It seems like 70s-era Ford pickups are becoming more desired every day. If you follow the classic truck market as I do, you’ve seen nice examples go from the $10-20K range a decade ago, jumping to the $20-50K range now. As these trucks approach the fifty-year-old mark, their status as classics is getting stronger. This particular 1974 F-250 4×4 crew cab has 24K original miles and has all the makings to be a strong seller, which the eBay bidding reflects. With a current bid over $20,000, the reserve has not been met yet. The seller doesn’t have a buy-it-now price, so it’s hard to determine what they think the value is. Located in the southwest Idaho town of Homedale, this truck looks like it just drove off a ranch in 1975. Check out this amazing truck!
Although the truck has low mileage and is in mostly original condition, the seller says the upholstery has been re-done. You can see the diamond pattern seat covers on the twin benches has been done in a very handsome saddle-colored leather. This treatment really adds to the ranch look of the truck and is perfect in my opinion. Even the rear seat is just as nice. You can also see an aftermarket steering wheel, but other than that it looks fairly stock.
The engine is the original 390 cubic inch V8 that has had some performance goodies added. The finned Mickey Thompson valve covers are done in Ford Blue and they go well with the aftermarket air cleaner. It also looks like the distributor has been replaced and you can see a brake booster, which will help slow down this big rig.
Ford “High-Boys” of this era are pretty darn tall. Even the 1/2-ton models will normally fit 35″ tall tires with no problems and no additional suspension lift needed. The current military tires that are on the truck are good looking and will probably perform well in an off-road situation. If it was my truck, I may trade them for a little bit wider wheel and tire package, but that’s just my opinion. What do you think?
A lot of these “dent sides” still at work out on farms and ranches,young bucks aspire to own the coveted Hi Boy. I think the lifted look from the factory is what started the love for this model. Neighbor lady rancher had a 74 250 with the jacked up front end,totally stock. Crew cabs such as this one are fairly uncommon around here,almost all are regular or super cabs. This is a good looking truck,will make someone a good Christmas present.
Nice truck. As Montana points out, the “dent side” 73-79’s have developed quite the following. Who would have thought they would fetch these big prices? I like them too, having good memories of driving several during my high school and college days. I prefer them all stock, and I’m not a big fan of the high-boy look, but the mods here are tastefully done.
An observation: here’s another example of the literally dozens of two-tone paint schemes available on Ford pickups, all the way up into the 90’s. There is an early 90’s F150 nearby which is a mint green/white combination, very eye-catching in our world of white/black/silver/gray.
Just ..wow
I drove a 74′ dent side f250 standard cab in the course of my job about 20 years ago. It had terrible brakes, and I seem to recall it was a 360 rather than a 390, but it was a stump puller. I’d normally have about 950 gallons of water, a pressure washer, and a cabinet of assorted cleaning chemicals and chamois, and could still climb Sunset hill at 55MPH. I would have bought a 75 Extra cab if not for the lack of 4wd. These and the bump side Fords have always been my favorite trucks, going back many many years.
Something is not right here. I’m sure this is not a true highboy. The pictures on ebay dont give me enough to confirm without a doubt but the vin # given is for a 2 wheel drive with a 360 motor. Ford never offered a 390 in there F250 high boys. Nice truck and the seller dosn’t really list it as a High boy although it is stated at the top of the add. thats a lot of money to pay for a 2 wheel drive conversion.
“High Boys” aren’t necessarily more desirable than a 78 or 79 F250 4X4. They definitely have there issues. 78 or 79 F 250 4X4’s are much better driving IMO.
It is not a true “High Boy”. An earlier owner put it on a 4 WD chassis as the seller states in the ebay ad. Still its a pretty cool Frankenfurter. But 20 grand plus ? Only if my ego grew and other body parts shrank.
I was also questioning the 390…
Although it’s a great motor for these… Don’t believe you could get it from the factory
I put a 390 in mine, wish I still had it
Interesting in the real small print that it was originally a two wheel drive truck. I wouldn’t have thought of that if they didn’t tell me.
Without going the dually route, I believe this was the biggest pickup you could buy. Can’t you just watch the gas gauge drop. @ .34 cents/gallon in 1974, hammer down. I don’t think those are “military” tires, they just look like deep lug modern tires. Great trucks, nothing stopped them, except running out of gas, of course. Gas being the key issue here.
Scott is correct, its a 360, anemic compared to a pre smog 390 but will still pass everything but a gas station. nice to see this beauty, ironworms gottem all here in the rust belt. Great workhorse.
Cheers
GPC
I do believe there are vin# issues with this truck. I seen this posted on another forum.
The VIN does indicate it was originally a 2 wheel drive truck, so frame will have a different VIN than cab unless the original frame was converted to 4×4. Despite being on a high boy chassis, it still has a 4 inch lift on it. Clean truck that should bring a lot of happiness to the new owner.
Not a Barn Find at all. 4th time it’s been on ebay this fall. Someone will get had, then realize they have a mix-matched truck, and no title for it. Buyer beware!
