Patina Or Just Rust? 1979 Ford F150
A $60K boulevard cruiser that’s never done a lick of work? No way! This 1979 Ford F-150 is a Texas truck and it looks like it’s been worked hard and put away wet in the hot Waco sun. It seems that trucks from this era, as popular as they now are, rarely lead a pampered garaged life and this Ford appears to be no exception. It now calls the Tar Heel state its home and is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $5,200 with 36 bids tendered so far.
That dreaded “P” word has crept into this truck’s listing description but the moonscape hood and cargo bed sides look more like this F-150 saw a trip to the blast shed and then parked itself outside for some indeterminate time. The seller states, “The body is mostly rust-free and all original paint (and patina!). The only rust is a couple of small spots on the front of the hood and a hole from a stake hitting the top of the tailgate…” OK, admittedly this truck looks pretty solid and the body appears to be free of crash damage. But that surface rust…wow. take a look at some of the close-ups of the hood. Unfortunately, there’s no included image of the cargo bed.
Stated as having only experienced 78K miles, this Ford’s 351 CI V8 and attached four-speed manual transmission is described as “runs and drives well for a barn find“. I’m not sure what the barn find notation has to do with operating capability unless it’s a nod to a long-term slumber. The transmission in this F-150 works in concert with a transfer case as this is a 4X4 configured truck but there’s no reference as to whether all of it works properly or not.
The interior is claimed to be in need of a “refresh” but my definition for refresh is a bit different. The seating upholstery looks like it encountered a Wyoming grizzly, the dash pad is cracked and the floor mat is totally deteriorated. That said, the instrument panel still shows well as do the door panels. And being a single cab environment, there’s not that much to do inside be it a refresh, a redo, a rearrangement, or a restoration. This is an A/C equipped truck but it’s on the fritz and claimed to need a recharge. Experience will tell one that a recharge will work fine until all of the refrigerant leaks out again.
Alright, so this is the more desirable short bed F-150 which makes it a popular and collectible truck, but in this condition? And there’s no posing about it, this Ford has obviously been a worker. Some feel that “patina” is a big selling feature and maybe with certain buyers it is. But this baby blue baby, what baby blue hasn’t blasted away, has gone quite a bit beyond the Patina stage wouldn’t you agree?
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Comments
That’s rust! I’m guessing that truck has spent some time exposed to water like partially under it.
I’d call it rusty. Not like some of those Mopars we see which were previously serving duty as riprap, but it does have rust. And it’s well-used-looking elsewhere. Being sold by a restoration shop? If so are they too busy or the economics of a restoration, even for a “hot” model Ford such as this, aren’t going to work out?
I do like this generation of F-Series. When restored they are cool.
Um,,,correction, it IS a short bed, now whether that make makes it desirable, can be debated. I say yes, not because I have one, it’s just home projects that required an 8 foot box, have gone the way of common sense, and practically all pickups today are short boxes. In case some disagree, that 2 feet makes
a difference in getting around and parking, Being a 4×4, $5g’s is an acceptable amount, but not much more. It’s an okay find, will keep the next owner AND Autoplace very busy. THIS is the truck that should haul your goat crap,,,or at least plow your driveway.
You are correct, actually, Ford literature considers this to be an F-100, not an F-150.
JO
Huh? What do you mean Ford literature refers to it as a F100? Ford made both in these years. Unless some VIN decoding says otherwise, this is definitely a F150.
F14: 4WD 150
H: 351 2-bbl
L: Michigan Truck Plant
FE1083 1979
According to the VIN tag, this truck has a 117″ wheelbase and if you look at the attached, only the F-100 is listed as having that dimension.
JO
Well whaddya know. Lernt sumtin today. Didnt know it worked that way with Fords. Thanks Jim
I have trouble believing that all short box trucks were F100’s and all long beds were F150’s. The F150 was born as a way to get around the catalytic converters in 1975. They were heavy duty half tons. As restrictions got stiffer they still had to have the CV but it was later. I go by what the badging says as to whether it’s a F100 or F150
Mr. ODonnell,
Please look at the page you posted, it is for “TWO-WHEEL DRIVE”, please go to page 2 of the brochure and you will see that you should go to the “4-Wheeler Catalog”. On page 6 of the 4-Wheeler Catalog you will notice that the Bronco, F-150, f-250, and F-350 are listed, the F-100 is not listed. Anyway, sales brochures should not be used to document a vehicle. The door tag and vin are “legal” type documentation, usually very accurate if not tampered with. Normally, if a Ford truck has a GVWR of 06050 or greater it is not a F-100. This truck is a F-150 due to the F14 code.
Respectfully,
Clint
Come to Ky near the Ohio River iffen you what to see rust.
There is a very fine line between rust and patina. This, unfortunately, is rust and will need replacing.
Rust or patina, it is all bad. What some idiots call patina, others know to be a truck that was worked hard by a hard working man. If you are not that, you don’t deserve it. Money shouldn’t be able to buy everything. And you know what Mr Fool? That hard working man with the “patina” wished he could afford a paint job.
o0OOO, so close. Needs step side, be a 250 model’n the 240 (or back fit a 300/4.9) i6 motor for perfection (in my world, all that counts, no?). ‘S got 4WD…
aahahahaa
the rest is an acceptable “start”~
Here in Ohio, our trucks rust from the bottom up!
In New England, a truck of that age in that condition would be a treasured find. Such rigs are extinct up here due to rust. Most of our much newer trucks are often in far rougher shape than this; I’d say this was about average for a late 90’s to early 2000’s daily driver up here. I’d be happy to drive that truck just as it stands! (if somehow I could stop the deterioration at the point it is at now.) How sad is that!
I’m going to guess that the document you posted is in error or incomplete – I found this a lot when I was doing research for my book. As B302 posted, the VIN checks out as a F150. The Fortification website doesn’t seem to list any ’76 F100 4WDs past ’76 either. I also looked at that ‘other’ website and they show at least 12 ’79 F150 4×4 shortbeds that have been auctioned there.
My ’77 F150 4×4 and my 1978 F150 4×4 both had the short wheel base (117″).