For those of you who are tired of leather-lined, four door, $50K pickups, how about something a bit simpler from the not-so-distant past? We know you’re out there, as Lee Wilcox’s and Jack Lord’s recent truck posts have made clear.
Ford pickups have been the top selling full size truck for years, starting in the late 1970s. For 1980, all F-Series pickups were redesigned and very modern-looking, considering the Dodge D-Series dated to ’72 (albeit with a couple of refreshes) and the Chevy/GMC pickups were last redesigned in 1973, although a more square-rigged facelift was only a year away for the GM trucks.
Today’s flossier pickups are not a new idea, as these F150s could be loaded up with all sorts of stuff. The difference was you didn’t need a step built in to the tailgate to get into the bed and you could reach over the side to place items into it without a boost. And why do even 2WD 2012 trucks sit so high off the ground? But I digress…
Perhaps the biggest change was inside, where a much more car-like instrument panel was prominent. In flossier Ranger models, it was awfully nice for a pickup, almost LTD-like. Remember, at this time, most trucks were still used as trucks, not as daily drivers or commuters.
F150s came standard with the 300 CID (4.9L) straight six, but the usual range of V8s were available. The Twin I-Beam front suspension was still in place, and would remain through 1996 on F150s. F150 pickups were (and still are) highly customizable, much like the original 1965 Mustang. You could get it as plain or as fancy as you wanted. Regular cab, SuperCab, single- or two-tone, six- or eight-cylinder power, single or dual rear wheels, power everything – it was all available.
1980-81 F150s could be identified by their unadorned eggcrate grille and chrome F-O-R-D lettering on the leading edge of the hood. Our featured CC is at least an ’82, when the blue oval Ford logo was reintroduced on most every grille in the Ford lineup, from F150 to Escort to LTD.
While this particular truck (found on the same lot and on the same evening as the ’89 Ramcharger LE) is rather basic, it is somewhat dressed up with a sport stripe, aluminum running boards, and a red interior. It is remarkably rust-free and clean. As long as the tin worm is kept at bay, this F150 would be a great work truck for somebody.
A friend of mine (Rick) is one of those guys who owns many interesting vehicles, from a Corvair, a 2005 DeVille, a gigantic one ton Ford Diesel 4×4 King Ranch, to a very unassuming mid 80s F150 Lariat 4×4 in black with a red interior. It has a very function grille gaurd and short running boards and shows the signs of work. In addition to his central office job he has several appartments he rents out and whenever work needs to be done on one of those units the F150 is the vehicle of choice. Home Depot, Sears Appliance, Gallup Lumber, this is the unit that hauls.
It’d work for me. That thing is almost perfect, right down to the dog dish hub caps. All it’s missing is a 4.9 and a 5 speed.
I’d take it the same way… love the hub caps, color and racing stripe. The only blemish is those running boards – was the previous owner planning on using this truck for Dick Tracy-style bank heists or something along those lines?!
Actually if I could spec out a “brand new” 1982 F-150 via time machine, it would look just like this – plus straight six and manual transmission – but make mine 4WD and in Ranger trim with that oh-so-sweet dash and red cloth interior. The instrument cluster with it’s center mounted tach and woodgrain applique surroundings is a charming piece of functional broughamality.
@Sean Cornelis
I’m not a fan of those running boards either. I’ve noticed that they seem to save the rocker panels from rust on a lot of older trucks in our Farm areas where a lot of roads are still gravel.
+1 on a 4X4 Ranger trim too.
See I like the trim levels that combined the lower and higher trim features. Like the old Scottsdale package for Chevy trucks that combined the nice velour bench, better stereo, headliner, and AC of the Silverado trim with the rubber floor and crank windows of the base trucks.
Those running boards are one of the things I like most about this one: they’re a handy foothold for picking up haybales, stray calves, etc while the pickup’s moving. I especially like the ‘no-slip’ surface on the top of the bumper and eyebolts on the bed- looks like this little pickup’s been well-used.
I could drive this. Fact is, I almost did. Had an E150 strech van with 300 six and C6. Tried to work it to death and couldn’t. Was while I was still a working man and I sold it when I became a teacher with a 100 mile round trip commute.
That truck could park in my driveway any time.
