This 1977 Ford F-250 4×4 Highboy is one tough looking pickup, but it has been laid low by some electrical gremlins. Once it has been returned to good health, this would be a great vehicle for anyone who wants to get away from it all for a spot of fishing, hunting, or camping. It could also be a strong candidate for anyone seeking a solid tow vehicle. The F-250 has some very minor rust that could be addressed as time and circumstances allow, but this isn’t of an urgent nature. It is located in Moreno Valley, California, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding on the Ford has reached $4,050 in what is a No Reserve auction.
There is no doubt that when finished in Black, the F-250 is a tough-looking truck. This has been ramped up a notch with this one thanks to the addition of a set of aftermarket wheels. Those wheels wear a set of BF Goodrich tires, and those have plenty of life left in them. The body sports a number of marks and dings that indicate that this is a vehicle that has been driven and enjoyed, and the paint is faded and really showing its age. Rust doesn’t seem to be a huge problem, with a few small holes in the bed floor as the only obvious issue. These holes could quite easily be patched, but this isn’t something that would require immediate attention. All of the trim and chrome appears to be present, and while the majority of it appears to be in good condition, there are a couple of pieces that are damaged. Most of the glass appears to be in good condition, although the windshield will need to be replaced at some point due to it being cracked.
Now we come to the crux of just why this F-250 has been stored away indoors for the past few years. What we find under the hood is the 156hp version of the 351ci V8. This is backed by a 4-speed manual transmission, while the vehicle should be able to get its next owner into some pretty rugged places with its dual-range 4×4 attributes. It appears that the Ford is in mechanically sound condition, but the same can’t be said for its electrical system. The owner started having some problems with the ignition system, but this has now deteriorated to the point where it will only kick into life if it is hot-wired. Even then, the engine only runs for a short time before it cuts out once again. The owner believes that part of the problem might be located in the ignition module, but he also feels that there might also be some wiring problems that are exacerbating the issue. I can see a trip to an auto electrician in the near future for this Highboy, but once it has had its gremlins eliminated, then it sounds like it should be good to go once again.
The interior trim of the F-250 would definitely come under the heading of “acquired taste.” I don’t know how you feel, but it is a taste that I’m not in any hurry to acquire myself. I’m sure that the shag carpet on the door trims and the dash must have seemed like a good idea at the time, but it certainly doesn’t now. I’m also trying to decide whether it would be possible to fit any more speakers into the doors, and I do have my doubts on that point. The cover on the seat isn’t original, but it does look like it would respond well to a bit of work with some cleaning products. The center of the wheel is missing, while there is a substantial hole in the dash where there has obviously been a stereo at some point. It isn’t pretty, but if you could get rid of that carpet, you would be halfway towards having a decent looking interior. Beyond that, cleaning the seat, filling that hole in the dash with something, and replacing the wheel or its center would definitely return the interior to a presentable state.
The listing for this F-250 Highboy has attracted a certain amount of interest, and while bidding hasn’t been staggering, it has been relatively strong. This has the potential to be a great vehicle once it has been returned to a roadworthy state. What I will say is that if the bidding stays around its current level, it does have the potential to be a pretty reasonable buy. Prospective buyers just need to remember that buying this will mean venturing into the unknown with the electrical system, so that will always need to be a consideration. Would you be willing to take that gamble?
Does it come with Texas license plates in the rear window that say Bud and Sissy?
After looking at the missing glove box, I wonder if this has been underwater. This would be a great truck and I am interested.
These early units with a pointless distributor had a problem with the pick-up coil inside the distributor. One warm, the coil would open and then no spark. Also, the ignition ballast resistor was built into the wiring loom. When the starter was energized, the resistor was bypassed. I’d start by seeing if there was voltage to the ignition control box in the “run” position. These early control boxes had a lot of problems, too. One more place to check is the ignition switch. It should be fairly easy to locate the problem.
Oh, Jon I seen what you did there, these trucks were all the rage back in the mid to late 70s. Everyone in my truck club wanted a f250 Ford because it came lifted from the factory and there weren’t really that many lift kit company out there yet. I wish I had the time and a little money to spare I would buy this truck just for the memories.
Mine isn’t road-legal but used for what it’s meant for,yard work and plowing.These trucks and chassis work great with dump beds.Try not to think about the gas usage.
Man oh man!….if I had this truck, I’d make a tribute of the Foxx Hunt truck in Smokey and the Bandit movie.
The first new vehicle I ever bought was an F250 in the dark Jade with matching interior. It was not the high boy. It was equipped with the 351M and the granny gear 4sp. I used it for work, and to haul an 11ft. truck camper. I did have some problems wit the ignition, it quit running during a trip to Canada, but the Ford up there got that worked out under warranty. after that I put over 200k trouble free miles on it before retiring it in 1986. Great truck.