Few of us are eager to drive around advertising a business without commensurate compensation, but when the ad in question is as cool as the one on today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe F100, exceptions may be made. Let’s see if this classic pickup’s price is just as exceptional.
There are a myriad of ways in which the European Union is different from the United States, but perhaps the most important one is in which Volkswagen appears the most appealing. In Europe the hatchback Golf has long reiged supreme while here in Los Estados Unidos it’s been the three-box Jetta.
That popularity didn’t extend to yesterday’s 1987 VW Jetta, despite the car having an old school two-door body and a desirable R32 VR6 engine swap, both of which looked extremely clean. Neither however, could make up for the car’s $8,000 price and it fell in a 58 percent Crack Pipe loss.
When it comes to ultimate vehicle sales here in the U.S., actual cars have long played the unenviable roll of also-ran. We may like sedans over hatchbacks here, but what we really love is trucks. And for decades, the best selling truck here in the U.S.A. has been Ford’s F-Series. That remarkable popularity when shiny and new has engendered pretty much a buyers’ paradise once they flow into the pre-owned market. That’s not to say that once time takes its toll on the number of trucks out there that the pickings don’t get ever more slim. They do, and as Econ 101 taught us, that diminishing supply in the face of a steady or increasing demand, will inevitably drive prices up.
This 1964 Ford F100 is one of that diminishing supply. Sixties trucks aren’t as numerous today as they once were, and finding one that isn’t either a clapped-out rust bucket or surgical operatory-clean garage queen is an ever more challenging task. I think finding this one is a success.
The truck carries medium blue paint and a red-inset chrome spear down each side. Under that is a long-bed body with apple crate extenders running down each side of the bed. The seller says that the paint is starting to wear through in places and might require a new top coat soon, or at least a clear coat to preserve the current state since the patina is quite charming. You might want to also protect the quaint sign on the door sides but don’t be swayed into doing so thinking they are as old as the truck. The MAC Sign Painting promos are modern hipster work but do look of the era making the whole truck look like something you might pick up at Pottery Barn or Restoration Hardware.
The seller says that the truck comes with freshly powder coated factory wheels and brand new hubcaps but in all the ad’s pics it rides on trailer wheels. New tires do adorn those. The glass seems to be all intact and of serviceable condition and the truck has all its wipers and mirrors and such.
This F100 is just as charming inside as it is on the outside. A wide and functional bench seat faces an equally functional all-metal dash. This is a truck from before the major safety standards took effect here in the U.S., so don’t plan on running into anything at any speed over a brisk walk and surviving with all your teeth intact. On the plus side, check out that amazingly long gear lever for the manual transmission. That’s married to a 292 CID Y-block which in this guise was good for 170 (gross) horsepower and 279 lb-ft of torque.
What seems to be a newish carb sits atop the mill and power gets routed through the transmission to what’s described as a ‘late ‘60s, early ‘70s Ford rear end. The latter supposedly engenders less raucous highway cruising. Complimenting that leaf-sprung back axle is an other beam axle up front. Ford’s infamous Twin I Beam front suspension wouldn’t start unevenly wearing tires until the ‘65 model year.
A couple of other things you might find appealingly quaint about this truck are the front-crossover exhaust pipe in the engine bay, and the classic barefoot gas pedal in the cab. A clean title rounds out the panoply of pluses. On the downside, no mileage is given, and this is an old, very basic truck so amenities like… oh, pretty much anything are absent.
I actually don’t mind that at all. I’m a bit perplexed by the whole massive luxury truck appeal, wondering what other bit of blue collar aesthetic the haves will usurp next. I’m guessing calloused hands and the satisfaction that arises from manual labor won’t be among them.
This truck comes from a time when trucks were predominantly for working. Oh sure, there were fancy trucks even back then, but I think they were the exception rather than the rule.
If you wanted to get a feel for that traditional work ethic, how much would you pay? The cost of entry here is $4,500, and it’s now up to you to determine if that’s a fair price to pay for so basic and old a truck. What do you think, is this F100 worth that kind of cash? Or, is that just too much MAC out in an uncompromisingly old truck?
You decide!
Portland, OR Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to RevUnlimiter for the hookup!
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