OK, I have to be a little argumentative today – F series is best selling in large part because GM insists on calling it’s GMC trim level a separate make. Combine Chevy/GMC and often Ford is #2.
Second, we can play this little game of “when trucks were simpler” all the way back to Hoss and Little Joe driving the buckboard into Virginia City.
This ’82 looks “plain” to modern eyes, but compared to my dad’s ’72 F-150, it’s absolutely blinged out. That truck looked a bit fancy-schmancy compared to the previous ’66 C-10, which looked almost car-like compared to the ’58 Apache.
It depends on the year in some years, back before Dodge decided to get back into the truck business, Ford had almost 50% of the market.
You are correct that there has been a steady evolution of the pickup getting more and more car like with each generation.
You nailed it, Dynamic88. Every new generation of trucks is more powerful, refined, and comfortable than the previous one, and there is always dissatisfaction about it. But most people buy new trucks just the same. Fact is, nothing prevents anyone from using a modern pickup for hardcore carrying, if ordered with the proper load rating and features. All the options are still there. If most people choose not to buy strippers, that’s a telling sign of the market, to which the manufacturers must respond.
The only strange recent development is the neglect of the small, cheap pickup market by the big manufacturers. But don’t worry, Mahindra will soon take care of that (if they can get their bumbling act together).
Agreed on the GM/Ford point. Ford also has a habit of touting the “F-series” truck as a best seller, even though there’s little shared besides sheetmetal between the 1/2 ton and the heavier-duty ones.
And the reverse snobbery of “my truck be cruder than thine” gets old too. I work hard. Any energy extracted from me by my truck beating me up is energy I can’t use to work. I spend a lot of hours in my truck. I’ve got comfortable seats, cruise control, AC, power windows, power steering, and a radio with a remote control (it’s a long way to the dash and I tend to swerve around when reaching for it). I wanted an automatic transmission too, but the best truck I found when shopping had a 5 speed. I make no apology for wanting the most comfortable truck I could get. It’s an investment in my own well-being.
If you truly think you NEED A/C, cruise control, or any other BS these automakers make you think you need in a truck then you really dont work hard, you are just spoiled
I’ll tell you why- its called working all day out in the heat. I was a mobile windshield fitter in New Orleans before I went to uni in the ’90s. We drove these 80s Toyota pickups that were stripped of everything EXCEPT the aircon. Sure you don’t need aircon if you’re commuting in your pickup to a nice office or something, but if you have to work your butt off in 104 degree heat and no shade and then jump into a boiling truck to drive to the next site, that aircon really makes a difference. I did not feel spoiled by the AC, but it made a very unpleasant job tolerable.
Brian, I will agree with you. I bought an ’83 Dodge D150 ” Miser” edition; slant six, overdrive – long bed but SANS air. I was in Tidewater, Virginia then. Until I relocated back to the S.F. Bay Area, my choice NOT to have a/c in the sweltering, humid southern summers was a big mistake.
Suzulight, I guess I’m just spoiled by the generally respectful tone around here, but that is a needlessly rude comment.
I must agree with Brian and ImpCapn. Even if you are not working in the heat for a living, air conditioning has almost become a modern necessity. In my early years as a practicing attorney, I drove a non a/c 66 Fury III for 2 years. For the first year (before I started dating Mrs. JPC with her a/c-equipped 88 Accord) it was my sole transport.
The problem is that even though we all (at least those of us over 50) used to live this way, the rest of the world does not any more. More than once, I had to drive to a court hearing on a 97 degree day. I would show up hot, dripping, cross and exhausted. But nobody else was. They would express sympathy for no air in the car, but give me looks that said “you moron, pay for an a/c car like the rest of us have to.”
Maybe you can still get by in some parts of the country like New England or the far upper midwest, but in most of the rest of the country, time has marched on. I still own a lot of vinyl (and even shellac 78 rpm) records and equipment that plays them, but this is not how I listen to my music in everyday life anymore, either.
Yesterday’s luxury is today’s necessity. There was a time when indoor plumbing and electricity weren’t “necessities”, but they are today. The same has happened with cars and trucks. I don’t want to hand crank the 300ci 6, I prefer to use the electric self-starter, which wasn’t really a “necessity” in my great grandfather’s day.
