UPDATE – Matt has decided to remove his reserve for this sweet truck! If you have any questions about it or how Barn Finds Auctions work, please let us know in the comments below or via email here.
It’s no secret that classic trucks are popular these days, they offer good looks, classic simplicity, and more utility than the typical vintage car. The only problem is that most were put to work from day one and had every ounce of utility squeezed out of them. This example was discovered in Alabama by the seller, Matt Z, in 2020 and is wearing its original paint and patina but there’s more to this truck than meets the eye! It might have been worked hard at one point in its life, but a huge amount of work has been done to make this a fun driver again, and boy does it have a lot of life left in it. If you’d love to give this Highboy 4×4 a new home, be sure to cast your bid below and leave any questions you have down in the comments. The truck is now located in Matt’s garage in Centreville, Maryland.
While the outside of the truck still features its original paint, underneath you’ll find a 1976 Ford F250 4×4 chassis and a 390 V8! The combination is a subtle one, but you get the clean looks of the ’71 body style paired with the stance of the F250 4×4 Highboy. You also get the 3-speed C6 automatic transmission, NP205 divorced dual-range transfer case, Dana 60 manual locking front axle, and the Dana 80 4.10:1 rear axle. If you want to go off-roading, it’s hard to beat this setup. Matt doesn’t state why the chassis was swapped, whether it was due to rust or simply the easiest way to get all the F250 hardware under the F100 body, but it looks like the result is well-sorted and ready to enjoy!
The 390 FE V8 was the largest and most powerful engine you could get in the F100 for ’71, but in ’76 you could get the 390 or the 460. There’s no word on whether the engine is from the F100 or from the F250, but it’s been rebuilt and has a few upgrade parts that should improve performance nicely. The rebuild was done about 4,500 miles ago and received an RV cam, Edelbrock 1406 Performer Series 600 CFM electric choke carburetor, and an HEI distributor. Matt includes a video of the engine starting and running, which you can view here on YouTube. It sounds great, with exhaust exiting out new Flowmaster mufflers, and appears to run nicely.
Having a great engine is nice, but doesn’t matter much if the truck isn’t nice to drive. So to make sure it was pleasant to drive, the Bendix Power-Assist has received a new power steering pump and steering shaft. The power brakes have been serviced with new front disc brake components and rear drums. A new in-cab 18 gal fuel tank was also installed, along with a new windshield and gasket, a new rear window gasket, and new driver’s side door seal. And it’s riding on a new set of 16″ Pro Comp wheels with Westlake Radial SL369 A/T (LT315/75R16 127/124R M+S).
The interior is one area that could use a little work, but overall it looks to be in good shape. While the blanket seat cover is a cheap and effective way of cleaning up the seat, we would want to buy an upholstery kit for it. Thankfully, interior parts are readily available and cheap. An original style vinyl upholstery kit will set you back about $200 and take an afternoon to install.
Patina is one of those things that you either love or hate, but the benefit of leaving it as-is is that we can actually see what kind of condition the original metal is. While we see some rust in the bed, the cab corners look solid and we don’t see any signs of Bondo or previous metalwork. Given its overall condition, it looks like a great candidate for a cosmetic restoration or to be left alone and driven as is. Which route would you take it? Let us know in the comments and if you’d love to have it, don’t forget to bid!
- Location: Centreville, MD
- Mileage: 47,860 Mile Shown, TMU
- VIN: F10ANH31044
- Title Status: Clean
- Engine: 390ci V8
- Transmission: C6 Automatic
Bid On This Auction
tgert64 bid $9,200.00 2022-05-04 10:45:57
USA bid $9,100.00 2022-05-04 09:17:42- tgert64 bid $9,000.00 2022-05-04 07:45:37
USRFD1212 bid $8,900.00 2022-05-03 15:37:12
khanson bid $8,650.00 2022-05-02 10:28:30
Flea bid $8,500.00 2022-04-29 19:39:13
drmedders bid $8,000.00 2022-04-29 11:52:08- tgert64 bid $7,700.00 2022-04-29 08:05:48
- drmedders bid $6,000.00 2022-04-28 10:21:52
Blakeserve bid $5,000.00 2022-04-28 10:13:05- drmedders bid $4,000.00 2022-04-28 09:54:48
- tgert64 bid $3,400.00 2022-04-27 20:54:35
Marley bid $2,777.00 2022-04-27 10:11:18
Rjm8949 bid $1,000.00 2022-04-27 09:33:39
Does everything work including gauges radio lights etc and any other issues such as oil leaks? Also do you have a clean title and how is it titled? Thanks..
