You’ve probably heard the phrase about a vehicle being “a fifty footer.” Well, this truck fits into that category. From a distance, it looks like a super-clean and nice old truck. Up close, you can see some dents, dings, and blemishes which is why it probably isn’t worth as much as you might expect. The truck is a 1974 Ford F-250 and is for sale here on eBay with a current bid of just over $4,000. Located in Moraga, California, the truck was supposedly built in the San Jose plant and is said to have spent most of its life in The Golden State. The truck comes with a Marti Report, indicating this truck is pretty rare and one of only 65 built with its specific combination of options.
The engine is a 360 cubic inch FE Ford and is said to be original to the truck. It features about 91k miles and is said to run strong. This truck has sat for a while, but the original carburetor was replaced along with a new fuel pump installed. The fluids and filters have been changed and the truck says “fires up and runs strong.” The truck has an aftermarket exhaust, but with a truck this old, that’s to be expected.
The factory bench seat has the optional Explorer red cloth which looks good in plaid. As with most of these old trucks, the driver’s side seat foam is broken down a bit. It’s clear the truck has been used and enjoyed, but it seems like there is still some life in the old beast. The new owner will need to give the interior a little TLC to make is perfect again.
This truck was supposedly a “DSO” or dealer-special-order and with the Viking Red paint, it makes it 1 of only 65 made. It looks like a good candidate to drive as-is or as a restoration. If this was your truck, what would you do with it? Would you drive it or restore it? Let us know.
Both! What good is a truck like this if you don’t drive it and have fun with it? Even out west machinery atrophies if not exercised regularly-ESPECIALLY if it’s British, for some odd reason ‘62 Midget, 2 Spitfires [cars not bikes] a ‘64 Bonneville [Triumph not Pontiac] and a ‘51BSA found in a herd of Hornets-Hudson, not yellow jackets-all responded to a regime of exercise, mine and theirs,
Fix it up &drive it, don’t hide it!
Cool truck. The “One of” isn’t doing it anymore.
Have to agree with you about the “one of”. It means nothing in regards to the value of this truck.
Interesting to think only 65 trucks that year were built like that one. Most of them gone I’m sure. Doesn’t up the value for me at all. Nice rig though. My favorite ford nose.
The proper way to read the Marti report is that this is 1 of 65 1974 F-250 4X4 pick up trucks built with that paint color and interior style. There most likely are other 1974 F series trucks built with the same exterior paint color and interior style however they would be F-150s 2X4 or 4X4, F-350s 2X4 or 4X4, and F-250 2X4 as those would not be a part of the 65 number.
Also this truck was not a dealer special order, it was just a regular dealer stock order. To be a special order there needs to be something ordered that was not a regular option. An example would be if the buyer wanted the truck painted a color not offered on a truck. Then the dealer would need to “special” order the truck and the paint code on the door data plate would be blank. A special order vehicle will have a unique 6 digit DSO number, not the normal 2 digit one like this truck has. The first 2 numbers of the 6 digit DSO number would be the same as the regular 2 digit DSO as that tells you the selling district. The remaining 4 digits are for the special order number.
Very clear and concise explanation, Cathouse.
I was beginning to wonder about all the “1 of None” type RARE vehicles that are unexpectedly found then brought to the market recently but now it’s clear to see that each Seller’s interpretation is actually what is brought to question on these, not the fault of the Marti Report or whatever historical document is being quoted.
Thank you.
Nice old Dentside, I’m digging that plaid seat. I don’t see the excitement in it being 1 of 65…it’s an old red F250 in decent shape, that’s its worth, not the implied rarity.
Ahh…Marti Reports….making every car “a one of one” for years now……
Yeah, something like a dislocated cigarette lighter will show up as one of perhaps one on a Marti report. Not to slam the reports but keep your good sense in play.
Good from afar, but far from good?
At $4500 I don’t think too bad from Afar or too far from good
As long as it gets you afar you’re good, right?👍🏻
Definitely built to be used. I don’t know exactly what makes this truck so rare. It must be the options as mentioned because there were a lot of F250 4x4s in the Chinook Belt. I’m sure that every other rancher between Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota and into Canada ran one of these. And if they didn’t run a Ford, they ran a GM, or a Dodge, or even a Binder. A 3/4 ton 4×4 was standard equipment on a ranch. Well, Dad decided to go big or go home; he traded the tried and true ’71 Ford F-250 in on a Dodge W300 dualie with a flatbed. Anyway, we went through our fair share of Ford trucks with FE engines before during and after. Kind of interesting because the shop I worked for got the GM dealership around then and it got the boss more than a little upset to see me drive to work in a Ford or a Dodge. That was bad timing on the boss’s part but we eventually redeemed ourselves. But the Fords still took a lot of abuse and always came back for more. I had a ’73 Ford pickup and then a ’75 4×4. Starting with our ’71 models I re-curved the ignition, installed dual exhausts and switched the carb to a Holley 500 2bbl to help those engines breath better. And they did. I look at this truck and imagine it filled with bales of hay at least two tiers higher than the roof. Both doors would have to be caved in because the cows crowded in and they’re not all that concerned about pushing up against the truck. Of course if this truck came my way, it wouldn’t likely be used to feed livestock, but it would do some hauling, including getting hitched up to a trailer and used to move cars and tractors around. In other words: I like it!
