1969 Ford F-100 Ranger

Description

It's no secret that we love vintage pickup trucks, and clean honest ones like this 1969 Ford F-100 Ranger are our favorites. Not heavily modified, not slammed, not wearing goofy 20-inch chrome wagon wheels, it's instead not too far from what you would have driven home to the farm from the Ford dealer in 1969, and we like that a lot. With a few updates for more power and comfort, this truck is really dialed-in.

The familiar Wimbledon White finish is quiet and clean, just the way trucks like this should be. Ford wasn't doing flashy in 1969, this was a working man's tool, not a fashion statement, so it was attractive but not over-done. It was repainted eight years ago, and while it has a few minor signs of age and use, the truck has lived an easy life in the South and presents very well today. Nice, but not a perfect trailer queen. The bodywork is straight, the panels line up nicely, and the bed hasn't been bashed. The chrome and stainless trim gives the upscale Ranger its more sophisticated look, particularly with the bright streak along its flanks. A great-looking grille (a rare find for the '67-69 F-100s), shiny chrome bumpers, and a tailgate with big bold FORD lettering all tie it together quite neatly. And if you still want to put it to work, the bed is protected with a spray-in bed liner and a set of chrome rails.

Handsome tan upholstery is clean and elegant against the white paint and it all looks fresh because just about everything inside this truck is restored. The door panels and dashboard have been replaced and look almost new, while the tan vinyl bench seat is just about how it would have been when it was new, offering a commanding view of the road and good comfort for longer hauls. There are rather plush carpets on the floor and yes, that's a 4-speed Hurst shifter in the center, making this one a bit more entertaining than the usual old pickup. It has also gained a wood-rimmed steering wheel, a column-mounted tach, and nice-looking factory gauges to monitor the vitals. There's also an AM/FM/cassette stereo radio in the dash and a sliding rear window for warmer days.

While most of these trucks got torquey inline-sixes, this particular truck sports a torquey 360 cubic inch V8 that's unique to the F-series trucks. Fully rebuilt around six thousand miles ago, it's got an upgraded cam, Edelbrock intake manifold, and a Holley 4-barrel carburetor living under a chrome air cleaner. Ford Blue engine enamel on the block stands out against the satin black engine bay and a giant radiator keeps it nice and cool. Ceramic-coated headers feed a 2.5-inch exhaust system with glasspack-style mufflers, so it's got that familiar Ford rumble and the 4-speed manual transmission was just fully rebuilt and snaps through all of the gears with authority. The undercarriage is nicely detailed with a light dusting of undercoating, but nothing heavy enough to hide trouble; it's just there to keep things looking neat and clean, and the heavy-duty 9-inch rear end hangs on sturdy leaf springs that actually ride rather well. Rolling stock consists of those attractive Ford aluminum wheels wrapped in fat 255/70/15 BFGoodrich radials.

As you can see, there's a lot here that we really like. The work is recent and nicely done, the engine is very strong, and the truck is a blast to drive. Still very affordable and still willing to work now and then, a hobby vehicle like this makes a lot of sense. These trucks never last long, call today!