Just a few days ago, I shared with you a Mexican-market SUV that few of us have ever laid eyes on, a Dodge D100 Carryall that supposedly was built in celebration of a Mexican wedding. Little information was available, other than a solitary eBay listing from a few years prior confirming at least one other example was built. The Ford B100 shares some of the same traits, in that it was built in limited quantities in a somewhat random fashion by Ford affiliates in South America. This example has the proportions of a Suburban with a third door on the passenger, or curb-facing, side for safer entry and exit. It has 302 and a manual and is listed here on craigslist for $12,000 near Modesto, CA. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Ian C. for the find.
From what I’ve been able to piece together, these were not so much as an official vehicle produced in droves by Ford, but more a model approved by Ford for aftermarket companies to make using Ford chassis and drivetrains. Whether I’ve got that 100% correct is up for debate, but regardless, the final product is actually pretty decent looking. Between this and the Dodge, it’s interesting to me that we always assume the Suburban controlled this market in its entirety, but in reality, if these early SUVs had come stateside, they would have given the General a run for its money. The Ford B100 seen here looks awkward on modern “tuner” wheels and would look much better with some steelies and hubcaps.
Like the Dodge, three rows of seating was standard, and the middle row bumped in slightly to allow for easier entry to the middle and rear seats. The upholstery pattern may not be original, but it at least looks period correct and is in excellent condition. Door panels seem to match, so it was a comprehensive upholstery job at one time. The seller doesn’t report any major issues with the truck, and presumably its location would make rust a non-issue. The 302 isn’t some gray-market engine that’s impossible to find parts for, and despite the obscurity factor being through the roof, finding parts for this oddball Ford SUV shouldn’t prove too challenging.
It’s a challenge to determine if the asking price is fair for such an unusual vehicle. While you’ll not likely find another one any time soon, the quality of the construction would be high on my mind if I knew an aftermarket vendor was responsible for the work. It’s not to say they wouldn’t do a good job, but some of the details may be slightly off and need find-tuning. We did feature one of these unusual trucks two years ago, and that seller was asking $20K – so compared to that one, this B100 seems like a bargain. The seller notes he has all of the original paperwork and that it is smog-exempt if you plan to re-register it in California. Would you restore it or leave it as-is?
Restore and replace those wheels with Torque Thrusts! :-)
I’m no math wizard, but I count 5 doors…and Moparman is right…
The majority of these trucks in Mexico were strip models. I am surprised to see a V8 under the hood.
The VIN on this truck is AC2JPR52828 so you can see the Mexican vehicles don’t follow the American VIN system.
The only thing this truck has going for it is the V8. It is pretty beat up for the $12,000 dollar ask.
I can find much better ones for less money.
Did anybody notice the small earlier tail lights this truck has? The Mexican trucks didn’t switch to the larger 1975 Ford lights for a few years after the US.
I don’t know how a family survived in this vehicle with it having no comfort options at all.
By the way, this truck was called a Carry All officially.
I have to wonder why Ford never built a Suburban competitor in the US.
Aside from the Excursion and the longer Expeditions, that is.
This was well before their time.
This truck still has plates from Jalisco, so whoever buys it might be responsible for import taxes.
The seller says he has all the paperwork and I would be curious to see what that paperwork is.
I do know it will confuse whatever California DMV employee that receives it.
Once I wanted to order a certain kind of plate and the employee didn’t even know that plate existed. I had to show her how to do her job, so good luck with this one.
It really irritates me that sellers (flippers?) won’t register vehicles in their own state before selling them.That also goes
for the tax-dodging people who register their expensive vehicles
in Montana.
When I lived in California,I’d see lots of vehicles registered
in Oregon,which has much lower DMV fees.I always paid whatever
I owed,& didn’t have to worry about getting caught.
The Mexican registration and non-standard US vin could be a big problem at the DMV, at least in California.
Gotta love the interior, that job was definitely done in Mexico. Paint jobs and interiors, from cheap to inspired, and everything in between, come from Mexico, if you want anything out of the ordinary.
