“Where comfort and capacity come full size”, says a Ford Ranchero brochure from 1979 showing these unique cars in all their glory. It truly does look like an LTD II with a pickup bed on the back, which I guess was the whole point. This 1979 Ford Ranchero 500 is listed here on eBay in Orange, California, there is no reserve, and the current bid price is $565.

I’m such a weirdo that I really like the seventh-generation Ford Rancheros, which were based on the sleek-for-the-time Ford LTD II. They were made for model years 1977, 1978, and 1979 and then the Ranchero name would be retired. It sure seemed like a good concept to me. There are a few car-like pickups now that have a pickup bed on the back, but they’re typically four-door trucks – big shocker. People hate four-door cars but can’t live without four-door trucks.

Of course, there was the Ford Fairmont-based Durango that was made from ’79 to ’82, but it wasn’t solely a Ford-designed-and-built vehicle. Still, it was interesting and I’ve always wondered what a newer Ford Ranchero might have been based on, any thoughts? There were three Ranchero models, the high-end zoot suit Ranchero Squire with woodgrain sides, the sporty Ranchero GT, or the base Ranchero 500 as seen here. This one has the optional “bright hub caps and trim rings, and also raised white letter tires. Deluxe wheel covers, wire wheel covers, and Magnum 500 chrome wheels would have also been optional.

The interior photos are pretty contrasty so it’s hard to tell what’s going on there, but there are some issues. The dash is cracked and there’s an aftermarket steering wheel, not that it’s a bad thing to have an aftermarket steering wheel. The seat looks good and it would have been the optional seat in red vinyl, although the seller lists the seat as tan leather. Is it tan leather or faded red vinyl? A cloth and vinyl seat was standard in the Ranchero 500. The haulin’ part, behind that seat, looks good. There are some interior detail issues that need to be sorted out, though.

The dark engine compartment houses the optional 351-cu.in. OHV V8, which would have had 144 horsepower. This Ranchero isn’t in running condition, according to the seller, which is a company selling donated vehicles to fund their programs. Hagerty is at $3,000 for a running, driving #4 fair condition Ranchero and $16,100 for a #2 excellent condition example, just for a general ballpark value. How much would you pay for this Ranchero 500?