Owner: Ryan Bettis
Found on: Craigslist
Location: Wheat Ridge, Colorado
Purchase price: $2,800
Years owned: Two
It was winter, and in winter, four-wheel drives are just too desirable. I gave up looking for a Bronco and found this ad for an F-150. It was listed as "Ford Truck" and had a single terrible photo. I think that's why no one had gone to look at it.
I dealt with the owner's son. Story was, his dad bought it new in '78, and it was his everyday vehicle up until the '80s. They used it for camping and towing their fishing boat, and were planning to restore it until the dad had a stroke. The son had the motor rebuilt, did some body work, but the truck kind of sat there. They had just decided to let it go.
It was exactly what I wanted: a supercab with a 400-cubic-inch V-8 and a four-speed manual. I fixed some issues with the fuel system, and since then it's always started, never left me stranded or stuck. I added an aluminum Edelbrock intake manifold, switched it from two to four barrels with a Holley carb, installed a bigger muffler. I had it painted back to the original brown—my dad hates it, but I love it. The interior is still mostly original and needs to be redone. But honestly, I like the old feel. It's 40 years old and I'm the second owner.
This story appears in the April 2017 Popular Mechanics.
