I see what you have found there is a 1961 MERCURY, not just a Ford.
You say he price is out of whack but it really is not.
If it truly is a Merc and not a clone (and in the shape it seems to be ) then the tailgate sale would net you 1000.00 back.
I personally own a 63 MERCURY and they are called an M series not an F. I have had offers of 500 for my rough but repairable tailgate. The badging alone is near impossible to find.
I intend on bringing mine back to oe, as it is all there.
As an investment it is worth far more if unmodified.
I plan on finding a ford to build as a custom and save my Merc as a keeper.
Is this truck in the U S of A or Canada?
If it was a ford then at most I would go 2k, but as a Merc, I personally would have it in the shop the same day.
Might be just me but I like the more rare ones.