It’s amazing how much of an impact good colors can have on a vintage car or truck. You may not love the yellow-on-white look, but to me, this 1976 Ford F150 XLT has tremendous curb appeal just based on the colors alone. The body appears to be in excellent condition with the bed accented by a matching topper. The truck sports original matching hubcaps, chrome trim in nice shape, and under 70,000 original miles. Find it here on eBay with bidding up to $8,500 and offered at no reserve, and located in a very nice looking shop in Albany, Ohio.
The truck sports a long bed with seemingly dent-free panels going down the long, slab sides. The two-tone paint is a great look, but the seller doesn’t mention whether it’s original to the truck. One would hope so, given how everything about this F150 looks incredibly well-preserved. While some folks consider bed toppers a take-it-or-leave-it affair, they at least do a bang-up job of keeping painted beds looking fresh. No photos of the bed are included, so we can’t say for sure whether this one has survived with minimal paint scrapes. Bumpers, front and rear, appear to be in excellent condition.
The same goes for the interior, which looks like it has seen very little use despite not showing time-capsule mileage. The bench seat may have carried two passengers for all these years, but you sure don’t see evidence of it. It seems more likely that the paint is original given how nicely it matches with the paint on the doors and dashboard. No word on whether the truck is equipped with A/C or if it still works, but I’d certainly believe it still functions based on the completeness of the cabin and no evidence of unsightly modifications.
Answering the A/C question could be solved if you spot a compressor in the engine bay – anyone see one? Regardless, the engine would likely pop with a good detailing, as that’s likely just dust on the painted air cleaner, which retains vibrant blue paint. The 390 V8 looks like it’s never left that engine bay, but no word as to whether it’s the matching numbers unit. Overall, this F150 presents better than most new trucks, which is a testament to years of careful owners who clearly intended to drive this truck for the long-haul. I wouldn’t be surprised to see bidding clear $10K.
Very nice truck. The 1973-79 Ford pickups are quite popular. I’m with you Jeff, period-correct colors can make a vehicle. And this one would sure stand out in our sea of black/ gray/ silver/ white non-colors. Highly optioned. Lots of bids so far.
The 1976 I drove back in 1976 brings back good memories. It was assigned to me for the summer as part of my summer oil field job. It was a stripper short wheelbase Flareside, 302 3-speed. But it was almost new, and thus not beat to a pulp like most oil field trucks. I took good care of it for the summer, knowing I would be passing it off at the end my stint.
Sure wish the seller would have offered more pics and more verbiage.
I had a ‘75 4×4. It was orange and white, almost the same as this one; mine was orange on top and bottom with white in the center. Mine had the factory cap on the bed. I weather-stripped the tailgate and the back was dust-free. This one has factory A-C. It made that FE engine a bit difficult to service the RH side. I remember trucks coming into the shop with three original plugs on that side. Kind of like the FEs in the late 60s Torinos and Mustangs. Nice truck overall. If it was a 4×4 it would really remind me of one I should have kept…
Geomechs, I think you’ve said before that the guy you sold your 75 4×4 to still has it to this day? Pay him a visit, bring along a 6 pack and some cash and perhaps he’d sell it back to you?
Hi Pete. You’ve got a good memory. Yeah, I ran into the guy when the wife and I were returning from seeing the grandkids (in WI) a year or so ago. He was telling me all the stuff he did to it during the 40 intervening years which wasn’t all that much. I guess the major thing was to repair the rear wheel openings, which had rusted through (typical). He had to redo the engine shortly after the first rebuild because it was pushing oil into the cooling system. He had to install a plumbing kit into the block to seal off the lube passages were they come up to the heads. I approached him about selling it then but he told me that he had a grandkid who was eyeballing it. It’s actually a great thing to see it still in active service. And yes, I’ve got bruises in my six from kicking myself back there…
Perfect truck. Great colors, long bed, cap looks good, 390, auto. Perfect.
AC compressor is on the driver’s side of your engine photo. Ranger XLT was the top of the line trim package. Last year for the 390, next year you could get the 300 six, 302, 351M, and 400 in the 100/150 series. 4x4s were limited to the 300, 351, and 400 motors in the 150/250 series.
Sometimes I miss my ol’ 77 F150 4×4.
Kind of hard to miss that big pulley on the front of Ford’s AC compressor! But look at that heater box – it must be murder to get at the plugs on the back of that side of the engine.
Love it. Why can’t they make trucks anymore with COLOR. Nowadays it’s all dull drab colors and usually back or almost black interior.
I noticed it has the huge 4 core radiator, which usually meant it was ordered with a towing package or heavy duty cooling. Btw the big radiator came standard when outfitted with the 460. Engine options for this year truck also included the 460 even on a half ton. Nice piece and I’m definitely tempted.
Great truck, looks sweet, but it will pass everything but a gas station, expect 10 mpg. By the same token, it ain’t 60 grand either. Good luck to the new owner!
Cheers
GPC
“Overall, this F150 presents better than most new trucks”
Might be a stretch……..
Great looking truck, would love to see a Marti report on it. Color appears to be 1976-only Yellow Orange (aka Mecca Gold), color code Y. Back in the day, my cousin ordered a brand new F250 4×4 in the similar Parrot Orange color and it was gorgeous. I’d love to find that truck and restore it, many great memories. These trucks were well-built, and many are still in use today out here in Marlboro Country.
Its ORANGE and white, not yellow, my friend had that exact truck only with a black interior. It was a beautiful NC vehicle, until NY got it and they drove it through winters, not only does NY poison cars, the salt material poisons the people!
don’t remember the heater core lookin like that (the gm/chevy, I do) but there it is.
Nice worker.
My fav looking vehicle – the ’73/9 F250 4WD stepside (& ’78/9 bronk) so “this fits right in there’.
Thanks for the find, Jeff~
I wish it was in the cards for me buy this one. I’d definitely put more miles on it but would give it the love and care it seems to have had all along. I could easily see owning it the rest of my life and at that point if neither of my kids wanted it, it would probably end up on Barn Finds again at some point.
Sold for $10,300!