Vehicle Description
Being down in sunny North Carolina as we are, it seems that a few
extraordinary vintage trucks are still running around that haven't
been worked to death or parted out for their rusty cousins up
North. Take this dialed-in 1979 Ford F-150 4x4, for instance. It's
lived a fairly charmed life Down South and was recently refreshed
into the gorgeous dime-piece you see today, featuring a slick white
paint job punctuated with period-perfect decals, a husky lift that
leveled off the rake and improved the stance, and a powerful 400 V8
mated to an automatic transmission, a 2-speed transfer case, and a
host of choice options. These 2-year-only Late-Dentsides are
red-hot right now, and they don't get much cooler than this...
Earth tone colors were a popular option in the late '70s, and we
love the look of the White paint and multi-color decals on this
imposing hauler. It was born with a more conventional shade of red.
Still, we're happy the restorers opted instead to try to represent
the era a little better, executing a color change that transformed
this '79 into what most of us think about when we close our eyes
and picture a Late-'70s truck. It's a lovely, refreshing change of
pace from the usual restomods we see today and harkens back to a
time when these 4x4s ruled the ranches and farms of the American
landscape. The bodywork is good, and trucks like this from the
South are better for restoration than their northern counterparts,
making them ideal candidates for restorations. And judging by the
looks of the original sheet metal, it didn't need that big of an
overhaul. All traces of a working-class life have been erased (if
there ever were any, to begin with), and the recently applied White
paint was beautifully done to a strong driver quality with a great
shine and no major imperfections to speak of. Sure, it has a few
minor dings and dents, along with a few imperfections from the
repaint (more like light dust under parts of the finish and a few
tape lines, not signs of the original color). Still, it's all
easily excusable on a built-for-battle truck, and from just a few
feet away, this Ford 4x4 is as clean as possible. Most of the
chrome and trim are likely original. It shows a very light patina
appropriate for the build, including shiny bumpers fore and aft, a
bright grille insert and headlight surrounds, and the heavy-duty
bedside tie-downs and rails that dress up the factory short bed out
back. We always love seeing a sliding rear window, too, which is a
feature you can't appreciate until you've experienced the
draft-free ventilation it provides. The heavy-duty side mirrors add
to the butch profile. Although neatly finished with a thick,
plastic Pendaliner, the Styleside bed is still ready to work as
hard as ever if called upon.
The simple, rugged interior was restored just the way Ford
designers intended, right down to the brown vinyl seat cover on the
wide bench and the matching door cards, headliner, and dash pad.
Sure, it's mostly a no-frills place to get some work done or relax
on a Sunday cruise, but that's refreshing today when trucks look
like the waiting room at a day spa and have every option your
neighbor's Cadillac does. However, the quality of the work makes it
look far more upscale today, and with a neatly painted white dash,
newer plush carpets, and a wood-rimmed steering wheel mounted atop
a tilt column, it all looks very clean and inviting inside. This
F-150 carries a full set of gauges ahead of the driver along with a
trio of Bosch auxiliary units to the wheel's left, plus a column
shifter for the C6 3-speed automatic and a manual lever for the
2-speed transfer case jutting out from the floor. A modern
AM/FM/AUX stereo was installed in the factory slot and sounds great
in the well-insulated cab rather remarkably. It does have factory
A/C running R12, which is currently non-functional. The owner
states it may simply need a recharge.
Under the hood is Ford's tried and true 400 V8 motor, neatly
dressed with chrome valve covers, a chrome radiator shroud, and a
matching chrome air cleaner. Built for torque, it moves the big
F-series easily, and the entire drivetrain is ready to dominate for
the next several decades. A stock-style 2-barrel carburetor atop
what is likely the original intake feeds the thirsty block, a newer
alternator helps it fire, and there's a giant radiator up front
that keeps it from sweating too much. Power steering and front disc
brakes make this big machine easy to maneuver, while the single
exhaust sounds quite impressive as it's hardly baffled. The
undercarriage shows newer floor plans, a new gas tank, upgraded
shocks, a big sway bar, and a steering stabilizer to help the tall
truck stick to the road. With black undercoating neatly applied,
everything is quite presentable. 15-inch 'bullet-hole' wheels add a
bit of modern flash to the vintage rig, and they're fitted with
beefy 33x12.50x15 BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A white-letter
radials.
Big, fun, and very clean, this Ford 4x4 is the truck you always saw
on the road after it was too late. Don't miss this chance to get
one in the renewed prime of its life. Call today!