I like Ford pickups; I’ve had several full-size pickups and a few Rangers. Only one of my pickups had more then 2 doors, a Ranger with 1/2 doors and useless jump seats. I didn’t keep it long and only bought it because it was a good deal. I don’t need 4 doors in a pickup, never did; I prefer the regular cabs. This is a nice crew cab truck but these were the type of trucks that were bought by construction outfits and contractors for hauling a work crew, tools and pulling a trailer or a compressor but not a truck for just tooling around in. The weekly fuel bill will be a knee-buckler and most of us don’t have a garage it will fit in.
Beautiful truck..brings out my inner rednek..the right height the right length the right drivetrain even the right colors!
Jeff Foxworthy sez, ” You know you’re a redneck, when you don’t have to jack up your truck to change the oil”,,
one of my favs (’73/9 F250) but not THE (’73/9 F250 step side SWB 4 WD) fav.
Monster, need a 460ci?
Not bad for a delivery vehicle (tow/haul) but any of the big ones I like long bed/2WD.
The seller has added this to the listing:
Found some things out about this rig. It was originally sitting on a two wheel drive chassis, and someone took and put a 4wd drive chassis under it. All the work was done well. The body and chassis is in incredible condition. The truck runs and drives like a dream(a good one).
So those who have looked up the VIN and commented about the discrepancy are correct. This is NOT an “original” truck, is is a combination of at least two vehicles. Yes, it may be well done, but potential buyers have to know what is being offered.
Pretty sure the seller knew exactly what the truck was before posting the additional information on Ebay one day ago. Buyer beware!
Great for driving over the top of those tight parking spaces .
People need to understand that 73 thru76 F250 4x4s (true high boys) had frames that were 4inches narrower than all other ford trucks including F150 4x4s. So with that said you can’t just put a different cab and bed onto a true high boy frame the body mounts and bed bolt holes are in different locations. So What you have is a Two wheel drive crew cab on a frame that would have to be Post 1976 since all F250 4x4s had frames that were 4inches narrower
Scott – What you say isn’t entirely accurate.
’73 and later F-Series do have a wider frame rail, but only on the rear 1/3rd of the frame, and only on single cab F-100, F-150, and F-250 2wd pickups. Excluding Crewcab, F-350, or F-250 4×4 trucks.
The body on this example is from an F-250 2wd Crew, which had a narrow frame (34″ wide). Similar to that of a Highboy, or F-250 4×4 which was also 34″ wide entirely through.
The body mount holes that are different are only for the rear set, and the bosses are already in place to easily drill and re-bolt. Once the fuel tank was in place nobody would be the wiser.
This truck is a ’74 2wd Crew body simply bolted in place on a Highboy chassis, of undetermined year/type. (Could be a stretched single cab frame, or more likely a Crew 4×4 frame)
HiBoy start B4 that…
Nice truck..to bad it is not original. I do like that its comes with the optional back up transportation as seen in pic #19! Lol couldn’t resist. All in all a nice truck but due to the hodge-podge assembly of parts not worth collector prices.IMHO.
Nice looking truck, although seems a shame someone would take a mint, low-mileage original 2wd and drop it on a 4wd chassis…the new seats and non-factory steering wheel make me think higher mileage cab/interior, lower mileage frame/powertrain may be the reality. A buyer would need to like it for what it is, not what it appears to be and bid accordingly.
I’ve owned a bunch of these 73-79 Fords, and they are great trucks. As for this one, well, what in the hell could you do with it?? Just getting in and out of it would be a huge PITA….or how about loading/unloading some 80# bags of concrete with the bed so high? And when are you going to go 4 wheeling with 3 other guys riding along?
Some attorney or punk named Brandon is gonna buy this so they can look tough, but they’re posers.
Hey …easy on the attorneys :)
Posted a comment which didn’t appear. No politics, profanity, personal attacks. What’s the deal?
try it again, Ken.
& Mr. K: ‘poser’ is a personal attack, plez refrain…
I C nuttin wrong here. The factory did this sorta thing, Y can;t we?
He disclosed, albeit in sm print.
Even worse 2day w/the monocoque trading a whole 3/4 ofa body btwn SUV’n sedan (just keep the fl pan)…
English.
This is a great looking mutt. 73 was the last year for a 390, in a 4×4. 360 was the engine of the day, after that. The 205 transfer case is a divorced unit, so there’s two more U-joints, and a slip yoke to deal with. And the assisted power steering was a joke, even when it was brand new. It wore out quickly, and leaked like a ceive, and with replacement parts that were virtually non existent….transmission fluid was cheap.
I still love the old High Boys, even with all their quirks.That’s a boat load of $$$ for this one. Still it’s a good looking ride.
Mike, no 390 in any 4×4 from the factory, ever, period.
FE (360’s) stopped being used in pickups after the ’76 model year.
For once I think the aftermarket steering wheel adds to the look of the interior..
Still a good looking truck no matter if it started out as a 2wd, The work looks from what I can tell by the pictures as being done well. We hardly ever see crew cabs or even extended cabs this generation trucks here in East Tennessee..
Looks nice but it would be a task finding parking in most areas!!! Would serve a better purpose pulling a horse trailer or fifth wheel camper to a campsite or to a hunting cabin perhaps!!!
Wow that is beautiful, and very close to where I live too. I am 14 and I’ve got a 75 Hi boy standard cab thats super cool, but the crew cab is beautiful!