Behold this definitive specimen of the American pickup truck. In all its vast and rich history, the appeal has sadly been fairly limited for many outside North America while being a bastion of life for many within North America. The 1961 Ford F-Series came from an era when a pickup truck was expected to be a tool first and foremost — simple, durable, and built for hard work rather than comfort or image. This old Ford represents a disappearing kind of American pickup: one built for people who needed a truck, not a lifestyle accessory.
For many vocal critics, the modern versions of these seem to fall somewhere in the spectrum between a religious and painful experience. That wailing and gnashing of teeth is often accompanied by incessant bellyaching, moaning, and denigration not only of the machine but of the owners. It is an interesting, and rather humorous, phenomenon.
But fear not, friends. Despite what may read like me sticking my finger into the figurative monkey cage, I have finally seen the light and wholeheartedly agree with these folks. What you see before your eyes is the embodiment of perfection, a perfection swathed in a most interesting, alluring, and titillating shade of green.
Really, when a pickup is this perfect, what need is there for anything more? History has impugned Charles Holland Duell, commissioner of the US Patent Office from 1898 to 1901 for reportedly having said “everything that can be invented has been invented”. Duell was certainly onto something profound as this Ford pretty well makes its own argument for nothing further being needed. It is simply unimaginable anyone could identify any need for improvements or refinements.
Duell really didn’t make that statement but, as was once said, what does it matter? When a pickup as perfect as this Ford comes along, and we all know Ford is King Ranch of pickups, one should respect it.
Seriously, why does anything – car, pickup, van, minivan, road tractor, dump truck, locomotive, or naval vessel – need more than 223 cubic inches of fire breathing thrust with 135 gross and throbbing horsepower? Maybe the original owner needed to move houses or some such, opting for the one year only (at least for the half-tons) 262 straight six. But probably not.
That available 292 V8 was ridiculous overkill; nobody needs a V8 in a pickup. A six is all I ever need so that’s all anybody else should ever need. A V8 simply uses too much fuel.
Us wasteful Americanos.
Our featured Ford is also the last of the true, dyed in the wool pickups. This is the sort of pickup used by men who dry shaved with dull, rusty blades, women who gave birth without pain killers while at home in the bathtub, and people who knew how to butcher their livestock.
Lookie there, boys and girls, this green machine has a solid beam front axle. It would be in 1965 when Ford acquiesced to peer pressure from Chevrolet, discarding a solid axle and implementing the Twin I-beam front suspension. There was nothing at all wrong with a solid front axle – it was as durable as an anvil and as complicated as a chunk of granite. A pickup is an implement; why did Ford see the need to throw in the towel and succumb to the sensitive crowd?
Sure, some whine about “well, it rode so harsh”. Well, that’s the way it was and people liked it. Everybody knows if you load your pickup down, it rides smoothly. Anybody who doesn’t keep at least 1,500 pounds of dead weight in the bed of their pickup at all times doesn’t need a pickup anyway!
And look at how low that bed is to the ground! Praise Hank The Duece! This is ideal. When loading a person can just drop that load into that eagerly awaiting short bed. When unloading, a person can bend over and pick up heavy loads from knee height. If that doesn’t build a strong back it will certainly build character. Who the hell thinks a pickup bed whose height is identical to a typical bathroom vanity makes any sense? I much prefer straining my back when lifting something; if I lift it from waist level, I cannot feel the burn.
No doubt the real men and women knew what was coming for 1965 as it was in 1964 Ford sold over a half-million half-tons for the first time. Those buyers knew they better get a true pickup while the getting was good. Beginning in 1965 the American pickup started down that slippery slope to those damned macho manscaped poseur super gargantuan jumbo monster truck brodozers. You know, the ones that compensate for the owner’s teeny weeny peeny.
This Ford was born in the finest of traditions. Unlike all that tom-foolery found nowadays with things such as fuel injection, catalytic converters, engine computers, air bags, three-point seatbelts, crumple zones, collapsable steering columns, ten-speed automatic transmissions, ergonomic interiors, and previously unheard of fuel economy with twice the volumetric horsepower, this ultimate in Ford pickups has lap belts (maybe), a one-barrel carburetor with a manual choke, and a three-speed manual transmission with none of that other hogwash. Hell, three speeds were good enough for my daddy and for his daddy, so it’s good enough for me. All a pickup is supposed to do is pull a load, not win drag races. Anybody who can’t drive a clutch with a three-on-the-tree doesn’t need to be behind the wheel anyway.
