The Ranchero has always carried a certain charm—half car, half truck, and entirely its own category. This 1970 Ford Ranchero, listed here on craigslist, leans into that appeal with a combination of originality, solid bones, and recent mechanical attention that should make it attractive to someone wanting a usable project. The seller is upfront about its condition, which is always refreshing, and the result is a listing that feels honest and workable for a hands-on buyer. Thanks for the tip, Tony Primo!
This Ranchero is powered by Ford’s 351 Cleveland and backed by an automatic transmission. The odometer reads 37,251 miles but has rolled over, so the true mileage is higher. The standout detail is that it still wears its original paint—something that always gives buyers a clearer sense of a vehicle’s life and condition, especially on a California car like this one.
The seller has recently invested in several meaningful upgrades and replacements, particularly in the cooling and brake systems. The truck now carries a new three-row Champion radiator, an inline radiator filter, a fresh thermostat, a six-blade fan, and a new fan clutch. On the braking side, there’s a new master cylinder, new calipers, wheel cylinders, and rubber brake hoses. Those are not the kinds of jobs you do unless you’re serious about getting a vintage vehicle back on the road safely, which speaks well of how this Ranchero has been treated.
Rust is present but described in clear, specific terms: an area on the floor behind the driver seat in the spare-tire well, a few pinholes elsewhere in the floor, and a spot in the back where the bed meets the cab that has been seam-sealed. For a 1970 California vehicle, that level of rust is reasonable—and far better than what buyers often face with Rancheros from harsher climates.
The seller notes the engine is currently running a bit rough and seems to have a miss, though compression is good across all cylinders. For many project-minded buyers, that’s actually the ideal scenario: a solid foundation with an issue that can likely be tracked down through ignition, fuel delivery, or vacuum checks.
With a clean title in the seller’s name and an asking price of $6,500 OBO, this Ranchero sits in that sweet spot where originality meets affordability. Whether someone wants to preserve it, lightly restore it, or build it into a more personalized weekend driver, it offers a lot of potential without being overwhelming.
Would you take on a mostly original Ranchero like this and sort it out yourself?
If you replaced the missing trim and wood grain siding, this would make all the difference. I love this Ranchero.
Great lines on this car Barzini 👍
Decent Ranchero here with all the brake work done al ready. Looks to be an A/C car with components missing.
Making that 2V Cleveland flow would be my choice over putting a 4barrel on it . Get that A/C going. This is a great project
Cabazon? Another good one for you guys on the left coast to snap up. Us fellas in the eastern part of the Midwest will sit and ponder.
nice starting point
Nice, personally I would get rid of the wood look otherwise just fix the rust and drive it
“Original paint” is not a big selling point when it has totally failed, as well as the “wood grain” components.
I am with Troy on this on. Git rid of the wooden crate its still wrapped in . It would cost a bloody fortune to replace. Repaint original red and put some chrome wheels on for contrast. Be an sharp unusual ride . If I was not on east coast I would snap this up . Ya get a 351C that is known to make good power if tweaked a little . 4bbl and cam & headers. This good buy
Located in Cabazon, CA for $6,500
I had a,’71 about 12 years ago. No rust California car. It was my solid daily driver. During Hot August Nights. A guy hunted me down and made me an offer I couldn’t turn down. But I should have. It made it through our wildfire with no damage. (I wish I could say the same for our property, barns and house.) About 3 weeks after the fire,I lowered the tailgate to find quite the collection of former embers. That was a close one as far as the car was conserned. .
A good project, especially if the missing front fender trim for the faux wood comes with the car. I’d be inclined to lose the fake wood myself, but keep the trim bits in case a future owner decides to restore the Di-Noc decals later. The 351C has a lot of potential, especially if you upgrade the intake to four-barrel status. The factory A/C is a nice bonus, with getting it running, for sure!
I like the styling on these better than the later 1972-79 examples, but these are uni-body cars, the later models got a full frame under them. I might also try to find a set of OEM bucket seats and a NOS console to go with them, but otherwise, a worthy starting point for a nice project! GLWTS!
Once upon a time i got a pos 73 Ranchero from a customer as a driver project. Nothing that some metal work, garage paint job didn’t hurt appearance wise. Under the hood was a 351c 4 barrel, In spite of a lousy engine rebuild it was very fast.