“Spring is here. What better way to enjoy the nice weather than in a vintage pickup“? Interesting way to make a sales pitch. “Spring is in the air” usually conjures up visions of a convertible or a sports car, not a brown 3/4 ton pickup truck. OK, points for creativity I guess. As alluded to with yesterday’s Cameo post, old trucks, ’50s to ’70s are considered a hot ticket these days so let’s add this 1975 Ford to that growing list. T.J. found the listing for this Yakima, Washington resident and it’s available, here on craigslist for $12,500.

One of this truck’s selling features is considered to be its original finish, the listing states, “The original paint on this truck has been brought back to its original luster and the interior has been revived to better than new condition“. I’m not sure if this is a testament to Ford’s paint quality or the seller’s ability to buff it up. Regardless, the finish cleaned up quite well, if you like brown… It has some scrapes and the passenger side fender is dented but the presentation isn’t bad. The dual orange pinstripes are very appropriately ’70s-ish.

Powering this rig is a 360 CI “FE” V8 engine, one of those that you don’t hear much about as it was a truck-only powerplant.  In production from ’68 through ’76, this version was rated at 196 net HP. The seller tells us that it has had a full tune-up and it, “runs fantastic and rides smooth for a vehicle of this vintage. It is a pleasure to drive“. It’s backed up by an automatic transmission. The odometer reads 7,800 miles so it’s a safe guess that it has been once around. How much life is left in this motor? If it has been properly maintained and not abused, it should still have a ways to go – 360s were known for durability.

If you think the interior of this F-250 looks pretty sharp, as in it hasn’t really been a committed work truck, well, there’s a reason for that thanks to, “An interior carpet kit, new rubber door seals, new window guide rubber & felts, a new dash pad, new steering wheel (original horn pad), installation of a new windshield, a replacement dome light lens, reupholstering of the original seat, a new instrument bezel and plexiglass, installation of a Retrosound stereo head unit combined with upgraded speakers and wiring“. That’s a lot of “new” going on and the interior nicely reflects the improvements.

The seller mentions that he has a Marti report for this truck, though it’s not shown. I thought that unusual as those reports usually accompany Mustangs, Torino Cobra-Jets, etc., not a pickup and I didn’t realize that it was even possible. I guess as long as you have a Ford VIN, Kevin Marti can tell you something about it. Anyway, I see real value in this truck as just an enjoyable old truck, not necessarily putting it back to work, but maybe in a more leisurely, retired mode. As far as it being a Spring cruiser, I’m not feeling it, how about you?