1963 Ford F-100: It’s a Family Affair

We ran into this vintage Ford F-100 at a local car show, only to discover it is owned by the original owner’s grandson!

The staff of Ford Truck Enthusiasts covers a lot of classic trucks. While most of them are incredibly well-preserved or restored to perfection, we appreciated well-used trucks which have led a normal life. You know, an Average Joe’s truck.

This 1963 Ford F-100 we spotted at a local cruise night is a great example of what we’re referring to. It’s been in the same family its entire life and the original owner was the current owner’s grandfather. Or in other words, it’s been passed down from grandfather to grandson

First purchased in Springvale, Maine, it spent the first few years of its life serving double duty. It was equipped with a tool box, a pipe rack, and even an acetylene torch for handyman duty. When it wasn’t hard at work, it was hard at play towing a camper and a fishing boat across New England. Lobster, anyone?

When it was just a couple of years old, the current owner learned to drive in it, and years later it would become his. The F-100 would move to Northeast Ohio in 1977 when the original owner passed away. From that moment on it served as a fair-weather daily driver and went on many more camping trips.

When the current owner moved to Houston, Texas, the truck came along for the ride and returned to Ohio in the mid-’80s when he moved back. It continued its diligent work as an occasional errand vehicle until a Ford Ranger replaced it in 2000, at which point it sat in a garage.

Thankfully, the owner decided to get it running again and often brings it out to cruises to let the public enjoy it. We certainly enjoyed seeing it, but we enjoyed this truck’s story even more.

We love the worn green paint, red wheels, and short stepside bed. It’s utilitarian, functional, and quintessentially classic. Well-cared for, well-loved, and well-used, that’s how we like our classic trucks here at Ford Truck Enthusiasts.

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Cameron Vanderhorst

Cam VanDerHorst has been a contributor to Internet Brands' Auto Group sites for over three years, with his byline appearing on Ford Truck Enthusiasts, Corvette Forum, JK Forum, and Harley-Davidson Forums, among others. In that time, he's also contributed to Autoweek, The Drive, and Scale Auto Magazine.

He bought his first car at age 14 -- a 1978 Ford Mustang II -- and since then he’s amassed an impressive and diverse collection of cars, trucks, and motorcycles, including a 1996 Ford Mustang SVT Mystic Cobra (#683) and a classic air-cooled Porsche 911.

In addition to writing about cars and wrenching on them in his spare time, he enjoys playing music (drums and ukulele), building model cars, and tending to his chickens.

You can follow Cam, his cars, his bikes, and his chickens at @camvanderhorst on Instagram.

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