Vehicle Description
Vintage trucks often don't get the love and attention they deserve,
but someone has clearly invested heavily in this 1971 Ford F-100
Ranger short bed pickup. With a laser straight body and slick
resto-mod curb appeal, there can't be many out there that look
sharper. There's also a great-running, big block 390 V8 running the
show, a tastefully upgraded A/C interior, and a host of choice
options, resulting in one of the coolest Bumpsides we've ever
featured at Streetside Classics.
Vintage pickup body panels don't often look this laser straight
fresh off the press, never mind more than 50 years later. Clearly,
the builders invested a sizable pile of cash and many hours of
spare time in this beautiful truck, and the result of that
frame-off restoration is very impressive. This shade of Green
Metallic obviously isn't the truck's original color, although it
does look somewhat similar to the Winter Green color option that
was offered on the F-100 a year later - regardless of authenticity
we think it was a unique choice that really works well over the
vintage hauler's original bodywork. The deep, lustrous paint is a
considerable improvement from anything the factory offered in '71
and the finish was done to a very high driver-quality standard.
Note how the numerous reflections are crisp and clear in the paint,
how well the doors fit, and the very crisp look of the dramatic
color overall. Sure, there are a few very minor signs of use and
age (mostly concentrated in a couple minor spots on the hood), but
those are completely forgivable simply because the sucker looks
flat-out awesome overall. If you're a fan of these 5th generation
F-series trucks (and who isn't?), you know that the handsome good
looks come from a simple design that uses bright details to get the
point across. Custom touches include the blacked-out grille up
front, modern projector-style headlights, a body deleted of all
badges, and the smoothed roll pan that was added out back in place
of the stock bumper. This low-slung beauty also includes a fully
painted bed that you might be hesitant to use simply because it's
just about as well-finished as the exterior bodywork.
Since he was obviously aiming high, the builder who restored this
truck installed a tasteful black interior to complement the
light-colored bodywork, a combination that always works. For extra
comfort, the bench seat was covered with a fresh cloth-and-vinyl
seat cover that's far more high-end that anything you got in 1971,
and the plush black carpets on the floor tie the interior together
and are protected with vinyl Ford mats. The door panels are nicely
upholstered in matching black vinyl, not just painted steel, which
was standard equipment on all pickups back in the day, and there's
a fresh headliner above to match. This F-100 offers a full
complement of functional gauges in the unique oval-shaped
instrument panel, with Ranger-spec woodgrain applique accents all
around, and a trio of auxiliary units was installed underneath to
help keep an eye on the big block under the hood. A fresh black pad
atop the dash looks great and a taut headliner adorning the roof
adds to the upscale feel inside, and an under-dash R134a A/C unit
was neatly incorporated and blows cold. The sporty, wood-rimmed
steering wheel offers plenty of leverage for those poor souls who
weren't smart enough to order power steering (don't worry, this
truck is well-equipped), and it's joined on the tilt column with
the shifter for the automatic transmission below. And if the rumble
of the big block under the hood isn't enough for your ears, a
Kenwood AM/FM/CD/AUX head unit was installed in the center of the
dash to provide entertainment.
If you want lots of horsepower and huge torque in your pickup, the
390 V8 in this one is more than happy to oblige. Reportedly rebuilt
and perfectly affixed inside the engine bay, it cackles like it
belongs in a Mustang Mach 1 and is dressed like it should be, too,
with Ford Blue valve covers and a matching open-element air
cleaner. All the good stuff is inside the block, with a stock
intake and a Weber carburetor on top, as well as a set of
stock-style exhaust headers at the flanks that help it breathe.
It's a neat fit in the F-100's engine bay and it definitely has a
period-perfect look that feels right in between the blacked-out
inner fenders and clean firewall. Ford Blue engine enamel brightens
things up on the engine itself and there are newer tune-up parts
everywhere you look, including a big aluminum radiator up front
that keeps the big block nice and cool. A 3-speed automatic
transmission mates to the engine perfectly, and with a late-model
Crown Victoria front clip, power rack-and-pinion steering, and
power front disc brakes, the ride is a good one each time out. The
frame and running gear are in great condition underneath thanks to
the thorough frame-off restoration completed not long ago, and
there's a dual exhaust system with Thrush mufflers that sounds
great. Flashy late-model Ford wheels strike the right resto-mod
tone and carry 275/40/18 front and 295/45/18 rear Hankook
radials.
Go ahead, try to find a cleaner Bumpside F-100 with killer looks
like this. Or you could just buy this one and save yourself some
time. Call today!
