‘Boss’ Ford Courier Packs 357 Cubes of Windsor Muscle
Dad’s Courier became a show truck back in the early ’80s and it’s still a treasured family heirloom today.
In its heyday, the Ford Courier was a small, lightweight, underpowered pickup built for light duty. It was good on gas and reliable, and found a niche in the market among folks who didn’t necessarily need big, V8-powered trucks. But it also became a favorite of hot rodders for all those same reasons. Removing the original four-cylinder and replacing it with a V8 proved rather easy, and rather fun. And that’s exactly what Harlan Kemper has done to his dad’s old Courier, recently profiled by Ford Performance.
But this “Boss” Courier isn’t just powered by some regular old 302. Instead, it packs a 351 Windsor that’s been bored .030 over and now displaces 357 cubic-inches. No word on internal mods, but we can easily spy headers, an aluminum intake, and a four-barrel carb. Even if this thing doesn’t have warmed-over heads or a lumpy cam, we’re guessing it’s still enough to propel this lightweight Courier up to speed rather quickly.
Aside from that obvious upgrade, Kemper’s pickup is cool for many other reasons. For starters, his dad bought it new back in 1977. The younger Kemper grew up driving it around town and eventually took possession of it. Over time, he slowly transformed it into a show truck, adding things like a custom bed and Cragar SST wheels.
Today, this old Ford Courier retains most of its old school custom truck looks, and we think it’s pretty cool. But it’s what lies under the hood that really peaks our interest. And we’re glad to see that even after all these years, Kemper is keeping his dad’s old truck alive!
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