It’s silly to drive anything today -anywhere in the country- w/o A/C. Even here in MI it gets hot and very humid. Sweating like a pig might have been socially acceptable in 1955, but it isn’t today. Not in an office building anyway.
JP can you imagine turning in a brief typed on a manual typewriter? The quality of type just isn’t what’s expected today. How about a hand written brief ? That’s how they did it before typewriters. Not acceptable today.
You want many of the same amenities the family car has -and what’s wrong with that ?
You’ll find this mythical plain jane truck, with I-6 and 3 on the tree and no air and rubber floor mats, parked on the lot right next to the mythical turbo-diesel sport wagon with manual trans.
A note on the “reverse snobbery” with trucks.
I don’t want to be read wrong here, if the truck is going to be a daily driven work vehicle I’m a proponent of getting every option you can that makes you comfortable.
If you’re like me where a truck would be a second vehicle that’s going to be in the fleet for a loooong time and only used once in a while I think getting just enough to do the job perfect.
+1. A crude, stripper truck is either a part-time worker, or not driven by the owner but a poor hireling.
Agreed. I had an 84 Ranger which was pretty well stripped. Twin tanks and the V6, but the radio was on me and I had to use what we used to call Polish A/C when I was a kid. (Open the vent windows wide and drive like hell.) That method sucked when I had a 20 mile commute in the SF bay area in summer traffic jams.
My 03 Chevy is more-or-less stripped, but the dual-zone heat & A/C is nice. I wanted cruise control when I drove it back east one year, but no luck. Mrs Red’s Ranger has the cruise and the A/C, and next back-east trip it’ll get the job.
I can do without a lot of the luxuries, but my body doesn’t much care for heat.
I’d have to agree. I do believe in all honesty that Ford has the “basic” F-150 XL figured out at this point. Decent/nice cloth seat, A/C, nice ride, quiet as the entry point. Still has the rubber floor, still lacks in most of the bling – it’s a truck. It’s, ironically, somewhat equivalent to their XLT of years past.
For anyone who’s ever worked in their truck, it’s appreciated. Through late high school/college I did deliveries for a company that used the big box vans. Being the youngest guy on the totem pole I got my choice of a pair of Econoline 350’s (an ’84 and ’87) that both had big 460’s next to your right leg, and neither had working A/C. In Nebraska in the summer it gets hot, real hot. You had the fun of going from the 460-heated cab to the sun baked box. The “new truck” that I got to drive on the 12-hour Friday distance run into Kansas was a brand-new ’95 GMC 350, which had a 350 and.. no A/C! Inside it was much better as the GM 350 seemed to have some sort of barrier with the cabin, but man did it get hot.
I remember when they upgraded to new ’97 GM’s all around, and all had A/C. It was heaven! Except.. they were all Vortec 350’s, duallies, and the big box body on the back. So basically on the rural highways we ran it was a game of running them up on the downhills, and mercilessly pegging them on the uphills to crest the hill at 45 with the A/C on. Somehow those trucks lasted over 200k miles with the original motors. How? I have no clue.
I did some construction work later in college on the weekends, and every day after work I was thankful that my ’92 F-150 had A/C as one of it’s only options.
Good find, Tom. In high school, I used to drive my dad’s ’84 F-150 in almost the same color combination, with the 300 and 4 speed with granny low first gear.
I have seen a few of these early ’80’s 1/2 ton pickups with a 3 speed on the column.
So explain me please – what did the F-150 an Ranger have in that in common in that time? I`ve always thought that they were separate models.
Yes by 83 the Ranger was a separate model, in fact the Courier replacement…but prior, going back to the 67-72 models, and up thru 82 the Ranger was a top shelf trim package on the full size trucks…
The Explorer name also started out as a trim package for the F-series.
FWIW, the Ranger had very similar styling to the F-150 of the day. In some ways, the Ranger was a scaled down F. Not sure the scaled down twin I-beam front worked well, though I only needed one rebuild in 120K miles.
Steve65, I agree, the reverse snobbery does get old. Sure, if you have a pickup truck that is only used for dump or Home Depot runs a plain jane, 6 cylinder, no a/c, 5 speed may be perfect.