This vehicle has a clean MD title, registered with historic tags and insured. All lights work inside and out. All gauges work except for the temp gauge in the dash. I have an auxiliary temp gauge next to the oil pressure and voltage gauges which all work. The radio works, it’s just disconnected and needs a speaker. The pinion seals in the transfer case leak and will need to be replaced. I have a full gasket and pinion seal kit for the NP 205. There’s a small engine leak and transmission leak. I change and check the fluids regularly, the leaks are very minor.
Matt, are the cab corners solid and the rockers below each door step? Any issue with the cab mounts to the frame?
Thanks,
The rockers, cab corners and body mounts are all solid. The cab mount bushings are worn.
My compliments to the seller! Thank you for including so many undercarriage photos. I wish more internet ads were this good.
Lots of honest pics! A few things- Unless the mill was a transplanted 390, they stopped making the 390 in 69 or 70, IIRC. t’s a 70 grille. Lots of little things that need sorting out like brake lines, wiring, etc. Looker over good, little rust here and there but not terrible. DA sander and a single stage paint job would make it look sweet!
Cheers
GPC
390 v8 was available until the mid 70s in the f series pickups. 76 was last year for 390. 77 you got either 300, 302,.351, 400, or 460.
This one has a 1970 grille.
Green is noice.
some consider the 250 (4WD) the hiboy. many consider the narrower frame an essential part (so can B pre ’73/6th gen, not after ‘77.5 tho). Here’s one:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/957825-what-is-a-highboy-2.html
So the F100 ‘on top’ lowers the value of the chassy as it’s not a hiboy. There is no “numbers matchin’ w/a ford motor as they used the ’empty box’ manafacturing method. So all set there…
All round dyn-0-mite truck, wish it were mine~
I compliment the seller on the quality and quantity of his photographs and his attempt to make the truck roadworthy with the mechanicals under the hood, the new gas tank and new tires. However, the new owner will be needing to replace the Papst Blue Ribbon beer can with the correct radiator overflow container as well as attach the Flowmaster exhaust to the frame with something other than wire. Finally, the condition of items like the sheet metal and brake pedal indicates use history of a vehicle with SIGNIFICANTLY more than 47,000 miles on it despite what the odometer indicates.
Condition is not an indicator of mileage by any means. I have a 68 C10 that my aunt bought new. I got the truck in 95. It was used on the farm & I do mean used. It is in far worse condition than this truck, but only had 66k miles. It was just used as a truck was supposed to be used for back then, hauling wood, hay, manure out of the barn to the garden, etc. And the first time it was washed was when I got it, lol!
Tyler, the sheet metal aside, I can assure you, that is NOT a 47,000-mile brake pedal, no matter how you used the truck.
Love the look of the truck. I also really like the drink cups from Chimney Rock Village.
Looking forward to trying to get thus truck. Going to be sons first truck and a project for both of us.
John.. my 87 El Camino has 748k miles on it. I replaced the brake pad at 600k miles because it kept falling off. so now.. that pad has 150k miles on it and by “reading” the brake pad.. my car is a 35 yr old car with only 150k miles. It doesn’t even make sense to use the pedal as a guide. This F100 is a farm truck.. they are wrung out and used like a truck was made to be used. My 79 F-250 has 100k on it and looks like its been thru a wood chopper but the pedal is still good.
Bolivar, the brake pedal is just one among many elements of this truck that I have used to determine that it has many more miles than 47,860. Probably closer to 247,860.
Congratulations to Matt and tgert64! Our thanks to Matt for listing his truck with us and to everyone who bid.