I live in North Carolina, about an hour away from Chapel Hill and the University of North Carolina, so I see this pickup truck’s particular shade of blue (and other reminders that the driver of the vehicle in front of me at a stoplight is a: 1. Tar Heels fan, 2. A proud alum, or 3. Has a kid that goes there) every single day. My wife went there and I also have several family members that “bleed” Carolina Blue as they say. That said, here’s a good looking survivor-category 1978 Ford F-150 Custom from further south (Alabama) that is for sale at No Reserve here on eBay. As of this writing, 28 bids had been placed with a top bid of $7,069. I’m sure that amount will go higher before the auction ends on Friday, March 10th at 11:43 pm.

The original owner. a Mr. Charlie Hughes, purchased this F-150 new with 6 miles on it from Collins-Quisenberry Ford in Birmingham, Alabama. He paid $6,057.38 for it. Charlie kept a lot of the truck’s original paperwork and documented servicing in a little notebook (which my dad also did with his vehicles and kept it in the glovebox). The seller purchased the truck from Charlie and says it’s in very “original” condition and has been used mainly for car and truck shows. The exterior and underside of the truck appear to be in good, solid shape and the seller says there is “a little bit of surface rust in a couple of places.” Based on a paint chart I found online, this F-150 is painted in Light Blue which is presentable but not perfect. In viewing the many photos, there are some noticeable scratches, surface rust on the tailgate, and a few dents around the headlight housing. The glass, mirrors, trim, bumpers, and bright stuff look good and the truck is currently sporting aftermarket wheels and new Uniroyal tires (the original wheels and wheel covers are included in the sale).

Ironically, the F-150’s original 45-year-old interior is an attractive combination of light blue and dark blue (the color of UNC’s neighbor and arch rival, the Duke Blue Devils). There are noticeable splits on the drivers side bench seat upholstery and the usual paint wear on the drivers upper door sill. The instrument panel, dash top, door panels and headliner look good and the truck came with an AM Radio and Air Conditioning (only about 40% of ’78 F-150’s were ordered with these). The seller says the Air Conditioning works but likely needs recharging.

The engine and engine bay could use a cleaning, but the seller claims the 351 cubic-inch V8 starts right up and runs great, has matching numbers, and the inspector’s number from the factory is visible under the hood and on the engine block. 74,000 original miles are on the clock. On the surface, it looks like a solid, unmolested ’78 F-150 and one of the better 45-year-old survivors we’ve featured here on Barn Finds.