The Free Wheeling package offered by Ford has historically been associated with the full-size Bronco, but unbeknownst to me, it was also offered on the pint-sized Courier. The package itself was nothing much – a push bar, some decals down the side – but in the case of the Bronco, at least, it has become a bit of a collector’s item, with either fully restored or well-preserved examples fetching big money. These days, Ford has even revived the package on the reincarnated Bronco, yet another way to spend too much money on what amounts to a sticker kit. The solution could be this 1979 Ford Courier Free Wheeling package here on craigslist for just $2,500 in Washington State.

Thanks to Barn Finds reader Rocco B. for the find. The seller includes a helpful advertisement from back in the day to convey what came in this elusive package, and it looks like when this Courier was new, it was very well equipped. In addition to the body-side decal kit and the front push bar, it also has the optional sport steering wheel and the wood applique around the cluster, which indicates the original owner checked the box for the Sport Group interior option. It looks like the sharp aluminum wheels have gone missing over the years along with the “GT bar” that goes in the bed, and those items have got to be near impossible to find these days.

If you look at the full-size view of the vintage brochure page included on craigslist, you’ll also see a sharp checkerboard-style cloth upholstery pattern on the bucket seats which we can only guess has been reduced to powder if those cheap seat covers stayed on for photos. This Courier clearly hasn’t been kept as a future collector’s item like so many Broncos were, with the paint almost completely evaporated and the black carpets that came with the Free Wheeling package a distant memory. Still, like almost all PNW vehicles, the floors are nearly rust-free along with the body, and the seller only showing some small areas of corrosion at the base of the fenders.

The 2.0L, four-cylinder engine was light on power but fairly durable by most accounts. With around 80 horsepower, you weren’t hauling big loads but that’s what a full-size truck is for anyway. The seller notes a variety of issues, from leaking valve seals to the transmission popping out of third to the carburetor needing some attention, but he claims he’s driven all over the valleys and landscapes of Gifford Pinchots, near Mt. Adams. This little truck may look battered but I’d still call it a survivor having held onto the small details that make it clear it’s one of likely just a handful of Free Wheeling Couriers left.