean?
It's hard to go wrong with a big, red pickup, but with so many
trucks getting various shades of brown or orange in the 1970s, this
one really stands out. The bodywork is impressive and trucks like
this make ideal candidates for show-or-go pieces that attract a ton
of attention. All traces of a working-class life have been erased
from the sheetmetal and the high driver-quality paint is
beautifully done with a great shine and only a few signs of use.
There's a bright shine that you rarely see on pickups of any kind,
let alone a vintage bruiser like this, and the Built Ford Tough
stance on this 4x4 is certainly intimidating. Look down the lines
and you'll see that it's about as straight as they come, with those
big heavy doors shutting firmly in place with that old familiar
'thud' only your Grandpa's truck could produce. There's not a ton
of excess trim either, so the bright red paint does most of the
talking, but the bright front grille and shiny heavy-duty bumpers
fore and aft provide just the right amount of contrast to really
make this truck pop out in the sunlight. Out back, the straight and
dent-free bed is further proof that this Ford was never overworked
in its lifetime in sunny East Ga where it hails from, and it's been
protected for the future with a professional spray-in bedliner that
looks great. So, you don't have to think twice about using this
truck as it was intended, but by the looks of this clean beauty,
you might be the first one to put it to work.
The simple interior is just the way Ford designers intended, right
down to the comfortable pleated seat cover. The seating surfaces
are cloth, so it's all-day comfortable, but it's still a no-frills
place to get some work done. That's kind of refreshing today when
trucks cost $70,000 and have every option your Cadillac does,
blurring the line between just enough and unwanted excess. However,
the quality of the work makes it look far more upscale today, and
with new black carpets, nicely detailed door panels, and the
original leather-wrapped steering wheel (a rare find in itself), it
does look slick. This F-150 carries a full set of factory gauges,
plus an extra auxiliary dial under the dash to better read the
water temperature on those hot summer days. But don't you fret
about overheating, because the former owner of this Big Red drove
this baby all around town without issue, including into our
showroom doors from a couple hours away. It's ready to cruise the
long-haul journey or tackle any rough terrain you throw in front of
it. There's a column shifter for the automatic transmission and a
manual lever for the 2-speed transfer case down on the rubber floor
when you need the 4x4 to take over. Like most of these trucks,
options are light, but you do get a newer Kenwood AM/FM/CD head
unit for your tunes and there's factory A/C that's been converted
to R134a refrigerant to keep you comfortable in the summer. Clean
and straightforward, this truck is ready to roll.
There aren't many choices that balance performance and efficiency
better than a 351 cubic inch V8, and the smooth-running block under
the big hood of this F-150 is ready to hit the road. Built for
torque, it moves the big F-series with ease, especially augmented
with an Edelbrock 4-barrel carburetor and Edelbrock intake manifold
on top, and thanks to a recent tune-up and fuel-system service, it
cranks with ease at every try. Ford Blue valve covers work well
with a couple chrome details added for bling and obviously they did
a great job to make it look its best with tidy black paint on the
inner fenders and maintained parts throughout. There's a giant
radiator up front that doesn't make the small block sweat and with
a rebuilt power steering system and power front disc brakes it's
easy to maneuver for such a big machine. A 4-inch Skyjacker lift
means this Ford is ready to go up a mountain, and with a rebuilt
front end and newer suspension components throughout, it actually
tracks pretty darn great for a big truck, both off the road and on.
A throaty dual exhaust system uses stacked Flowmaster mufflers and
it really does sound awesome at full bore, but it's not so
over-the-top that it's obnoxious. Handsome polished aluminum wheels
add a bit of a butch look to the pretty truck, and they're fitted
with beefy 35x12.50-15 Patagonia M/T white-letter radials.
Big, fun, and hard-to-find in this great condition, this Ford 4x4
is dialed-in and ready to hit the road. With values of these
original 4x4s skyrocketing of late, this may be your last chance to
get yours before they get out of reach like the Early Bronco. Call
today!