Ran into that when I tried to buy insurance for a 1973 Kawasaki Z-1 in the mid-80s. “Not enough characters in the VIN”, said the agent. I had to ride it to the office so that they could verify that the frame and engine numbers matched. Modern VINs have 17 characters? That one looks like the VIN on my 1977 F-150, F14HCY67867
Interesting vehicle. I,d have to can the wheels,mirros and brush guard. Leave the guard off,put 60,s style car mirros and regular wheels with hub caps or turbo wheels and cut the gear shift down about a foot. The tail lights look more like the ealy 70,s International. Looks like it might need some body work on it too.
The tail lights are the 1974 Ford pick up lenses.
It really irritates me that sellers (flippers?) won’t register vehicles in their own state before selling them.That also goes
for the tax-dodging people who register their expensive vehicles
in Montana.
When I lived in California,I’d see lots of vehicles registered
in Oregon,which has much lower DMV fees.I always paid whatever
I owed,& didn’t have to worry about getting caught.
12K is a lot of coin, especially in our current situation. Just because something is “rare”, doesn’t mean that it is going to bring all the money, if all the money is what is being asked. I am no expert on the B100. Additionally. presentation IMHO, is everything. A little elbow grease, a few bucks, and changing out the wheels, which are not suitable in this instance, would have gone a long way. That said, I like this rig. It is very versatile, has a great drivetrain, is in relatively good shape, and would get the right people chatting about it everywhere you went. Drop the price, clean it up, and get the paperwork in order.
I don’t see why the truck hasn’t been impounded yet for running Mexican plates on the truck in California.
Sorry for the multiple posts – please delete the duplicates.
There were some Chevy truck like this one in Mexico.
Here is the rear.
I can hear the trumpets of a Mariachi band playing…
My eyes! My eyes!
The Chevy is actually more oddball looking to me than the Ford by what I’ve grown up with here in America. I kind of like the Ford. Good to see you posting comments Miguel, I had been starting to wonder if you are alright.
Thank you David, I am fine.I am just dealing with a lot of stuff from every direction.
@angliagt, while I agree wholeheartedly with your registration comment on flippers I respecrfully disagree on registrations in Montana (which I don’t do because SC has sanity at least ehen it comes to classic cars).
Car taxes were originally intended to support highway infrastructure. What difference is there on state infrastructure between let’s say a $200K car and a $30K car? And if it is property tax, show me a $200K car that has 4 people living it it and hooked up to the utility system. Why should states reap a windfall off of more expensive vehicles? They should be happy with the higher sales tax and the ongoing revenues to the economy for maintenance and repairs ( for which they also already get proportionally more sales tax as well).
Like they say, it’s a free country ( for now) and some states get it while some don’t. That’s also why some states are growing while other states are irrationally taxing themselves to death.
…how do I really feel about this? :-)
I know Americans do not like to pay taxes , yet taxes are needed to provide you with roads, education , all the things people demand. In my country that would include health care, and boy during this crisis where do you think the money should come from.
No body in my country will ever have to sell their classic car, or their house because of a pregnant woman or a broken leg.
Once again, Mexico is in North America!
Anyone see the heater hoses?
Or heater/defroster controls, for that matter?
Probably controlled via an app.
Oh wait, no heater core.
A lot of these older vehicles were sold with no heaters. It is a pain trying to drive on in cold weather.
No Blower Motor either. Doesn’t look like there ever was one.
Love to have it but 12K is way to much for the shape it’s in.
In Wisconsin DMV fees are getting outrageous. Title transfers just jumped $100, and annual registrations keep increasing, meanwhile the crappy roads keep getting worse. A vehicle is the only tangible possession that you and subsequent owners continue to pay sales tax on. You buy and sell a TV tax gets paid once. A car could change hands 10 times, and every time the state nicks the new owner for sales tax.
does this thing have a 2 speed rear end ?
Planet Earth would run out of ball point pens before this thin ever made my list.
neat to see the E & F mash up (van above – all around, but the lill tailgait section on lower back). Used by many ranchers for ag wrker transport, jusy like the van but maintenence & trouble shootin better w/a real hood.