I now own a 2000 SuperDuty, but I stop by the bumpside forum daily just because I love 'em so much. Here's my bumpside story:

We had a '72 F250 2WD 360 4speed that my dad bought from the local Firestone in about '74 after one of their employees fell asleep and rolled it off the road into a pasture. We fixed it up and drove it until about '81 when we replaced it with a '78 F250 4X4.

I bought my first Ford pickup when I was in college and needed something to haul firewood with. It was a '71 F100 2WD 300-6 with a 4 Speed and I paid $700 for it. It had dents in every panel and had not been loved, but that original Ford paint would take a shine like you wouldn't believe and the old girl got 18 MPG on the highway! I hauled many a load of wood and wood pellets (about 1,500 pounds worth at a time) and she never complained. I eventually got tired of feeding her oil every week, so I pulled the original 300 and replaced it with a rebuilt out of a 1980 (for $300). That newer engine ran just as good as the original, but the mileage was only about 12 on the highway. When I tore the original down to have a look, every main bearing was shining brass and the pistons would rotate about 30 degrees in the cylinder while still on the rods! After having a couple kids I sold the old girl for $500 to a 16 year old who wanted to start a lawn care business.

So that's my story and here's a couple pics of my '71. That shiny hood was original paint in about 2002!

 

Hey that looks nice! I like the mirrors.

What are those shiny things on the side of the bed? Tie-down hooks?

 

There were several in my past. I was 13 when the first bumpsides came out in the fall of '66. One of my neighbors bought a '67 that year - very plain tan color, long bed. Later, another neighbor bought a new '70. My uncle had a used yellow '70.

My father had a '65 F-100 short bed bought new. In November 1971, he traded it for a leftover '71 F-100 long bed. When my parents died, my brother got it and I bought it from him. It was a 302, 3-speed manual with an Explorer package. I still have it. I've added power steering, power disc brakes, and a 351W with Edelbrock intake and 4-bbl, also C-4 automatic. I recently shortened a locking steering column from a van and plan to install it this fall.

A couple of years ago, I bought a '72 for parts but it is in running condition, 302 automatic, manual steering and brakes.

 

I picked up those mirrors at a wrecking yard somewhere. They were aluminum and would shine up like chrome with some Mothers polish. Yep, those are tie-downs on the bed side that someone before me put on.

I loved that truck and would still have her if she were a short bed. She had factory black dash pad and rubber floor mat with white door panels, seat and head liner. I really like that combo with the paint (Calypso Coral if I recall correctly).

Oh, and when I got her she still had the original owner warranty card clipped inside the glove box. She was original to Montana.

 

Great story....love the color of that truck. I recently bought and I am in the final stages of restoring a 72 F100 FE360 with automatic C6. The truck was purchased in San Antonio Texas (still has the original dealer bumper that I blasted, fixed up, and re-painted). I bought it from a guy in San Antonio who bought it from the 2nd owner who had it under his carport just sitting there for 10 years or so. I had the original engine taken out and rebuilt and I have restored it back to original shape except for a few minor modicifications (electronic distributor and new ignition coil that I just put in this week). I still have to have the tranny worked on (it's slipping a little), overhaul the AC system, and do a few smaller things in the interior etc....but she is a beast and I love the way everything turned out. Big learning process for me as this is the first restoration I have done. I didn't do all of the work but I did enough about 250 hours on my end alone plus all of the other help I have got. I can't wait to finish up the few odds and ends I have left and hopefully start another project someday when I save up enough money Kind of an expensive hobby! Here is a link to the web page of the guys who helped me with the whole process. My truck is on the main page right below the 56 black and white Chevy. Two-tone whimbeldon white and green BIG DAM SCOOTERS - Home

 

Wow, your truck is looking sharp! I really like the green/white combo. I think I know what kind of bumper you are talking about. I used to see 60's and 70's Ford trucks with rear bumpers that were stamped with dealer info (name and city) and it seems like they were all from Texas.

 

Thanks! I appreciate it. Yeah those bumpers seem to be a Texas thing. It was pretty beat up and I had to cut off the diamond plate on top and weld on a new piece of diamond plate etc...but it was worth it. I wanted to keep it as original as possible. Hopefully one day I will pass the truck on down the line within my own family.

 

I bought my first bump side in 1973, it was a 69 F-250 4x4, I still own the truck and pulled it into my shop about a mounth ago. Been working on it and it needs lots of work too. A lot of stories and a lot of miles.