There are deals to be had in California! That’s not because things are cheaper there. It’s because they have stricter emissions requirements than most other States. That means that if you are okay having a mid-seventies vehicle like this F-150 shipped, you may be able to get it cheaper than you would in your local market. At least that’s the hope. This truck is located in Anderson, California and is listed here on eBay where bidding is currently at $1,325 with no reserve and only a couple of days left.

This truck is well-outfitted and there’s even a big 460 V8 (the largest available in ’76) under the hood! It’s claimed to have only covered 77k miles since new and to have had a ton of maintenance work done in the last year ($771 to be exact). It does make you wonder why they didn’t do the work needed to keep it in California, but I’m guessing the upgraded Edelbrock carburetor hiding under that air cleaner might be partly to blame?

Inside you will find another upgrade in the form of a Hurst shifter. That could probably stay, but those seat covers have gotta go! An upholstery kit, some new carpet, and a steering wheel will really spruce things up in here. The Ranger XLT package added a lot of nice upgrades. Many were visual, but things like intermittent windshield wipers and a glove box lock were true luxuries in your work truck back then.

The days of picking up post-emissions California cars on the cheap may have ended with the advent of the internet, but it’s still fun to think of the possibilities. I’m actually surprised this truck can’t be sold in California because trucks skirted the smog and safety requirements longer than passenger cars. Look inside for proof – no headrests or shoulder belts. Trucks were able to get away with not having catalytic converters longer too. Oh well, that just means more good stuff for the rest of us!