Rare Highboy (1-of-9): 1974 Ford F-250 4×4

Collectors often say that any car or truck is a one-of-one if you break down its options far enough, but there’s a reason for that; back when our favorite cars and trucks were being built, a buyer could choose from dozens and dozens of options. Hence, you have trucks like this one-of-nine 1974 Ford F-250 4×4, which is uncommon because of its lurid two-tone Village Green on Wimbledon White paint, which is apparently 90 percent original. This neat, solid Ford is for sale here on eBay in Phenix City, Alabama, where the $7,600 high bid has not yet met the reserve.

As the owner of two Fords that are too old for a Marti Report, I’m envious of those who can spend a little over $50 to find out almost everything there is to know about their prized possession. The owner of this truck has posted their report for us to see, and aside from the paint, it’s basically a run-of-the-mill F-250 4×4, if there is such a thing. Originally built in San Jose, California, and sold in Enterprise, Oregon, the truck made a stop in Idaho before finding its way to its current owner two years ago. Notice that the truck originally came without exterior mirrors, but somebody in the last 52 years decided that it would be a good idea to add them.

The engine is one you’ll find under the hoods of thousands and thousands of 1970s Ford trucks, the 360 FE V8. With its original two-barrel carburetor and an 8.4:1 compression ratio, the 360 originally made 148 net horsepower and 264 lb-ft of net torque (it was the ’70s, after all). Somebody has dressed this one up a little bit with some chrome accoutrements in addition to an aluminum intake manifold and what appears to be a Holley four-barrel carburetor, so you’ll have a little extra get-up-and-go. The seller says that it’s been “fully tuned up and runs great.” Thankfully for those who don’t want their classic truck to take the place of their gym membership, the F-250 has power steering and power brakes. There’s a long list of recent maintenance, including a new brake booster and master cylinder, axle bearings and seals, universal joints, pressure plate, throwout bearing, transmission mounts, and power steering hoses.

The truck has the basic “Custom” interior, which would have originally come with a rubber mat and a green vinyl bench seat, but along the way, a green carpet and black upholstery were installed. You can see from the third pedal (and the Marti Report) that this is a four-speed truck, the transmission being an NP435. You may have also noticed that the brake pedal looks as if it belongs in an automatic-equipped truck; after examining several other pictures of four-speed 1974 Fords, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s correct. The seller says that the speedometer, lights, heater, and blinkers work as they should, but the gauges and radio do not (they suspect an issue with the printed circuit but haven’t gotten around to diagnosing it). Summit Racing sells them for under $75 at the time of this writing.

Being a Northwestern truck, it’s no surprise that the undercarriage, mounts, and cab corners all look solid; in fact, the seller says that “there are no penetrating rust holes” on the truck at all.

The bed and tailgate have been repainted in their original Village Green, but the rest of the paint is apparently mostly original.

There are some dings and dents, and I think that the tailgate is from an earlier truck, but these are minor matters for what appears to be a very nice, solid original Ford with a color that is far more vivid than most you’ll see. I love it, and if I were ordering an F-250 in 1974, it might have looked a lot like this one.