1970s Ford Digs through a Deep Bog: Muddy Monday
Old school Ford F-Series makes short work of the deep, thick mud with help from a roaring V8.
A great many of the Ford trucks built during the sixth generation, which ran from 1973 through 1979, have driven off into that great, big junkyard in the sky. At the same time, the trucks from that era which have survived are often restored cruisers, built race trucks or monster mudders.
The Ford truck featured in this week’s Muddy Monday falls into that last category, but this classic pickup appears to be nice enough to serve as a cruiser as well; if not for the open headers and gigantic mud tires.
Big Muddy Ford
Unfortunately, the video above from the BESEDWARD YouTube channel doesn’t have any information on this classic Ford truck. It claims that it is a 2.5-ton pickup, but Ford didn’t make trucks that looked like this with that sort of weight rating in the 1970s. Maybe the person who posted the video meant that the truck weighs 2.5-tons, as in other videos on the channel, we can clearly see that this pickup is badged as an F-100.
In any case, what we do know from the styling is that this is a Ford F-Series pickup from the sixth generation, specifically within the 1973 through 1977 model years. Prior to the run, the truck is clean and the body looks very straight, with bright chrome everywhere and a contrasting white roof finish, which was popular in that era.
The body modifications appear to be limited to the cowl induction-style hood and the huge mud tires, but we can see that this old Ford has a serious suspension and chassis setup. Also, we know from the roar of the engine that this F-Series is packing a healthy V8, with folks in the comments insisting that it is a 460-cubic inch Ford engine based on the sound.
Battling the Bog
The video begins slowing, with the classic Ford truck carefully staging as the support crew hooks up the emergency tow strap to the rear end. Once the strap is connected, the driver begins easing up to the starting line, at which point we can see that the mud is deep, thick and slick, making it hard for the truck to move into place. An average truck would likely get stuck before getting to the actual starting line.
After a couple hard revs, the driver gets the go-ahead, hammering the throttle and beginning the slow dig through the slop. The V8 engine roars and the tires spin hard, flinging mud everywhere as the truck struggles to get a grip. However, even with the tires spinning, the classic Ford is able to build enough momentum to cruise to the second, deeper portion of the pit.
Once in that second area, the old F-Series has to do even more digging, but it prevails, safely making it to the grass on the far side of the Saluda Mud Bog.
Crank up your speakers and enjoy!
