In addition to simply being a beautiful survivor, the seller points out that this 1979 Ford F-250 Ranger XLT is a rare specimen, one of just 35 ever built in this configuration. It boils down to the options and packages the first owner chose, and I’m always curious just how much of a difference that makes for bidders versus simply knowing they’re bidding on a nicely preserved specimen. This truck is certainly that, as the paint looks to be in incredible shape along with all chrome and the wheels and tires. Find it here on eBay where bidding is approaching $14,000 with no reserve.
Trucks like these remind us that the country’s affixation with trucks that do it all is nothing new. The generous options like on this example shows us that dealers were trying to get truck buyers to select every available heavy duty option the factory offered, and likely not having to work too hard to sell some extras. This Ford is equipped with a variety of upgraded equipment, including the factory tow package; power disc brakes; bed-side storage compartments; four wheel drive with locking hubs; and much more. Original mileage is listed as 74,000.
Inside, it’s surprisingly upscale for a 1970s truck. The interior features the spoils of the Ranger XLT package, with fake wood trim, thick carpeting, nicely preserved cloth bench seat, crack-free dash, and more. Comfort features include air conditioning, cruise control, tilt steering, and more. Best of all, despite 80,000 miles on the clock, the truck’s interior speaks to the care and attention of the previous owners. The interior may pale in comparison to true luxury vehicles, but in this timeframe, having your truck be a place of opulence simply wasn’t heard of. The XLT did its best to class up the insides without going over the top.
The engine is the venerable 400 V8 that the seller confirms is numbers matching. It is paired to an automatic transmission and the seller doesn’t report any issues with the drivetrain. The included Marti report further confirms this loaded truck is equipped with “….X26, S code truck. 4500 factory front end.” Also worth nothing is that there’s no rust on the Ford, and the paint appears to be original. This F250 isn’t the typical holy grail example of a short bed and rear wheel drive, but what you do get seems worthy of the asking price considering how well this old-school Ford pickup still presents.
Needs a gun rack to be a real truck.
Beautiful truck!
One clarification-engines in these trucks were not “numbers matching”.
Wrong. Ford has put VIN numbers on all of it’s motors since July of 1967…
“With the begining of the 1968 model year (July of 1967) Ford began stamping partial VIN information on production engine blocks to meet the requirements of Title 49, United States Code, Subtitle VI, Part C, Chapter 331. In theory all cars built after this date will have a partial VIN stamped on the major components (engine and trans).”
I don’t know where you pulled that quote from, but it’s not correct. K-code Mustangs had VIN-matching engines but that’s about it. Ford engines have engineering numbers on them and date codes so you can get an engine that matches the timeframe of the vehicle’s build date but they don’t have matching VINs.
And they also had “numbers-matching” on Boss 302s.
Sure buddy, what year were “K-code Mustangs” available? 1965-1967! Yeah, that’s what I thought. Read the quote again, it says 1968 MODEL YEAR AND LATER.
Stop professing to know it all when you don’t.
Don – I never professed to know it all and I never will – because I won’t. I’m always learning. I did more research online last evening and some folks do claim that Ford put some partial VINs on some engines after 1968 but the vast majority of people claim exactly what I did. Have a nice day.
Not hard to figure out, no stopping assist, no backing up cameras, satellite radio, no turbos, very limited computer (EEC), no 10 speed trans, just a beautiful truck that won’t give me a mortgage like payment. And it will be the ONLY one on the block. there is no down side buying this truck besides gas consumption. Drive it till it needs another motor, and that’s a long way off. Trucks were still trucks, what a nice example. And if you have any mechanical skills, you can do it yourself.
I think Ford called their electronic ignition “Duraspark”, IIRC. I always carried a spare…after the original died. Luckily, they sold them in blister packs at stores like Hills and Rinks. Not hard to change but they fail with the only warning being power loss and a misfiring engine.
My 02 did the same thing as coil packs died. It was like Russian Roulette every few thousand miles since I didn’t want to spend the $1k to do them all.( one reason I now have a Tundra).
Nice truck, would love to have it but I couldn’t do it to it, drive it in New England winters and subject it to the salt and brine. My 2008 F150 has rot over the rear wheel arches approaching the fuel filler. Terrible what happens to cars here.
As far as I’m concerned, pickups should not have evolved past these. They were the culmination of 75 years of truck progress. Simple, dependable, TRUCKS,,,not cars with a pickup box. When trucks were meant to do truck stuff, not bags of dog food at Walmart. How we ever lost our way I’ll never know, but one thing for sure, since cars are done, I wonder what the “next big thing” in peoples choice of rides will be? With trucks outnumbering regular cars, probably like 5 to 1, I think the ultimate cushy pickup of today will be the last form of transportation for the masses until space cars. Very nice truck, a prized possession today, but years ago, it was “just a pickup truck”.
HoA: When ‘Men” were MEN! Well a little earlier.
If I see one more of my age cohorts driving a modern jacked up 60 K computerized seat warmer with a handicapped placard ……….I’ll….I’ll………..
Too bad about the slushbox..Other than that…compared to a 60 K modern truck…….why wouldnt you buy this!
Once people started buying them as they added more options, the car Co’s raised the prices through the roof. They all make the most money from them at $50-$60k each which is a joke…I had to buy mine used at 3 years old with 70k on it. But I traded my F-250 on a Tundra. I can’t afford anoth F-250 even though I’d like one for towing a camper.
Seller even has this truck’s kid brother for sale. An ’83 regular cab long bed equipped with 300 6 cylinder & 4 speed standard in similar colors.
Those wheel & tires look aftermarket style & size. Huge! Is it just the perspective of the photos?
Add even a flip-up(manual) moonroof, and that truck has almost a 21st century level of posh!
“X26, S code truck.
4500 factory front end”
Wow, just WOW !
…….plus being one of 35 it sounds so rare and unique, even more WOWOW !
must make it worth at least 100k !
Item location:
Caldwell, Idaho