It's not mine, I haven't seen it in person, just looks like a unique opportunity for someone in the market for one of these trucks (the asking price would be 13k in 1980 dollars) ~Bill

1980 Ford F150 Flareside for sale | Hemmings Motor News

 

Too bad the original buyer didn't get the AC option and XLT trim.

It's a nice looking truck - and comparing with today's prices for a new truck its not a bad deal -it's a little high based on 1980 dollars (I paid $13,700 in 1982 for my F250 XLT Lariat 4X4). I would guess that the truck cost around $9,000 in 1980.

 

The guy says it was $5,327 new. That's about $15k today. Too bad you can't buy a basic, no frills truck for $15k today...

Neat truck though.

Btw, $13,700 in 82 is the same as $33,800 today. Too bad you can't buy a fully loaded f250 for that either.

 

No dry rot? In 34 years? Sure........

 

It's very cool from a collectability standpoint, but I wouldn't buy it, just because I wouldn't be able to use it as a truck, and wouldn't want to put miles on it. For how much he is asking, you could restore one, or build one to better suit your needs.

 

My town.
Never seen it on the road, and with 179 miles I wouldn't expect to.

The house isn't ostentatious for most of this place.
I'm going to ask around.

 

Cool truck! But, it is a bit more than I would pay.

 

Truck seems oddly optioned-V8 with larger tires, but no radio or AC, Armstrong steering, Flintstone brakes, 3 on the tree? Knowing where it is, I can hear the owner's dad ca. 1980 bellowing, 'no son of mine is going to be seen in THAT' ~Bill

 

More than likely it was bought as an estate vehicle and never driven on the road or registered.
Forgotten in an outbuilding because it wasn't well suited.

I once bought a '60's Dodge mason dump that belonged to a cemetary here in town.
Didn't have 5, 000 miles on it in over 30 years, but the steering was shot!

 

It would be interesting to learn the back story.


It reminds me of a story I heard back in the '70s. A friend of a friend was driving around in farm country, knocking on doors where he saw old cars parked in a back lot. After talking to one young farmer for a while the farmer offered to show the guy his real treasure. They drove to a shed on the back of the property where the farmer pulled a tarp off a Model T with under 100 miles on it. Story went that the farmer's grandfather bought it new in the 'teens, drove it home and swore he was never gonna deal with them newfangled contraptions again and went back to his horse. He stuffed it out of the way in a shed where it was more-or-less forgotten until it was too old to be a good car anymore. Eventually they realized it was best kept as a classic.


I hope that story is true. If not, it ought to be!

 

Perhaps Jim can get the story for us. Help them understand that getting coverage on FTE would enhance the probability of it selling.

 

I used to know quite a few of the classic car collectors in this town.
But many have passed and others have retired to elsewhere.

There's lots of 'new money', and car collections to go with it, but I don't know who to go to for this one.
Maybe I'll pose as a buyer and see if I can go look at it.

 

I'd love to have that truck, but I'd be far too tempted to drive the wheels off it!

As back stories go, I have one in progress. Former coworker bought 2 of the last production Pontiac Firebirds. One he drives, the other one is stored. One day, that car will be in Hemmings, or Barrett Jackson fetching the big bucks. Great foresight and good on him for having the resources to do this, but I don't think he will see it in his lifetime.

Saw another story like this a few years back. It was in Winnipeg, Manitoba at a small local car show. There was a Ford GT40 roped off with a cheap yellow nylon rope. I thought it was an exceptionally well done clone and I was all over this thing. I had my hands rested on the door sill as I peered inside to see the 367 miles on the odometer and the 351C mounted midships. Just then, my eye caught his brag board, it was the real thing! I slowly backed away in terror! This was a $250K plus car!

Story was it belonged to a young fellow who made crazy money in internet pharmacy sales when that was all the rage. He saw the car on Barrett Jackson where it did not sell. He decided he wanted it and ponied up. He proceeded to drive the wheels off it all summer. The internet pharmacy business eventually got regulated out of existence and I do not know what happened to this car or the individual who owned it. Kind of a shame that a survivor got lost, but there is a certain satisfaction in seeing a vehicle actually put to the intended use. Kind of like lions in the wild instead of in the zoo.

 

There's a '73 Firebird in the garage next door.
Not "mint" but very clean, new interior and a chromed out dyno'd 383 crate motor,( MSD ignition, big Eddy carb, etc...) STILL wrapped in plastic and bolted to the shipping skid.
The owner had to go away, and I don't think it's been touched in a decade.

A bunch of new rubber and a couple of days and it could on the road.

 

I'd drive that sucker if I had the means to buy. When else are you gonna get the chance to drive a basically brand new bullnose, ever??