I am pleased to offer this highly original 1973 Ford F250 Styleside pickup with camper special option and XLT Ranger package.  This is an honest, unmolested, un-messed with truck.  These original vintage trucks are hard to find today.  VIN # is F25HRR30724.

This pickup features a very retro, original paint scheme of durango tan with sequoia brown metallic exterior with ginger knit vinyl interior. 

This particular F-250 was purchased by the owner from a friend in California who bought it brand new in 1973. The camper box is long since gone, but the accessories that held it down are present and in functional condition (if you can find an original camper box).  Mileage on the chassis is approx. 116k and mileage on the motor is approx. 80k. 

There have been several modifications performed to this truck in the period by its original owner, and had a lot to do with the reason that the current owner purchased the truck. He has owned this truck for many years and have had a lot of fun with it, using it in nice weather as a daily driver, going to car and truck shows, and even the occasional drive-in movie with the kids (when there was still a drive-in theatre open in our area).   

The original owner, who was an engineer by trade and a race car builder/tuner by profession in the early part of his career, purchased the truck new in 1973 and drove it completely stock (with the stock Ford 390 CI engine installed) until he got tired of “going too slow”.  In early 1975, he bought what amounted to a Ford crate 428 Cobra Jet motor from the local Ford dealer’s catalog, along with the proper wheels and tires to handle the extra added horsepower and torque and keep the truck going in a straight line, and installed it in the F-250.  

To put everything in perspective, the rear wheels are 12 inches wide, and are needed in order to keep the truck driving in a straight line under hard acceleration.  According to the owner: “It is the coolest pick-up truck I have ever driven”.   

He has  owned this truck for quite a while, and has his service records, as well as extensive service records from the first owner, including a copy of the California title. These can be provided upon request. 

Everything on this truck is original, including the paint. All of the other finishes are original and intact, including the chrome and aluminum trim.

The condition of the truck is exactly what it looks like in the photos. Owner has all of the service records through the years, authenticating the mileage. The original window sticker is included with the sale, as well as all of the other advertisements and promotional materials the original owner collected when he purchased the truck back in 1973. Also included is the Deluxe Marti Report for the F-250 as well.

The overall condition of this truck is very nicely preserved with some sympathetic restoration to the interior, and all very well presented. The truck shows very few signs of age or abuse and has a little over 116,890 miles on the odometer, with approximately 90,000 of those being with the 428 Cobra Jet the first owner installed in place of the stock 390.

 

This truck retains every desirable and useful option available on an F-250 at the time.

 

BODY:

 

The F-250 has never been painted and is in very nice condition. All of the body panels are ripple, dent, and rust free and don’t appear to have ever had any sort of body or accident damage. 

 

The glass and seals are in excellent condition and there are no leaks evident. The windshield also appears to be original and in very nice condition.

 

The body trim, including the stainless steel, chrome, and rubber, are in excellent condition. Everything needing attention and detail was attended to.   

 

INTERIOR:

 

The interior was the subject of some replacement and some preservation, and is trimmed in the original type basketweave vinyl on the bench seating areas, new door panels, and replacement carpeting. All colors and finishes were researched and installed according to the window sticker and Marti Report to ensure the interior was being restored to its original color and material configuration.

 

The seating areas are in beautiful condition, with no rips, tears, or wear evident. The door panels are in the same condition. The trim is also in excellent condition, with the original seat belts present and functional.  

 

All of the accessories, with the exception of the air conditioning, are in perfect working condition.

 

The windows wind up and down and work perfectly. The bed of the truck is in very nice condition, with the bed being sprayed with a liner that mimics the original finish as close as possible. The tail gate works perfectly.  

 

One more period accessory that I think adds to the truck is the CB radio that the first owner installed in the truck when he purchased it. It is in working condition and comes with the original instruction manual. The whip antenna is also included with the sale of the truck, although it was removed for the photos. 

 

UNDERCARRIAGE:

 

The underside of the truck is exactly what a truck that was born in California and lived most of its life there should look like.  It was not in any type of harsh climate or abused at any time over its life. It is very solid and very well preserved and shows no evidence of any accident damage.  It is in amazing condition as shown in the photos.  

 

ENGINE and ENGINE COMPARTMENT:

 

The powerplant, as mentioned previously, is a Ford Cobra Jet 428 V-8 engine. It has not been restored and is completely original, with the top end being rebuilt approximately 30,000 miles ago. All aspects of the motor are in perfect working order, and the compression ratio on all cylinders is exactly where it should be. The engine bay has been preserved and has all of the original specifications with all components present. 

 

An MSD ignition and new Holly carburetor were installed in order to make the truck a little more “drivable”.

 

All engine and drivetrain maintenance is up to date, including the following services:

 

• oil and filter change

 

• air filter replacement  

 

• installation of new fuel filter

 

• engine coolant 

 

• installation of new drive belts

 

• lubrication of entire chassis 

 

• full service of the braking system including new pads and fluid flush

 

Owner has also had a host of work performed on the car over the term of my ownership which I can provide under separate cover.

 

TRANSMISSION:

 

The automatic transmission in this truck is the original unit installed at the factory, is in perfect working order, and functions as it should. It shifts through all of the gears smoothly with no slippage.

 

Exhaust:

The current owner installed an all new exhaust system, which included new tubes from the headers coming out of the 428 (installed at the same time the motor was installed) to either side, complimented with Flowmaster dual chamber mufflers, which give the F-250 and the 428 Cobra Jet the perfect amount of “rumble and grunt” while running and driving.

 

TIRES, WHEELS, and BRAKES:

 

The wheels were replaced when the 428 was installed, again, in the interest of drivability with the big block motor and are very special in and of themselves. They are in beautiful condition, as you can see in the photos. The tires are Power Kings, are all nearly new, and exact matches for the tires that were installed on the truck when it was acquired years ago.

 

The entire braking system has been gone through to ensure every part works as it should.  All rotors, pads, and seals have been replaced and brake fluid flushed. 

 

OVERALL DRIVING IMPRESSIONS:

 

This F-250 runs and drives as it should. The 428 Cobra Jet powerplant runs and accelerates smoothly and very quickly and the transmission shifts as it should. 

 

The truck drives around town and on the open road exactly like a pick-up truck from this period should ride. Yes, there is an occasional squeak and rattle, but the truck has never been restored or apart, so to me, that’s part of the charm of an old truck. It has had all of the necessary service recently performed including oil-change, tune up, installation of new battery, etc. It needs absolutely nothing to drive, show, and enjoy. All of the mechanical aspects of the truck work as they should. 

 

PLEASE NOTE:

 

If you are serious about purchasing this vehicle, I encourage you to come, take a look, and drive it.  I can also provide you with additional photos of any specific part you have questions about.

 

You or your mechanic are also welcome to put the car on a lift and perform any drivetrain inspection you wish, including a compression check.   

 

 

 

 

 

* To watch a great walk around video and to listen to it purr, click here