Vintage Southwest Ranch/Hunting Pickup Truck Runs Great Original F100 F150 F-150

Description for Ford F-100 1973

Very nice, well patina'd, great running and shifting, extremely stock and original, desert Southern Utah, vintage Ford F-100 Custom 4X4 ranch and hunting truck (Custom is the trim level). This truck was sold new at Bradshaw Ford (see rear bumper pic) in 1973 and has spent it's entire life in the desert and mountains of Southern Utah. It was built in San Jose, CA and shipped to DSO Code 73 (Salt Lake City) then sold in St. George, UT (Bradshaw Ford). Right now it has Utah collector plates and is street legal. It is also a factory AC truck but the compressor has been removed.
The exterior has a great patina with original paint and 43 years worth of use showing proudly. Rust is light and confined to the rear of the front fenders (cab corners in front are solid), part of the rear fenders, and a small section of the passenger side rear cab corner. Floorboards and everything else are rock solid. I have additional pictures which show it all in great detail. Bed has surface rust only (no cancer) and a sturdily mounted gooseneck trailer hitch installed. All of the outside lights work. One tire/wheel combo doesn't match the rest.
The interior is in really good, original condition. The only thing missing is the driver side door panel (they are readily available in the aftermarket). Doors open and close solidly and windows roll up and down properly. All glass is good. Dash pad is cracking which is typical in our desert climate. Dash is almost perfect. At one point a stereo was installed and some light cutting was done behind the plastic dash panel. I have a picture available which shows how minor it is. All gauges except ALT gauge work. Heater fan works but horn doesn't. And it has that cool gun rack mounted behind the seat.
The running gear is excellent. The engine starts right up and runs smoothly (new fuel pump and starter) and the transmission shifts great (I suspect it has been relatively recently rebuilt with a shift kit based on shift quality). Transfer case shifts in and out of 4WD properly and vintage Selectro locking hubs also work properly. Brakes work pretty well but it needs rear brake shoes. It has a new power steering pump but PS ram leaks and pulsates during sharp turns. I also noticed some wandering when I was driving around town.
This is a nicely preserved piece of vintage machinery. It is all original with excellent bones. The rust is minor and isolated to non-structural areas. If it was mine I'd just finish off the remaining details, retain the patina and enjoy it. These beauties can be restored over and over but are only original once. Just my two cents.
My name is Chris and I am happy to answer your questions. Please call me at 435-669-1470. I also have over 150 pictures that show every nook and cranny in great detail (including the undercarriage). Send or text me your email address and I'll get them to you. This very cool 1973 Ford F-100 4X4 pickup truck is located in the dry, desert community of Washington, Utah(about 125 miles north of Las Vegas). Good luck and good bidding.