What makes a Ford F-250 Highboy a Highboy? Whether it's engineering or elevation —they're classic trucks all the same.
Trees of Green
By the late 1970s, image-conscious American consumers had begun to fall in love with pickup trucks. Their expression of rugged toughness —a trait carefully capitalized on by savvy marketing campaigns —had become a popular alternative to the sleek and sporty automobile, particularly in rural states. Today, collectors and everyday drivers alike are rekindling their romance with these classic-looking pickups, and this 1976 Ford F-250 Highboy is a homecoming king.
Photos courtesy of Motorious
Red Roses Too
"Highboy" was a term that referred to Ford F-250 4x4s that were manufactured between 1967 thru June of 1977. The derivation of the name isn't entirely clear. While these trucks did stand slightly higher than their Ford siblings, they also included a transfer case further back on the drivetrain, requiring the trucks to be built higher for the appropriate clearance. Whether the term relates to this engineering detail or the truck's actual height is lost to history, and many sources indicate the designation was never exclusive to Ford trucks.
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Skies of Blue
This particular 1976 Ford F-250 Highboy has undergone a complete restoration but was in great shape prior to that thanks to a life where it was diligently stored in the American Southwest. The truck is powered by a fully rebuilt Ford 360 V8 engine complete with an Edlebrock-brand intake and four-barrel carburetor. The engine is mated to a New Process Gears-brand NP435 four-speed manual transmission for smooth shifting on both the highway and backwoods trail.
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Clouds of White
The truck still boasts its original "Bright Blue Metallic" paint color with all new window and door seals. The interior comes complete with a fully restored bench seat taken from another 1976 Ford F-250 in addition to its original radio, door panels, and headliner. One new edition that wasn't available in 1976: a Rhino-brand lined floor for quick cleaning —a welcomed alternative to the cloth floor of the original.
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Sacred Night
The Rhino-brand rubberized lining extends to the truck's large bed, meaning its reading for everything from camping and fishing supplies to ATVs and even (if you must) dirt and building supplies. In the late 1970s, it was common to see Highboys like this one with trunks full of passengers, a practice which has since been outlawed in 20 states. Many of the states that still allow passengers in the truck bed enforce restrictions on it to passengers over 18 years of age and employees on duty.
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What a Wonderful World
Compared to their F-150 counterparts, only a limited number of 1976 Ford F-250 Highboy 4x4 pickups were manufactured, in fact, just 62,873 were ever produced, less than half of Ford's total F-150 output for that year. That means there are fewer still of these Highboy gems in the wild today. If your ever fortunate to get your hands on one, it's definitely not a truck you want to let get away.
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