The best justification ever for buying a vehicle you don’t need, or one you can’t really afford, goes like this: You can live in your car. You can’t drive your house. This 1971 Ford F100 Custom short bed pickup truck might prove that to actually be true. With its camper top, this truck could double as your pad. You just have to decide that its $20,000 opening bid is worth the ask. If you do, or if somehow the auction fails and the truck is re-listed at a number closer to your comfort zone, you’ll have to get to Whittier, CA to drive it home.
Bring a pillow, if you’re headed back to the East Coast, and a cooler full of sandwiches. Take the truck to the nearest gas station and fill the sizeable tank, and head out. You’ll be piloting a 92,000-original-mile beauty with a 360-CID engine and automatic transmission. Sure, many times the “all original” claim is made, but in this instance, that seems valid, given what the images show, including a clean match of color between the body panels and the door jambs. (What do you Barn Finders think?) The seller also says he has tons of paperwork on the maintenance “from day one.” That would be my first move—spreading that out on a picnic table top and figuring out for myself how authentic this vehicle is. But it’s also comforting to know that some maintenance items like new tires, shocks, and radiator work have been done, so you can just jump in and drive.
Handsome in its light blue paint, the truck has exterior features which pull your mind back into the past, including white-painted wheels with dog-dish hubcaps and a pronounced body-line accent that runs the length of the side and is spear-straight. And going to the interior—how about the fact that it’s air conditioned (could that be an add-on?), and that the “Ranger” script on the under-dash unit adds further character to the truck, as does the period-appearing seat upholstery, not to mention the door panels?
Eagle-eyed experts can weigh in on the authenticity of the recently repainted Pullman Camper top as seen here on ebay, but to my mind, if that really is as old as the truck, you know why this Ford looks so good—it’s never been a work truck and always more like an extra family member. Who knows what good memories a family has with this F100 at the center of its adventures! Some of that history may be lost to time, but you’re going to start up the memory machine once more when you get this home and load it up with one of those little gas camp stoves and head out for an autumn adventure.
I like it but at this price they can keep it
Assuming it’s not a shill bid, there’s only one for $20,000 and the reserve isn’t met. I like short bed pickups of this vintage but I think that’s already high too.
Yeah, it’s high, but if somebody wants one & doesn’t have to turn around & dump another 5 grand into it, its not so ridiculous.
Lo único que me gusta es el azul argentino.
The only thing I like about it is the Argentinian blue.
I like Ford short bed trucks and this one appears to be very nice, but to me it has two strikes. The 360 engine is a gas hog ( a 302 would have been ideal in this rig) and a bid of $20,000 doesn’t meet reserve. That tells me they are asking too much.
Crazy price and wrong year and brand, but seeing this makes me want to drive around with an orangutan named Clyde
I think I can give some real insight into this truck. In December of last year I purchased a very-very similar truck as this blue one. Minor differences mine is a 1973 ,it is a short box, 2WD,has a 302 with a 3-speed column shift, it has factory A/C and very low miles, but is difficult to document. WHY? The truck has been in storage since the late 70’s. last licensed in 1979 ,however I am guessing it was driven some,for errands or to haul trash, etc.. It is absolutely rust free, but not as clean as this blue truck. It is cleaner now as I have spent many hours detailing, especially the undercarriage and under the hood it is also the original paint. I paid 20 K for it! Was it worth it? I really don’t know. I spent way more money on it than I thought I would. It appeared completely original. When I really got into trying to bring it back to life, I was surprised by all the things that were in the need of repair, I discovered very quickly that lack of use was just as damaging as, out right abuse, As I got it running and drove it, it broke down all the time. I now have it pretty much rebuilt or replaced every item on the truck. It all looked good it had just had no use. I have tried to keep it almost original, it is slightly lowered, a 3 spoke Mustang steering wheel and a full blown custom dual exhaust. I have spent a lot of time and money on this truck. Comparing it and the B/F truck ,I think the blue one might be better in some ways, the fact that is a running truck with proper maintenance is a big plus. I personally could care less about the camper shell. From what I have seen and experienced ,I would expect the truck to sell for around 20 K. Is it worth it . We’ll find another one like it. A short box 2 wheel drive ,V-8 and A/C, there just aren’t that many, sure long boxes, 4-wheel drive work trucks, not Gentleman’s pick ups. Will I get my money back if I sell mine, I doubt it. With the popularity of Pick ups now, you probably aren’t going to steal one!
