What exactly is custom about F-100 Custom or F-150 Custom or F-250 Custom or F-350 Custom? I personally own a 1977 F-100 Custom and don't really see anything different in it than any other truck. Maybe Mi1lion will help me out. I have recently shaved the emblems and mirrors on my 77 Custom so i gueess that counts now haha

 

My understanding is Custom was the most basic Ford truck sold by FORD. It means it did not include any upgraded options, such as with some emblems which have Ranger, Explorer, Camper Special and etc.....

 

I thought I read on this forum that the "Custom" badging was for trucks ordered from the factory with the features the individual customer wanted and none that they did not want, hence "Custom" truck. I do not know if it's true or not?

 

I believe cujo8 is right. Custom trucks let the customer pick what options they wanted. I don't know if all the options and trim were available to custom trucks though...

 

Cujo is correct.
This also applies to Dealerships ordering a line of trucks from Ford knowing they are in a particular part of the country where Luxury Trims lines Lariat,XLT are not wanted.

This the Dealer Installed Options available of someone wants an addition.

Custom is "Custom ordering"
ie:
Air Conditioning,Vinyl seat, rubber floor mat

 

Mil1ion you just hit the friggin jackpot...my truck had a vinyl seat and rubber floormat oh and also had a rear step bumper as well but thats been gone for years along with the bed...if anyone has a 8' bed for sale in states bordering PA please let me know...thanks for all the help

 

I thought that was all in the form of a basic truck with a Custom badging. I thought all trucks were custom in the 73-79. Sure options could be added to the basic line of truck and were charged independently for each option. If a customer wanted an XL or XLT or Ranger or Camper Special, then that was included as that particular option which included that specific options for that line of option. JMO

 

There were no XL's back then. There was Custom, Ranger and Ranger XLT. There were other options that could be had with one of these options such as Explorer, Camper Special, Trailer Special, etc.
My friend has a 78 Ranger, it has PS, PB, 302, 3 on the tree, AM/FM radio, and all of the chrome (Race track and all). No a/c, but has deluxe door panels, vinyl seat with the inserts and carpet along with a red/white two tone paint job.
My 77 F150 Custom has vinyl seats with cloth inserts, carpet, wide side trim (without race track), rear sliding window and came with a 351M/C6. It was also two tone blue over silver.
My 77 F100 Custom has vinyl seat, rubber mat and a 302/C4.

 

It basically differentiates it from more luxurious trim lines.

The XLT, Lariat and even some Explorers is out of a lot of peoples price range for just a WORK Truck.

What concrete finisher needs truck with extra thick Carpeting,Tilt,Cruise, AC,Intermittent wipers, Security package,Convenience Package,Tinted glass,etc.?

In a hot climate he would probably pick: AC,Automatic Trans,Vinyl seat rubber floor mat (so he can wash the cab out with a hose),no radio,stepup bumper.

Nothing fancy, just enough to be semi-comfortable in the heat driving between jobs. The truck is meant for work...nothing more.

This is where Ford has the CUSTOM line-up focused.

At present the XL has that designation.

 

this has actually helped a lot cuz i never can find a re-upholster kit for the vinyl seat in my truck no matter what i do.and this might disappoint yall but im goin for buckets and a custom console made of fiberglass...i just wanted to know what custom really meant...oh and my truck will stay with its 300 I-6 but the 3 on the tree will be swapped for a 4 spd toploader...this will be a some show...mostly driving and some track time...hence the performance upgrades im planning and also lots of suspension and body mods in the works...track time will be some really minor autoX if im up to it but mostly just the 1/4 mile and street driving(only in the spring summer and fall and never winter)

 

Custom was the base model, it had nothing to do with options ordered.

 

My point was: That you with a Custom can take a base model and order the truck to have it anyway you want to.

Seats:
Ford Truck seats up until 1996 will swap into the 70's trucks ....with a seat to seat track swap over.

 

Racing bucket seat would be nice.
just set up for a good gas/brake feet action, good perspective driving, a roll cage for safety, racing fuel tank.

I guess I'm getting carried away.

The custom badging goes great with our classic trucks. I alway let friends and people know "These trucks are old, classic, custom trucks" and the badging and truck matches my description.

 

The CUSTOM was Ford's "Customizable" baseline.

You could have a completely no options CUSTOM with absolutely no options what so ever. (Quite rare actually)

Or you could have a "fully loaded" CUSTOM, special ordered with every single option the F-series came with except for luxury trim reserved for Ranger, Ranger XLT etc.... (Also quite rare and costly.) (If you ordered the luxury trim reserved for the Ranger, the custom would then become a Ranger etc... so to speak. )

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In 1982 Ford dropped the CUSTOM baseline, and made people buy their trucks with options packages instead reserved for each trim level.

This kind of upset the customers because they couldn't get some of the options they wanted without buying a XL or XLT, and getting other options they did not want.

Here is a made up scenerio for explanation only. Say you wanted to get a tachometer. After 1982 you would also have to get carpet cause the Tach only came with the XLT and the XLT comes with carpet.

One reason they brought the CUSTOM back in 1987. IE: So you could get a tachometer with a rubber floor mat. among other things.

 

My 1998 Ford F250 4x4 was a Custom, it had overloads and the heavy duty rear axle, 460 4bbl, and the trailer towing package.