Turn-Key Truck: 1973 Ford F-100 Short Bed

For one second, I thought someone was selling my hay-hauler. But mine is a Bold Orange ’74 F-250 Explorer with a real bed, and this one’s a Chrome Yellow ’73 F-100 short bed, found here on craigslist by Jack M. This seller wants $12,900, and the truck is located in Lakeside, Arizona. The handsome ‘Dentside’ was introduced in 1973 – the sixth generation in a long run of Ford’s F-series. These trucks were incubated just as a fuel crisis hit, made worse for the manufacturers by emissions regulations. But whereas Ford and Chevy had traded places in the sales derby for decades, the Dentside put the Ford on top – forever.

The F-100 was the half-ton sibling, lasting just two years into the sixth generation; in 1975, given a stouter chassis, the half-ton graduated to F-150 nomenclature. This example is equipped with a 302 cu. in. V8 and a four-speed manual. By 1973, horsepower ratings had switched to net; the 302’s output rang in at 140, down from about 210 on a gross measurement a few years before. The listing shows an odometer reading of over 182,000 miles, but the seller notes that the truck runs very well and does not smoke. The tires are new-ish BF Goodrich radials, and the seller has the stock wheels in case the new owner wants ’em.

The truck was sold new in Arizona so while rot isn’t an issue, it does have pinpoints of rust over most of its flat surfaces. Other than the sullied paint, it’s in good cosmetic condition, with no serious dents or scratches. I don’t care for the wheel arch trim or the diamond-plate on the bed rim, but each to his own!

The cab is in very nice condition despite high mileage and the heat of Arizona summers. Interior handles, the door seals, the seat belts and their plastic housings, even the sill plate – all present and only mildly patina’d. The owner cares about his truck – that much is obvious.

Those of us who love these trucks are lucky when it comes to parts – more than 5 million of this series were made, so both used parts and reproductions are available from dozens of vendors. The market value of a good sixth-gen F-series has increased steadily over the years. I paid only about $1500 for mine several years ago; it would probably cost me ten times that today. Decent F-100s sell right around the asking price of today’s example, and nice versions will bring more than $20k. What do you think – is this truck appealing enough to pay the seller’s price?