It is nice. Not a survivor truck as it has been repainted. See color difference to tailgate in the back. Valve covers seem to have been repainted as well. Still though, nice truck. Love to have it but not worth 20k to me. To someone else it might be.
It says and appears to be 100% original paint. Also says the tailgate was stored outside where as the truck has lived indoors it’s entire life.
Shill bid……scam.
Maybe a friend of his put that bid out there, and if there’s no other bids they end the listing early, then relist it with a lower, opening shill bid..
Very nice. While some don’t care for my “personalizations” of these vehicles, too bad. What this is, was mom and dads truck, note passenger fold in step for mom, and they didn’t camp in the back, it was strictly covered storage, or maybe for the grandkids once they got “there”. By the looks of the massive hitch, and brake control, they pulled a biggie, hence the 360. They didn’t go far, just got out of the city, I bet.
Is it worth $20grand, the big question. Yes and no. Not to us, it isn’t, but the bigger picture is, for someone that wants to do just what “mom and dad” did, it’s perfect. There has to be an end to this sort of thing, and you won’t find any better. Get it now.
I was at ACE Hardware yesterday and parked next to a Ford pickup of similar vintage. Short bed, regular cab, step side with driver’s side spare mounted on the side of the bed. It looked all original- weather beaten paint (we are in New Mexico), but everything else was there, and unmolested. What a time capsule- a no frills, honest pickup. Ironically, the RAM truck dealer is across the street, peddling mega dollar bloatmobile pickups. Ask me which one I’d prefer owning…
Maybe I should find an old shell for my ’77 Sierra Classic 2wd long bed.
Nah, can’t haul much with a shell on.
I’m a Chevy guy (have a ’66 swb) and don’t follow Ford prices, but if this was a C10 it would bring twice this price in a heartbeat. Original paint, blue plate shorbed California trucks like this come up about once a year.
Yea but…you’d only have a Chevy.
nice clean rig. love the radio delete. lot of coin thought but you never see them in this shape
An apparently well maintained truck with an external look of perfection. others have mentioned some of the short comings of the truck, and the owner or owners should be complimented on what they have done here. If you have always wanted such a vehicle and you have a lot of unused cash, that is your business, but I see very little to justify the price. Like everything else in hobbies and economics, you can rarely expect to sell a beloved object, in this case a vehicle for profit. Most of the time, with the exception of you who find a vehicle for next to nothing and sell for a profit, the rule is buy high and sell low, and with few exceptions, that is the reality rule. That said, the ford is a beauty….just not a realistic price.
This truck appears to be as nice a one as you might find. 20K and reserve not met? I dunno. Maybe legit, maybe not. No way to know for sure. The eBay advertisement says 93 people are watching it. So I’m of the opinion that someone will definitely buy this truck because it is truly turnkey. I’m watching myself just to see what happens in about three days when the auction ends. GLWTS.
Nice truck. I don’t follow truck prices very closely, but I know many old trucks in good shape now bring big bucks. So it is interesting to read the comments, which have a theme of “overpriced.” Maybe it is, maybe not?
I’m guessing that most of you guys aren’t truck people. I’ve had about a dozen over the years ranging from 47 to my current 96, and all were short bed single cab models. My 96 has a declared value at Haggerty of $20K and I got a letter from them suggesting that I raise it to 27k. Of course, the premium would have increased some, but I left it at the original $20K. My point is, there are a lot of us who like trucks and don’t mind paying for a very nice original where there is no rust or filler like this one. Having a/c, automatic, and the big block engine is a big plus, and a very clean straight bed adds to the desirability. I’ll be watching to see what it sells for and won’t be surprised if it goes above the current bid. If this truck was a Ranger (full size, not the compact Ranger) with the Ranger trim it would be worth even more.
These bump side Fords are really starting to sell for big money. It will sell at 20k as clean as it is, just depends how high it goes if it sells.