Drive it 40,000 miles a year, spend hours a day in it in Central Florida heat, use it as a mobile office and have it be your only vehicle and maybe your idea of a truck will change. Some folks like the wind in your hair feeling of no a/c and the crackle of an AM radio. I prefer the automatic a/c set to 65, the sound of XM channel 33 and to conduct business via bluetooth handsfree calling.This is the third time I’ve said “Mines loaded up and I absolutely make no excuses”.
Ironic…two weeks ago, I bought a rust-free, unmodified 1993 F150 XL – vinyl, rubber mat, straight six with automatic, eight-foot bed.
It’s mostly for runs to the home center and nursery, but sometimes it’s nice to have an inexpensive vehicle that you don’t want to worry about getting dirty.
Odd thing is, with “Cash for Clunkers” and the shift toward highly-optioned trucks, it seems that these old, bolt-simple rigs are getting harder to find in unmolested condition.
Pics??
Please?
In about an hour I’m going to start dumping my HD on Flickr. Each ride I have stored has a story from the owner. One of them is a 93 Lightning.
Just one for now, Sean…I’ll take some more as time permits.
You own my dream truck. My favorite vehicle of all time, and one I’d still own had a Chevy Dually not ended it’s life, was my ’92 F-150 Custom. 8 foot bed, A/C, a headliner, and a tow package were it’s only options. 4.9 6, and a manual tranny.. I owned that truck for 7 years and loved it.
I’ve oft considered trading my Dakota in on a Suburban for my wife, then scouring the Internet to find what you just described for me. I’d be a happy man.
I put a lot of miles on various versions of these, the best by far were the plain janes with the 300 six and 4 speed. The 5.0 and 5.8 V-8s were gutless and got awful gas mileage.
Assembly and component quality was a joke by today’s standards, and the highly optioned units developed a “junky” feel in a remarkably short time period. Loose trim, rattles, switches that don’t work and so on. The A/C was a particulair headaches to keep operating. Not that the competition was any better at the time, although GM was a better choice if you had to have a V-8.
By contrast, the plain janes just soldiered on seemingly forever. They were so plain there was nothing much to go wrong. Ford also had the best heater available in a light truck at the time, which is important in northern BC. There’s a lot to be said for simplicity!
The comment about the GM being a better choice is funny coming from one who’s handle is tiredoldmechanic none of the mechanics I have known will own anything other than a Ford for their trucks.
I stand by my statement. I was a mechanic for a long time and have been a fleet manager for the last dozen years. That means it’s up to me what we buy, but I do have to justify the decision. That means keeping close tabs on operating costs, and I can tell you that for as long as I have been around GM and Ford 1/2 ton trucks are basically a toss up on operating costs and serviceability. One exception was units equipped with V-8 engines. The 5.0 and 5.8 Fords used more fuel, required more repairs and were generally more trouble all the way around than the GM units with the 5.0 or 5.7 V-8s.
I don’t have an axe to grind for or against either brand, trucks are just work tools to me.
Well that’s the exact opposite of my experience as a mechanic over the last 25 years. I’ve replaced easily 10 times the SBC in trucks (that 9 times out of 10 came in on the hook) as I have SBF (that 9 times out of 10 limped on into the shop) as well as a lot more ignition modules, coils, water pumps, valve cover and intake gaskets, and on and on. If it weren’t for Chevy trucks I’d have gone broke long ago.
Ford trucks still have great Heaters. I can start one of the Diesel F550s at my work after its been sitting over the weekend and its warm in 3-4 min and toasty in 10. The Dodge 5500s take 10min to warm and a good 15-20 to achieve toasty.
That was my brother in law’s experience too. He said he got rid of his Dodge and got another Ford because he got tired of being cold.
I’ll let my Bro In Law know his 351 is gutless next time he’s pulling his trailer loaded with his Kubota tractor with a ton and a half of oak trees in the bed of his 1996 F350. He operates a 2 man tree service in Umatilla Florida and he ABUSES his trucks. He also has a 1985 F150 looks similar to the one here with the 4.9 six and automatic. I have seen him load that thing up with logs to where the tailpipe was almost dragging yet it keeps on running.
I can attest to the strength of the basic F-150. My ’92 more often than not, RIP, would be loaded to the point where the rear suspension was more or less sitting on the bump stops. It was slow going and lots of tricky clutch work, but the Big Six just kept on pulling without complaint.