Yep, same story here in NW Ohio, if a farmer didn’t have at least a 3/4 ton, they were just a gardener. You can still buy those 2300 Holleys too. I’ve used many of them to replace Rochester dual-jet carbs on GM engines over the years and still do. We even had a 6 cylinder class at the dirt tracks years ago that specified the 500 Holley as the carb that you had to run.
You don’t “make” cars and trucks, you BUILD them. Like you do a ship, aircraft, house, etc. You make a pie. I thought that “dent side” comment was kind of cute but “rare” 1 in 65 I doubt. I thought $1M for a ’71 barracuda convertible with a 426 hemi convertible was an overpay. it was just a factory assembly line variable, not a 1929 Packard. So yes restore the truck to authentic original, including the plaid bench seats. No bucket seats, baby car steering wheel, all chrome engine room, hoopee wheels or gigantic disc brakes or anything like that. Just period everything.
At $4500 I don’t think too bad from Afar or too far from good
Brian, my wife owns a bakery and anytime I ask her to make me a pie she says, No but I will BAKE you a pie. What she does “make” is a mess when she bakes a pie.
So I guess it just depends on who is telling the story as to how they word it.
Dentside refers to the body side reveal that goes in on the 1973 to 1979 pickup’s. Bumpside refers to the body side reveal that pokes out on the 1967 to 1972 pickup’s.
No one going to mention its a High Boy? That should stir up some controversy. The frame on the F250s through 76 were 4″ narrower then the f150s outter sheet metal was the same but cabs and beds were not due to different mounting locations. there was an additional frame crossmember in the front just below the bumber and the transfer case was divorced.Gas tank was located behind the back seat only. Thats how you identify a true F250 highboy.Considering the fact that the F250 4x4s were built this way makes them unique in MHO. The ride heigth was lowered starting in 1977 and now we spend thousands of dollars to jack them back up.
Scott is 100 percent correct. I have a 1970 High Boy parts truck with a 360, 205 Divorced transfer case, new process 435 trans. I just purchased a 1979 Ford F-250 Crewcab with a 351M, C-6 Trans, 205 gear on gear transfer case. One owner but the original lost all paperwork. These Ford trucks from 67-79 are my favorites.
If I could get this truck I would drive it as is
An old girlfriend of mine had a dark green ‘74 F-150 short bed 4×4 four-speed. That thing could climb hills like no other truck I ever drove.
The girlfriend wasn’t half-bad either, if like me your taste runs to short curvy brunettes. If it weren’t for the fact that she was completely nuts I’d have prolly married her. That was a nice truck she had. 😎
I like crazy women, even better if brunette. Their Italian fathers scare me. Hopefully her Dad doesn’t own a pizzeria, or ya could end up in the meat sauce. I work for a pizzeria. The owners daughter loves when I take her for motorcycle rides, better if we barhop. He doesn’t know about our shenanigans lol.
Anyhow, great truck. It needs a plow on it, yet somehow I don’t think I could do that to this truck. Very nice!
Stevieg did comment, ” like crazy women, even better if brunette. Their Italian fathers scare me. Hopefully her Dad doesn’t own a pizzeria”
It’s a bigger problem if her father also owns a lupara…
These early high-boys are workhorses, I have a ‘77 F250 with the 400ci and automatic in rough condition but it still hauls and plows anything that is put in front of it. This ‘74 is a solid truck and would last another forty-some years just the way it is!
Love these trucks!! They were ford tough!!
Those of us that actually USE our trucks don’t call them dings, dents and blemishes, we call that stuff CHARACTER, or, if the dent is big enough, battle scars! The trucks wear them with the pride of another job well done too. Even though I’m a square body GM guy, I LOVE this Ford! Looks to be pretty much all stock, which I prefer. Manual trans, and, (obviously) lock out hubs, another plus. What would I do with it? Personally, I’d throw an old school “saddle blanket” seat cover on the bench, give it a good once over and fix anything that needs it, then use it as intended. Oh, I’d also install a Grant steering wheel since I don’t like the skinny ones in most vehicles of this era (my youth) and, if it doesn’t already have them, a new exhaust with dual glassies. Yeah, I still love the rap of glass pack mufflers as I’m running through the gears!
Not that it matters, but I’m curious…didnt these trucks originally have some sort of split rim? When I started dating my wife back in 84, her dad had a 76 F-250 2 wheel drive and I could swear that the rims had some kind of retaining ring around the beads. It wasn’t a “beauty ring” because it was just plain steel. The truck also had regular painted steel rims and plain hub caps, nothing fancy. This truck doesn’t seem to have that ring, not that it’s a big deal, as I said, I’m just curious.
Brunettes are cool. My wife and I will celebrate our 32nd anniversary in about 2 weeks. She’s a short (5′ nothing on a good day) curvy redhead. She won’t admit to being short though, she’s always called herself “vertically challenged”. She’s also 1/2 Irish n 1/2 Italian. Now there’s a fire cracker for ya! She keeps this Ol German/Irish guy in line though lol! I wouldn’t trade her for a million bucks!
Runs strong? Id say that makes it one of one ….. i dont think ive ever seen a 360 that anyone could say that about, even when they were new.
I’ll agree to a certain extent; the 360 as it came from the factory didn’t win a lot of prizes. We had a number of FE engines on the farm over the years and while they were never big performers they made good workhorses. A good comprehensive warmup made them into a completely different engine…
I have a 1976 Highboy behind the barn. Been there for at least 15 years. It’s a 390 4-speed. Came from Cal., Body is pretty rusted now, but all original drive train. Some day where gonna fix it, Well not this week.