I have to share it the news. I've been looking for a long time for a black Flareside and I finally found one in good shape for $2000. The seller needed the money and his family is growing so the 3 seater had to go. Wife and I are almost empty-nesters, so room for 3 is just fine. It has the usual minor body work issues, but overall I'm very happy with it. The seller took very good care of it.

Here is the link for the photos on picasa's album.
http://picasaweb.google.com/jack.kisssner/Flareside#

 

Hey congrats on a new truck. Wwlcome to the dent side of the universe.. LOL... Looks like it was taken care of, great find... enjoy.

 

You DAWG! I think you stole that! LOL

How many miles on it? Looks great!

What engine is in your Flareside, btw?

Does anyone know if those fiberglas steps are OEM, and what years they came on? Are they the same as the Eddie Bauer steps everyone drools over? I'd like to get some, from the junkyard, preferably.

Big Six

 

172,000 miles. I thought it was a pretty good deal. The guy put tires, starter, solenoid, transmission, plugs, brake lines, and whole slew of other things in the last year. Not sure of the fiberglass steps. The driver's side is loose, so I will probably take it off to repair it. I'll know more about it then. Engine is the 4.9 straight six.

 

LOVE the straight six--LOVE IT!

The six is like having two engines, really--you'll notice it's already outlasted the first transmission--and it should run another 172K without major problems.

With the redesign of the 1997 F-150, the straight six would no longer fit under the ("aero") hoodline of the NBS, so Ford had a better idea. I believe the Big Six debuted in 1966, in the form of the 240 cu. in. (same block), making for a glorious, 30 year run.

For many years, the big, brown UPS trucks you see were powered by the Ford Big Six.

How does it feel to own a piece of history?

Again--congrats.

Big Six

 

REWRITE--I "timed out" on my editing. I'll try again:

I'd say it's an even better deal, what with all those new parts!

LOVE the straight six--LOVE IT!

The Big Six is like having two engines, really--you'll notice it's already outlasted the first transmission--and it should run another 172K without major problems.

With the redesign of the 1997 F-150, the straight six would no longer fit under the ("aero") hoodline of the NBS, so Ford had a *cough* "better idea." I believe the Big Six debuted in 1965, in the form of the 240 cu. in. (same block), making for a glorious, 30 year run.

For many years, (and to this day!) the big, brown UPS trucks you see were powered by the Ford Big Six, backed by a manual transmission--not exactly a "light duty" application....

I was told that there was a certain class of oval-track dirt racers that preferred the Big Six, but that may have been in it's 240 cu. in. iteration--possibly due to engine size-class limitations? I dunno.

Ford Motor Company's 300 cu. in. "Big Six"--An American Icon....
Conceived prior to, or coincident with, the earliest days of the Apollo space program, born with a "dirty" carburetor in the pre-smog control-era, it's long-stroke design providing more torque than even larger-displacement V-8's, the Big Six nevertheless proved adaptable enough to survive and even THRIVE under ever-increasing, Congressionally-mandated emissions and mileage standards, embracing computer control and electronic fuel injection, thereby becoming even more powerful and less thirsty than it's carbureted ancestors, lasting almost until the new millennium--surviving inflation, recession, wars, a foreign invasion of more-advanced competitors, while successfully powering five (5!) generations of F-Series trucks, not to mention various other Ford models, in addition to being a popular power plant for UPS vans and commercial trucks up to 20,000 lbs. GVW, not to mention powering ski lifts, tractors, wood chippers and generators, all the while in the total absence of the cubic dollars of marketing support afforded certain V-8 engines hyped in the "Win on Sunday/Sell on Monday" paradigm of American motorsports advertising, etc...only to (finally) be killed by the stroke of an artist's pen, in the pursuit of an admittedly-sexy hoodline.
* By Big Six.

And now you've got one!

Anyone remember Kevin Spacey, in American Beauty, telling his shrew about his 1970 Pontiac Firebird? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlFmD...rom=PL&index=3

It's like that. LOL

How does it feel to own a piece of history?

You are now a "curator," of sorts, of the type of "can do" American engineering that made this once-great nation, well...great! I trust you will approach your new role with the appropriate solemnity and verve.

Again--congrats.

Big Six

*(This was my attempt at a Faulknerian-style, run on sentence--how'd I do? LOL You have my permission to print and frame the italicized text, in a format suitable for a tasteful dashboard plaque, for display purposes in your F-150--with attribution, of course.)
** Partial Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_St...rth_generation

 

Nice flareside!! I didn't really like them until I bought my 95 extended cab 4wd flareside,and it has grown on me!!(pic under my user name)

 

Nice score! I just bought a '95 Black, extended cab, 4x4 Flareside with the 5.0 and I'm not sure whether I'd rather have the 4.9 or not simply because big-grunt sixes are soooo cool.

I think it would be neat if we could see all our Flaresides side-by-side.

 

Nice find, that is just about the identical truck i got, mines got a 302 and 4x4 with a visor though and in a little rougher shape, other than that its the same interior and color and everything. i will post some pics here in the next day or two to compare..lol.

 

Cherry interior, and overall nice rig. Nice find!

 

Thanks to all for the kind comments. It's in the garage today for some polish and wax.

 

I have a 1993 Flareside just like yours but Extra Cab. original 5.8, E40D. I am trying to find the running boards cuz some A**hole sideswiped mine and ripped the driver side one to hell. Any ideas?