Speaking of pulling loads, Ford rated our featured pickup at around 5,000 pounds gross vehicle weight. You know that’s bullshit; Ford underrated these bad girls from Day One. Supposedly a new short-bed F-150 has a gross vehicle weight that is over 20% better. You know that’s bullshit; marketing propaganda sells oodles of pickups.
Even more marketing baloney is how Ford claims a new regular cab short box F-150 has a cargo volume of 62.3 cubic feet with an interior bed height of 21.4 inches. That’s all fine and dandy, but a 4′ x 6.5′ x maybe 1.25′ bed with about 32.5 cubic feet is plenty. Nobody needs anything more than this.
The world would be a better place if all pickups were built in the same vein as this rugged old Ford. Plain, basic, and tough. There is absolutely no need for any cloth seats, air conditioning, heaters, power steering, power brakes, stereo radios, infotainment systems, cruise control, anti-lock disc brakes, backup cameras, trailer wiring, cupholders, or two exterior mirrors. That’s just so much ridiculousness all wrapped up in an envelope that generally has four times as many doors as it does usefulness. This is all a person needs.
I found this pickup in Southern California, a place we’ve often heard of being a haven for old cars and trucks which are still doing their thing. True that. But notice the Oklahoma plates. This Ford is a long way from home and I wonder if the owner is ultimately heading toward Mexico.
But I think we can all agree on one thing: Whoever drove this old Ford such a distance has more hair on their butt than on their chest. Why? This is a pickup, not a jacked up safety chamber for some cowboy wanna-be. The number of people in the population who can navigate this honey are dwindling, the sort of people who rolled their own and who are getting mighty thin on the ground. Too many in this old world know nothing but those newer, prissy pickups that drive like a sedan.
Found May 2020 in California, the county seat of Moniteau County, Missouri. Mexico is another 90 minutes northeast of California. For what it’s worth, Paris is about 30 minutes north of Mexico and Louisiana is 45 minutes east of Mexico.
Note: a rerun of an older post.
Well said, Jason —
one point, however, that had me wondering:
Paragraph #2: change to “wailing”
(unless you have a harpoon in mind)
— your friends at CC
Fixed now. Thanks.
Agree with the general premise but there’s plenty of reason for having more than a 223 6 when pulling a 2 horse trailer, and PS and automatic are rather useful too. That said, elemental simplicity has its place and is plenty for most tasks these would deign to undertake. Our basic ’75 GMC 3/4 ton is a slightly newer and more modern version of this ’64 Ford: 350 V8, auto, radio, that’s it, about as simple as they got for the time.
It’s a nice read but even in 1964 you could have a longer Styleside bed and dude it up with other comfort and convenience features. In fact, Dodge actually had a trim package called “The Dude.”
And everyone had been touting their pickups as the “most carlike to date” even before the war. The Chevy “Advance Design” trucks of the early postwar era were marketed as capable work trucks you could take out on the town that evening. And the next generation of Fords were advertised as “Works like a truck. Rides like a car.” with various gimmicks to demonstrate.
If anything the evolution of the pickup truck up to now made it more acceptable as a primary vehicle. And the demise of the big sedans and wagons made it more so.
One more thing, though. The Chevy Silverado, Ford F-150 and Ram 1500 are arguably the best overall products of each company’s line. They put the most engineering resources into them because they are the bread and butter, and it shows. That effort used to go into full-size cars.
All you need to know about “The Dude.”
I was talking with an older gentleman who does mobile garden tractor repair in rural western Oregon. He was driving a 1997-style short bed regular cab F150 with V6 and stick shift (and manual crank windows). He complained that it was too big, and he missed his previous 4.3 V6 GMC Sonoma, which he said towed great and was all he needed for his job.
The standard cab Sonoma / S-10 gets my vote and even the 2.8 L six had enough grunt with the catalytic converter removed (:
I still miss my 86.5 MY Nissan Hardbody Kingcab I bought new. Equipped with air, tilt, bucket seats, jump seats, am/fm stereo, a 5 speed stick and a V6, it was Cadillac compared to this 65 Ford, but it was the perfect pickup. Decent size bed, plenty of power and very simple. Drawbacks were lack brakes out back that didn’t fade and not being built to automobile safety standards on the collision side.
