I am beginning to wonder if a litmus test for how desirable your vehicle is to collectors is to put it up for sale with no information. If you still get a respectable amount of bids, it likely means you have a vehicle more than a few folks want to get their hands on. This 1982 Ford F-150 is a desirable configuration owing to its short wheelbase, stepside bed, and four-wheel-drive. The listing indicates that the seller is the original owner, which would certainly make this patina’d F-150 even more desirable. Find it here on eBay where bidding is approaching $9,000 with the reserve unmet.
The market for short-wheelbase trucks has remained steadily hot for the last several years. Both the Chevy C10 and F-150 have enjoyed the wave of nostalgia that has pushed these cars to the top of the heap among 1980s pickups, and combined with the fact that they are both tough as nails and entirely capable on road and off, either of these rigs is a truck for all seasons. The faded paint and lack of rust can only mean one thing: this is a desert truck, and sure enough, the F-150 resides in Texas. The wheels and tires look to be in excellent shape, and I’d be inclined to leave the paint in its naturally-aged state.
The interior is in way better nick than I’d expect looking at the outside. So, even with the lack of information in the listing, you can see why bidders may be willing to take a chance on it. After all, a picture is worth 1,000 words, and while a vehicle from Texas may lose all of its paint over time, that doesn’t mean the owner is absolved from caring enough to protect the interior. Seeing the period-correct cloth still on the bench seat and the deep blue carpeting suggests to me that the Ford has lived indoors for at least some of its life, and the weathered paint may just have occurred when the pickup was left outside at the owner’s place of employment.
Here’s the other factor likely driving desirability: it’s a 351 under the hood paired with a manual gearbox. That’s a great combination no matter the vehicle it’s found in, but you don’t often see it in an F-150 pickup truck. A 351, sure, but a manual? That’s quite a bit rarer. The condition looks consistent across the board, with weathered paint under the hood and the engine bay in a driver-quality state. The seller’s reserve hasn’t been met, and I wonder if it’s sitting around $10,000 for the take-it-home price. What do you think – is this F-150 desirable enough to sell with very little data behind it?
Jeff, if you want to use the proper model designation, it’s a “Flareside.”
Good pics, but zero info. For me that’s frustrating. Does look like a good truck, but please give us a verbal description.
I built a 1/25 of this back in the day. I even carefully masked it off to create this same medium blue/silver two-tone.
If I had it, I’d…. put a pad on the clutch pedal (never understood not having one), re-install a stock steering wheel, and…. paint it.
It`s a stepside, it has a step on the side doesn`t. In 1987 when the style changed and they done away with the step it became a flareside!
flareside!!!
Not a bad truck but he’s got $1000 worth of ArmorAll on those tires. And with scanty info I think this truck’s a hard sell.
When I was in High school, Al Long Ford in Warren Mi. had this exact same truck in it’s front row. I probably went by and looked at it 20 times. The only thing that was different was it had painted gray wheels and white letter tires. Not as aggressive as the one on the featured truck. I wish I had the funds to purchase that one.
Wow, I recently sold my 2003 regular cab flareside “sport 4×4” for 4000.00….starting to regret that lol.
I never been a “Step-Side” guy but I like the looks of this.
It’s a sharp body style with the Flareside short box. It was a nice color combo, and could be again- with new paint. My son has an ‘82 F100 short wide box. Last year before the little Ranger. F100 that year has light suspension and 5 on 4 1/2” lug pattern. Fortunately, his has the 300 six and a 4 speed manual, with 4th being overdrive. I had an ‘81 F150 with the 351M. 👎🏻 They are smog motors, and best used as anchors. M should stand for Marine, instead of Modified. I bought the truck with 53k on it, and had to do a complete engine rebuild-it was still a dog.
Best to swap out the M for just about anything else.
Like the 400M (largest squate motor produced)
this 1s better’n “ok”.
Best?: preceeding gen (’73/9) in F250, 4WD, same livery… my fav looking vehicle (yup, even over the mid 30s – very early 50s merican and same european – late 70s).
Different color (if owned) would B cherished. I like the ThriftPower motor here too. The “gasser that’s a diesel” (& would get the OEM efi on it too as soon as home).
Really nice truck, as is. The patina makes it look super cool and the tire and wheel choice fit it really well. Desert truck indeed….and a manual…sweet! I cashed in my 1986 F150 straight six manual (same paint as this one) 25 years ago for a new 1999 Ford F150 V6 manual, shortbox FLARESIDE (not “stepside”, although it has a side step, they called it Flareside when I bought it, the standard box was “STYLESIDE” or previous “fleetside”) Still have it, original clutch, great little reliable truck, great drive train (for me anyhow) and great styling. I’m getting it repainted soon.