So here is the story.

I am 23 yrs. old. I have been looking for a pre '80 F-series pickup for about 4 yrs. My father has an ol 76 that isn't much to look at but was taken from a neighbors yard ornament to a tough running ol' trash run truck. Thats where my love for these pick-ups started. Over the past few months I have been searching for the right truck and could never come across it. I really wanted a pre '73 but never could find one I couldn't live without.

Last week I thought I had found one about 4 hours away from where I live and took off the following Monday (as well as my father) to go pick it up. It was a 1970 model. Decent shape w/ a lot of mods. (Mods I do not care much for) but it seemed to be in decent enough shape to make the leap.

The more I pondered driving the distance for something that had been modded and with a replacement sheet metal bed I decided not to make the drive and hold off once again until I found something more original.

Well Monday rolled around and I had the day off of work. My dad and I waiting around for the Daytona race that evening and I decided to try my luck on Craigslist once more. I ended up finding this beauty.

A single owner truck up until december when the original owner passed away. The son lived a few hours away and had the truck titled in his name to get insured and drive it home. He then decides to sell the truck. $1500.00 was the price and I had no problem paying every penny. I actually didn't even test drive the truck. I heard it run in the yard paid the guy did the paperwork and hit the road. Once on the road I noticed a slight miss and got out to find the fuel pump had a slight leak. Once I got it home The fuel pump was changed and it looks like I may need to rebuild the carb. Very minor issues for such an original pickup.

When I bought it I ws in such a hurry I didn't even care if it was really a 76k mile truck or a 176k, or 276k. I just knew I had to have it. Once I got home I looked in the glove box and to my surprise there were all the receipts from roughly 1985 from oil changes to new tires, original owners manual, and a lot more.

I am extremely excited and could not have been any luckier.

 

Here are a few more pictures

 

First off, let me say welcome to the forum. Now that's a real nice story, and a nice truck to boot. I think you may have lucked out pretty good. TN? What part?

 

Looks like a nice little truck. Congrats and welcome to the addiction......

 

NICE!!!

Thats a clean truck.

 

dont you love when the owner takes care of a truck.

 

Grubbworm

I am from Middle, TN. Shelbyville to be exact.




Any Chance any of you could point me in the right direction of anyone else on here with a 79 Explorer? I am trying to figure out which graphics should be on the truck.

 

My wife has family in Sparta, TN. We go there to the family reunion just about every year.


And, no. But I'm sure someone will chime in about that soon.

 

Nice looking truck! I love the Explorer package, mine is a simular story where the second owner bought it 1978 (mine is a '77) and the guy kept it in the barn when he wasnt using it, and in '82 was the last records at 72,xxx. the guy passed away, a lady bought it and sold it to me three weeks later. When I got it I believe it set in the barn for about 20 years, and it had 80,xxx. I now got 84,xxx and have had it about 3 1/2 years. Alot of work, but it was all fun work, well most of the time.

So congrats on finding the truck that makes you happy, it was worth the wait by the looks of it! What are your plans, and tell about the drive line thats in it!! (photos too)

 

NICE FIND!! I'm exremely jealous right now. How come I always "hear" about these deals but can never find them myself??
According to the Ford parts catalog the '79 Explorer should have a "Type 12" stripe on it.
Here is the illustration from the catalog.
The stripes were available in tangerine/gold and white/gold.
Click on the .pdf link to view.
BTW, welcome to FTE. Lots of good people here.

 

Wow, what a find! Welcome to FTE!

 

First of all welcome to the forum! Here you will find lots of great folk with tons of knowledge on these wonderful trucks.

Second you have found a great truck and it looks like its in excellent condition. Keep us posted on your projects and feel free to ask questions.