I like the sarcasm in this post .
To each their own, I too like basic 1/2 tonners being I was a farm boy when I was young .
However : you’ve obviously never been in any unheated vehicle when it gets seriously cold (below 40* F for me) .
As I age out I’ve done from full size 6′ bed 1/2 tonners to a little bitty Ford Ranger stripper, it will carry -one- full size vintage Motocycle in the bed if angled Just So, I love the PS, AC and decent brakes too .
Many fleet model trucks made after this carried on the tradition, I love them too
-Nate
What was the point of this drivel? Dont worry about how someone else spends their money. Its none of your business.
I like the fact that many people buy trucks and don’t beat them to death. That leaves plenty of life for the next owner. Trucks have really benefited from automotive evolution, My 2006 F150 long bed is head and shoulders better than my old ’66 F250 in every area. The ’06 is as advanced as I’m probably going to go. Have you priced a new truck lately?
Great article. The best truck i ever owned was a new 2005 Sierra. It was a regular cab long bed V6 5 speed. It had a cloth interior no carpet and tilt wheel (standard equipment)
That truck was so nice. It just didn’t break.
I regretted trading in but Mrs Chip tried over and over to drive a stick. She couldn’t so it was traded on another truck with an automatic.
My dad always said Ford made a superior truck.
I had a 1963 just like this truck. I wish I never sold it.
My grandpa used to have that truck.
It’s like camping.
I have a hammock, a tarp over it, and mosquito netting. I set up between two trees, strip, kick back and swing into a shady nap with a beer. I got a cooler in my truck bed. That’s all.
The next camping spot gets a guy with the 50 foot RV with everything in it that he’s got at home. He’s got klieg floodlights illuminating an acre around him, a diesel generator thrumming to provide power to his outdoor patio grill, party lights and television. His toy poodle yipes and begs to return to his bed in the RV’s dining area. He’s pulling a trailer for his ATV that he uses to drive around the camp sites.
He claims to be camping too.
Some people think that they must have everything and some people know that they don’t need anything.
My truck has crank windows, a bench seat, a six cylinder, and does what’s needed. To me that’s enough. Yet I get it. Others need stuff.
Great post! When I retired in 2019, I strongly considered rewarding myself with a full zoot Lariat or Laramie. But then I thought hard and long about how often I would need a vehicle that big, with U-Haul and Home Depot rental pickups 3 miles away as needed. I’m glad I didn’t because frankly there was no need for that much room or capacity in my daily life.
I like smaller vehicles for their maneuverability and better mpgs/emissions. I currently live in Texas (planning a move in 2028), where a full-size pickup is the default commuting and family vehicle. It’s wild how many people are bitching that it costs $75-80 to fill their pickup or Suburban up, but better efficiency vehicles wouldn’t be considered.
My Maverick hybrid’s lifetime mpgs over 30k miles are nearly 43.2, which I’m very pleased about versus my old Outback’s 26 mpgs. The Maverick is still a tich too big for my driving comfort, but it’s a decent compromise. I only wish they had a plug-in version, but perhaps with the 2028 refresh.
Vanilla Dude, that’s hilarious about “camping”….
I could not agree more. A half-ton truck should be no bigger than my first gen Ranger. Mine is long bed, has a tool box, and still leaves ample bed space. Garden tractors have gone down that “bigger is better” rabbit hole too. I remember as a kid seeing a garden tractor with more than 8HP was like seeing a L-78 396 ’69 Camaro; I am guilty, my John Deere has a 40 cube 20HP V-twin, but I have a large and rough spread, every horse actually gets used at times. How many urban cowboys use every horse in their ‘dozer? Side note: The owners manual for my JD says the transaxle is sealed: the manufacturer, Tuff-Torq, says differently. I have pulled it out and changed the hydrostatic fluid in it 6 years ago, will do it again next spring. Moral is the auto industry is going the same way. If it says “sealed” investigate before replacing. Sorry for the informative rant.
Truck: A truck (also known as a lorry) is a motor vehicle specifically designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform heavy-duty work. Distinct from passenger cars, trucks are generally defined by their utilitarian build and purpose.
Truck today: A heavy duty passenger car with a bed in back.