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 With its original two-barrel carburetor and an 8.4:1 compression ratio, the 360 originally made 148 net horsepower and 264 lb-ft of net torque (it was the ’70s, after all).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.
I loved that quarter-glass opening in the Ford Trucks.
Good job Aaron. Looks like a solid Ford. Equipped when new to be a straightforward work truck. Somehow, it survived; not perfect, but very good. The wheels and tires give it a more up-to-date look. Unusual color, but I like it.
Oh boy! This is nice. And a truck from when trucks were tough, rugged looking vehicles. I wonder what the reserve is.
I drive a 69 F-250 flareside camper special that’s chrome yellow with the 390 and the 4 speed and posi trac rear end. I’d bet it’s a rare combination as well!
Agreed, most camper specials were automatics, at least the later ones were. 390 and a 4 speed is a sweet combo.
We know those rims are not stock and so for the BF Goodrich all-terrain’s, which make that truck a smooth rider and quiet it’s a beautiful truck wish I had it , worth every penny and it will never do the work it used to do
Love the color, and nice stance with the wheels and tires.
Those Ford High-Boys didn’t change much at all throughout the 60s and almost through the 70s. It seems to me that ’77 was the year that Ford dropped them down a couple of inches.
Worked on lots of them over the years. Dana axles, NP 435 transmissions, divorced 205 transfer cases; if you looked underneath them from ’64 to ’76, they all looked the same.
We had a ’67 3/4 ton, and later, replaced it with a ’71. The only major difference between the 2 was the rear axle ratio. The ’67 ran 4.56 while the ’71 was 4.10.
Put about 80K miles on them and traded them off. Interesting enough, BOTH of them are still in service in the old home town.
I think Ford started using that wide brake pedal in ’73. I had a ’73 F-100 2WD, then a ’75 4×4, and they both had the wide pedal.
That FE engine was a good worker but nothing great about power. I came across an article in one of Petersen’s Complete Books (I can’t remeber if it was 4×4 or Pickups) that talked about adding some economical performance to that boat anchor (my ’75, built in San Jose, just like this one), came with all the CARB equipment. We still had the ’71 when the article came out so I took it to work and followed the article.
The suggestions really worked! Holley 500 2bbl, recurved ignition and dual exhausts. I didn’t bother trying to find the recommended CJ exhaust manifolds. I had to change out the camshaft in my ’75 to a Crower Torquemaster because the CARB spec even dictated anemic valve operation on it. Anyways, word spread around and in no time, I was tuning Fords, and even long after we took on the GM franchise.
I wouldn’t turn this truck down if it showed up at my place. It was one of my all-time favorites…
Love this truck. Cool colors and looks pretty clean!
8 mpg all day long but I still love them
Originally counts for something as you still have the holes in the doors where the factory mirrors once were. Wouldn’t Ford have two toned the tailgate like others did. Plus it’s got the fancy applique rather than the painted F-O-R-D letters. The colors are great and I like that long crooked lever coming out of the floor.
This “rare color” stuff leaves me cold, especially when it’s as garish as this. To each one’s own…
This truck is worth at least 24,000
It seems like every dentside or bumpside 70’s ford 4×4 truck is coming out of Youdahoe now. A buddy of mine flew into Boise .. rented a car and drove to another town where he bought a 1978 F250 4×4 single cab longbed and drove it back home to Texas. I can’t remember the dealer but next time one pops up on this site.. check it out.