I’d never try some of that in my current truck. RIP, big red truck.
I’d agree. I’ve owned a ’92 F-150 XLT and a ’92 F-150 Custom. The XLT had a 5.0/302 with an automatc, 2wd, short box while the Custom had a straight six, 5 speed manual, and the 8 foot bed. Once going the 302 could run up quite well, but towing and work it just seemed like the six would do better on – and I really worked the old six hard. As you stated as well, the six definitely got the mileage crown.
One thing I will comment on regarding build quality, both of mine were very good. In fact, the XLT I bought with 185k on the clock, and sold with a hair over 200k on the clock after 3 years of ownership – I was always impressed at how quiet and comfortable it was. My Custom was a different beast, but for being a stripped down pickup that, in my college and after years, only got the basics of maintenance it went through hell and back without complaint. I put tires on it and fixed things when they broke – but not much major broke, and I put a good 80k miles in 7 years on that truck.
I will also agree that the GM of the time was a better choice for a V8. The 350 was legendary for good reason, we had them at work in full-ton cargo box vans, and while the ’97 and ’99 models with A/C would be gutless with the A/C on and a load in the back, I’m still blown away at the abuse that they took. Mileage wasn’t terrible either, hell the big GM box vans probably got in the low teens on rural highways with a load in the back. My ’92 with the 302 (and the 302 had been rebuilt about 20k before I bought it) never got above 15.
Long Live the 300 Six!
The 300 Ford six’s Achille’s heel were water pumps. Otherwise, these were highly reliable torquey engines – one of the best.
Learned to drive stick on Dad’s ’86 I-6 5-speed. Good vehicle to learn on as the shifter was light and accurate. Plenty of torque made it hard to stall but sloppy clutch work would bounce you all over the place. Good incentive to get better at it!
It had a red interior just like the feature truck. Never seemed bare-bones except for the rubber floor, which I think should be standard in any car/van that hauls pre-schoolers.
My recall is that through much of the early 1980s, there was a strong general consensus that these trucks were almost universally inferior to their late 1970s counterparts. I drove pickups occasionally for an employer then, and I remember when they got one of these in 1981 or 82. They felt thin and cheap compared to the 79 that I had been used to, which had a very substantial feel.
My farming BIL used a 78 and a 79 (F-250s) on his farm for years. He did not go to the next generation until the 1990s, which was a Powerstroke Diesel F-250 he found used.
When these trucks came out in late 1979, they were indeed perceived as “cheap” compared to the previous generation. At the time, all the domestic manufacturers were preoccupied with fuel econonmy concerns and these models were designed with that as a primary goal.
Legend has it that Ford had to recall certain early 1980 models due to frame cracking and bending because of all the lightening holes in the frame rails. They were certainly not as durable as the ’73-’79 units were.
79 was the end of the line for old school Ford trucks. Ford took a huge risk with the 80 redesign, just like they did in 97. I think a lot of truck buyers felt that Ford went soft in 1980 and not so much cheap, the 97 seemed flat out feminine compared to previous generations. Even though both were excellent rides.
I’d love to have my 79 back. I’d never be able to afford driving it today though. It was the Indy “Pace” truck with a 460, C6 and a posi 3.90. It spent almost its entire life as a Farm rig. The floors were cut up stop signs, the lower eighth of the body was surface rust covered with Tiajuana Chrome spray, the exhaust leaked, and the rear main spilled oil like the Valdez.. But.. The air still worked, the stereo rocked and when you floored it, she’d jump sideways and try to snap your neck. I’m almost weepy thinking about it.
I’ll take one with six in a row and the five speed. The old Fords were always my favorites, and though I’ve driven newer Fords, Chevys, and Dodges (and they have their good points) I’d take one of those classics any day. When I was a kid, a friend of our family did oil well maintenance, and he always owned a Ford with the straight six, three on the tree, and heavy duty suspension. They were tough old trucks, and one of my favorite things was getting to ride in it. If I ever get a place in the country, I’m going to get me one of those to tool around the back roads.
I’m reminded of the time when my dad decided he wanted a new F-150. It was 1988 and he decided that it was time to own a brand new one. He found a 4×4 XLT Lariat in Colonial White with a blue interior. It was a regular cab and had all the interior options, but he had to get the dealer to “throw in” a rear bumper, as that was still an option!
