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Hi, I'm new here. I recently bought a 1988 Ford F150 XLT Lariat 4x4 from a dealer off eBay. TBH, I bought it because I was feeling nostalgic and wanted to own a piece of American history.
I've never had a truck, I don't have much experience at all working on cars but I'm really enjoying working on this truck and learning how to do things myself. I was led to this forum by googling around trying to solve the mystery of my hood ornament. There seem to be people here who know an awful lot about such things.
From my research it is associated with part# D3TB-16850-N. I can't figure out if it's a Ford part# or what. It's mentioned as being a licensed accessory. I don't know if Ford made these or someone else did. I don't know if dealers put them on or if individuals did. The one on mine was definitely installed by an amateur. When I google Ford truck images from the 70's and 80's I cannot find trucks that have this ornament on them although they must be out there.
The crazy thing is the dealer I bought the truck from (located in Virginia) has sold at least 2 other very similar F150s in recent months (1987-95, regular cab short beds) and they all have the same hood ornament. They also all have a Unity spotlight installed, and mine had Unity fog lights installed. I'm trying to gain an understanding of the background of this hood ornament, and trying to figure out why so many similar trucks wound up in the same area. The trucks also all have dual tanks and I have some information that indicates dual tanks were rare on that age and configuration of F150 but I'm not sure if that's true.
My first theory was that some organization ordered similar trucks and did these same aftermarket things to them, but the documentation for the trucks seems to indicate random private original owners.
If it seems I've gone OCD over this, it's true, it has become kind of a quest.
If it turns out anyone but me cares enough about this (lol) I'll see if I can post pics of all the trucks. For now, here's the ornament.
A search of the part number you gave led to this thread here on FTE... https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-ornament.html If I remember it is maybe the 3rd or 4th post that mentions the number you gave... AND post #7 and 14...
You might want to check it out,, there may be info I didn't notice...
Hi, I'm new here. I recently bought a 1988 Ford F150 XLT Lariat 4x4 from a dealer off eBay. TBH, I bought it because I was feeling nostalgic and wanted to own a piece of American history.
you know how old your making a lot of us feel,saying you bought an '88 because you wanted to feel nostalgic? that's just so wrong.lol.
brother,i had to buy a '68 to get that feeling.
you know how old your making a lot of us feel,saying you bought an '88 because you wanted to feel nostalgic? that's just so wrong.lol.
brother,i had to buy a '68 to get that feeling.
you know how old your making a lot of us feel,saying you bought an '88 because you wanted to feel nostalgic? that's just so wrong.lol.
brother,i had to buy a '68 to get that feeling.
That's funny. Well I am 53. I did actually want something early 70s but a mechanic friend talked me into getting one with EFI.
Mine is a 1989...I remember dad buying his 1991 while I was a Senior in High School. My lust for a dent side, preferably a 1978, would be nostalgia, since that's what dad drove until he bought his 1991. One of these days, I'll get my hands on one, and be able to re-live parts of my childhood, but I doubt I'll ever be able to take the grands to a drive-in to watch "Every Which Way You Can" from the bed of the truck, like I did with my dad.
That was a Ford hood/fender ornament was used on the 1957 & then again on the 1960 Fairlane.
Maybe used on a few later years also but do not recall seeing it on any.
That was a Ford hood/fender ornament was used on the 1957 & then again on the 1960 Fairlane. Maybe used on a few later years also but do not recall seeing it on any.
I've googled countless images and haven't found it on any 70's-80's truck (which is all I've looked for). Yet there's one on at least 3 trucks this guy has sold out of Virginia. Along with spotlights, fog lights and 2 of them with Slimline covers.
Wow, some sharp trucks! But yeah, that logo (see also the front "license plates") is from at least the '60s. Ford had long since dropped it by this ^^^^^^ generation. So it's a case of a local dealer or upfitter with a sense of "compound nostalgia" - likes "old" trucks with even older details. Sorta like seeing a Victrola in a '50s ranch house.
Y'all really ought to follow this link for ND's rant, ummm... "take" on the subject.
That is a very enlightening thread. And this idea of "compound nostalgia" explains the Unity spotlight and fog lights as well I think. The Unity company in Chicago is still around and still makes all that stuff almost the exact same way they always have. But there are some differences and the one I have is from the 50's or near to that decade, so I don't think it's an accident that those particular items are on the truck along with the "hood" ornament.
In fact, it was ILLEGAL after 1970 because the Feds required a spring loaded hood ornament.
Haha, wow. Well even if it wasn't illegal, it's silly and I'll need to have it off my truck. I guess I'll have to learn how to go about filling two holes.
08-30-2016, 10:50 PM
