I knew it. I knew if I searched long enough I’d eventually find a four-speed equipped Ford Ranchero like this ’73 GT example. I’ve come across two or three from the fifth generation (’70-’71) but I have never spied one from the sixth generation (’72-’76) until today – they’re like hen’s teeth. This rare bird’s listing was found by Pat L. and it calls Yakima, Washington home.  It’s available, here on craigslist for $8,000.

This generation Ranchero is definitely not my favorite, and the ’73 forward with the parking stop-sized front bumper doesn’t help with the cause. Of course, I’m not much on the ’73-’77 Chevrolet El Camino for mostly the same reasons – bulky packaging, lack of fluid lines, and disappearing horsepower courtesy of the EPA. The four-speed manual transmission is a desirable holdout – it’s this Ranchero’s way of mimicking the peasants in Monty Python’s Holy Grail with a pugnacious claim of “not dead yet“. Regardless, the Ranchero had a strong year in ’73 with 45K copies moving to new homes. The GT version, such as our find, accounted for about a third or 15K units.

Let’s start with the interior for a change. I’ll cut to the chase, it’s a bit ratty. The seating upholstery is shot, the carpet has taken flight and the dash pad has a split. Ditto the splits with the steering wheel and the instrument panel is showing dust and dimness but all of this stuff is cosmetic. The seller advises that the floors are sound. Also mentioned is the presence of A/C but the belt’s off the compressor so something probably isn’t functioning.

A 255 net HP 351 CI V8 is holding court under the hood and the seller states that it, along with help from the aforementioned four-speed gearbox, “fires up and runs good motor is sound with new battery and fuel pump“. There is a Marti Report included and though it doesn’t refer to this engine as a Cobra Jet (Q-code), that’s how the seller labels it. The mileage is claimed to be 80K and the seller advises that he’s the second owner.

The body and cargo bed do appear to be mostly solid. The body is reasonably straight but it reveals what looks like it has experienced some less than professional help over the years – it shows. The rust holes in the quarters give evidence of having been bondoed over at one time and that never-sleeping rust has decided to return – it always does. The fenders and rockers look OK but the rear patchwork may make one wonder about what else could rear its ugly head in the future.

Well, forget about tomorrow, we should live today with this nice find; it’s the engine-transmission combo that makes it. If it weren’t for the powertrain, I would have likely ignored this tip entirely – just another sixth-gen Ranchero. What to do? I’d slowly put this Ute back together the way that Ford originally intended, how about you?