Even with my grandfather’s A-Plan, dad couldn’t get over the fact that that truck still cost a bit over $20k. It was a nice truck but he had a lot of trouble with it. The next year we moved to Florida and a couple of months after we were there he traded it even up for a 1988 Dodge Dynasty LE that had twice the miles, but he really liked it, actually, we all liked that car!
I bought a 1995 Ford regular cab short bed half ton with the 300 inch six and Mazda 5 speed to use as my work commuter vehicle. Nothing on it was electric powered. It did have a/c and two toned paint along with chrome wheels. IIRC it was some kind of special for Texas and Oklahoma. They were very sharp looking trucks. They would haul all the stuff you could pile in it but, I wasn’t any good for pulling a trailer because it had a fairly low numerical rear end. Comfortable bench seat and rubber floor covering easily cleaned with a hose and sponge. Cheap to buy and cheap to operate. The only major problem I had with it was a fuel pump failure. Drove it for 11 years until I retired and traded it in on a new truck. Wish I could get another one just like it now.
My dad had the 85 F150 w/ 302. It was kept in the family for almost twenty years.
The good: The engine was original and received poor maintenance. Reasonably trouble free. Paint held up quite well (beige). Highway fuel economy was relatively good 18 mpg. Didn’t seem to rattle much.
Bad: Disc brake rotors warped frequently and severely, 130 horsepower, AC repairs.
A story of how legendary these trucks are. In high school my brother was, well, a rebel of sorts. Dad would have bought him a car if he quit smoking, but he refused to quit smoking – what fun is that? – so he worked as a dishwasher at a local restaurant. His first car was a terrible ’86 Mustang LX (we called it the “Mustake”) that he basically killed after six months. His second car? A 1980 Ford F-150 Lariat with a Big Six and an automatic. He paid, if I’m recalling right, $400 and a carton of Marlboros for it circa 1999.
Said truck was previously owned by a line cook there who used it in the winter instead of riding his Buell motorcycle. I guess he needed smokes and Bro definitely needed a different ride, so a deal was struck. To say it was ugly was a understatement, but it still ran. We affectionately called it the “ass truck” due to the shades of “tan” it was and some of the smells from inside.
About a month into ownership Bro commented on the ticking the big six made, and wanted me to look at it, as at the time I’d had my ’92 Custom for about a year. I opened up the oil fill to take a quick look before checking the oil level and was greeted by this yellow substance that resembled yellow curdled milk. The same thing was on the oil fill. Suspecting.. I don’t know what, maybe a blown head gasket, I’d never seen anything like it.. I drained the “oil” which came out in chunks and required taking the pan off. We did a redneck flush by filling five quarts of cheap wal-mart oil and a new filter, running it for about ten minutes, then draining the substance again. I was sure it was toast.
Nope, filled it with five quarts of Valvoline and a new filter, then it sounded like my ’92. Checked the oil a day and a week later, and while darkened after a bit, it was fine. He came to find out that his co-worker had owned it for three years and when asked said “I never changed it” to the last time the oil had been changed.
My brother drove it mercilessly for two years, replacing it with a ’92 Ford Probe GT at which point my Dad took it. Dad had just turned his ’97 F-150 XLT in off lease, a truck he never really liked as it replaced a ’94 F-150 XLT that he rather loved, and decided to drive the F-150 for a couple months to work, and then steal Mom’s ’96 SHO on the weekends for fun. Dad drove it for another year, loading it to the gills many times with compost, rock, gravel, or firewood and then sold it off to a friend of ours who is notoriously hard on cars. I think said friend at 35 easily has Michael Freeman’s car ownership number doubled and not because he likes them, but because he kills them.
Said friend owned the “AT” for another two years, and then decided he wanted something newer so he sold it.
Those trucks are rather amazing in their ability to just take whatever is thrown at them and keep on keepin’ on.
Had a friend who had an ’86 F-150 overdrive big 300 six. With the Ford 300, why would you want a 302? What impressed me was I borrowed this truck to haul furniture. Uphill on the H-2 freeway (Oahu) loaded in 4th O/D. 60mph and no strain. My mythical ’82 F-150 would be a stripper but with A/C and a decent for the times stereo. If up in AK, 4×4 for sure.